Galley Gossip: The official laviators music video!

by Heather Poole on
Dear Heather,
My name is George, I am from Europe and I’m 19 years old. I know about your websites since a long time. Today I was browsing and I’ve discovered the pictures with the laviators. In the same time I was listening to a song and I’ve got inspired. I have a great idea of making a video with all your laviators and send it to you as gift. I will use the pictures only for you and me. I won’t publish it. If you want you can use it for your websites, I think everyone will like it as it’s kind of tribute or so. I’m sure it will be nice, great and fun. Please don’t break my heart and give me your accept. I will send you a sample first so you can decide what to do with it. It’s my gift, please accept it. : ) Thank you very much!

Kind regards,

George

PS I’ve never traveled by plane even if this was one of my dreams (include becoming a flight-attendant!) but I couldn’t afford a trip. I am fond of airlines. I know all the procedures. I have collections of airline newspaper advertisements and I have videos on YouTube as well. I once had a virtual airline…I love the crews. When I see an airplane my heart melts. Thank you for sharing your life with us!

Fly beautiful!

Dear George,

Not only do I give you my accept, I LOVE IT! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t even tell you how much this video has made my day and I can’t wait to share it with all the other laviators! George, you are too kind. I really wish I could fly to wherever you are in Europe (Romania, I think) and give you a big fat hug.

Now we’ve got to figure out a way to get you on an airplane! SOON. I mean how can it be that someone like you, someone who absolutely loves everything about aviation, someone whose heart melts when he sees an airplane, has not yet flown! It’s just not right. Something must be done about this.

Again, thank you George.

Heather

For those of you who have absolutely no idea what this is all about, read my Galley Gossip post, the hottest trend on the airplane since the mile high club, as well as what MSNBC recently wrote, The New Mile High Club is “G” Rated . And then, next time you fly, don’t forget to pack a camera in a carry-on bag and whatever you do, don’t be afraid to get creative! Need a few photography tips before you slide the camera into the pocket and make a move to the lav? Check out what our very own Gadling photography expert, Karen Walrond, suggests when it comes to taking a self portrait. Until then, take the poll below and let me know which phrase you prefer on YOUR T-shirt…

LAVIATORS UNITE or I LAVIATED!

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Galley Gossip: Attention Sharon Stone, GIVE ME THAT BAG!

by Heather Poole on

Perhaps you’ve been on an airplane and heard the following PA, “Ladies and gentleman, all the overhead bins are full, so if you’ve brought on board a bag that does not completely fit underneath the seat in front of you, please bring it to the front of the aircraft to be checked.”

Here’s the thing about that little PA, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, the bag will be checked – even if you’re a celebrity. That includes you, Sharon Stone.

Perez Hilton recently reported that Sharon Stone made a “scene” when she refused to check two bags on a Delta flight from Kalispell, MT to Salt Lake City. There are very few details to the story, but Stone’s rep, Paul Bloch, said that Sharon was allowed to take two bags onto the airplane, but a “stewardess” on board “screamed” at her not once, but twice, that she couldn’t have the luggage before the actress surrendered the bags. I’m not exactly sure how or when Stone made the “scene,” because again, the details are lacking, but Stone was met by security at the end of the flight. Her rep states that they were “private security” hired by Stone.

Now for a little advice. If a flight attendant tells you that you’re going to have to check your bag, just check the bag. Don’t make a scene. Don’t tell the flight attendant how many miles you’ve flown or try to explain who you are. It doesn’t matter. No, I will not take someone else’s bag off the airplane so you can keep yours! And no, you can not stack your bag on top of the bags in the closet! FAA doesn’t allow it. FAA rules are FAA rules and nothing is going to change that. Flight attendants don’t make them up. Nor are we “abusing our power” when we enforce them. We’re just doing our job. Did you know that by not enforcing those rules flight attendants can lose their job or get a hefty personal fine by the FAA? So unless you’re willing to pay that fine or hire a flight attendant, release the death grip on the bag, please.

Back to Stone. Who knows what really went down on that Delta flight. What I do know is last year I had Sharon Stone on board a flight. While she sat in first class and kept to herself, she was always courteous when interacting with crew. What stood out the most about her was not her striking beauty or stylish outfit, but her well mannered traveling companion who always made a point to say please and thank you. The adorable young man, Stone’s son, looked to be about three of four years-old at the time. He had to have learned those wonderful manners from someone, right? And while that doesn’t prove anything, really, it does say a lot about Stone, because a polite child is a direct reflection of the parent.

