My World As A Flight Attendant

What are we dedicated to doing? I worked on a flight when a frequent flyer medallion customer approached me inflight and said, " I fly four times a week, and you are the most dedicated flight attendant I've seen."   That was very nice of him to say that. I often get compliments, and when passengers appreciate what I do, let alone compliment me for how I do is a great thing.   This ramp agent in Burlington, Vermont, is another example of dedication. It was raining, and he took the initiative to put on some blankets and wipe the wet floor. This kind of dedication, even though it's no longer in the vicinity of his work surroundings, is very commendable. He deserves a good commendation from me.  I don't ask for compliments, but I like giving and writing compliments. I appreciate simple things. I love talking to friendly people.  Appreciation and compliments go hand in hand. It keeps your employees happy and dedicated.  One...

Sleeping early means waking up early as well.   When I woke up relaxed, my aura would be relaxed as well.  Today was an early day, but having the first flight being just a passenger at the back, makes the morning even better.  Not rushing in the morning is the best thing to do.  So I had a little time to play and set the mood right. Work and play.  That's the balance we should have in life. 

Who wants to ride with me to the moon with my broomstick? I was thankful for my "accidental ferry flight" this day. Sometimes, unexpectedly good things happen at the right timing. I was surprised yet grateful to find out there's a ferry flight leaving from Detroit to New York earlier than my scheduled commute flight that has been delayed. It's a total blessing for me. Life gives us surprises; some are good, and some are not favorable to us. We take advantage of those good ones and be thankful for them. While the not-so-good ones, they can be a source of wisdom.  I accidentally found this broomstick on the jetbridge, so my first reaction was to pose for a Halloween photo. And because I am not a real witch, the gate agent noticed that I wasn't holding the broom right. So that's my Halloween joke! Thanks to my Halloween ferry flight. I arrived in New York early, saving me from worrying.

He's so cute, and he stole me a kiss! I wanted to carry him and give him a hug, but he surprised me with a kiss. He and his mom were traveling from Canada to New York City. It was his first flight, so we gave him a tour in the cockpit. His mom was thankful for the experience.  When I was a kid, in my first year in school, my classmate stole me a kiss. Can you believe that? I still remember that moment. Of course, I can't recall how I reacted and what happened after that, but it's a vivid memory. Kids give us joy. They make us smile. They react to their surroundings and feelings. Giving kids good experiences and memories build their goals and dreams. It creates who and what they will be in the future. He probably kissed me because he was happy and wanted to say thank you with a kiss. I am so glad, too, to give him a memorable trip. Another reason why I love my flight attendant job. Who do you want to kiss or say thank you to today ? Just do it! ...

"Welcome Aboard" is a famous line in the aviation industry.  To welcome passengers and welcome them with a smile is a common thing for us to do.   It is not surprising that not everyone would be responsive to us when we greet them. I always say that we have different personalities and cultures. To some people, greetings are not standard. It is also understandable that some passengers might have personal issues when they board the plane that affects their mood or attitude. It is okay- I try to leave them alone.  We all have life issues that we try to avoid not bringing to work. I believe that  having a happy or welcoming facade when we are stressed, worried, or not feeling well is not easy, even for me. But we are in the hospitality business, so we got to put some clown faces when needed. The truth is, I tend to show my emotions with my facial expressions. Sometimes, I am good at faking it. Some people who are gifted know how to read exp...

Don't you wish to have a magic wand and strike it whenever you want something to happen?  I would love to have one!  In reality, a physical magic wand is obscure. It is a favorite fairy tale story that kids love to hear from someone. It is also a make-believe story that we adults want to have.  We can create our own magic wand - not a physical wand but the idea of a magic wand. We can create our own fairy tales and magic moments. We can build dreams and make them happen. We can wish, fantasize and visualize, and turn those dreams into reality.  The power of our words and visions will help build a magic wand. We can create short fairy tale stories in our life like the  famous stories of " Rags to Riche s" or the " Ugly Duckling to Swan. " Not all of us can create an extraordinary fairy tale story. But we can have winning stories, happy anecdotes, goals fulfilled, and dreams come true. It may not be in a strike of a magic wand, but it may ta...

When routine changes, sometimes, things tend to go wrong, at least for me. There are cases when a nice pilot does us a favor of getting our luggage from the overhead bins when it's time to leave. I appreciate them and always joke that it saves ten percent of my energy.  On this day, our Captain did it for me. When I do it myself, I usually check around to ensure I don't forget anything. However, because my routine had changed, I didn't have the opportunity to check my other items.   We arrived at the hotel, and I exclaimed , OMG, where's my tote bag with my laptop and high heel shoes?   I left it on the plane!   I tracked down the plane, hoping the next crew would find it and give it to the gate agent. My prayer was granted. The crew gave it to the gate agent, taking it to the lost and found. The following morning, I had no time to retrieve it from the lost and found area because it was almost boarding time.  Our Captain offered to get it f...

