The Flight Attendant Dossier: September 2011

Affiliations and The Editors of This Blog

This blog is not affiliated with any airline, company or union or my employer and does not reflect any views other than that of the blogs editors and contributors

My name is Steve and I am a flight attendant for a major airline, having flown for 49 years with two major airlines, one which was purchased by another carrier, where I still fly today and still enjoy my job!

I have flown both International and Domestic routes and have flown to every major city in Europe (some minor ones, too) and Hawaii and over 150 cities in the USA and Canada.

Contact Info: murren91@cox.net

Suggestions, compliments and complaints are welcome!

TOP TEN THINGS DRIVING ME BONKERS ON COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT

MANNERS disappear when people step on an aircraft

1. Always amazes me how people managed to pack a bag, get it in the trunk of the car, out from there and through the airport garage, into the terminal, through security and down the concourse. As soon as it reaches their assigned seat it becomes unmanageable

2. Please keep your dirty, smelly, stinky feet off the bulkheads. Talk about NO CLASS, especially, in FIRST CLASS and please brush you teeth or use chewing gum...BAD BREATH!

3. NEVER evacuate an aircraft in thongs, flip-flops or beach footwear. Evacuating an aircraft with shards of sharp metal and fire, while wearing flip-flops and sandals...good luck. Good shoes might save your life someday. Wear your shoes on takeoff and landing. Most evacuations occur 3 minutes after takeoff and 8 minutes before landing...those are the stats, folks! Get cumfy AFTER takeoff

4. Screaming into your cell phone. The entire plane can hear you! Cell microphones can pick up whispers. Be considerate to others around you.

5. Grabbing the back of your seat as they get up or down disturbing you while you're enjoying a snooze, reading or drinking hot coffee. Reclining your seat with force, without notice, or a cautionary look before hitting you in the forehead or crushing your lap top computer screen

6. Leaving the lavatory and entire plane trashed. Do you do this at home? Wonder why flights are delayed...cleaning up YOUR MESS

7. Failing to understand that OCCUPIED means that there is somebody INSIDE the restroom

8. Coming through security with metal in their pockets, around their necks, fingers, ankles, ears, noses or wherever. READ THE SIGNS ABOVE THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT. Everyone has flown!

9. When deplaning, stopping on the jetway right outside the airplane door to wait for their mother or father or spouse or other companion, causing a bottle neck for others deplaning

10. Cutting toenails, flossing teeth while in their seats, rubbing bare feet all over the bulkhead or seat in front of them, picking noses, and leaving the seat around them trashed after the flight. Do they live like this at home?

BONUS: Not paying attention when they are being served by a flight attendant and staring into a void or listening to music rather than taking their beverage from said flight attendant. YOU WONDER WHY IT TAKES SO LONG FOR THE BEVERAGE CART TO GET TO YOUR SEAT.

Asking your flight attendant what do you have?

Answer: Everything but time and patience

Asking your flight attendant what are my choices

Answer: Take it or leave it

NO, we do NOT have:

Rootbeer

Mountain Dew

V-8

Crème soda

Grape juice

Orange soda

Vanilla Coke

This is NOT a 7/11 but a 737!

Non stop verses a direct flight

A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops.

A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight". An ultra long-haul non-stop flight is considered to be a commercially operated airliner with:

No intermediate stop-over point within its scheduled duration

About 7,500 miles (12,000 km) in route length

Over 14 hours of scheduled flying time

These flights operate a great circle route, often above polar regions. The two longest ultra long-haul flights as of July 2010 are operated between Singapore and North America.