As for the flight attendant who apparently “screamed” at Sharon Stone, I don’t believe that for a second. I’ve been a flight attendant for fourteen years and I have yet to hear a flight attendant scream. Take that back, there was the time it was announced prior to boarding that Hugh Jackman would be on our flight and my coworker Sean had a mini freak out, as did I, but that’s it! The one and only time I’ve screamed heard a flight attendant scream. We might bark, snap, or get firm when we’re trying to make a point, a point we’ve more than likely been trying to make multiple times without success, but screaming? I don’t think so. I just can’t see it.

The problem with the Sharon Stone incident boiled down to two different people, both of whom work for the same airline, giving Sharon Stone conflicting information about her bags. Who wouldn’t be annoyed by that? But some things can’t be helped. Because I’m guessing it was the gate agent who told Stone it was okay to take both bags down to the airplane. In defense of the agent, agents usually don’t know what the overhead bin situation is like until it’s too late. There’s no way for them to know what’s going on unless a flight attendant calls the gate and informs the agent that all the bins are full. But by the time a flight attendant is able to report that all the bins are full, there are usually a handful of people already in the process of walking down the aisle with rolling bags in tow. That’s when the PA is made, you know the one.

“Ladies and gentleman, all the overhead bins are full, so if you’ve brought on board a bag that does not fit completely underneath the seat in front of you, please bring it to the front of the airplane to be checked.”

Just do it. Don’t fight it. And whatever you do, don’t hide the bag because we will see it under your legs. And next time you fly and you’re seated in first or business class, arrive to the gate on time and board when your row is called. If you’re in coach, try booking a seat closer to the rear of the aircraft and that way you can be one of the first ones on and avoid the situation altogether.

Photo courtesy of (Sharon Stone) siebbi, (passengers) Telstar Logistics

Galley Gossip: A question about flight attendant buddy passes

by Heather Poole on

Hi Heather,

I had an intriguing conversation with my best friend yesterday. His mom is now a retired American Airlines flight attendant. I’ve always been enamored with his ability to just hop on a flight whenever he wants for virtually no money. Just yesterday he was telling me the story how his mom only gets one registered companion (or whatever they call it) and since his sister is her register person, his mom had to find a friend to put him on as that persons registered person. That got me thinking, I wonder if I can find a really cool chick that I can compensate nicely to have her put me on as her registered companion (or whatever). Then I thought of who I know that’s a flight attendant and I remembered your blog! Since I’m running my small company, I’m always forced to pay ridiculous fares for last minute trips, and the inability to be more flexible with my flights. Wanted to hear your thoughts on this. Do you know of this taking place? Or is it too good to be true? Anyway, great blog!….looking fwd to hearing from you.

Best,

Jason

Dear Jason,

Do you feel me smiling as I simultaneously shake my head slowly back and forth? Do you know this is a HUGE flight attendant pet peeve – asking for passes? You must have no idea how many times people ask flight attendants about their buddy passes, and these are mostly people we rarely even know, like people we just happen to meet in the course of our day! Like the mailman, or a taxi driver, or even a random colleague of the spouse. Just last month my son’s preschool teacher hinted around for a pass. And my mother, who is also a flight attendant, was hit up by a nurse at her doctor’s office.

You mentioned that your friend, the one whose mother is an ex flight attendant, is able to fly back and forth whenever he wants for “virtually no money”, but that little bit of money is actually a lot of money to a flight attendant who is probably making on average 40K a year, and that’s only if he/she works for a major airline and has decent seniority with the airline. Keep in mind that money is automatically docked out of a flight attendants pay check, which, after we pay our bills, could be described as “virtually no money” leftover for anything else. Did you know that flight attendants also get stuck paying the taxes on your trip at the end of the year? We do.

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Marry me, fly free?” That has since been changed to “Marry me, fly standby!” Have you flown standby recently? Do you really want to spend your day running from gate to gate, waiting for an agent to call your name, praying each time the agent picks up the phone that they’ll please call your name, please call your name, please call your name, only to feel as if you’ve just won the million dollar lottery when your name is actually called?

