COVID-19 Airline Travel and the New Normal

Today as I write this, I’ve been off work just over two months on a voluntary leave, I just learned my leave for July has been denied. As I prepare for the Covid streets regular air travel, I thought I’d share the emotions of being on leave and traveling during a pandemic while provide updated travel information.

At the beginning of my three month leave the world ahead of me looked bleak and scary. In March, our airline, along with many others, asked flight attendants to take voluntary time off (VTO) [aka COLA (Company Leave of Absence)] which is unpaid leave for one to three months, beginning April 1. The request came as executives were looking at the 95% decline of passenger ticket sales and increased cancellations, as well as federal international commercial flights restrictions to and from the US. My last trips in March had flights that consisted of either zero to six passengers per flight. I think one flight had thirteen passengers. We were asked to evaluate our personal circumstances and take the leave if it was feasible to avoid future furloughs and/or layoffs.

I took the leave with mixed emotions, excited to have the opportunity to avoid the Covid streets, but wondered what I was going to do with myself for three months.

WATCHING MY COLLEAGUES - ESSENTIAL WORKERS

Emotions turned from fear to gratefulness to have the opportunity to remain off work as I watched my fellow flight attendants continue to fly. Many of them didn’t take the time off as they believed, financially they couldn't afford it. Many felt isolated and lonely. I remembered my last two trips and reflected how lonely and stressful it was. We flew mostly empty planes and once we got to our final destination at the end of the day, we were pretty much confined to our hotel rooms. No place was open, hotel amenities not available, and flight crew trying to physical distance as much as possible so no hanging out. When someone is used to being around people, interacting and exploring new cities and restaurants, it can be frightening and lonely. It is especially lonesome once returning home from a trip, your family or no one for that matter, wants to be around you because you have been out in the public for days. I read and saw many stories of flight attendants that have died due to Covid-19, some were severely sick and continues to get sick with inconsistent positive test results. Some had family members to get sick and flight attendants were concerned if they brought it home, while others have no immediate affects of Coronavirus.

TRAVEL MOVING FORWARD

Travel pre-Covid has been considered cumbersome for most travelers, and now with ever-changing guidelines has many confused. Although I haven’t been on a plane in three months, as I prepare I thought it to be a good time to share some important information as things start to open up a bit, but not completely. Keep in mind the information I am about to provide varies by airline and airport location. However, information provided is very generalized and you should confirm with the airline prior to your trip.

1. Masks must be worn before boarding the aircraft. Masks are required to enter most US international airports but are not necessarily required while walking around the airport. Gate agents are to ensure all passengers are wearing masks while boarding. However, passengers are not required to wear during flight. It is under the guidance of the flight crew once on board. Please understand this, if you are on my flight I will ask for you to keep your mask on as often as possible.

2. Food and beverages will be limited availability. Most US carries have reduced and/or eliminated food and beverage offerings during flight depending on flight mileage and seating class. Many airlines are offering only bottled water or non opened cans upon request only in main cabin. Snacks are limited and so is buy on board food items. Coffee and tea service has been temporarily cancelled. Typical first class amenities are available on a limited basis. No pre-departure drinks will be served and meal service, if available, will be boxed or bagged. Many airport restaurants are closed with mostly only fast food options opened. Therefore, it is suggested to pack a lunch or snacks. Of course you still cannot bring liquids over 3 oz. into the airport but most airport convenient stores are open where you can purchase drinks and snack items.

3. Aircraft cleaning and sanitation has changed. Aircrafts are cleaned differently depending on airline. All airlines thoroughly clean and sanitize aircrafts which includes tray tables and armrests at the end of the day (overnight) to prepare for the first flight of the next day. In between flights, some airlines disinfect the entire aircraft once passengers are deplaned and before boarding new passengers while some disinfects the lavatory and other highly utilized areas of the aircraft. Therefore, it is recommended to bring gloves, wipes and hand sanitizer. Gloves will be useful if you decide to touch any items housed in the seatback pockets including the passenger safety cards and airline travel magazine (which has been removed on some airlines). I also suggest wearing gloves when using the lavatory. Many airlines are now providing each passenger with a sanitizing wipe upon boarding but it is recommended you bring your own to ensure your health safety.

