Take Flight..

As I was commuting in today... I sat in the very last row in seat 37H next to a nice guy (Greg) from west FLL area. He was originally from upstate NY, then moved to Puerto Rico and was raised there... We had a great discussion about Costa Rica, VZ, and Puerto Rico.

He told me all about the customs and traditions of the Puerto Ricans. Mainly stating that they take their friendships VERY seriously. Extremely loyal to one another... but when you double cross a friend.. that anger is extreme anger. He also told me about many of the different municipalities and how each one will have a week long celebration... so every week throughout the year, there are at least 3 parties to choose from. Also 2 weeks (I think) in December about 100 people or so... will get together and go over to someone's house that isn't w/ the group... knock on the door and waking up the household. Then the owners of the house will prepare and offer food and drinks for the guests until all the amenities are gone...THEN they move on to the next house and repeat the process.

Nice guy... has wife and 8 year old son (who is going to be Obi-Wan Kenobi for Halloween). It was a nice and different way to pass the time.

We hit clear air turbulence. 2 men walking up the aisle returning to their seats literally caught air. I saw them both fly up. I grabbed the man closest to me and shoved him into the open seat across the aisle. He was shaking! The flight attendants at the back of the a/c all took their seats and yelled and held down the passengers that were in the back area. Luckily no one was seriously injured, just Shaken! The captain came over the PA a few minutes later and apologized.. stating there was no indication and nothing on the radar regarding the turbulence.

What a ride! Drinks spilling, people yelling, women AND men screaming, white knuckles... all when we took flight.

Hands Down... The U.S. has the BEST BEDS!!!!!

Well folks.... one thing I have learned from my travels internationally is that if you sleep better on a soft bed, you are just plain outta luck unless u have enough pillows and a creative mind. While flying domestically, I knew that if I was laying over at a Holiday Inn I was not going to get a good night sleep. HARD beds! If you are the type of person that loves a hard bed then go on vacation to most anywhere outside the US and you'll get a good night sleep. I swear, whether you are in Central America, South America, at swanky hotels and not so nice... 75% of the time (at least) you were not going to get a soft bed.

I know myself... if I don't get enough sleep I can become a bit grouchy... so if I just happen to have extra pillows... I make my own pillow top bed. It really works... I sleep like a baby (of course in the fetal position since the bed becomes VERY small)!

Maracaibo VZ Passengers....

I just had to get this down.... In just my 6 months of flying internationally, I would have to say that the destination I have visited the most would be Maracaibo and Caracas Venezuela. These flights used to be the most dreaded... and still are avoidable by most flight crews at all cost.

The reason isn't just the governmental instability, but the flights really are hard to work. The flights from MIA are usually under 3 hours and we do a complete beverage/meal service. The people are a bit demanding and can be a little demeaning, but my entire purpose for writing about this is my flight tonight.

We had 16 people in F and 155 in Y... this meant that w/ 6 flight attendants whom were a great crew things went smoothly. A co-worker of mine helps collect money for UNICEF. This organization collects money and helps poor children all over the world. http://www.unicef.org This particular flight often doesn't have anyone collecting... due to the short flying time and most collections are completed on transatlantic flights. This evening my dear coworker was able to collect over $250.00 US and 25,000 bolivar (this didn't even include the coin)! We were amazed at how generous the VZ people were. Many donated $1, $5, a few $10 and even 3 $20.

So tonight my kudos goes out to the wonderful people of Maracaibo! May we all learn a lesson of giving from them!

Commuting.... It just became a little crazier!!!

Well, today definitely was a first in my commuting career. In order to 'cover' myself (meaning I don't get harassed) I have to allow myself the opportunity to get to work within 2 flights. Today... I was planning on taking the middle flight of the day... leaving SJO @ 11:55am arriving into MIA @ 4:50pm. My flight didn't signin until 7:05pm. (REMEMBER.... I don't get paid until I'm on the a/c and the door is shut... MOST IMPORTANT)...so I thought this would be a good option....

If I couldn't make it on this flight.. then I could always take the next flight that would get me in right before signin. When I was about 1 hour from leaving home to go to the airport I decided to check the status of the inbound a/c. I was speechless at first when I saw...CXCL... meaning that my 2nd flight (backup) no longer existed AND my 1st option was delayed to just before signin.

I immediately called crew schedule to inform them that I was trying to commute in and that I would make the flight (if all went well...) but would most likely miss signin due to having to clear customs and the flight running VERY late. As I sat at the a/p waiting and watching the status of the flight... it was becoming later and later. In my mind I kept thinking... if it gets too late.. I won't even go. Why fly to MIA only to miss my 4 day trip? I really wanted to fly the trip due to it being an easy (relative.... when u hear the destinations) 20 hour 4 day.

The flight finally came in and the SJO crew turned it around pretty quick. We left SJO with an arrival around 7:20pm.... allowing me possibly just enough time to clear customs, security and run to the gate.

Well here I am in CCS... writing this... to tell you I made it with only signing in 6 minutes late... (that was after clearing customs)... it is still to be determined how much of a chore it is going to be to get the late signin removed... That adventure will come at a later date! We landed earlier than expected... at 6:55pm. I worked 1 leg into CCS...(remember don't mention...Chavez time... I'll tell you about that in another post) laying over and here is the rest of my schedule...