Welcome To The Flight Attendant Dossier

In Memory of our colleagues who perished on TWA flight 800

TWA FLIGHT 800
In Memory Of The Crew Members Who Lost Their Lives

On TWA Flight 800 On July 17, 1996
Jacque Charbonnier, FSM
Dan Callas
Constance Charbonnier
Janet Christopher
Deb DiLuccio
Ray Lang
Maureen Lockhart
Sandra Meade
Grace Melotin
Marit Rhoads
Mike Schuldt
Melinda Torche
Jill Ziemkiewiicz
Sandra Aikens-Bellamy
Rosie Braman
Warren Dodge
Daryl Edwards
Joanne Griffith
Eric Harkness
James Hull
Lonnie Ingenhuett
Arlene Johnsen
Barbara Kwan
Elaine Loffredo
Eli Luevano
Pamela McPherson
Olivia Simmons
Lani Warren
Capt. Steven E. Snyder
Capt. Ralph G. Kevorkian
Flight Engineer Richard G. Campbell
Flight Engineer Oliver Krick
Capt. Gid Miller
First Officer R.L. Verhaeghe
Flight Engineer D.A. Eshleman

REMEMBER THESE AIRLINES?

AXICO Airlines (1946 - 1965, to Saturn Airways)

Access Air (1998 - 2001)

ADI Domestic Airlines

Aeroamerica (1974 - 1982)

Aero Coach (1983 - 1991)

Aero International Airlines

Aeromech Airlines (1951 - 1983, to Wright Airlines)

AeroSun International

AFS Airlines (Arcata Flying Service)

Air America (owned and operated by the CIA in SouthEast Asia)

Air America (1980s)

Air Astro

Air Atlanta (1981 - 88)

AirAtlantic Airlines

Air Bama

Air Berlin, Inc. (Air Berlin USA) (1978-1990 [reconstituted
as Air Berlin GmbH & Co. Luftverkehrs KG under German company law in 1990])

Airborne Express (1946 - 2003, to DHL)

Air California, later AirCal (1967 - 87, to American Airlines)

Air Carolina

Air Central (Michigan)

Air Central (Oklahoma) (to Trans-Central Airlines)

Air Chaparral (1980 - 82)

Air Chico

Air Colorado

Air Cortez

Air Florida (1972 - 84)

Air Gemini

Air General

Air Great Lakes

Air Hawaii (1960s) (1960s)

Air Hawaii (ceased operations in 1986)

Air Hyannis

Air Idaho

Air Illinois

Air Iowa

Airlift International (1946 - 81)

Air Kentucky

Air LA

Air-Lift Commuter

Air Lincoln

Air Link Airlines

Air Link Airways

Air Metro

Air Miami (to North American Airlines)

Air Michigan

Air Mid-America

Air Midwest

Air Missouri

Air Molokai (1980s)

Air Molokai (1990s)

Air Molokai-Tropic Airlines

Air Nebraska

Air Nevada

Air New England (1975 - 81)

Air New Orleans (1981 - 88)

Air Niagara

Air North (Alaska)

Air North (1963 - 1983, to Brockway Air)

Air O'Hare

Air Olympia

Air Oregon

Air One (1990s)

AirPac

Air Pacific (USA)

Air Pennsylvania

Air Resorts Airline

Air Sierra

Air South (1968 - 1975, to Florida Airlines;

Air South (1981-1982)

Air South (1986-1987)

Air South (1994-1997)

Air Speed (1974)

Air Spirit

Air Sunshine (1970s)

Air Sunshine (1980s)

Air Texana

Air Texas

Air Trails

Air 21

Air US

Air Utah

AirVantage Airlines

Air Vegas (1971 - 2004)

Air Vermont

Air Virginia

Airways of New Mexico

Air West

Alaska Air Transport (1935 to 1939) to Alaska Coastal Airlines

Alaska Coastal Airlines (1939 - 1968) to Alaska Airlines

Alaska Coastal-Ellis Airlines

Albany Air

All American Aviation Company (became US Airways)

Allegheny Airlines (became US Airways)

America West Airlines (1981 - Merged with US Airways in 2007)

American Central Airlines

American Export Airlines (1937 - 1948) merged the transatlantic division of American Airlines to form American Overseas Airlines

