Straighten Up and Fly Right

Since 9/11, the emphasis now seems to be on security. Service has gone by the wayside

I was fortunate enough to fly for a major airline in the late eighties when flying was pleasurable...meal service, seats with legroom, people dressed nice casual, not like they were going to a picnic on the beach. It was all about service and making the experience enjoyable. It has all changed. Since 9/11, the emphasis now seems to be on security. Service has gone by the wayside. Overcrowded airplanes and unmet schedules can easily create a ripple effect down the line. Combine that with airlines' desire to maximize their profit margin, it should be easy to anticipate that tensions will run high. We get it, the airlines don't. Flight attendants work hard. I know. I was deadheading to San Francisco in uniform. The cabin crew had their hands full so I offered to help. For the next five hours I went up and down the cabin helping the passengers any way I could. There was no let up. I think it would have been easier working in the cockpit.

Employees seem unaware that everything they do and say carries the possibility that it will appear on social media for all the world to see

To be fair, crews today have to work in more difficult conditions as their companies are more profit conscious than ever before. It does not help that most passengers are uncomfortable and in a bad frame of mind. It's amazing that so many airline employees seem unaware that everything they do and say carries the possibility that it will appear on social media or the 6 o'clock news for all the world to see. Airlines are now making record profits. It is time for them to pay it forward...more attendants per flight, not the federal minimum. More legroom, more crew rest, more commitment to service. Today, flying on trips of less than 500 miles is crazy. Drive, you'll get the best seat in the house.