4. Shelter in place orders are still in effect in some states. While more and more states are opening and offer less quarantine requirements, many states like Hawaii still require travelers to self quarantine or self isolate for 14 days through July 31. Each state has different requirements or guidelines, it is imperative to consider these restrictions before visiting. While researching the individual state requirements and guidelines, pay close attention to the verbiage. Some states, like Floria and Kanas requires anyone traveling from certain states like New York and Illinois, to isolate for 14 days; but encourages those traveling from other non highly affected states to self quarantine. Individual states are requiring, encouraging, urging, recommending, while some say travelers must self isolate. Be sure to check the state’s requirements and how they track and penalize.

BE SAFE NOT SORRY

As I have been walking the Covid streets, shopping and now visiting restaurants, I am less fearful. I see many others are as well. However, I believe it is my duty to not only keeping myself as safe as possible, but to also consider others. I think everyone should do the same. Whether or not you believe Coronavirus is real or not, manufactured, or if you think cases are not really as high as the media reports; please pay attention to people that work in the hospitals and encounter the affects of Covid-19 daily. Healthcare workers are still asking us to social distance where possible, wash hands often and wear face coverings. I wear face coverings for you and for me. I actually look forward to getting back to flying and wish everyone out there to start traveling and getting back to normal understanding we have a new normal of protecting our health. Happy traveling and Stay Safe!

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

Maybe you remember the title lyrics from Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff's song.  If you do, sing along with me.  If not, look it up.  Last week officially marked the summer season.  For students and teachers (which I am formerly both) marks the long awaited, long anticipated break known as vacation.  For parents, it’s the time of year we try to figure out what we are going to do for and with our children; or how to keep them busy for the summer.  For flight crew, it’s the business time of year.  Flight loads are filled to capacity especially with children.  This is the time of year we don’t particularly care for.  Airlines add more flights that need coverage.  Passengers are more stressed to get to their vacation destination because vacation time is limited.  Children are crying, or restless from the experiences of traveling and flights are so full flight crew have a difficult time with our own attempts of non-revenue travel.  Here are tips for ANYONE that is traveling during the summer months to reduce stress. 

EXPECT AND PREPARE FOR THE WORSE

Summertime is notorious for thunderstorms, tropical storms, tornadoes….you name it! Keep in mind, a single aircraft and crew can very well be travelling from East Coast to West in one day which means weather delays are inevitable.  (See my previous blog about delays.)  Weather is something you can’t really predict but downloading a weather app is good to have to know what to expect.  Flight crews typically use MyRadar which pinpoints your location and shows weather patterns.  You can expand the map to see weather across the country or wherever you need to keep an eye on.  Remember, other than re-booking your flight, airlines do not offer compensation for weather delays.  Be prepared to spend the night in the airport city and come up with a contingency plan.  I’m sitting in Chicago (my base) as I write this.  Our flight from O’Hare to Detroit then back has been cancelled.  I doubt my intended passengers will be getting out to Detroit tonight.  If you are an avid traveler, having a reward/loyalty program would be helpful to use hotel points for days like this.  Always budget for an unexpected day like hotels, food and maybe an unplanned vacation activity. 

GOOD FOOD = GOOD MOOD

Yesterday, we were delayed about 40 minutes also due to weather.  We were coming from Newarkto Chicago and we had about 3 families on board and they all had children.  One family in particular had two children around 10-12 years old and two parents.  Once we got out of our jumpseats to begin beverage service, the mother pushed the flight attendant call button to tell us they wanted food.  She opened the food page in the magazine and told me she wanted one of everything on the page and then her husband told me they wanted three of another item.  I informed them we didn’t have all the items they were looking for (which most aircrafts are not fully stocked with all the food enough for the entire aircraft).  I told them we needed to get set up and when we come down the aisle we would assist them.  The woman was so upset and said her children are hungry.  Of course, I was thinking…..that’s not my problem…..but I would NEVER say that.  So I told her we would gladly sell her what we had. Now to my point…..people are R-U-D-E when they are hungry.  So as a flight attendant, my suggestion is keep food and/or snacks with you at all times.  Airport/airplane food can not only be expensive but also unhealthy.  Plan ahead.  I’m not saying pack for three or four days, but healthy snacks and fillers will be helpful for everyone. Grilled chicken, tuna packs, deli meats or even jerky meats are easy to carry and don’t need much refrigeration.  Apples, oranges, nuts, cheese are also great snacks to have on hand.   As a Flight Attendant, snacks are a must for you to be pleasant. 

YES, YOU SHOULD BRING THAT!

