User post: Flight attendants complain about their jobs

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  Posted by Katie B Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:19am PDT

  Yes I do feel bad for them... In fact, I have for a long time... There was one flight I was on BEFORE 9/11, where there were two Middle Eastern men and these men had their seats all the way back while we were still on the ground and before we had taken off... Well the flight attendant told everyone to put their seats up like they usually do and then go down the aisles to check to make sure everyone has done it like they do EVERY SINGLE flight... Well they didn't want to listen to her because she was a woman and they created a disturbance... she finally had to threaten to kick them off the flight before they did what she asked... that was the point I felt sorry for flight attendants... I have always tried to be nice and curtious to anyone on the flight crew... but now I make a special effort to make their jobs just a bit easier, at least when it comes to me anyway.

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  Posted by Debra Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:08pm PDT

  Yes, as a former flight attendant, I do feel for them. It's a thankless job today. They put their lives at risk to take care of passengers who have no respect for what they do. They treat attendants like they are personal servants and should put up with their rudeness, verbal abuse and disgusting behaviour. Yes, flight attendants do serve, but they are mainly on board to save the lives of passengers in case of an emergency. They deserve respect and consideration for what they do. They are not just abused by the passengers, the companies that they work for today also treat them like non-entities. As far as free flights are concerned; it is getting almost impossible for airline personnel to fly free, which is a benefit they receive, because of less airplanes flying, full planes and seniority issues. As far as pay is concerned; a first year flight attendant makes less than $18K a year. In order to feed, clothe, pay rent/mortgage, and get to work via car or other transport; they must work extra flights, do more overnights away from home and get exhausted; making them less safe to fly. And, their companies don't care if they are exhausted. They need a body on that plane. Oh yeah, and never mind if they violate a FAA rule, which they can be fined up to $10k. The union does not cover the cost of that fine. So, if you think that being a flight attendant is if full of glamor and free flights, I encourage you to apply to one of the airlines. Trust me, they are always looking for flight attendants! And, should they be thankfuul they have a job; I have a job and I'm thankful I'm no longer a flight attendant post 9/11.

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  Posted by tressa Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:20pm PDT

  I've had a couple complaints over the years about flight attendants but would not want their jobs at all. It does sound fun though, but the downer is dealing with all these people who feel entitled to have and do what they want. I generally try to keep to myself so as to balance out the freakish travelers. I think they should do away with beverage service on shorter flights. It seems so unnessary and so much work on short flights. I wouldn't make a good FA because I would probably yell and use profanity......which I've never seen from FAs and I don't know how they have such control.

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  Posted by monkeygirl Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:24pm PDT

  Choices!!...don't like it? Get a different job.

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  Posted by Libby Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:24pm PDT

  I'm sort of middle of the road on this topic. I have been on flights before where it was obvious there were some high maintenance people on the flight, and that the Flight Attendants had there work cut out for them. Not to mention them having to deal with people who think that once they're on the plane the Flight Attendant becomes the babysitter for their kids which is absurd!Or the ones who expect the Flight Attendants to make other people switch seats so they can sit together when they are on standby (that happened on my last flight!).

  That being said....I have also been on flights where the flight attendants were terse and a little snotty. I realize we all have bad days, but you're in the hospitality/customer service industry BIGTIME as a Flight Attendant! So check the attitude before each new flight you embark upon, and remember than it isn't my fault you've been up for 20 hours, or that you had rude people on your last flight!

  Also....I worked a seasonal gig at a Tax Prep place and the CPA did a TON of pilots and flight attendants. The Flight Attendants get to claim EVERYTHING on their taxes! Make up, hair cuts, panty hose, luggage....even watches and cell phones and laptops, even internet service and cell service, all the things that the rest of us would love to get a kickback from Uncle Sam for at the end of the year!I am an Executive Assistant to a VP in an international company, so needless to say I can't come in looking shabby! I have to have nice clothes, appropriate hair and make up befittinga corporate environment....yet if I were to try to shove receipts for those things at my accountant at tax time? Forget it!

  Point is....and not to sound unsympathetic here, but life's tough all over ladies and gentlemen! We are probably all underpaid, under appreciated and over worked. We probably all have days when we hate our job, or some of the people in it, or the policies that we have to abide by. I drive past people on the corner with cardboard signs asking for money every day while I drive my nice 2009 vehicle to my job, and back home to my apartment that keeps me warm and dry, so I ask you....that job you have? It beats the alternative, right?

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  Posted by Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:01pm PDT

  I have a girlfriend who is a former flight attendant and she has some rediculous, but hilarious, stories about what passengers will do on an airplane.

  Every job has perks, shortcomings, and awful downsides - but her stories are enough to 1.) remind me to be courteous and not be 'that idiot' on a flight, and 2.) never consider the job as an occupation for myself.

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  Posted by Lauren Fritsky Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:07pm PDT

  Libby, I've also seen both situations. I've been on planes where people got sick in their seats, were rude about paying for cocktails and refused to put seatbelts on and really felt for the flight attendants having to deal with that. But I've also been on other flights where the attendants seemed outright rude for no reason. I guess it comes down to it being a customer service position, and with those, you have to be courteous and deal with even the most aggravating situations with grace.

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  Posted by Oyun Sun Aug 2, 2009 3:06am PDT

  All type of a serving job is a tough challenge. No matter how you are feeling or how badly the customer treats you as a serving person you have to smile, keep your emotions to not burst out and do your best to please that bad mannered client. It is fantastic if you are gutsy enough to put that customer in a right place not feeling him as a loser , but to embarrass of own acts. Otherwise just ignore that bad customer. As someone earlier mentioned, if you are tired and bored and hate what you are engaged in now, get another job. And as another one provided a valuable advice "I drive past people on the corner with cardboard signs asking for money every day while I drive my nice 2009 vehicle to my job, and back home to my apartment that keeps me warm and dry, so I ask you....that job you have? It beats the alternative, right?"

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  Posted by Dan Mon Aug 3, 2009 1:55pm PDT

  I don't feel bad for them. Unless you're one of the lucky few, we all work bad, thankless jobs. At least they've got money in their pockets, homes, cars, insurance, etc. Much more than I can say for myself right now. They should either suck it up and deal with it or try to find another job elsewhere. Good luck on that in this economy. They want something to whine about, they should live my life for a day.

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