Winged Whimsy Weekly

 

It's almost Fall, which means in the airline business a lot of sitting around. People don't go on as many vacations in the Fall (until around Thanksgiving time) so there are less flights, which means my travel-happy self has been flight-less for the past week. Fortunately for me, we get paid a set amount no matter how much we work. We can always make extra $$ if we need it by picking up trips off the trade board from line-holders who don't like a trip they got or want to work less that month. However, I've been using the opportunity to do more forays into freelance writing, since it's location independent income. When I'm not attempting to be productive, my roommate Belle and I have been going to parks, chasing food trucks and perusing antique shops here in Charlotte.

[caption id="attachment_666" align="alignnone" width="642"] Freedom park in Charlotte is where we sat, next to a pond, and read our Kindles. Good times.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_669" align="alignnone" width="642"] Afterwards we checked out an antique store called the Sleepy Poet. It had everything you could imagine from furniture, to old typewriters, to jewelry....on and on. I definitely will be coming back![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_667" align="alignnone" width="642"] Would you believe it? They had an old Showbiz Pizza sign. I was {thisclose} to buying it. SO MANY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_668" align="alignnone" width="642"] Descending into Chattanooga for a short visit. This is about the point where I start to get extremely happy.[/caption]

 

Flight Attendant Pet Peeves Pt. 1

There are several unwritten rules among flight attendants. Most are common sense (ask if anyone you're working with wants leftover meals in first class when passengers don't eat them/ offer to make the captain and first officer coffee in the morning/ the most senior flight attendant gets her first choice of position, etc, etc, etc) but some some are more of a courtesy.

For example, the other week I was commuting from Chattanooga back to Charlotte. I was wearing my badge over civilian clothes when I boarded the tiny, aircondition-less Dash 8. Normally, when the one flight attendant who works the flight sees the badge, she offers to get me a preflight drink (another unwritten courtesy rule among us sisters in the sky). But this gal was a total bitch different. This gal knew the real rules.

She takes one look at my badge, and a long hard look at my flip flops.

"You know you have to wear closed-toe shoes when you non-rev [fly on a company flight as a passenger]," she says, bold as brass.

In the Tennessee/North Carolina summer, the last thing I'd ever put on my feet would be an air-constricting shoe. Except maybe my Toms, but still. I stared at her blankly for about a tenth of a second and said "are you kidding me? In this sauna of a plane?"

"It's the rules," she said, "and please be sure you have your kindle and cell phone turned off once I shut the door."

I can't believe this chick. Probably the biggest unwritten rule among fellow flight attendants is when a flight attendant is off-duty and non-revving on your flight, do not tell her what to do like you would a civilian.  It's disrespectful and creates bad blood in what should be a sacred truce.

"Your shoes have an ankle strap, and are less than 0.5 inches in height, which is also against regulation. How about we let bygones be bygones and live another day?"

She glared at me, opened her mouth, and went back to work. But my flight was ruined. I was so mad that she had the audacity to tell me what to do, as if I had no idea what the rules were. Let me tell you something; nobody follows every single rule every single time. Except where it pertains to safety inflight. And I wasn't seated in an exit row. Show me a flight attendant who doesn't have her own way of doing things now and then which aren't regulation and I'll show you a lifeless cardboard cut-out of a flight attendant from training.

Unless a non-rev opens one of the emergency exits while you're taxiing on the runway because she wanted a nice breeze, or pours hot water over the head of the passenger seated next to her, don't assume she's an idiot. She went through the same training hell to get where you are today, and heard all the same lessons, and has the same manual. Don't insult the intelligence of your fellow flight attendants. Let them sit back, and enjoy the flight.

What are some other pet peeves/unwritten rules for flight attendants?

Winged Whimsy Weekly

Hello everybody! Taking a note of inspiration from some of my favorite bloggers, I’ve decided to do a post where I feature some of my favorite photographs I’ve taken that week. Depending on how interesting my life has been, there may be one picture or  there may be 12. This is just a quick way for me to show you what’s intrigued, or amused or shocked or confused me along the way.

