Interview with Nomadic Matt on what it’s like to be a flight attendant today

This post originally appeared on NomadicMatt.com

I first met Heather Poole at the first travel blog conference. We got along very well and I had been reading her blog for awhile. She writes about life as a flight attendant. Recently, she published a book,Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, about life as a flight attendant. I, ironically, picked it up at an airport and read it on a plane. She found time her time at 35,000 feet to talk about her job and book.

Nomadic Matt: You’re a flight attendant. What’s that like? 
Heather Poole: Even though the job has changed a lot over the years, it can still be a lot of fun. But patience is a must, more so than ever before. Flight attendants are the face of the airline and passengers have a tendency to take things out on us, even if what happened is not our fault. Besides being friendly and outgoing, we also have to be able to adapt to change easily. This is why we always have back up plans A, B and C, because there’s always something bound to go wrong in the airline industry. Mechanicals. Delays. Cancellations. They happen. Even on Christmas Eve. If there are kids at home this can be one of the most difficult aspects of the job. Flight attendants also are very independent. It’s not uncommon to meet a coworker for the first on a trip and then not see them again for a few months, maybe even years. The best part about the job is when we step off the airplane, we always leave the stress of the flight behind. Every flight is a new flight, which means every day is a new adventure.

How often do flight attendants work? Do they fly a lot of the same routes over and over again? 
Our schedules average around 85 hours a month. But don’t let the number fool you. That’s flying time only. Most flight attendants work way more than that.  Time on the ground doesn’t count towards our pay and therefore isn’t included in our monthly schedules This is why we want to spend as much time as possible in the air, not hopping from city to city with lots of time between flights on the ground. Airline seniority determines the kind of trip a flight attendant can hold. This explains why most international long haul flights are staffed with senior crews. Once we have enough seniority to hold a good trip, it’s the only trip we’re going to work until we’re senior enough to hold an even better one. Schedules are set up with a day or two off between each trip, but many of us will “trip trade” with other flight attendants to work a few trips in a row in order to maximize our time off on the ground.

Any hint on the airline you work for? 
One of the big ones.

What did your co-workers think of you writing this book? 
I don’t know that most of them even know I’ve written a book. And if they do know, they probably just assume I’m still writing it. I’ve been talking about writing this book for years.

Did your airline know and were there any restrictions placed on you?
I didn’t ask for their permission to write the book, and I certainly didn’t call anyone up at headquarters to make an announcement about it either. Flight attendants learn to lay low very early on in their careers. But I’ve been blogging about flying for a long time. I’m fairly certain they know who I am. Just keep in mind my book is not an airline expose. It’s about what it’s like to be a flight attendant. It doesn’t really matter who we work for, the job is pretty much the same wherever you go. Plus half of the book takes place on the ground because it’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. That’s what I set out to write about. Plus, there are so many misconceptions about flight attendants I decided to set the record straight.

What is one really juicy story you left out? 
One story that got deleted was about a celebrity who claimed to have magical powers after a passenger fell unconscious. To this day, we still don’t know if it was his magical powers or the husband who kept nudging his wife in the arm in an effort to make her come to and see the celebrity he was excitedly talking about that made her gain consciousness again.

With so many changes to the airline industry over the years, would you recommend someone become a flight attendant?…

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Giving thanks to military men and women this Memorial Day

Near the end of a flight from New York to Dallas, a little girl, 9 years old, handed me a piece of paper that read: “Everyone on this plane that works on this plane is very kind and welcoming, comforting and makes me feel safe, happy and comfy, so thank you to everyone. Love, Fallyn.” She made what would have been an ordinary day extra special. For that, I thank her.

Receiving thanks in the air travel industry is rare so when it happens it’s always appreciated. In fact, sometimes it’s so appreciated it feels kind of weird, like do I really deserve this? Did I really do something that deserves so much kindness? Usually, the answer is no. I’m just doing my job, what I’ve been hired to do – assist passengers and provide safety and comfort in flight. Then I’ll blush from the embarrassment of being acknowledged and either quickly refill an empty cup or ask if there’s anything else I can do to make the flight more enjoyable.