It was 6:00 AM in Cincinnati, Ohio,,, and I needed the coffee to keep me awake. Coffee energizes me in the morning and keeps me sane. It also prevents me from being disabled to use a wheelchair. That was a joke! One of the challenging parts of being a flight attedant is our schedule. We have early shows, meaning we need to be up at 4:00 AM to be ready for the 5:00 AM hotel pick up to do a 6:00 AM flight. We finish late as well, meaning we can be done at midnight or even past midnight.  So, yes, flexibility and commitment are important to do this job.  This kind of lifestyle is not easy in the beginning. You have to get used to it to survive. You have to love it, or at least like it. I suggest, give yourself a year to see if this job is for you. Physical strain or fatigue can happen. Mental, emotional and physical health can be affected if you don't know how to balance.  I don't need a wheelchair in the morning.  I only need a good coffee, a posit...

Capturing beautiful moments is one thing I love to do. This photo definitely is one of my favorites. I call her Ms. Lovely. She is a very sweet lady, traveling by herself to visit her son in Baltimore. Despite her difficulty hearing me, I enjoyed talking to her. She was also very attentive to me and was enthusiastic about sharing her stories. My expertise is taking care of elderly passengers and kids on my flights. I give special attention to them and obviously special care. Getting old, or shall I say older is inevitable. You're blessed if you are old and healthy. And when we get old, we need care, understanding, and love from people around us.   I enjoyed this flight because I had Ms. Lovely. Before she left, she told me,  "I love you."  Such a sweetheart. Hearing this from a passenger, especially someone like her, had made my day. I wanted to cry, but I just gave her a big smile, a tight hug, and told her I love you, too. 

One of my favorite times to open the main cabin door is when it is sunset time. You probably know why. Cincinnati, Ohio, is one of my favorite layovers, where I usually witness a sunset. Today, I opened the main cabin door, and behold, I saw this gateway to heaven . We have different descriptions or meanings of the gateway to heaven, depending on our religious beliefs . It can be physical or logical. However we want to define or describe it, we should respect other people's opinions.  My gateway to heaven was this beautiful sunset on the horizon behind the airport tower. It looked like an opening in the sky that awaits someone who wishes to enter.  You and I have no idea when this gateway to heaven opens and welcome us to a new life. 

Ms. Marylou is celebrating her birthday and traveling to New York City! Not only it's her first time going to New York and seeing her son, but it also her first time on a plane! Wow, this is a significant milestone, so we treated her special to celebrate many occasions. I was curious to ask her why she hadn't been on a plane. She said she was raising three boys and couldn't do it. Now is the time to travel and celebrate her birthday with her son. Ms. Marylou is a happy, witty, and lovely lady. She deserves to have this memorable flight with us. We gave her a cockpit tour, a birthday card, and a  wine to celebrate her milestones.  It's not surprising why some people never had a plane ride. Some prefer not to because they are afraid to fly, don't want the challenges of traveling, or don't have the need. Some people just can't do it because of family circumstances, like the exact case of Ms. Marylou.  It was our pleasur...

Sometimes we get a whole trip with the same flight crew. Captain Austin and First Officer Justin were like my kids. They are great pilots, very professional with a positive attitude and work ethic, like to have fun, and most importantly, they took care of me. I call them my Ace Team. I love writing commendations of the crew for a job well done. Austin and Justin deserved my recognition and appreciation. Hoping to work with them again.  Every day and on every flight, I hope for good pilots. Besides having nice passengers, no delays, good aircraft, and nice layovers, having nice pilots makes a good and easy trip.  People who love their job perform well, and employees who are appreciated and recognized perform better, 

No, I am not yet in heaven! Some passengers are worried when they see this atmosphere on the plane. Yes, it looks like smoke. So I have to explain why this is happening and have to pacify them. But, no  worries, we are not yet in heaven!  This appearance is caused by condensation on the plane when the temperature of the air outside and inside is cold. I am not a pilot nor a scientist, so that's the best description I can give them. I've never had the most condensation on my flight than this. So this is worth a photo.  Sometimes, I wonder, is this what heaven looks like?