[caption id="attachment_648" align="alignnone" width="642"] I went to visit my grandmother in middle tennessee and made friends of the bovine variety.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_649" align="alignnone" width="642"] oh, and there were tons of geese on the pond[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_654" align="alignnone" width="642"] Darcy and I went on a hike through the woods and observed a local creek.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_653" align="alignnone" width="642"] On the same hike, we found this ancient graveyard with markers that had been eroded by time. We contemplated the mysteries and stories behind the lives and deaths of those who rest beneath the ground, which were lost over a hundred years ago.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_652" align="alignnone" width="642"] My beautiful, talented mother playing the organ.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_651" align="alignnone" width="642"] Darcy and I went exploring and found this drive in theater! These classic venues are a rare treat! If you have one in your area; treasure them and patronize their business![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_650" align="alignnone" width="642"] I had to visit a childhood memory; my grandfather always used to take me to Breece's for lunch and dinner. Grandfather has since passed away, but the restaurant was exactly how I had remembered it nearly 20 years ago. The waitress we knew was still there too. Some things never change...(and I'm extremely grateful!)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_657" align="alignnone" width="642"] Nomatter how many miles I travel, Chattanooga will always be my home. I appreciate its beauty and uniqueness all the more every time I come back.[/caption]

 

 

Orange You Glad (Orlando, FL)

It was all sun, all fun on a recent trip to Orlando.

I was delighted to find out that I would be flying with Y.P., one of the women I befriended while in {flight attendant training}. She's originally from Russia, so she has this adorable accent, and her personality is so bubbly and positive, its a pleasure to work with her. We joined up with B.O., who graduated in the class previous and was equally fun to be around. She had lived in Orlando since she was 19, so we relied on her for directions when we decided to go on our Floridian adventure.

We saw an upside down building, rode a trolley, stopped for ice cream, and admired stone animals and towering fountains. We even briefly considered going to {Downtown Disney} (rides, restaurants and sites similar to Disney but without having to pay to get in to admission) but decided we wanted to have some pool time. We stayed at {this} fabulous resort hotel which had multiple restaurants and a giant pool. I was a goon and forgot to bring my bathing suit, but YP lent me some black shorts, and I just jumped in wearing those and my black bra. Nobody noticed and it was so totally worth it! The water is perfect this time of year, and we all spent a good hour sunbathing and splashing around. I, being unable to tan, doused myself in a good SPF 55 before hitting the diving board. Good times ensued.

We were rather sad to leave Vacation Heaven, but we had a great time and enjoyed each other's company. YP and the First Officer (who was from Sweden) talked about how many languages each of them knew, and the process of becoming an American Citizen. I felt slightly guilty that I can only speak English competently and Spanish rather poorly. Time to brush up on my {duolingo}, I guess!

[caption id="attachment_635" align="alignnone" width="640"] YP, BO, EW and I on the flight back to Charlotte. Good times![/caption]

Below are a bunch of pictures from the hotel, our day jaunt around Orlando and us generally just being silly. Click on the smaller images to view the full-sized photos. Enjoy!

[gallery ids="627,626,625,624,623,621,620,619,622,618,617,614,613,598,597,596,612,610,608,607,606,605,604,603,602,600,599"]

Meet Ursula!

I wrote awhile ago about my roommates Jasmine and Aurora moving out and so much more has happened since then. Some of it good, some of it bad, and some of it very very ugly. Now that the whole enchilada has finally ended (over a month and a half later), Belle and I were ready for a new roomie. So, we put up an ad with hopeful hearts and got responses from lots of awesome ladies. One of those ladies was our new roomie, Ursula. Evidence enough for her awesomeness can be surmised by the mere fact that she picked the name Ursula when I asked who her favorite Disney princess was.

Some quick facts about our newest addition:

• super extroverted, she can always be counted on to find fun things to go out and do


• she lived and taught in Korea for a year


• speaking of teaching, that's what she does. She now teaches middle school. In Charlotte.


• she makes a devilishly good from-scratch guacamole.


