Galley Gossip: Flight attendant of the month – David Holmes (Southwest Airlines rapping flight attendant!)

by Heather Poole on

Name: David Holmes (AKA The rapping flight attendant)

Hometown: Bay Area and Chicago…I claim them both.

Base: LAS

How long have you been rapping? Was in a group about 1000 years ago, hadn’t rapped after that until flight attendant training

The first time you rapped on a flight were your coworkers stunned? Yes, they thought I was the shy, quiet type.
Offers must be pouring in! Sign a deal yet? No, though there have been a few discussions
I bet! One thing I couldn’t help but notice was how supportive SWA has been towards you throughout all this. Of course SWA is known for it’s fun atmosphere, but were you surprised at all by how your company reacted? No, I felt very comfortable that this was a good reflection of the culture that SWA promotes.
You’re all the talk right now. Your mom must be thrilled! What does she have to say? Unfortunately, Mom passed away in 2006.
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that. You know she must be smiling down on you from heaven. How many years have you been a flight attendant? 8 months (August 2008)
That’s it! Wow, and look how much your life has changed in 8 short months – just last week you were on Leno! What did you do before you became a flight attendant? Was a ramp agent for 3 years, personal trainer before that.
Besides flying, what else do you do? Trying to start a non profit organization in honor of my late mother.
Tell me more about that. It’s called aid4mom (www.aid4mom.org). It’s purpose is to provide small amounts of financial aid to single mothers for things such as utilities, gas, groceries, and rent/mortgage assistance. My mother was the inspiration behind this. She worked as many as three jobs to make sure our needs were met, yet was always there for birthdays and school plays. I feel that everyone should feel like they had the world’s greatest Mom, and I would like to help someone else’s mother be amazing to her children the way mine was to me. I recently was granted 501(c)(3) status, which is huge, but have been at a standstill ever since. I cannot do this alone, and am a bit overwhelmed with decided the best way to proceed.

Wow, that’s an amazing thing to do. I’m really impressed. Have you contacted Oprah? If not, I will! So…any advice for flight attendants?A small amount of effort can really brighten someones day.

So true. How many hours have you flown this month? Scheduled for 153 trips.

I can’t even imagine flying 153 trips. That’s crazy. You must be exhausted! Last flight? Friday night flight from SFO to LAS. It was CRAZY! Friday night + full flight + Flight to Vegas + 2 hour delay (drinking time) = Crazy party flight.

Hotel away from home? I’m homeless right now, so all the hotels ARE home.

Homeless? WHAT? Details, please! I was renting a house that went into foreclosure. Moved out at end of March, but haven’t moved in anywhere. I have been flying a lot more, and getting hotel rooms when I’m off. All of my clothes are in my car, everything else was sold or given away. I have no idea what my next move is, not sure I want to commit to living in Vegas for another year.

That’s terrible. If there’s one thing about flight attendants I know, it’s that we’re survivors. Honestly, I think big things are about to happen to you, so maybe it’s a good thing you’re not too settled. That way you’ll be able to pick up and move quickly if need be. That said, I do hope things get better – soon! Best layover city? Pittsburgh and Seattle for activities, ABQ for the food.

Regular Route? No such thing.

Dream Trip? Any flight where a beautiful woman flirts with me.

Too funny! You’re so handsome I’m sure women flirt with you all the time. In fact, my mom keeps talking about how cute you are, and she’s not easy to impress. Nightmare Trip? A full, short flight. You are rushing from the time the doors close, and that’s the time where everyone has special requests!

What exactly is in your rollaboard? Extra uniforms, jeans, workout clothes, laptop, exercise bands in case the hotel gym sucks, and emergency tuna & oatmeal.

I’ve been meaning to learn how to use my exercise bands and you’ve just motivated me to do so. Not that there’s any time on those short layovers. Any packing tips/tricks? I can use some…do you have any?