When I mentioned on Facebook that someone I didn’t know had asked about compensating a flight attendant for a buddy pass, Tom, a flight attendant, wrote, “I can get you a standby pass, which will allow you to ‘stand’ around all day then drive home mad at me!” Bob, the singing pilot, added, “I only give buddy passes to people I hate. Then I can gleefully relish when they get stranded in Senegal for 10 days.”

Every airline is different when it comes to how their buddy pass system works. Flight attendants, spouses, and immediate family members are able to travel for next to nothing. Whereas it costs a flight attendant almost as much to give a friend a pass as it would if that same friend had just bought the ticket outright. Now it’s a totally different story if the friend traveling on a pass gets upgraded to a first or business class seat, because then the pass becomes quite a steal, but our VIP travelers can’t always get those premium seats and they’re on the standby list way ahead of you!

As far as compensating a flight attendant for a travel pass, I do not know any flight attendants who’d be willing to put their jobs at risk like that. Most airlines state that it’s against company policy to use travel benefits for work related reasons.

Jason, have you seen how cheap airfares are today? They’re so cheap that whenever I fly with my son I almost always buy a ticket, just so I can get where I need to go without any stress. In order to save money these days, airlines are cutting back routes, which means most flights are going out full, which means if you want to fly standby, you better be prepared to do just that – stand by – All. Day. Long. Now if you have a business to run, or someplace you really need to be, can you afford to take a chance on not making it to your final destination?

Seven years ago I met my husband on a flight. Eight months later we were engaged. Things moved pretty quickly for us. But even so, I did not make him my travel companion until three months into the relationship – and I loved the guy! Why? Because those passes must be earned. There’s a reason we don’t give them out to just anyone, the most important reason being that if you act up on a flight and someone reports it we can actually lose our flying benefits! And that’s the reason most of us became flight attendants in the first place.

If someone does sign you up as a travel companion, it’s a pretty big deal. Before 9/11 all a flight attendant had to do was hand someone, anyone really, a paper ticket, and that was that! Off they went. Times have changed and now that everything is computerized you’ll have to fork over your social security number, along with some other pertinent information about you, in order to fly on that very same pass. Not to mention, at my airline, once we pick a travel companion that person is locked in as our companion for a year, and we’re only allowed a certain number of travel companions per year.

For those of you who think air travel today sucks, try traveling as a “non-rev” (non-revenue passenger). Non-rev’s have no rights – none, zero, zilch! And are quite familiar with the phrase, “I’m just happy to be here,” even if here is a middle seat in the last row of coach next to a screaming child on a flight that has been delayed for hours – three days after the original departure date.

A FEW TIPS FOR NON-REV TRAVELERS:

  1. Go for the first flight out. Even if the flight is booked full, the first flight out is notorious for passenger drop off. So set the alarm and get to the airport early.
  2. Back away from the gate! The agent is busy trying to get the flight out on time, which is a huge priority for airlines, so sit down and try to relax. You’ll only make things worse if you hover over the one in control of the empty seats
  3. Pack light – And don’t check your bags. You really don’t know which flight you’ll actually get on, or if you’ll even get out at all. Once the bag is checked you won’t get it back.
  4. Come prepared and be flexible- There’s a very good chance you’ll get stuck at the airport all day, especially during weekends, holidays and summer months. It will make your life a lot easier if you’re familiar with the flight numbers and departure times to your final destination. It’s also a good idea to have a back up plan. For instance, when I couldn’t get to Dallas from New York, I flew from New York to Boston to Dallas. It doesn’t always have to make sense.
  5. Don’t make special requests. Oh, no, no no, don’t even think about ringing the flight attendant call button! Unless it’s an emergency. Repeat after me, “I’m just happy to be here, I’m just happy to be here, I’m just happy to be here….” And try to mean it!
  6. Don’t push it! If you have to be somewhere important, give yourself at least a day or two to get there. Just in case. I recently ran into a teary eyed standby passenger who had missed her son graduate from military academy due to not being able to get out on the last flight of the night.

Layover: Los Angeles, CA (Hermosa Beach)

by Heather Poole on

I live in Los Angeles and yesterday my 15 year-old cousin flew into town from New York with a group of fourteen 15 year-olds who had, oh….about 10 hours before their Qantas flight to Australia departed. Believe it or not, It isn’t all that unusual for travelers heading overseas to have that much time in-between flights. Constantly I meet people aboard the airplane flying into LAX with hours and hours of sit time on their hands.