American Flyers Airline

American International Airways

American Overseas Airlines (1945 - 1950) merged into Pan American World Airways

Arista International Airlines

Arizona Airways

Arizona Airways (1993-1996)

Aroostook Airways

Aspen Airways (1962 - 1990)

ATA Airlines (ceased operations 4 Apr 2008)

Atlantic Coast Airlines (1989 - 2004, to Independence Air)

Atlantic Gulf Airlines

Bar Harbor Airlines (1971 - 1992)

Big Sky Airlines (1978 - 2008)

Boeing Air Transport (1927 - 1930) to United Airlines

Bonanza Air Lines (1945 - 1968, to Hughes Airwest)

Braniff (1991 - 1992)

Braniff Inc. (1983 - 1990)

Braniff International Airways (1928 - 1982)

Britt Airways (1976 - 1987)

Brockway Air

Business Express Airlines to American Eagle

CalPac (California Pacific) (1993 - 1995 to Mesa Airlines)

Cal Sierra Airlines (1980)

Cape Smythe Air (1975 - 2005, to Frontier Flying Service)

Capitol Air Lines (1970s - 1980s)

Capital Airlines (1936 - 1961, to United Airlines)

Capitol Airways (1946 - 1982)

Cardinal Airlines

Caribbean Sun (2002 - 2007)

Carnival Air Lines

Cascade Airways (1969 - 1986)

Catalina Airlines (1940 - 1969)

CCAir

Centennial Airlines

Central Airlines (1944 - 1967)

Challenge Air Cargo (1978 - 2001)

Champion Air (1995 - 2008; ceased operations on May 31, 2008)

Chicago Air

Chicago and Southern Air Lines (1934 - 1953)

Chicago Express Airlines (1993 - 2005)

Coastal Airways (1929 -1930)

Cochise Airlines

Colgan Airways (1971 - 1986, to Presidential Airways, revived 1991, and currently operating as Continental Express, United Express, and US Airways Express: see http://www.colganair.com/)

Colonial Air Transport (1926 - 1930)

Command Airways

Conquest Sun Airlines (to AirTran Airways)

Crown Airways (1969 - 1992 to Mesa Airlines)

Curtiss Flying Service (1929 - 1932)

Delta Express (1996-2003: replaced by Song; folded back into Delta Air Lines)

Desert Sun Airlines (1995 - 1997 to Mesa Airlines)

Eastern Air Lines (1926 - 1991)

Eastwind Airlines

Ellis Airlines (1936 to 1962) to Alaska Coastal Airlines

Emerald Air (1978 - 1991)

Emery Worldwide Airlines (1977 - 2003)

Empire Airlines (1976 - 1985, to Piedmont Airlines)

Eos Airlines (2004 - 2008; passenger operations ceased April 27, 2008; )

Eureka Aero (c. 1976 - 1979)

Falcon Air Express (1995 - 2007)

Fine Air (1989 - 2004)

Florida Coastal Airlines (ceased operations 2006)

FloridaGulf Airlines (1991 - 1997, to Air Midwest)

Flying Tiger Line (1945 - 1988, to Federal Express)

Freedom Airlines (ended in 1981/not the Delta feeder)

Freelandia

Frontier Airlines (1950 - 1986) First One

Galaxy Airlines

Gem State Airlines (1979, to Golden Gate Airlines)

Gemini Airlines

Gemini Air Cargo

Global International Airways (1981 - ?)