10th CCS-MIA-MAR (Maracaibo VZ)
11th MAR-MIA-MBJ-MIA-MBJ (Montego Bay)
12th MBJ-MIA (back in time to catch my noon flight home)

When You know Your Airline is Short on Cash $$$

Imagine being on a flight where you have just landed and this is the announcement you hear over the PA (public announcement) system... "Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to Zhengzhou. We have lost power and therefore are unable to taxi to the gate. Due to man power of only 7, we therefore will be requesting your assistance to push the aircraft off the runway". I promise I did not make this up... read below for a laugh (only because we get to read about it and not experience it ourselves).

NOW THIS IS A BAD FLYING EXPERIENCE!


Passengers Forced to Get Out and Push Broken Airplane Off Runway
Friday, September 26, 2008
http://foxnews.com

A budget Chinese airline took flying pains to a new level Thursday after it
made passengers get out and help push their broken plane to the gate, the
Daily Mail reported.

The CRJ7 plane, with 69 passengers and seven crew members on board, had just
flown from Guilin in the south of China, to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan
province. The plane landed safely but then died before it could taxi to the
arrivals terminal.

The staff could not push the airplane on its own, so the passengers were
asked to pitch in. Even with the added muscle power, it took the group
nearly two hours to get the plane off the runway.

³Thank God it was only a 20-ton medium-sized airplane,² one of the airport
workers told the Daily Mail. ³If it were a big plane, it would have knocked
us out.²

Delays... delays... we don't just make up excuses!!

I finally got a trip yesterday. After almost walking out the door to go furniture shopping with my girlfriend... I got the phone call from the 817 area code. Those 3 numbers... equal, WORK.
When I got to the plane... we weren't allowed to board due to maintenance working on an issue. After meeting the rest of my crew (finding out we were all just called out) a friend of mine wanted to switch positions, so I ended up working #5 b/c galley on the Airbus. Now if you fly this a/c you know that it is notoriously known for its mechanical problems. After 'waiting around' 20 minutes or so we got onboard.

After completing our pre-flight checks, maintenance informed us that the issue they were working on was serious! So we stopped what we were doing and relaxed. While talking for about 10 minutes... we were informed that the fix and test they had just completed failed so that the a/c was being taken out of service. (the l/h cockpit window needed replaced)

We gathered out things together... taking our time since we knew from history that nothing happens quickly at MIA we moseyed on over to the other gate.

After everyone boarded the 'new a/c' and after the request to 'arm' our doors occurred... we found out that we were missing the 'flag' that is attached to the pin that alerts one when the door is armed or disarmed. Yes, ladies and gentleman... it is a NO GO ITEM! What that means is that the FAA has certain requirements, equipment that we MUST have in order to fly and that flag just happened to be one of them.

So for our passengers... whom were originally suppose to depart MIA to SJU at 4pm we had to wait over 40 minutes to find another pin. Of course... this helped pass the time waiting for hurricane Ike's bands to pass by.

We made it to SJU and back arriving just after 2am Talk about a LONG turn! I'm still feeling the after effects of the late night!!! Meanwhile... still looking for the Glamour!!

On Call... Only this is the 1st Month in Years...

From the past 6 years, ever since 2003 while I have been on call it has been a FULL, BUSY month of flying! Again I'm on call this month and thinking to make life a little easier... I would fly a trip of my choice bringing time into the month. I picked up a SJO trip (so of course I could sleep in my bed one more night w/ my honey and see my cute dogs 1 last time...) which was commutable. I had a great crew in which 4 of us were thinking the same thing, bringing time into the month.

I have had MANY days, hours, minutes of Miami productivity! After working my last SJO trip... we flew SJO-MIA-JFK-MIA which equalled 10 hours in 1 day of flight time.... Talk about a LONG day! I sat around the following 2 days spending time visiting my awesome girlfriends! Never getting the 'dreaded' phone call. Then... just as luck would have it... while having dinner at my friends house I found out that for the 1st time EVER I was released for the following day! Now, had I thought that I might have been released the day before....I just might have been able to catch the last flight home. At least I was able to spend some time w/ great friends eating an amazing dinner! I have to add that my friends are amazing cooking the best meals!!

I had an extra day at home, the 3rd. I ended up having the 3 through the 6th off. I flew back to MIA on the 6th... to be 'around' for my following 5 days on call. Many of my commuter friends will kind of 'wing it'. Meaning they will try to stay at home as long as possible, hoping they don't receive an assignment that signs in before they are able to commute in.

My commute doesn't quite allow for that. See, the earliest I can get into MIA is by noon, IF the flight gets in on time... and then I still have to clear customs. So I came in the night before. Crew schedule was actually quite nice to me... on the 7th I had standby... (which is the exciting opportunity to sit at the airport in our crew lounge for 6 hours (getting paid for 5, which we only used to get paid for 3 hours) sleeping, reading, playing on the computer, listening to music, watching TV, catching up with friends, etc, etc) from 12:30pm to 6:30pm. I used my productivity time wisely... completing all of the above activities! I was back at my friends place by 7pm.