Five years and counting. I had my 5th anniversary in May 2019. Time flies so fast. I felt like it was just a year ago or two when I had started, so eager to do the job and full of enthusiasm to travel the world.  Five years have passed. Not just five years, but five interesting years, full of memories. I've met many people, some of whom became my friends. I've gained many experiences; some taught me great lessons, some are funny, some are happy, and some are sad. I've traveled to many beautiful places and countries that gave me wonderful memories.   As my second and last career, this job has opened many doors for me, including travel opportunities and a year of mentoring and recruiting flight attendants. I am now on the path of opening another door of sharing my beautiful experiences through a book or maybe books. I am always grateful for the opportunity of being selected from among the applicants who applied for the job. However, Despite the hards...

Ms. Yvonne is my new friend from Cincinnati. Flight Attendant wings are not just for kids. I also give them to adults celebrating a milestone or to someone who asked for their children or grandkids.  Ms. Yvonne is traveling by herself to Baltimore to meet new friends to celebrate her birthday on a road trip. She is retired and just enjoying more of her life. Good for her! I gave her a birthday note and a wing; I was glad to see that she put them on her shirt. She's a very soft-spoken lady and nice. I could see her beautiful heart with her smile.  Meeting people like her is just one of the good perks of being a flight attendant.  I deserve a photo with Ms. Yvonne. 

We sometimes hear the "low ceiling" term used in air traffic.  In aviation, a low ceiling means "low hanging fairly continuous clouds."  This condition typically can cause delays in departures and arrivals of planes. Other weather conditions that cause delays include low visibility, thunderstorms, icing, and high winds.  Nobody wants delays, more so cancellations of flights. But, as what I always tell our passengers - you would rather be on the ground and be delayed or canceled rather than take the risk of being in the air with not-so-good weather. I don't like low ceilings , but I captured this accurate description of a low ceiling with a touch of a sunset. 

I didn't know about the " threat syndrome " until I encountered it from a passenger. She's traveling by herself with her cute stuff toy that she's cuddling the whole time. I knew there was something peculiar in her. I noticed that she was a little uneasy in her seat. So I decided to move her to a better seat with nobody beside her. Later, she told me then that she had " threat syndrome ." So what is this syndrome? I researched and learned that it is also called "Tourette syndrome." "It is a nervous system disorder involving uncontrollable repetitive movements or unwanted sounds, such as repeatedly blinking the eyes, shrugging shoulders, or blurting out offensive words. Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured." I always see stuff toys on our flight, most of them with kids and some with adults who like to bring their favorite stuff toys wherever they travel.  But this kid-size stuff toy is unique...

Sometimes we are given daunting tasks that we think are impossible to do. There are different kinds of tasks, responsibilities, problems, and challenges. Some need physical skills. Some only entail mental skills. Some need dynamic analysis. Some need collaboration. Some would require a personal decision. And most need help. No matter what and how many responsibillities or issues we have, human beings naturally depend on one another.  The famous quote " no man is an island " by Jonne Donne is self-explanatory. We need family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, travel buddies, or companions. A spouse or a partner keeps us from not being alone when our children are grown-ups and have their own lives. A best friend can listen to our horrible stories, corny jokes, and heartaches. A colleague can mentor us or help us with a project. An acquaintance can join us for a drink at a happy hour. A travel buddy can share the fun of traveling (and the cost of expenses)...

In my observation, the aviation world is dominated by men. It  is a fact that the percentage of women in aviation is low.  Generally, when people think about a pilot, they imagine a male figure. But now statistic says that every year, the number of women pilots keeps increasing.  No doubt that more flight attendants are female than male. This is because of the standardized roles for men and women back in the days when air travel started. The idea for flight attendants was to provide hospitality in the sky and safety.  I love to see women pilots and aircraft mechanics; I admire their skills and confidence.  These pretty girls can be future aviators.  They may be young to decide what they want to become, but this flight with hands-on in the cockpit and a wing on their shirt would give them ideas and some interest in the aviation world. I am glad to share this experience with them. Whether these girls want to be pilots, aircraft mechani...

Who is not afraid of turbulence? Flight attendants and flight crew are knowledgeable and trained to face turbulence. However, I can't speak for everyone if they fear turbulence. We have different levels of tolerance. There are three levels of turbulence - light, moderate and extreme. Obviously, light and moderate are ordinary. Extreme is rare.  Fortunately, I've never had extreme turbulence in the past years I've been doing this job. Of course, I wouldn't like it to happen, but I have to be confident and prepared when faced with it. Even in moderate turbulence, we continue to do our job as long as it does not jeopardize our safety and the safety of our passengers. We rely highly on our discretion, making safety our number one priority. Our flight to Boston this day was turbulent. It was a level between light to moderate - a little alarming. I was almost finishing doing service, and it was getting hard for me, but I tried to finish it quickly.  Part of our res...