“So…what are you going to do before your next flight departs?” I often times ask.

Most of the time people have no idea what they’re going to do, which is why they always ask me, the flight attendant, for a few suggestions. I’m going to tell you what I always tell them…

THREE HOURS OR LESS – If your sit time at the airport is less than three hours, sit tight. You don’t want to miss your flight. Anyway, there’s plenty of things to do at the airport. But if you do find yourself hungry and can’t find anything to eat where you are, take a walk over to the Tom Bradley International Terminal where you’ll find a few sit down restaurants outside of security. Or you can go down to baggage claim, walk outside and grab a complimentary shuttle to the Parking Spot, which is located right next to In-n-out Burger. That’s where you’ll find the best burger in town. Try ordering it “animal style.”

FOUR HOURS OR MORE – If you’ve got four hours or more of sit time in Los Angeles at LAX, why not make a mini vacation before your vacation officially begins by visiting Hermosa Beach? Hermosa Beach is where you’ll find the typical Southern California layed back experience. Just a fifteen minute cab ride from the airport, it shouldn’t cost you more than $30 (with tip). Make sure to check the big bags, don’t forget to pack your bathing suit in your carry on, and get ready to soak up the sun!

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TAXI! If you want to sound like a local tell the driver to take Sepulveda (Sah-pull-vah-dah) to Pier Avenue and drop you off at the bottom of the hill. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see all the cute boutiques, sidewalk cafes, and that beautiful blue ocean surrounded by white sand. When you’re ready to head back to the airport (give yourself an hour just to be safe), you can catch a cab on Hermosa Avenue across the street from Paisano’s Pizza and Pasta

THE STRAND – The Strand is a 22 mile (wide) sidewalk that stretches along the beach and extends from Malibu to Palos Verdes. Rent a bike at the Hermosa Beach Cyclery or take a leisurely walk. Either way you’ll enjoy seeing beautiful people and homes along the way. You can even stop to watch a game of volleyball. Make sure to bring along your camera because the sunsets are spectacular.

THE BEACH – Last month Maxim rated Hermosa Beach 6th in the “top 10 beaches in America”, in 2004 Readers Digest rated Hermosa beach as the best beach in the United States, and Sports Illustrated referred to Hermosa Beach as the beach volleyball capital of the world. Flying through on a Sunday? You don’t want to miss the drum circle that meets beside the pier on the sand every third Sunday of the month from noon until 3pm. Don’t have a drum? No worries. There are plenty of instruments lying around if you’re so inclined to join in. Public restrooms and an outdoor shower are located near the pier.

GOOD CHEAP EATS – There are too many wonderful places in Hermosa to list here, but if you’ll be in Los Angeles on a Tuesday you’re in luck because that’s Taco Tuesday at Sharkeez and Two-timin’ Tuesday at Hennesy’s where you’ll enjoy a two for one burger special on a rooftop deck overlooking the ocean. Here are a few other restaurants I recommend…

  • Good Stuff -The food is just that – good stuff. Not to mention the beach side tables paired with the delicious tortilla soup are hard to beat. Kids eat free evenings. Located on the strand next to the Hermosa Beach House Hotel .
  • El Gringo – Got a hankering for fish tacos served with chips and salsa and a Negra Modelo? Then make sure to grab a table on the rooftop deck. Located on Hermosa Ave, so face the water, turn right, and start walking until you hit 26th Street – about a 15-20 minute walk – take a right on 26th and look for the big yellow building.
  • Fat Face Fenner’s – A great place to go if you’re craving greasy fried food, a cup of chowder, a fish sandwich or a beer. Located on the pier.
  • Martha’s 22nd Street Grill – This is THE PLACE to go for breakfast. I always take my out of town guests here to get that California feel. While I’m not a vegetarian, I always order the tofu scramble served with brown rice while my husband usually orders the Greek omelet. It’s a bit of a walk, but if you face the water, turn to your right, and start walking for approximately 10-15 minutes you’ll find it.
  • Paisano’s – If you’re craving a slice of pizza, this is, by far, the best place to go, especially if you’re from New York. My husband, a Brooklyn boy, won’t order from anywhere else. Located on Hermosa Avenue
  • Paradise Sushi – It’s a dive, but a lot of fun, and the sushi is 50% off on Mondays. Located on the pier.
  • Scotty’s on the Strand – Got kids? Looking for cheap, casual, dining on the beach where kids can be..well…kids? This is the place. Don’t forget to check out the nightly sunset specials. Located on the strand.
  • The World Famous Spot – If you’re a vegetarian this is the place for you. Try the Dear George, a tofu dish served with brown rice, steamed veggies, and served with an amazing savory sauce. It’s a 10-15 minute stroll from the pier, so face the water, turn left, and start walking until you hit 2nd Street, turn left and you’ll run right into it.

