jane

Yes airlines have certainly changed. When I was hired we had about 200 people waiting in line to get a job as flight attendant! We were required to have a college degree! We were interviewed by a Psychiatrist! Our uniforms were checked, we had to weigh in, we had to be well groomed. Our passengers dressed nicely, planned and saved for their vacations, were excited, talked with us. It was different. <BR><BR>Airlines in general are not doing well. Ticket prices are down, fuel costs are up, all benefit costs are up. It is no longer special to fly. Now it can be compared to a bus, although it is more expensive to operate. <BR><BR>We just took a survey asking us to choose what benefits we want to loose and in what order. <BR><BR>Yes oh yes it has changed. Life has changed. We have been provided with self defense classes, no longer look for that good looking passenger, or have fun. We look for the bad and the ugly. <BR><BR>Safety, safety, safety. Our focus has to change. You may not get a great movie screen, bad meals (airline meals will never compare to restaurants) but then they can't compare with our ability to get you from point a to point b. What we can do is work very hard and at much greater cost to keep us all safe. Does that mean less extras. You bet it does, but then, we can all buy a book, bring a meal, get our own magazine. What is important is a a cabin crew that will do everything in their power to keep you safe. Trust me, we who work for the airlines care very much about you and your loved ones. Money is tight and it needs to go to where important.

xxx

To Jane, well said. Everyone needs to try to understand a litte more of what is going on behind the scenes and try to be nicer people, not just on a plane but in all aspects of their life including their answers to questions on this board.

xxx

I don't know what you mean about airline prices going down. Have you tried flying to Hawaii lately? And there's the new security surcharge. Prices have definately increased a lot since last year As for the people not looking good just about the whole population is overweight, which leads to sloppiness and baggy clothes. I always look nice when flying. I agree, safety is most important, and these days I look at flight attendants with much more respect.

Rex

&lt;&lt;I don't know what you mean about airline prices going down.&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>I have been buying airline tickets for about 32 years now, starting when I was 16 years old, and they have gone down pretty much every year, relative to the wages most Americans earn.<BR><BR>The first ticket I ever bought with "my own money" was about $160 for Louisville-San Francisco roundtrip. I had a job in high school making 15 cents above the minimum wage at that time of $1.90 so it only took me about 79 hours to buy that ticket.<BR><BR>You can still buy the same ticket for well under $200 much of the time. At minimum wage, that's about 30 hours. At the wage earned by most Fodorites, it's somewhere between 10 hours and 10 minutes.<BR><BR>I can only say thank you to jane and to all the other janes.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Uncle Sam

Jane,<BR><BR>Thank you...you're just another example of why I'm a happy Million Miler on Delta!<BR><BR>US

Julie

jane - It's interesting that you talk about safety. Perhaps you can tell me why flight attendants on Delta are not required to be seated with safety belts fastened during take offs and landings. On a recent trip to London this safety procedure was completely ignored on both flights. In addition, the attendants had their own bags sitting on the floor (not stowed under the seats because they wouldn't fit). If we had encountered any turbulence, someone could have been injured. I wrote to Delta on my return, but no one was able to provide me with a plausible answer - perhaps because there was none.

Jack

yeah, what happened to the appearance standards? When I was young, in the late 60's, early 70's, flight attendants were pleasent, good-looking, and generally delightful to be around. American Airlines was King!<BR><BR>Now, I fly Northwest and get some frumpy, mile-worn, crabby 40-something, size 18, who is completely unpleasent in appearance and demeanor. Or a faggy fag. Where are all the pretty girls? Working a Hooters?

BTilke

A good point raised regarding FAs and seat belts. <BR>Regarding FAs and whether they're pretty enough (I really don't care), as one FA said, "I'm not on the plane because I look pretty, I'm here because I know how to open the emergency exits of a 747 upside down under water." <BR><BR>

happy al!!!!!

to jane !!and all the janes that take their job serious THANK YOU.but our problem with air lines begins with them scheduling a daily flight that is late 5 out of 7 days???that it is cheaper to fly<BR> l.a to dallas to atlanta to columbus than to fly directly to columbus???? that an air line would put you up in hotel and gave food coupon for 100$ rd trip ticket!! rater than making sure you go when you spouse to go. Nkow we all want to fly a safe plane and some times weather does not coaperate that is when we all must take a deep breath and be polite to the counter person,i am sure they much rater see us out of their face, than in their face.

jane

Jack, you need to take yourself less seriously, it'll do wonders for how women appear to you.

mj

Jane,<BR>Kudos to you.<BR><BR>Your writing is that of a true professional however, it's been my experience that a far greater percentage of FAs', terminal and res. staffs don't treat their job with the same professionalism.<BR>

anon

Jack probably got turned down by BOTH the frumpy 40ish female flight attendant and the faggy fag flight attendant.

Julie

jane - are you ignoring my question regarding flight attendants being seated at take off and landings, or do you not have a plausible answer either?

Uncle Sam

Anon,<BR><BR>And maybe the declines were not in that particlar order!<BR><BR>US

interesting

Not just airlines have changed. Not just stewardesses have changed. Society has changed.<BR><BR>Airline prices have become much more affordable, that's why people are able to travel much more easily now for leisure, and that's why you'll see people who, in general, have less money traveling. People "value" it less because it's cheaper and more accessible too.<BR><BR>People don't spend as much time and money on their clothes and grooming. Americans have become much more casual. Depending on your personal likes and dislikes this is a good/bad thing.<BR><BR>People have become less civil in general. Probably at least in part due to the fact that Americans are much less likely to be well socialized. They are less likely to be a part of a community, church, have regular contact with extended family. They spend much more time in solitary activities, like the computer and internet. <BR><BR>People feel less obligation to their jobs, businesses feel much less obligation to their employees. <BR><BR>most if not all service oriented businesses are not all that interested in providing a high level of customer care anymore.<BR><BR>Parents are more committed to their own interests, quite often both parents work. Children spend much more time alone, watching TV, working on a computer and/or the parents feel so guilty they spoil the kids like crazy (in general, that is).<BR><BR>having extra weight does not mean a person will be sloppy necessarily. plenty of sloppy skinny people, plenty of neat fat people. That's a prejudice, imho.<BR><BR>to be honest, I don't have a big gripe with FAs. They're not always the most friendly people one would meet, but they've always been more than competent on flights I've taken and, considering what they have to deal with, and justified being grumpy at times.

Sue

I don't fly Delta (no service to my city) but all the flight attendants I've encountered seem fine to me. Actually, I think they get more respect today, not less, thanks in part to the positive change in attitude towards occupations with a significant female component.<BR><BR>I remember that infamous ad of years ago featuring a plane with a smile painted on its nose and the caption that read "HI, I'm Cheryl, fly me." Flight attendants rightly complained, and didn't accept (nor did anyone else) the lame explanation that the caption referred to the plane, not the staff. I also remember the humiliating uniforms that one or two of the so-called 'designer' airlines tried to force their female flight attendants to wear. Yes, times have changed, and for the better, in many respects.

Kathy

Jane, based on your posting, I can't imagine that you have a college degree.