• She has a long term boyfriend, who also moved to Charlotte. His roommates are equally super-fun and friendly.


• She loves wine and can name all the presidents of the United States in order.

Need I say more? We're very glad we found her (or she found us?) and can't wait to get to know her better. Here's a picture of us roommates hanging out at trivia last week (forgive the quality, its a night shot).

[caption id="attachment_590" align="alignnone" width="642"] left to right: Ursula, me, Belle and our couch surfer friend Turner![/caption]

Winged Whimsy Weekly

Hello everybody! Taking a note of inspiration from some of my favorite bloggers, I've decided to do a post where I feature some of my favorite photographs I've taken that week. Depending on how interesting my life has been, there may be one picture or  there may be 12. This is just a quick way for me to show you what's intrigued, or amused or shocked or confused me along the way. Heck, even stuff from my life that isn't necessarily flight attendant related. I'll try to regulate it a little better in the future, like having it on a specific day of the week, but for now here's what I've come up with.

I give you, Winged Whimsy!

[caption id="attachment_585" align="alignnone" width="642"] teaser photo for an upcoming post: some of my lovely ladies from flight attendant training and I got scheduled on the same trip—so of course we made the most of our long layover and went on an adventure around town! Stay tuned....[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_584" align="alignnone" width="642"] I saw this in one of my favorite magazines and flipped out. Makeup vending machines in airports?! This is pure brilliance (and may earn a post on here when they show up). I can think of many times when I left behind a lipstick, mascara or concealer and this would have been a lifesaver, since a flight attendant's appearance is of the utmost importance.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_583" align="alignnone" width="642"] Goofy shot near a big rock sculpture outside Providence, RI airport. I was trying to show I could move it....armed only with a pout....or something....[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_582" align="alignnone" width="642"] hilarious moment. Darcy came to visit me in Charlotte, but we unfortunately didn't have time to leave the airport before his other flight took him home. So we spent 2 hours walking around the airport, getting food, and looking for somewhere quiet to enjoy each other's company (airports are pretty dauntingly loud when you just want a moment with the man you love). In the end, we found the airport's nondenominational chapel. In it are religious articles and books from every creed and background. We found this yamulke and Darcy posed for a minute, looking deep in though (and rather Jewish!?)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_581" align="alignnone" width="642"] I attended a white-tie charity dinner with a friend, who was given the tickets by his company's CEO. So for the evening we rubbed elbows with the socialites and jet-setters of Charlotte and had a delightful time (not to mention a 4 course meal sponsored by dozens of corporations, one of which was my airline!)[/caption]

 

 

 

California Dreaming (Los Angeles, CA)

I went on a short trip to sunny LA this past week, and had a lovely time.  I call this post California Dreaming (as opposed to California exploring, eating, drinking or sun bathing) because unfortunately, my 12 hour layover wasn't long enough to get to do anything more than dream about the famed City of Angels (maybe another post) but I did get to enjoy myself with my sweet quirky crew and a very comfortable hotel. Check out my pictures!

 

[caption id="attachment_559" align="alignnone" width="642"] I got called at 5 AM to go on this quick trip with these 2 lovely ladies. We posed for this pic and I promised I'd post it. The day after, I go to LA![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_560" align="alignnone" width="642"] My crew on the trip to LA. I was the newbie on board among seasoned flight attendants, and they were happy to share stories and smiles with me along the way.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_569" align="alignnone" width="642"] An unusual sight—there were guards with oozies at the LAX airport. I'd never seen this before. Fortunately, they didn't seem too terribly worried about a bad guy running their way.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_564" align="alignnone" width="642"] Our hotel for the short Los Angeles overnight (less than 15 hours). The Holiday Inn Airport![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_563" align="alignnone" width="642"] My room: very comfortable and spacious. It almost seemed like a small apartment rather than a single person hotel room.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_566" align="alignnone" width="642"] See what I mean, this room is huge![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_567" align="alignnone" width="642"] the bed pillows were labeled soft and firm, which is helpful because some times its difficult to tell. I like a good soft pillow, and this made it easy to decide which one I wanted rather than hunting for the right pillow (if there even was variety!)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_562" align="alignnone" width="642"] the bathroom was clean, bright and spacious as well. Generous number of towels and shampoo/soap, which is nice because often times my rooms only have 1 or two of each, tops.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_568" align="alignnone" width="642"] I'm a big fan of the Citrus Mint shampoo/soap/conditioner/etc by Bath and Body Works. Such a fresh scent, and its like a little bit of aromatherapy away from home.[/caption]