Wanna know what’s going on in Hermosa Beach RIGHT NOW? Check out the strandcam!

  • Photos courtesy of Lady M (Hermosa beach), Tel lo Juro Por Madonna (Shopping & Hermosa Pier)

    • Galley Gossip: Why ring the flight attendant call light when you can send a tweet – and get results!

    by Heather Poole on

    Recently I wrote a post, Flight attendant pet peeve #6 – the run around, about running the flight attendant ragged in flight. Now I wasn’t complaining about passengers who use their call lights. Not at all. It’s there for a reason. But there is a difference, a very big difference, between having needs and being needy. If you push the button once (or twice), I’d say you have a few needs you’d like to be met. That’s fine. But If you’re using it fifteen times on a three hour flight, you’re a bit needy. And that’s not so fine.

    Speaking of having your needs met, this morning I read an interesting article about the power of Twitter in flight. By the way, did you know that I’m on twitter? Of course you may have heard that Oprah’s on twitter. Maybe even you’re on twitter. We’re all on twitter. If you’re not on twitter, perhaps it’s time to change that. Why? I’ll let James A Martin of PC World explain…

    You’re on a plane, and you’re hungry. For whatever reason, the flight attendants have overlooked your meal, and now you’re frustrated. What do you do? You tweet about it. Someone from the airline sees your tweet and sends a message to the pilot. The pilot tells a flight attendant that the passenger in seat 3B (or whatever) hasn’t been served and is tweeting about it. And within a few minutes, your meal arrives.

    Believe it or not, this scenario actually occurred aboard a Virgin America flight, according to Porter Gale, the airline’s vice president of marketing. Gale relayed the incident at a recent Twitter conference in San Francisco. (Virgin America’s entire fleet is equipped with wi-if networking, which is how the passenger was able to tweet about the missing meal.)

    Now I can’t imagine the above scenario happening on board one of my flights, but I’m sure the flight attendant who was notified by the captain that 3B had been skipped couldn’t believe it was happening on her flight either. Why this passenger didn’t ring the call light, I don’t know. Then again, why ring the call light when you can just tweet about it! Tweeting is all the rage right now, especially at 30,000 feet.

    A month ago I happened to be at home enjoying a day off, when I logged onto twitter and read a post from Johnny Jet about being on a particular flight, which just so happened to be the flight I normally work from New York to Los Angeles. Quickly I logged onto the flight service website and looked up the crew.

    I tweeted back, ‘If you’re sitting in business class on the left hand side of the aircraft you’re in good hands. Your flight attendant is a super stew.”

    Johnny Jet responded, “You’re right. Kristen says hi.”

    A few weeks later I ran into Kristen who asked, “How did you know that passenger on my flight?”

    “I don’t really know him,” I told her. “I mean I do follow his tweets and he did send me a laviator shot (pictured) but I don’t know him-know him! Even though I feel like I do.”

    “That’s crazy that you were emailing him while we were in the air,” she laughed.

    Not really. Not anymore. Which is why twitter is so amazing.

    “Do you tweet in the air?” a twitterer recently asked me.

    “Only when I’m commuting to work. Never while I’m at work – working. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be working, would I?” I responded back.

    “Do you ever get recognized by passengers in flight from your blog?” someone else tweeted.

    “Never!” I typed back. There are a few coworkers who know that I write Galley Gossip, but I’ve never been confronted by a passenger. Though, I must admit, that would be kind of nice.

    Photos courtesy of Svacher (computer) and Johnny Jet (Laviator shot)

    You can find Gadling on Twitter, as well as the most of the Gadling Team: Mike Barish, Kraig Becker, Catherine Bodry, Alison Brick, Scott Carmichael, Justin Glow, Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Hotfelder, Tom Johansmeyer, Jeremy Kressmann, Heather Poole, Jamie Rhein, Annie Scott, Karen Walrond, Kent Wien, Brenda Yun.