If you check your main suitcase, it is helpful in the event of delays and cancellations, to have your essentials on hand with you.  Toiletries, change of undergarments, medications, electronics chargers, medications, keys to house and or car; anything you must have overnight. There is a chance you may get separated from your suitcase overnight due to delays and you should be prepared.

Flight attendants that are traveling non-revenue, always have your things in a carry-on and that should suffice.  Learn to ‘PACK LIGHT’ (Singing in my Erykah Badu voice).  You never know when you may get on a flight, or not and you have to be flexible and not worried about checked luggage.  I once checked luggage on a direct flight from O’Hare to Los Angeles.  Based on the oversold flights and summer delays, I had to fly from Chicago to Boise, spend the night in Boise then to Los Angeles the next morning.  My checked luggage went on without me.  I started to fly to Vegas and stay a couple extra days as opposed to going to LA, but then I remembered my luggage.  I stopped checking luggage after that situation

That last few quick suggestions I have are this…..

1.       Dress in layers; especially in the summer.  Some aircrafts are cold with good air systems and some are hot.  Many aircrafts no longer supply blankets.  For women, essential items are socks (if you wear sandals), sweater and even a light scarf. 

2.       Come with your electronics fully charged; and even have a backup battery.

3.       If you are connecting through a city; research what you can do in that city in the event you are delayed or stuck for a day. 

4.       Always have positive mental attitude.  You can’t predict or change the weather.  Getting upset at ground or flight crew only makes matters worse for you then transfers to others.

5.       Look at any experience as an ADVENTURE.  Be prepared to make new and exciting adventures out of bad situations you can’t change. 

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Our job is not always fun, but we can surely make the best of any situation.  Today we’ve been sitting around for 5 hours and we are still waiting.  Now that I’m done with this blog post….I’m going to sit back have some popcorn and watch a movie while I wait.  Nice way to get partially paid. 

FLYING IS AN ADVENTURE; MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUITY!

The Fly Girl Training is never over!

The Fly Girl Training is never over!

I just finished my one day annual training and recertification known in the industry as CQ (continued qualification).  I am not one that stresses out about these things. I usually tend to stay calm and cool, the same way I did all through our initial intense training.  I feel CQ should get easier each year with experience.  However, the more I spoke to colleagues, who were stressing out, I found myself getting a little unnerved about the whole ordeal.  I found myself up at 10pm watching training videos until I fell asleep and a little fatigued when I needed to awake at 5am.

My main job duty is NOT to ensure you can get that full can of Diet Coke!  So what exactly is CQ?  This annual event is common across all airlines.  The airline I work for, just this year, reduced it from 2 days to one full intense day, starting at 7am and ending at 5pm or later, depending on how well the training class does.  We spend time refreshing our knowledge of company policies, programs and procedures.  Most importantly, which is the number one nature of our job; we spend time refreshing our knowledge on the use of SAFETY equipment. 

You just never know when you are going to have a real emergency.

Many flight attendants go years without having a real emergency situation and needing to use the emergency equipment; while others have had multiple situations.  Since I’ve been flying, the only situations I’ve had were once, I had a drug addict that was really tripping out and we had to force her in her seat.  You wonder how I knew she was a drug addict.  Well, she was tweaking, rocking, shaking and scratching.  (I been around a block or two.)   Prior to boarding, the gate agent noted they had a situation with her and while we probably should not have let her on the aircraft we were told she needed to get to a funeral.  This passenger wanted out of the aircraft mid-flight. She jumped up out of her seat and starting pacing up and down the aisle.  The passengers near here were very concerned and some even frightened.  I knew the nature of why she needed to get to her final destination, so I had to let her know if she didn’t calm down, and sit down, we would divert to another city, have her arrested and she would never make it to her final destination in a timely manner.  She eventually calmed as much as she could.  I’ve had to remove a few intoxicated passengers, and I’ve had a child to vomit not only in his seat but all over both parents, in the aisle while his parents were trying to get him to the lavatory.  Yes, I had to do the initial clean up while we were inflight. However, I’ve never had to use the emergency equipment on the aircraft (fingers crossed I don’t jinx myself now).