Well…I always tell everyone to roll their clothes, even though I never do it myself because I don’t really carry that much. When I went to Italy for 10 days all I brought along with me was a tote bag and a rollaboard, so of course I rolled my clothes and I was surprised to see just how much I could get in my bag, so it does help. Also, pack light. Worst Airport? Kansas City – All the food is outside of security

I hate that. A flight attendant has to eat! Favorite Airport restaurant? Paradise Bakery in Denver/Phoenix. Best sandwiches EVER.

I’ll have to check that place out. Favorite in-flight announcement? The opening announcement. If I rap it, I love the looks on the passengers faces.

I’d love to see how they react, especially now that you’re so well known. Most annoying passenger question? “What’s that? (pointing out window)”. It’s funny to me because they think I carry a GPS on me or something.

Okay…so…I’m going to ask because I always ask…ever hook up with a pilot? No

Flight attendant? Once, but it wasn’t on a trip so I don’t really count it.

How about a passenger? Once the flight is over, they are no longer passengers, so…no.

Favorite vacation spot and why?I haven’t done too many vacations, but I vow to change that this year.

You better! Flight attendant pet peeve? Passengers who tap me to get my attention.

Now finish the following sentences:

I can’t fly without my…laptop.

On my last flight…I made the passengers feel better about the two hour delay by rapping.

Once a passenger…. tried to kiss me in the galley. It was the only time I wished I wasn’t a flight attendant.

Once a pilot…bought me lunch, then accepted a high five as payment. Why doesn’t that work on the ground?

Once a flight attendant...took her shoes off in the shuttle van and put her feet in the seat right next to me. Ewww….

Why do passengers…think we don’t mean THEM when we say “turn your phones off”?

If I could be anywhere in the world, I’d …Go to Japan. I lived there for 6 months at the age of three, and barely remember anything!

Any advice for travelers? The bin sizes have not changed, so why do your bags keep getting fatter?

Next flight? I’m on reserve this month, so I won’t know until the day of.

Galley Gossip: A question about Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, and other airlines who may be hiring flight attendants

by Heather Poole on

Dear Heather,

I was hired with Southwest Airlines earlier in the year, but I was informed today that Southwest will no longer be having any training classes in 2009. Now I’m going to try for AirTran Airways. I had an interview and told them I successfully interviewed with Southwest Airlines last August however they aren’t having any training in 2009 and I’m ready to move forward with my flight attendant career. I hope it doesn’t hurt me that I told them that. What do you think?

Leesa

Dear Leesa

Southwest is an amazing airline. People absolutely love them, passengers and crew alike. I mean what’s not to love about an airline that treats their employees like family, an airline that knows how to have fun, and more importantly, an airline that can lay claim to employing the rapping flight attendant (whom I’ll be interviewing soon!) Many years ago I wanted to work for Southwest Airlines, and always thought that I would work for Southwest, and even got a letter inviting me to interview for them, but then the airline I currently work for hired me first. Obviously I’m a huge fan of Southwest, even when I wind up in group C. The fact that you got hired to be apart of their family says a lot about you!

I’m sure you’re extremely disappointed about the training class being cancelled. I know I would be. So I logged onto twitter.com (click here to follow me on twitter) and sent a quick tweet to Southwest Airlines. I asked them if you’d be called back when classes resume or if you’d have to go through the interview process again. Five seconds later Southwest responded, “Yes, unfortunately she will have to go back through the interview process again.”

Honestly, I’m sure you’ll have no problem impressing them twice. That said, I also think that moving forward and interviewing with AirTran Airways was a great idea! Don’t worry about telling AirTran about Southwest, I’m sure that’ll only make them want you more knowing that an airline with an amazing reputation already showed interest in you.

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Before I started working for a major US carrier, I worked for a discount airline called Sunjet International Airlines for about three months. It was a lot of fun and gave me a taste of what flying was all about. The great thing about working for a smaller airline is you’ll be able to really get to know your coworkers, which in the long run will make all the difference in the world. Because at an airline, regardless of the kind of trips you get stuck working, if the crew is good the trip will be good. And you’ll be more than just an employee number. Who knows, by the time Southwest calls you back to flight attendant training you may not even want to leave AirTran. Stranger things have happened!

