Hosting this blog on my own allows me to control part of the monetary costs of keeping this blog up and running and gives me a little more creative freedom. WordPress.com charges me $15 a year for the domain name, but gives me no flexibility to use subdomains, change the email server settings, etc.. and then, charges me $10 a year to edit the colors and styles of the WordPress theme used on my blog, but doesn’t allow me to import any theme I’d like and only lets me use the ones they’ve already uploaded.

So, I’m moving! I’ve already got the new blog up and running but I’m waiting for the transfer of UpUpAndAGay.com to be complete. Please continue to visit the blog through that website address, because that’s NOT changing. Once the transfer of the domain to my new server is complete, you’ll automatically be viewing my new self-hosted blog. Though my domain is staying the same, for some of you my feed may not be and I want to make sure you’re moving with me. Please update or subscribe to my RSS feed by visiting http://feeds.feedburner.com/upupandagay. Some of you already subscribe to my feed through this location (and if you do, thats great! leave everything the same!), and some of you follow me through WordPress.com’s feed which will be changing. If you subscribe to the blog via email, that’s great too! Click the link above, and you can confirm that you’re receiving your emails from the right location.

I predict that the domain transfer will be complete on February 17th, but that is out of my hands and subject to change. I’m hoping this will be a seamless transition on your end and not cause any downtime for my blog!

Thanks Everyone!

Lately, I’m noticing the strangest requests coming from people via the button, and some requests that make me want to scream. First off, realize that when you ring the call button, nose goes. No one really wants to go get it. We’re all sitting in the back or the front, we hear the ding.. someone leans over to check the ACP (area call panel) which shows us who hit the button. We then all look at each, figure our if we’ve already had an interaction with you – then, based on whether or not it was a good or bad interaction we try to decide who goes. As the most junior person walks down the aisle (just kidding!) we’re all peeking out to see whats going to happen.

The request that makes me the most upset is when I’m asked a question that I just gave the answer to over the P.A. It becomes obvious to us, even though we already know, that you’re not listening to us. So we answer your question and go on our way. In about 2 minutes, someone else will ring the button, and ask the same question. We become a never-ending broken record of information, which could be avoided if everyone just paid attention the first time.

Then there are those requests that we just can’t do. We can’t ask the person behind you to put their shoes on, or the person in front of you to bring their seat upright because you feel cramped and we especially can’t stop the baby from crying. Nothing is worse than having to talk to the parent of a child that is being too loud especially if you know they’re trying to calm the baby down. I refuse to.

I have a question. When you hit the button, you expect one of us to come by and ask whats going on, right? Becauselately, almost all of the call buttons I’ve been answering either no one knows who rang the button, everyone is watching a movie with their earphones in and pays no attention to me what so ever, or they just say “sorry it was an accident.” For your information, you can turn off the call button by hitting it again. I find so rude though when I go up to a passenger whose wearing earphones and rang the call button. I ask them if everything is okay, and they yell “WHAT?” – so I ask again.. “can I get you anything?” and they say “I can’t hear you.” People take OFF your headphones when you’re having a conversation with someone, especially someone you asked to speak to.

Also, like I mentioned on The Crew Lounge, don’t ring your call button during taxi, takeoff or landing unless its a dire emergency. Ringing it during the critical phases of flight for a fork for the food you brought in the terminal, something to eat or even to question our flight departure/arrival time is unacceptable. During those phases of flight we are there for your safety, positioned by the doors and readily accessible to assist in a medical emergency, and for no other purpose.

I love answering the call buttons for “what lake is that down there?” – my answer is always “Lake Las Vegas.” Even though we might be over Kansas, no one ever questions it.

Oh yeah, and don’t ring your call button to hand me a half eaten apple or a dirty diaper. Get up and throw those out yourself. Ew.

DC is expecting over a foot of snow tonight into tomorrow, and my flight is supposed to depart at 7am. I wish they’d just release me and let me go home. But at the same time, today provides for some much needed catchup time with my friend Jenn, who I’m flying with and my friend Aimee, who just landed here in LA from…DC. She was lucky, she was the first and only flight out!

Well.. I’ll keep you updated.. this trip is full of surprises.

Thanks to the storm on the left, my schedule is up in the air, literally. My LAX DC flight is canceled so now I’m waiting for a re-assignment.