Preparation for allergies, asthma and drunkenness:

During CQ, we are tested on scenarios (usually actual), where we may have to deal with an intoxicated passenger, someone having an asthma attack, someone having severe allergic reaction; and someone who has gone unresponsive.  Oh, may I add, we also have self-defense training; so don’t mess with me! We have to learn how to be a nurse, fire fighter (please stop using those e-cigarettes), mediator…..the list goes on.  More importantly, we are trained to think quickly on our feet.  In normal situations, we don’t have much time to resolve situations.  We have to be prepared for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. 

Next time you fly, remember, we are not there to primarily cater to your drink order; but we are there to save your life and keep the passengers safe.  Which leads me to my last and final point. Some people refer to flight attendants as “glorified” waitresses.  My response to that is thank you!

The Fly Girl's guide to Delays. Delays. Delays.

What the heck happens during a delay?

Aircraft maintenance delays can range from a frayed seat belt needing a swap all the up to dents in the engine frame. No matter the maintenance delay is causes havoc for everyone involved starting for those of us who work on the aircraft, those that work on the ground (gate agents and ground crew), the airline and of course the passengers.

Yes I'm tired, thanks for asking!

As I sit here on this CRJ 200 aircraft that carries up to 50 passengers, and I thinking about how tired I am. Today is the third day of three-day trip and I’m exhausted. Last night our (captain, first officer, and me) overnight was in the lovely Fort Wayne, IN. Our show time (time you must be at the airport) was 5:34 am EST. Therefore, we left the hotel on the 5:25 am shuttle. I must note, I didn’t get much sleep because there was an event last night in downtown Fort Wayne where they shot out fireworks from 10:00 – 10:25 pm literally right across the street from our hotel. The fireworks started just after I got off to a good sleep. Needless to say after all the boom, I could not go back to sleep. However, I was up at 4:30am getting my day started for what I thought was going to be 3 quick legs. Our schedule was planned as follows: 6:15 am flight Fort Wayne to Chicago, O’Hare; 7:15 am flight Chicago [0RD (this is the airport code which I will refer to the cities by their airport code going forward)] to Wichita (ICT); then 10:27 am flight ICT back to ORD, arriving at 12:27. There we were to be done for the day ending our 3-day trip. Well, it is 10:27 and I am sitting on an empty plane as we speak [write/type]. I can’t tell you the issue of the delay; not because it’s top secret, but because I don’t understand all the details of aircraft maintenance.

Here's what I can tell you about delays...

Now what I can tell you is the scenario of this delay and how this is going to play out. ICT is not a base or hub for aircrews or maintenance. When an aircraft has a maintenance issue outside of a base, the carrier can call a contract mechanic which can be anywhere from being local or as far as three hours away. In this particular case, our operations department prefer our company maintenance team check out our aircraft rather than a contractor. It has been decided to fly out mechanics from our Denver base. The flight from Denver won’t arrive for 3 hours from the time we first arrived ICT then we have to await the results of the repair. This is one of the worse parts of being airline crew. We don’t get paid our normal hourly flight hour pay while on the ground. (Stay tuned for another blog post on how aircrews are paid). This delay wouldn’t be so bad if this were, let’s say day 2 of a 3 day trip for us because usually with a delay lasting this long if we had other flights they would probably get cancelled (or sometimes not) and possibly we end up not working them yet getting paid for them while we sit and wait. In this situation, that is not the case. This is the last leg of our work day and entire trip, so I don’t know what time I’m going to get off. I did have afternoon plans that are now ruined. Since I vowed to share the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly truth of this career here are some tips for current or future flight attendants on how to deal with flight delays like this. Never make specific plans on your last day work or on your overnights. Delays on the last leg of the day often times ruin those plans.

Helping customers with the delay process.

You can't avoid delays but there are a few physical and  mental adjustments that will make a huge difference in their experience. 

• Teach people, that are not in the industry, that they have to be flexible with you; understanding your schedule is not your own while you are working and changes occur constantly.
• If you are a commuter; have at least two to three flight options on getting home. (Stay tuned on a post on commuting) Use this free time to check flights and come up with a contingency plans in the event you can’t make it home as originally planned.
• Keep an updated tv or movies streaming account; or have movies downloaded from iTunes or your favorite way to stream. This is a great time to catch up on that movie you’ve always wanted to watch but haven’t found the time. Have a book, or electronic reading device. If you would rather read a book, the aircraft can be quite cozy without passengers.
• Read the airplane magazine and find your next travel destination. Airplane magazines have great travel tips and ideas on places to visit. I get a lot of my ideas and places to visit from the airplane magazine. I have the beauty of working on United, Delta and American so I get to review all on a regular basis. Use this time to plan your next vacation since you have the benefit of travel.
• Airport appreciation. Not all airports have fun cool places to eat or activities, but you never know. Some airports have museums….not this one. Pull out your walking shoes and take a stroll for exercise. I know this type of situation is very frustrating for passengers. I too have had delays and been on delayed flight as a passengers.

