Life in Flight as a Flight Attendant

Thirty thousand feet above ground flying in a 747 Boeing commercial aircraft with passengers and serving and giving aid to the passengers of flight. I knew that was the job I wanted, I had wanted a job that involved flying and traveling from the first time I flew. All I could think of while watching the flight attendants is how much fun it looked and knowing that was the job for me. Here I am at age twenty four and single just finished college with an Associates degree in travel and tourism. I soon had an interview with a major airline and was given the job and passed the test the airline gave me from my knowledge of my travel class. I was given a base city that I would be assigned to fly out of instead of having to commute to the airport. I was assigned to fly out of the LAX  Las  Angeles International Airport.

Each day I would drive only twenty minutes to the airport and park in the employee parking in my uniform and take my luggage with me, we always traveled with luggage even if we didn't have a layover in another state before we would return home. I would pass through security with the other flight attendants and go to check in the employee lounge where we would put are security pass number in a computer and are flight schedules came up for us to print. In the flight schedules it would tell us how many passengers were flying in each flight with how many unaccompanied minors we had as well as what gates we were to fly out of at each airport. It would also tell us the other flight attendants we would be working with during the flights. We would wait a few minutes before we were to be scheduled at the gate to start work on the cabins on the aircraft.

Once on the aircraft we would clean out each row of seats that needed cleaning and cleaned overhead bins for the luggage. We would make sure we had enough pillows and blankets for the passengers that might be asking for use later. After checking  all of the aircraft we would go to the galley the kitchen of the aircraft and check on the number of drinks and snacks we had for the passengers. Then the lavatory the restrooms on board were cleaned and checked off. Finally the aircraft is ready for passengers to board on, it took around twenty to thirty minutes for us to help passengers locate their seats if we were asked. We also and always take the unaccompanied minors to there seats and asked if they had any questions and answer for them. We would help load in luggage in the overhead bins and close them.

This is only the beginning of what we do in each flight. After having everyone  in there seats they would be given the safety precautions either by video or by the attendants demonstrating with the seat belts how to use them, how to use an oxygen mask if the masks come out, how to use an emergency door and landing in water and no smoking at any time on flight. We also ask that the seats and tray tables are locked in the up right position and all electronic devices are turned off before we leave the airport. Then the pilot and copilot take the aircraft to the runway sometimes they have what is called a holding pattern where we have to wait are turn to go. I remember a flight where we were suppose to leave the airport at eleven thirty and didn't get to the runway until twelve fifteen because of the holding pattern.

The pilot then picks up speed and we soon leave the ground behind and the pilot takes the aircraft up to thirty thousand feet during which we sit in jump seats. Then once we get fully into the air we take are place again and start to prepare the snack cart with drinks and snacks. We answer any calls from passengers that press a button for an attendant to help them. We give out pillows, blankets and sometimes head sets depending if the aircraft were using has radios for each passenger. Depending how long the flight is there is usually an in flight movie or program. We then pass out drinks and snacks to each passenger and refill drinks if they ask. I remember during a flight where a upset drunk man came to take his anger out upon me for some reason I don't know why and punched me in the stomach and nose hitting with such force that he gave me a good bloody broken nose and falling over the snack cart. I then had to stay down the rest of the flight with an ice pack on my nose until we returned home late that night. It is very easy for a passenger to get drunk at higher altitudes and we have to take caution and not serve more then two alcoholic drinks.

We then are given some time to sit if not busy helping a passenger with a need. Sometimes we have medical problems where we are trained to help the passenger and get the aircraft landed in an unscheduled stop airport and get the an ambulance on field to get the person care quickly. I remember one time in a flight we had to stop in Ohio for a women who needed an emergency appendectomy. After an emergency stop at the second  airport the pilot and copilot get us back on course to are destination. As we get close to are destination we clean up the drinks and garbage from the passengers then once again we take place in the jump seats as we descend down to are destination. Once down, we thank are passengers for flying with us and hope they fly with us again.  Then we ask that they remain seated until we get to the gate and fully stopped of course there are those passengers who get up quickly to board off faster. We warn them to be careful with the overhead bins that luggage shifts during the flight. Passengers then board off, then an attendant will take the unaccompanied minors to find their parent, or grandparent or relative. After everyone is off sometimes the flight attendants get rerouted to go help on another flight and another flight attendant will come in replace to the attendant that leaves. Then we start all over again to clean the aircraft and move onto the other states. Sometimes we get back home to are base city late that night or will be given a layover in another state where we will stay the night and sometimes a day or two to rest there before we fly home again to are base.