Who knows where I can end up.. I’m hoping to just work to LA, layover, then deadhead to DC to pick up the rest of my trip. Let’s hope that happens. Less work + same pay = Happy FA

Credit: Flickr/BriBri

In recent news, American Airlines has come out publicly to say that in the event of a flight attendant strike (over contract negotiations) the airline is committed to their operation and would consider training their managers and support staff as flight attendants.

Putting aside the ramifications and reasons over a strike, this is a bad, bad idea.

The managers and support staff would be put through a quick abbreviated flight attendant initial training course, focusing mostly on safety and security and not the customer service aspects of the position. Usually, flight attendant training courses range from 3 weeks to two months, depending on the airlines standards and training schedule. My fear, is that the airline will “push through” replacements that may not be 100% qualified for the position, in an effort to keep planes in the air.

With the recent influx of security scares at airports and heightened awareness of aircraft safety, would you feel safe with a full crew of replacement flight attendants working your flight?

It’s no secret that flight attendants have become your first defense in the air against terrorism and have proven time over time that they are properally trained to safely evacuate passengers from an aircraft in crisis, but can these replacements do the same?

Probably. The FAA needs to approve any abbreviated training program before American can legally train any replacement workers. Therefore, you would hope that any safety and security training modules that are imperative to doing the job of a cabin crew member wouldn’t be cut in lieu of time. But what worries me is the mindset of a replacement worker.

These people are being taken out of an office environment, thrown through an inflight training course (which, trust me, isn’t easy and is very stressful!) and placed in a metal tube for a ‘temporary’ amount of time with other ‘flight attendants’ new to the position as well. If they happen to encounter a medical emergency, diversion or god forbid an emergency landing no one on board that aircraft has any prior experience to draw upon to lead the other crew members through the situation. The best training after initial ground training is experience and guidance from those who have been doing this job for a decent amount of time.

Through you sit through a month of training on the ground, and run through various scenarios, being faced with a situation in the air is a completely different story. I remember my first medical emergency, it was a very scary experience. At first, I froze. I won’t lie. I did. I was in one of those moments where I thought “oh my god, this is really happening!” Luckily, I had 2 other flight attendants working with me, who had been flying for over 5 years, and to them this situation was “routine.” They sprung into action, assisted the passenger, and taught me the ‘real way’ of dealing with the situation. From that moment on, dealing with medical emergencies also became routine to me and I’m able to show our new hires how to handle this situation in the real world.

These flights being operated with replacement workers, won’t have experience to fall back on when things aren’t going according to the textbook.

In addition to these replacement workers, ex-TWA flight attendants (who have been laid off by American Airlines following the merger) have now come forward and said they would be willing to work in the event of a strike. Even though these are past flight attendants, with years of experience I would question their motive in returning to the skies for an airline that has jerked them around for the better part of almost 10 years. These flight attendants were stapled to the bottom of the American seniority list, laid off, offered buyouts, etc. and now what to “help the company out in a time of need.” Why?

All of this aside, the employees at American should understand where the flight attendant work group is coming from (as they too took paycuts to keep the airline running) and should support each other. Crossing a picket line isn’t going to win over new friends, just create more enemies which, in the end, will create further atomicity between work groups which will be seen by the passengers and ruin the airline.

Passengers need to understand that flight attendant’s don’t make as much money as they used to and have taken considerable paycuts through the last few years to keep their airlines operating. As the airlines are looking to increase revenue and decrease spending during the recession, it’s sad to say that in my opinion they are putting safety on the line as they further jerk around flight crews and allow them to work in a hostile work environment.

Though it is important to mention that not all airlines share the same beliefs and some take care of and work with their employees to make their company a great place to work.

Now, before you become sympathetic, let me tell you a little bit about what happened. Seb has a lot on his plate. He works practically full time, goes to school full time, must complete an internship this summer, and does not wish to remain in Phoenix after school, and is considering a move to Seattle. Maintaing and making a relationship work and exceed requires more time then he has at the current moment. We did not end things because of a dislike for each other, nor because we had an argument, but rather because he needed to focus on things more important in this time in his life.

I was supportive of this decision and fully understand the reasoning. I was a witness to his lack of time, increased stress and need for some downtime. In fact, I am so supportive that he and I still live together, as roommates and best friends, in an upgraded 2 bedroom apartment.