Those who do deserve a special thank you for just doing their job are our military men and women. Long ago, my grandpa confessed that not one person thanked him for fighting in WWII. My father experienced the same thing while he was in the navy. This is why I make it a point to say thank you to those who protect us. Once I offered my cellphone to a soldier I spotted putting money into a pay phone at an airport. A couple of times I offered to buy lunch for those I’ve seen in uniform waiting in line at food courts located at airport terminals. It’s the least I can do. They always decline with a blush and then they thank me for thinking of them.

One passenger who went out of his way to thank a serviceman on board an airplane is my friend Will.  Here, in his words, is what happened on a recent flight from Dallas to Oklahoma City.

Last evening while standing by the gate and waiting for boarding to commence, I noticed a military serviceman in uniform approach the line, look at his boarding pass and walk to the back of the waiting area – nothing I haven’t seen before. As I sat there on the corner of the room speaking with my kids on the cellphone, pre-boarding was announced for all customers with disabilities or special needs as well as any military personnel in uniform. A few folks boarded but not the soldier.

As a perk for flying a “few thousand” miles a year with American Airlines, I’d been upgraded from coach to first with its wider seats, more legroom, free drinks and more. Sitting in 3E, thoughts about my wife and children ran through my head. As I remembered our recent phone call my heart tightened. It had been only four days since I’d seen my family but it seemed like a month. Just a few more hours… it didn’t seem like much longer.

Boarding continued for another twenty minutes when suddenly I observed the same serviceman from earlier. He was the last one on. Holding his backpack slightly crooked over his right shoulder and a boarding pass on the left hand he quickly went by me towards his seat in coach.

That’s when it clicked.

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Life on the ground

 

Air Canada Jazz flight crew shows off their Cruising Attitude!

Have read your blog for a long time now, and have since worked as Cabin Crew at Jazz (Air Canada Express) for 2 years.  In response to the Saudi crew posing with their Cruising Attitude, I thought I would send you mine – from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada!  First book I’ve read in 2 years, and read it cover-to-cover on my 4 day pairing on layovers, deadheads, and sits… but never in my jumpseat, of course.  Thanks for a great read, fly safe! Hope this reaches you well – S. F. 

Crew life: Crash pad graffiti

Advice for writers & my chick lit inspiration

This interview originally appeared on ChickLitCentralTheBlog.com 

What was the most challenging part of writing “Cruising Attitude?” 
Finding time to write. I’ve been talking about writing a book for years. After awhile even close friends and family didn’t take me seriously when I’d talk about it. I’m a flight attendant, wife and mother. It’s not easy balancing all that without also trying to find time to work on a book. When I was writing I’d feel guilty about not spending time with my family. When I was spending time with my family I’d feel guilty about not writing. I should also mention it took a few years to realize the first book I was working on was the wrong book, even though every agent and publishing house told me this multiple times. I didn’t believe them. Turns out they were right! Blogging helped me find my way. When you blog you get immediate feedback from readers. You learn what they like and what they want to know more about. It’s why I now tell struggling writers to know who their market is and to give them what they want.

Who are two authors who inspired you to write?
Writing really starts with reading. The first author who truly captured my attention was Judy Blume. In grade school I checked out every single one of her books after reading “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.” I couldn’t get enough of her. That’s how my love of books with a strong female voice began. The book that inspired me to start writing was “Catcher In the Rye,” although as I read it I don’t think I was completely conscious that I wanted to write. But the conversational tone is what got me thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could do that – on a much lower level of course! Sarah Dunn’s “The Big Love”is the book I kept on my writing desk to use as motivation when I first began writing, the perfect combination of “Catcher in the Rye” meets the best of chicklit.

What do you think the key is to a successful chick lit novel? Lots of sexiness? A studly hero? Plenty of angst? 
A strong voice people can relate to. Although we’re more connected because of cell phones, Facebook, twitter and the like, we’re also more disconnected than ever before. This is why I think reality TV is so popular today. Writing something that’s real and true, something that people can relate to on an emotional level, is more important than ever before.