 

10 Apps Flight Attendants Should Download Right Now

 

1. WinBid — This delightful app is the flight attendant's best friend. Airline crews prepare their bid for their monthly schedule. It displays all monthly lines and their associated trip pairings (and we all know what a pain in the patoot this can be to try to do manually), so there is no need for bulky “bid packages” to carry around. WinBid automatically downloads and stores all your airline’s line and associated pairings off-line. You can view, search, filter, score, list, and more.


2. GateGuru— Enter an airport code and up pops everything you could ever want to know about food, shopping, and any services offered, along with reviews, ratings and maps. Enter your flight number and access flight status, delays and weather conditions all in the same place.


3. Tapped Out— Think of the Sims, only with the Simpsons. Mind blown? The key is patience—the only way to advance in the quests, etc, is to keep playing daily. Darcy got me hooked on this, and I'll never look at a donut the same again.


4. FlightView— Another absolute diamond of an app. It tracks flights and shows you their delays, when they take off and land, etc. You can actually see a real time map of the flight path, in addition to ground information such as the gate numbers where the flight will land or take off from.
   
   [caption id="attachment_554" align="alignnone" width="300"] Where my flight at?[/caption]


5. Amazon Kindle— My sweet parents bought me a 8.9" Kindle Fire HD for my birthday, and its a delightful little gadget to be sure. I rarely (if ever) watch TV, but I read like a fiend, so you can always find me thumbing my way through some new tome. This has made such a difference while away long hours of downtime on flights, or layovers. If you're a big reader, definitely download this app on your phone, laptop or tablet.


6. Mint— Considering whether or not to by that impulse $13 hummus at the hotel because its the cheapest thing on the menu and the nearest restaurant is 9 blocks away? Mint is a wonderful app that sets monthly budgets for you based on your income, debts, bills and expected needs. It categorizes your spending, and you can set it up to text you when you're reaching your limit. In such a busy lifestyle, it helps to know Mint has got your back. I love how all my bank accounts/student loans/expenses are neatly categorized, and I have goals set for my savings and repayment plans.


7. FAAWait—During a oncoming weather delay a flight attendant who also works part time as an air traffic controller told me about FAAWait. It's his favorite app. One click and we knew which airports across the country were also experiencing delays, how long the delays were averaging, and what had caused the delays. In other words, win, win and win.


8. WhatsApp—An Emirate's flight attendant from Bosnia based in Saudi Arabia told me about this app on a flight from Miami to New York. WhatsApp makes it possible to send text messages to friends and family out of the country free of charge. There is virtually no cost to stay in touch with loved ones. You can even share audio and video messages.


9. HappyHourFinder—nobody is better at finding a deal than a flight attendant. Period. We will find out every discount, sale and maneuver to pinch a penny in the book. Just the other day a flight attendant told me that she cooks herself a grilled cheese sandwich with a clothes iron ( albeit well cleaned)!! It doesn't get more Jenny-on-the-spot than that. This is why we take advantage of happy hour specials, particularly ones that include half priced appetizers! Check it out, and see who has specials in your area!


10. Ride—My sweet roomie, Belle, told me about this one a few days ago, and I'm a believer. While its currently for iPhone users only, Ride is a rewards network that gives you points for travel. When you have it installed on your phone, it records the numbers of miles you travel and you accrue Ride points (pretty simple so far, yeah?) They are redeemable for real rewards through Ride, such as gift cards to companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Redbox, etc.
    And who doesn't love free stuff for shameless self promotion?