I tell you this because I made him an important role in this blog. When I started the ‘About the Blog’ section didn’t hide the fact that he, in fact, created the name “Up Up and a Gay” and he was the one who told me that I should pursue my dream to write for a living, and propelled me to start and continue with this blog.

Now, he still continues to do so, but in a different role. And, that’s okay.

Life, goes on.

Now, I’m single in the skies… and back in the dating game. A game don’t really enjoy. However, it can be quite comical for all of you, because now it gives me another chapter of my life that I can share with you on here. You won’t be finding the stories that Chelsea Handler shares about her sexcapades, but I’m sure it’ll be interesting nonetheless. Something I vow that you won’t see, if stories of me dating another flight attendant at my airline.

There’s something weird about dating another FA within the same company. I don’t know what it is.. but to me its just weird. What if you break up? what if it doesn’t work? what if after a big breakup you both must work a 4 day trip together? Too many “what if’s” and its not worth the drama and the rumors on the rumor mill that any airline runs on.

I think my breakup came at a good time in my life. Work is thriving (we’re getting pay raises this year..), I am officially based in Los Angeles effective March 2nd (bye bye San Francisco and Ground Delays!), I learned from my last relationship more about what I’m looking for and what is important within a relationship and finally, it’s a new year.. anything can happen.

In closing, thank you to those of you who are close to me and sent me messages after the breakup and offered a shoulder to lean on and thank you for continuing to read this blog! I am sorry I have been slacking this month with updating it, but between the break up and the move, in addition to changing my flying schedule around to accommodate both events, time escaped me. But restassured I’m back in full force, about to work a flight from Las Vegas to New York in about 4 hours, gearing up to capture the stories of the traveling public to share with you.

When the airline builds our trips (sometimes known as pairings) which include all of the flights we’re scheduled to work, there is sometimes “sit” times (or the time between flights of which we have to work) in between flights. Extended sit times, usually more than 2 hours we refer to as “airport appreciation time.”

There is nothing to do durning this time but wander through the airport, maybe grab some over priced airport food, catch up on phone calls, emails, etc. You would think we would WANT “sit times,” but we don’t. Remember flight crews are usually only paid from the moment the door closes to when it opens in your arrival city. For these sit times, we’re only earning per diem, which at my airline is $1.75 an hour. So, for those 2-3-4 hours in between flights I’ve made, maybe: $5. Talk about unproductive!

One of my past trips drove me crazy. Actually, I drove myself crazy. I bid for the trip only because of the layovers and didn’t bother to look at what flights I would be working. The first day I had a one hour sit, the second day I had a two hour sit, and the worst of all, the third day I worked a flight departing at 645am arrived into San Francisco at 8am and didn’t work my next flight, a transcontinental one mind you, until 1130am! That day in particular killed me. I was up at 4:15am to get ready for my 530am van to the airport to work a flight at 645am, and didn’t get to my final arrival city until 730pm east coast time, or 430pm pacific. I worked a 11 hour day and only got paid for 6 hours thanks to the sit time. Whats sad is on day three my whole crew walked into the lounge we have, and found 2 other crews on 2 or 3 hour sits.. all with nothing to do! We all went out for breakfast together… and still had time to kill afterwards.

Usually sit times are a real downer. You’re awake, your working, all of a sudden you’re sitting around with nothing to do.. you get tired.. and then CRAP! It’s time to work a 5 hour flight!

Unfortunately the FAA has no regulations in place regarding how long between flights we can sit around. It falls under the “duty time” limitations, but thats a whole other topic.

Lesson Learned: Don’t bid for trips based on layovers or any other criteria without looking at the actual flights to be worked. Sit times are a waste of time.

14 CFR 125.327

(2) The use of safety belts, including instructions on how to fasten and unfasten the safety belts. Each passenger shall be briefed on when, where, and under what conditions the safety belt must be fastened about him or her. This briefing shall include a statement that the Federal Aviation Regulations require passenger compliance with lighted passenger information signs and crewmember instructions concerning the use of safety belts.

14 CFR 121.317

(f) Each passenger required by §121.311(b) to occupy a seat or berth shall fasten his or her safety belt about him or her and keep it fastened while the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is lighted.