Speaking of strange things happening, did you know that there’s been talk in the past about AirTran and Southwest merging? For real! Can you imagine? But then if you were already a flight attendant you’d know not to listen to airline rumors.

I’m glad you haven’t given up on your dream of becoming a flight attendant, even in this tough economy. I do recommend the job to anyone who is interested and can actually land an interview. It is a wonderful job to have when times are good, but right now unfortunately many airlines are furloughing flight attendants in order to survive.

If you get another interview with AirTran, Leesa, make sure to check out this AirTran Interview Forum for the latest information of what to expect at your interview. If something happens and for whatever reason you don’t end up working for AirTran, make sure to check out flight attendant career.com There you’ll find a list of other airlines who may be hiring.

Good luck and keep in touch!

Heather Poole

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Photos courtesy of (Southwest) Allysdad, (flight attendants) AirTran Airways website

Galley Gossip: Slam clickers, Bob the singing pilot & Laughlin, Nevada

by Heather Poole on

So what do slam clickers, Laughlin, Nevada, and Bob the singing pilot all have in common? Not much. But I’m determined to link them all together in order to show you a photo gallery from my husband’s recent trip to Laughlin, Nevada and a funny video of Bob, the singing pilot, at a nightclub in Paris on a layover (at the end of this post). I can do this. Really I can.

A few months ago when my husband told me he wanted to ride his Harley to Laughlin for some biker thing called River Run, I said, “Okay.”

“I’ll be gone for four nights,” he clarified, looking me intently in the eye.

“That’s fine. I don’t care,” I said, because I didn’t care. I mean what’s not to love about having the entire house to myself for four days straight? “Just stay out of trouble,” I added, because it seemed like an important thing to add.

“Are you sure?” he asked, still studying my face for signs of what, I don’t know.

“Yes! Go! And have fun!” I demanded, and I meant it, too. I did! If he wanted to take a few days to get away, I had no problem with that. I think everybody should be able to take a few days and get away. It does a marriage good. But then I reminded him, “Just stay out of trouble!” Not that he would get into any trouble, he’s not a troublemaker, but lord knows I didn’t want to have to load my son into the mommy mobile and drive down there to save him.

All of this talk about getting away reminds me of a quick four-day Carnival Cruise trip I took to Mexico out of Florida with an old boyfriend many years ago. I’ll never forget sitting at the dinner table surrounded by three other couples we had just met. We were all the same age – in our late twenties. When I happened to mention that I was a flight attendant, one of the wives said, “I always wanted to be a flight attendant. It sounds like a lot of fun.”

Before I could tell her that it was, indeed, a lot of fun, she added, looking longingly at the man sitting beside her, “But I really can’t imagine being away from my husband for more than a night. How do you do it?”

I just smiled. There was nothing else to say.

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Flight attendants are an eccentric bunch. There’s no doubt about it, we’ve got all kinds working for the airlines. But if there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s the ability to be alone – for more than a night. And the ability to enjoy being alone. As well as allowing the ones we know and love a little space and time to themselves. So when my husband jumped on his bike and roared away, I didn’t resent him for doing so. Just the opposite. I was glad he could get away. He deserves to have a little fun now and then. Without me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my family and my family loves spending time with me, but we also love our time alone. When I’m working, I cherish those ten hour layovers. That’s me-time. It’s the only time I ever get six hours of uninterrupted sleep without hearing the pitter patter of little feet at wee hours of the night. It’s also the only time I don’t have to watch another episode of Law and Order. That’s right, it’s HGTV for me, baby! All. Night. Long. And there’s nothing like being able to read a good book in bed without someone ordering me to turn off the light! Which is why when I get to my hotel room, I don’t ever leave. I’m what they call a slam clicker.

Urban Dictionary defines it best…

SLAM CLICK – 1. To go into a room and lock the door. 2. The noise the door makes as one shuts the door and locks themselves in. A term specifically used by (but not limited to) flight crews after finishing a trip and checking into the hotel for a layover. It indicates those members of the crew that go directly to their rooms and don’t go out later with the rest of the crew. I was so exhausted that day, I slam-clicked. I’m a slam-clicker. In fact, I’m slam-clicking it tonight

I’m not the only one who slam clicks. First Officer Kent Wien of Cockpit Chronicles wrote about his Slam Click Layover.