I call them Mr. & Mrs. Love.  Seeing old couples traveling together is common, but seeing old couples like them is rare. Mr. Love has some kind of disability, and his wonderful wife was taking care of him. They were going back home to Africa. We were trying to convince Mr. Love to look at the camera. He couldn't do it. So instead, he kept looking at his wife. He sees his wife's beauty and a good heart and looks at her unconsciously. Mrs. Love looks at him too, with a big smile on her face.  I saw love in both their eyes and was glad to capture it.  I remember one of my favorite songs, "Looking through the eyes of Love," by Melissa Manchester. In case you want to hear it, here's a nice video clip:  Looking Through the Eyes of Love

Most of us find joy in watching babies and their innocent faces. His name is Winter , and his sister's name is Snow . So their parents must love cold weather, or maybe their kids were born during winter? In whichever case, they are both cute as their names. Winter was a good baby during the flight. His dad was tired, and his mom cared for baby Snow. So I relieved his dad in taking care of Winter.  I tried to entertain Winter so he would not be disoriented that I don't look like his mom. He was actually staring at me, figuring out who I was.  Babies like Winter can make us smile. Their innocence is priceless.

I am always amazed to see a rainbow everywhere I go. I look for rainbows, and I chase them. Rainbow is among the most beautiful earth's natural phenomena. They are most commonly seen after the rain, and the appearance of a rainbow after bad weather is always associated with the idea that something good or beautiful will always follow dark times.  Is there really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? In the Irish mythology where this myth originated, it is impossible for a person to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Nevertheless, seeing a rainbow is considered by many a sign of good fortune and luck. For me, seeing a rainbow means seeing  beauty and magic. There is awe and hope. In Cincinnati, this rainbow was waiting for me at the hotel. So my day ended with this beautiful sight.  In honor of this beautiful wonder, here's a clip of one of my favorite songs. I dedicate this song to those who love seeing a rainbow, like me, and those who beli...

I have the most festive bachelorette party on our flight this day. Nashville is known as the bachelorette capital of the U.S. It is not surprising that our flights to Nashville typically have few or at least one group of friends to celebrate a big day before their wedding.  These lovely girls had fun on our flight, so I joined their party. The bride's best friend was so prepared with banners and fancy cups. They were ready to celebrate. I told the lovely bride - you're lucky to have a best friend like her! It's so delightful to see passengers having fun on our flight. And it is even more enjoyable to make their experience more pleasant and memorable. Cheers to both of them!

Do you want to be rich and have a private jet someday? Am I correct to say that not all of us want a lavish life, more so having a private jet to travel anywhere we want? Of course, but maybe, some of us only wish to ride on a private plane for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There's nothing wrong with dreaming lavish life as long as we don't disadvantage or trick people into attaining that lavish life we want. My first 'sort of private jet' ride was in the Philippines, riding a helicopter with a friend flying over the Mt. Pinatubo crater. It was a great experience. I would do it again. We fly to Nantucket in Massachusetts during the summer. This is one of the small airports where you can see private jets. Maybe we dream that one day we will have a short flight on our private jet to Napa Valley for the weekend to meet friends or attend a wine event.  Wake up! A lavish lifestyle is not for everyone but for those who value money and extravagance....

She's not just a pretty face but also a tennis champion! One of the best things I love about my job is meeting people like this girl from a faraway country who came to the U.S. to compete. She's a winner and  represents her country with pride. At age 10, she's proven her talent and skills; she is a natural star athlete. Her dad and sister accompanied her, proud and happy. It was my pleasure having Ms. Little Champion on our flight. I am a fan. There are people who are born talented. Some skills are enhanced through practice and training. But some talents are discovered late in life. So it's acceptable to start late in life, as long as it gives us joy and fulfillment. Talent is a passion and a commitment.

Don't we all want to be pampered? It's nice to remember great trips like this where I was pampered. I  meant pampered because I had two sets of pilots who took care of me from breakfast to dinner for two consecutive days. I work with a nice flight crew most of the time, but these days rarely happen.  Taking care of people is one of the things I love to do. When you're taking care of other people, it feels great when someone takes care of you, even once in a while. So  I am thankful for these days when I was pampered by my flight crew.  Being pampered is an extraordinary experience. It would be nice to be pampered once in a while. If you are, then you're blessed. Thank you to those who care for me at work and outside my work zone.