I relaxed all day yesterday... sleeping late, working on the computer, working out, shopping, window shopping and wishing at least perhaps I would get the phone call that I was needed to go somewhere! A few coworkers were called out for work... which brought my 'relative position' (meaning supposedly the lower the number the likely hood that you would be called next) down to 4. When I called for today... I was AGAIN #4. This made me think that perhaps I would get the dreaded (though after sitting so many days... ALMOST welcomed) phone call at 2 or 3am. Nope... it is almost noon and I'm still here!

I'm good to work the next 2 days... then I'm off the 12-29th. So far I ONLY have 15 hours (5 from sitting at the airport). This is the LEAST amount of time I have EVER flown in over 10 years! Totally crazy! I am almost hoping to get called out! *Note I said ALMOST!!!*

GIG- Rio.... Productivity Time and some FUN!

After working the 1 1/2 hour flight from GRU to GIG we had a 6 hour layover. During this time our gang went to the cafeteria for employees and went back to my room for lunch. This airport hotel is notoriously known for being similar to a prison. No windows...only a few hallways...not a real open space feel if you get what I mean!

After lunch we decided to see what was behind the curtains and boy we were surprised! We felt like we were at the beach! Ok, not really, but we aren't one to let an opportunity pass by so we had some fun. Enjoy the video... Perhaps one day you can win a vacation just like Tee did!

GRU & GIG Brasil

This was a fantastic 5 day trip MIA-GRU-GIG-GRU-MIA! In the photo's are none other than the best in Brasil of course for our first time! Denise, Tee, Mike, Jeffrey, Larry, and Steph.... What a trip! We ate, walked all over the city, shopped, ate, walked some more & oh ya...slept a little!

The funny little things...

I was on my 2nd of 3 flights and a man in his mid 20's rang his call light during boarding.  When I got up to his seat... he very nicely asked if I had any earrings.  Which caused his girlfriend sitting next to him... to starting laughing.  I of course had to 'play along'!  I told him that I did, but I couldn't let him borrow them.  

It was fun to see him get flustered and remember the name 'Ear buds'.  He was wanting the earbuds to listen to the audio and music.  It is the funny little things that make travel enjoyable!  All three of us shared a big smile today!

The People One Meets...

One of the best parts of being a flight attendant is the many different people (some good... and definitely some bad) I am able to meet.  Flying out of California for many years I've had the opportunity to meet and serve actors, actresses, radio personalities, athletes, coaches, and most recently was 2003 Miss Universe.  I am not a star struck person by any means.  In fact I usually have to have a coworker explain who the individual is.  I look at these meetings as an education to see what type of person and what character that these individuals have.  

I currently fly International out of MIA and while working a grueling 4 day trip with 11 legs involved (legs meaning... individual flights) it was refreshing to have Amelia Vega 2003 Miss Universe from Dominican Republic onboard my flight.  She is an absolutely beautiful person inside and out!  She was gracious enough to take photo's with us (the rest of the crew was doing it...) and talk to us about her regime to get ready to win the Miss Universe contest.  

I have to admit, I love it when people are down to earth and 'human' like the rest of us.  People are just that.... people.  

Someone stole my gift!!!!

The other day traveling from MIA to BOS (don't know the airport city codes????)  a young couple getting off the plane said 'Someone stole my gift'!  To understand the bizarre situation I have to start at the beginning.  

While taxing in MIA a boy around the age of 7 or 8 needed to use the lavatory in the rear of the a/c.  Approximately 5 minutes later a man, whom we later found out was the boys father, went to the aft lavatory.  It took the captain coming over the PA stating that we were next in line to take off and needed all passengers to be seated before we could take off.  

Now...fast forward....  we have landed and we are taxing to the gate in BOS.  This same little boy is walking up and down the aisle near his seat.  After ignoring the request to return to his seat I walked back to the boys seat and politely requested the boy sit down with his seatbelt on.  After returning to my seat, the same boy popped right back up as if he had ants in his pants!  

While everyone was getting off the a/c behind this family with the boy, a young couple told me that someone had taken the items out of a gift box from their carryon luggage.  After a short discussion we figured it was the family with the 'anxious' boy.  Due to the FAA the flight crew wasn't able to get off the a/c so the couple went to go look for the family.  They found them waiting for a stroller on the jetbridge and confronted them.  

Next thing we know the mother of the family is back on the aircraft, coming up the aisle with a gold ribbon, black velvet sachet, and gleaming silver serving utensils.  Both the young couple and myself were just amazed at the audacity of that family!  

Ah... The Life of Sitting On Call......

I have been on call the this entire month and of course I would get one trip to the East Coast. Flying to NY is always an adventure. I had a passenger who of course took it upon himself to order drinks from all of my crew members including myself. I know I only sold him 4 scotch's but after his seatmate traveling all the way back to our galley complaining about the alcohol this gentleman had received did I learn he has probably had 8 drinks. The Happy Scotchman came to the back galley and complained about the NewYorker in front of him becoming upset at him for laughing out load. Ah...the life of a flight attendant....still looking for the glamour.