Golden Carriage Aire

Golden Gate Airlines (1980-1981)

Golden Pacific Airlines (1969-1973)

Golden Pacific Airlines (1981 - 1988)

Golden West Airlines

Great Plains Airlines (2001 - 2004)

Great Western Aviation Company (to AirVantage Airlines)

Gulf Air Transport (1979 - 1990)

Hooters Air (2003 - 2006)

Hughes Airwest (1968 - 1980, to Republic Airlines)

Imperial Airlines (1964 - 1986)

Independence Air (2004 - 2006)

Independent Air (1966 - 1990)

Indigo Airlines

Intermountain Airlines

Irving Airways (1936) to Alaska Air Transport

Island Pacific Air (to Air Hawaii)

Jet 24 (1981 - 1986)

Jet Express

Key Airlines

Kitty Hawk Airways

Kitty Hawk International (to Kalitta Air)

Kiwi International Air Lines

L'Express Airlines (1989-1992)

Lake Central Airlines (1949 - 1968, to Allegheny Airlines)

Lakeland Airlines (1980 - 1984)

Las Vegas Airlines (1973 - 1987)

Legend Airlines (1996 - 2000)

Leisure Air (1992 - 1995)

Liberty Express Airlines ((1994 - 1997, to Air Midwest)

Lone Star Airlines

Mackey Airlines (1957 - 1981)

Maddux Airlines (1927 - 1929, to Transcontinental Air Transport)

Mahalo Air (1993 - 1997)

Mall Airways (1973 - 1989, to Business Express)

Marine Airways (1936 to 1939) to Alaska Coastal Airlines

MarkAir (1947 - 1995)

Marquette Airlines (to Trans World Airlines)

MAXjet (2005 - 2007)

Mayflower Airlines (1936 - 1945)

MetroJet

Mexus Airlines

MGM Grand Air

MidAtlantic Airways (2002 - 2006)

Mid-Continent Airlines (1928 - 1952, to Braniff)

Mid Pacific Air (1981 - 1988)

Mid-State Airlines (1964 - ?, to Sentry Airlines)

Midway Airlines (1979 - 1991 and 1993 - 2003)

Mississippi Valley Airlines (1969 - 1985)

Modern Air Transport (1946-1975)

Mohawk Airlines (1952 - 1988, to Allegheny Airlines)

Morris Air to Southwest Airlines

Mountain Air Express

Mountain West Airlines (1995 - 1997 to Mesa Airlines)

Muse Air to Southwest Airlines

National Airlines (1929 - 1980, to Pan American World Airways)

National Airlines (1983 - 1986)

National Airlines/Private Jet Expeditions (1994 - 1995)

National Airlines (1999 - 2002)

National Air Transport (1926 - 1930)

Nations Air Express (1994-1998)

Nationwide Airlines Southeast

New England & Western Air Transportation Co. (1930)

New York Air (1980 - 1986, to Continental Airlines)

New York Airways (1949 - 1979)

New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line (to Pan American World Airways)

North Central Airlines (1939 - 1979)

Northeast Airlines (1940 - 1972, to Delta Air Lines)

Northeastern International Airways (1980 - 1986)

Overseas National Airways (1950 - 1978)

Ozark Airlines (1943 - 1986, to Trans World Airlines)

Pacific Air Lines (1958 - 1968, to Hughes Airwest)

Pacific Air Transport (1926 - 1927)

Pacific Alaska Airways (1973 - 1986)

Pacific East Airlines (ceased operations 1984)

Pacific Express

Pacific Nevada Airlines

Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) (1945 - 1987, to USAir)

Pan American Airways (1996-1998)

Pan American Airways (1998-2004)

Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra) (1928 - 1967, to Braniff International Airways)

Pan American World Airways (1927 - 1991)

Paradise Island Airlines

People Express (1981 - 1987, to Continental Airlines)

Piedmont Airlines (1940 - 1989, to USAir)

Pilgrim Airlines

Pioneer Airlines

Planet Airways (????- June 8, 2005, speculation only at this point in time)

Potomac Air

Presidential Airways (1985 - 1989)

Private Jet Expeditions (1989 - 1995)

Pride Air (August 1985 - November 1985)

Pro Air (1997 - 2000)

Provincetown-Boston Airlines

Ransome Airlines (1967 - 1986)