Here are some tips for you to get through extended flight delays.

• PLEASE BE PATIENT – This is more important not only for the gate agents and ground crews but also for you. I do understand you have places to be and connections to make. When you are patient, and calm with the gate agent that person will be very accommodating to you with options.
• Here are some possible options that you could ask for: Catching the next flight to the same city. If that is not an option; consider another city you could connect through to make it to your final destination. For example from ICT, each major carrier comes here and flies direct to their bases/hubs. United goes to Denver, Chicago, and Houston; American goes to Chicago and Dallas; while Delta goes to Minneapolis and Atlanta. Let’s say you need to get to Los Angeles from ICT, you can get to LA from any one of the above mentioned cities on either carrier. In situations like this, if the carrier in which you are flying don’t have any options for you within their own system, they will rebook you on another carrier.
• Remember that is last resort. If you are flexible with your plans, have them put you on the next flight even if that means the next day. If that is the case, you can get the carrier to provide you with a hotel and meal voucher. (As long as it is a maintenance delay. Airlines do not provide compensation for weather delays.) If you are in your home city and can just go back home and travel the next day, you can ask for compensation due to ruined plans.
• I’m sure you’ve all heard of the travel vouchers. In the case of maintenance you can request compensation in the form of a travel voucher. The gate agent will tell you how much they can give based on the situation and your status with the airline (if you are a part of their rewards program). If you are an avid traveler it is safe to stick with one airline and be sure to join their rewards program. In situations like this, if they see you are regular customer, you can get points in lieu of travel vouchers which works just as well for future travel.
• When making flight arrangements, unless it’s a dire need; always plan for delays and don’t schedule your flights around your scheduled deadlines. For example, I had a passenger that was traveling from ORD to Indianapolis (IND). There are multiple flights per day and his meeting was at 2:30 pm. He decides to take the noon time flight. The flight is only about 30 minutes. IND is one hour ahead which the flight was due to land at 1:40. We ended up having a 20 minute operation delay and now this passenger was in jeopardy of missing his meeting; which he inevitably did and deplaned before we even took off. If you can, plan delays in your flying schedule especially if you need to make a connection.
• Please don’t complain among other passengers. When you share your frustration with others that vibe and energy passes along and usually gets others riled up as well. That is not helpful to anyone.
• Offer to get the gate agent a coffee. They are stressed out trying to accommodate everyone. A little kind gesture goes a long way, you’d be surprised.

Whether you are flight crew or passenger in the middle of a delay get some food, some fresh air and don't worry, be happy!

My trip to The Culinary Institute of at Greystone

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. If you are ever in the Napa area, you must indulge in this experience. The students that operate this restaurants are the servers and the chefs. They rotate duties; and the food and service was superb. We couldn't decide on which main course, so between the two of us, we ordered 4 of the 5 entree options; each were excellent. I can't rave enough on the food and service.

Brown Sugar Kitchen: Enjoying the benefits of flying for a living!

Airline status has its benefits. In #SFO enjoying the weekend. #goodfood#soulfood #foodie #flygirl #flygirllife #chickenandwaffles #ribs #ilovetoeat

Brown Sugar Kitchen is more than a restaurant. This soul-food outpost is a community gathering spot, a place to fill the belly, and the beating heart of West Oakland, a storied postindustrial neighborhood across the bay from San Francisco.

Three Customer Service Rules for the Skies

Most days I love what I do and today happens to be one of those days! 

Here's three things I do to make sure my passengers feel like rockstars!

1. Stay Calm: There isn't any reason to contribute to chaos. If you want to find solutions, find your center and listen for the answers.
2. Focus on the Facts: Stressful situations often increase emotions and provide "extra" information that you don't need. Separate out the information you are receiving into two categories: the facts and the interpretations. It's easier to arrive at a solution when you use what you KNOW, rather than what you THINK or FEEL.
3. Listen: You might not have to do anything but make your customer feel heard. Put away your judgements and stay in the moment with your passenger. They might resolve the situation themselves.