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Flight attendant safety demo: How to put on a seat belt.

 

[Thank you, Pete Wung, for sharing this airline cartoon. ]

Saudi Arabian Airlines flight crew shows off their Cruising Attitude

Can’t tell you how much I love this photo!

5 flight attendant myths shattered!

This originally appeared on Amazon’s blog: Kindle Daily Post

In her more than 15 years as an airline flight attendant, Heather Poole has seen it all. Here, she dispels the top five misconceptions about her profession:

1. A college degree is not required to become a flight attendant. But there are very few flight attendants who do not possess one. Being a flight attendant is considered a profession, not just a job. When Delta announced 1,000 openings in 2010, the airline received 100,000 applications. Only the most qualified are hired: being able to speak a second language helps, and so does having customer service experience.

2. Flight attendants are paid well. No one becomes a flight attendant for the money. The average salary for a first year flight attendant ranges between $14,000 and $18,000. Each year we get a standard raise across the board. Major carriers tap out around 13 years. This is one of many reasons why seniority at an airline is so important.

 3. Flight attendants barely work. Eighty five hours a month might sound pretty great, but those hours are flight hours only. Time during boarding spent cramming bags into bins and helping displaced families get seats together never shows up in our paychecks. The clock doesn’t start ticking until the plane backs away from the gate.

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[Photo courtesy of partymonstrrrr]

Cruising Attitude: New York Times book review

Yesterday was an amazing day for me.  I still can’t believe Joe Sharkey from the New York Times reviewed my book, Cruising Attitude.   Let me say that again because it’s not everyday someone like me can throw around words like “my book” in the same sentence as  ”THE NEW YORK TIMES!” And yet there it is on page B8, and it practically took up half the page.  It was a fantastic review.  Much better than The Wall Street Journal.

I’m a new author, so I’m learning the ins and outs of the book business as I go along.  What’s funny (or sad, depending on how you look at it) is in the publishing world this review is a pretty big deal.  Not just because it’s the New York Times, although that alone is HUGE, but because the review came out two months after the book was released.  Apparently in book world two months is equivalent to two years – dog years that is.  Of course I ran out and bought not one, not two, but five copies of the paper just in case something happened to the other four.

Here’s an excerpt of the review…

If you’ve ever wondered what may be going through a flight attendant’s mind as she surveys passengers all strapped into their restraints before a flight departs, Heather Poole has the answer:

“O.K., where’s crazy? That’s what I’m wondering every time I board a flight in my flammable navy blue polyester.”

That happens to be the opening of Ms. Poole’s new book, “Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet” (William Morrow). Ms. Poole has been a flight attendant for 15 years for a major airline that she won’t name because, for a reason unfathomable to me, she loves her job and would hate to lose it. (Under airline rules, crews are allowed to talk to the media, but not to identify their company.)

Now, as a long-serving ombudsman for frequent fliers, I will quickly note that passengers sometimes have their issues with some flight attendants. The first question some of us ask once we’ve buckled ourselves in is this: “O.K., where’s the passive-aggressive martinet of a flight attendant who hates the passengers?”

Both questions are harsh, but I’ll admit that Ms. Poole’s has the weight of the evidence. Take that passenger who barged into the galley where she was squatting by a beverage cart to eat a sandwich she had brought from home. The passenger “took a bite of my half-eaten sandwich” and ran back to his seat, Ms. Poole writes. She adds, “I’ve seen a woman try to store her baby inside an overhead bin.”

After reading that, I called Ms. Poole at her home in Los Angeles to ask: “Really? The overhead bin?”

Ms. Poole, 41, said it was. “Well, maybe she was just putting it there while she sorted her things out, but that wasn’t my impression,” she said.

Ms. Poole is funny, amiable and self-deprecating. She seems well-grounded, so to speak. But her tone when I asked skeptically about the baby in the bin definitely conveyed the idea, “You have met the general public, haven’t you?”

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