Rahm Rescue (?-1971)

Red Carpet Airlines

Red Dodge Aviation

Reeve Aleutian Airways (1932 - 2001)

Regent Air

RegionsAir (1996 - 2007)

Reno Air (1990 - 99, to American Airlines)

Republic Airlines (1979 - 1986, to Northwest Airlines)

Rich International Airways (1971 - 1996)

Riddle Airlines (1945 - 1965, to Airlift International

Rio Airways (1970 - 1987)

Robertson Air Service

Rocky Mountain Airways (1964 - 1986)

Royal Air Lao

Russia Jet Direct (2005)

Samoa Air (American Samoa, ceased operations in 2003)

Saturn Airways (1960 - 76, to Trans International Airlines)

Seaboard World Airlines (1946 - 80, to Flying Tiger Line)

Shuttle by United and United Shuttle (1994 - 2001)

Skybus Airlines (2007-2008, ceased operations 5 Apr 2008)

SkyTrain Airlines (to Air Great Lakes)

SkyValue (2006-2007)

Slick Airways (1946-1965)

Song (2003-April 30th, 2006 Merged back in with its parent company, Delta Air Lines)

South Pacific Island Airways (SPIA) (American Samoa, ceased operations in 1987)

Southeast Airlines (1992 - 2004)

Southern Air Transport

Southern Airways (1943 - 1979, to Republic Airlines)

Southern Jersey Airways

Southwest Airways (1946 - 58, renamed Pacific Air Lines)

Standard Airlines (1926 - 30) 1927 subsidiary of Aero Corp. of Ca., In 1930, bought by Western Air Express, thru merger with TAT became TWA, Transcontinental & Western Air, Trans World Airlines

StatesWest Airlines (1986-1993)

Stol Air Commuter

Sunbird Airlines (1979-1987 to CCAir)

SunCoast Airlines (?-1988)

Sun West Airlines

Sunworld International Airlines (? - 2004)

Sunworld International Airways (1983 - 1988)

Superior Airlines (1993 - 1995 to Mesa Airlines

Swift Aire Lines (1969 - 1981)

TAG Airlines

Tamir Transport (?-1971)

TAT - Maddux Air Lines (1928 - 30)

Tempelhof Airways (1981 - 1990)

Tennessee Airways

Texas Air

Texas Trans Air

Texas International Airlines (1944 - 1986, to Continental Airlines)

The Hawaii Express (1982 - 1983)

Tower Air (1983 - 2000)

Trans Air (1979 -1985)

Transamerica Airlines (1948 - 1986)

Trans-Central Airlines

Transcontinental Air Transport (1928 - 1930, TWA)

TransMeridian Airlines (1995 - 2005)

Transocean Airlines 1946-1962

Trans Ocean Airways (1979 - 1990)

Trans International Airlines (1947 - 1986)

TranStar Airlines (1981 - 1987)

Trans-Colorado Airlines

Trans-Texas Airways

Trans World Airlines (1930 - 2001, to American Airlines)

Trans World Express

Trump Shuttle (1989 - 1991, to US Airways)

UltrAir (1993)

Universal Airlines (US Cargo Operator 1966 - 1972, to Trans International Airlines)

ValuJet Airlines (1993 - 1997, to AirTran Airways)

Vanguard Airlines (1994 - 2002)

Varney Airlines to United Airlines

WestAir Commuter Airlines

West Coast Airlines (1940s - 1968, to Hughes Airwest)

Western (2007)

Western Airlines (1925 - 1987, to Delta Air Lines)

Western Pacific Airlines (ceased operations 1998)

Westward Airways (2002 - 2005)

Wien Air Alaska

Wilmington - Catalina Air Line

WinAir Airlines (1998 - 1999)

Wings Airways

Wings West

Wright Airlines

Xient Khouang Air Transport

Zantop Air Transport

Zantop Flying Service

Zantop International Airlines