“Slam clickers are just introverts who simply need to recharge,” The Savvy Navigator said when I confessed my dirty little secret. I say dirty because no one likes a slam clicker. Including me. Which explains why I joined crew members against slam clickers a few months ago after First Officer Bob, the singing pilot, sent me the link via Facebook. I was just too embarrassed not to join, even though I had no business joining, not when I have a two year-old at home.

Now here’s a video of Bob (not slam clicking) on a layover in Paris singing a song he wrote, Pilot Rest Seat Lap Dance. Enjoy

Mad Doggy Dog – Pilot Rest Seat Lap Dance

Photo (Laughlin) courtesy of Cobalt123

Galley Gossip: Swine flu on the airplane (a few things you can do)

by Heather Poole on

Today I’m flying from Los Angeles to New York to start my reserve rotation for May. I’m bringing my son along with me. He’s two. Because my husband travels on business often and I’ll be on-call, my son will be spending eight days with grandma and grandpa. Oh sure I’ll take the train out to see him in-between trips. That’s not the problem. The problem is with all this talk about swine flu, I can’t help but be a little nervous, not for me, but for him!

We’ll be traveling by plane and in New York where 75 people in Queens were recently diagnosed with the disease. Did I happen to mention my crashpad is in Queens? I’ll have zero control over where I’m going and how long I’ll be there. When I voiced my concerns, here’s what a few of my friends had to say…

  • “Heather, I think there’s a Mexico City layover with your name all over it! Hee, hee!”
  • “Don’t think you have to go to Mexico, Mexico will come to you. Start a new trend, nothing is hotter than a flight attendant with a Michael Jackson mask on! If you rock the body condom from the movie Naked Gun, I want to be there!”
  • “Every time I wake up in the MEX layover hotel I breathe a sigh of relief that I wasn’t crushed in an earthquake overnight. Now if I can just not breathe while down there . . .
  • “The only other thing you need besides a diagnosis is a company that’s not completely irrational and predatory about sick leave use. The company has denied me sick time, garnished pay for the days missed, and said to the union, “grieve it,” which is a years-long process.”
So what am I, the flight attendant, required to do if I see a passenger who may be exhibiting swine flu like symptoms?

  1. Isolate the person as much as possible.
  2. Contact the airline physician on-call. What I would actually do is call the cockpit who would then contact the ground who would then pass along important information.
  3. The airline I work for is providing extra gloves and thermometers for flight crews to use, as well as masks for passengers who may be infected.

Please note: As of April 26 there have only been mild cases of swine flu reported in the United States and most people have made a full recovery.

As of today, Argentina and Japan are the only two countries I’m aware of that are taking action. If you are flying into Argentina, all passengers and crew will be required to fill out a form that ground personnel will be distributing in order to enter the country. If you are traveling into Japan, all passengers and crew will be quarantined. That means passengers and crew will be required to remain on board the aircraft until Japanese health officials come on board and clear the flight.

Remember that post I wrote not too long ago about the sick passenger who didn’t ask for much (just my next unborn child), well if I had her on board a flight today I’d definitely wonder if she had the flu – as well as whether or not she was crazy. Honestly, I have no problem helping sick passengers, but at the same time I really don’t want to get sick and bring whatever it is they may have (or may not have) home to my son. Remember, he’s two! So what am I going to do (that you can do, too) in order to make sure this doesn’t happen?
  1. Wash hands often with soap and water (I’ll be packing travel size antibacterial hand lotion)
  2. Cover mouth when coughing or sneezing (use the inside of your elbow, not your hand)
  3. Report anyone who may appear sick. Passengers can report to a flight attendant who will then pass along the information to the correct authorities.

Peter Greenberg, the travel detective, doesn’t seem to be all that concerned. Yesterday he wrote on Twitter.com..

Remember SARS? I traveled at that time to Hong Kong — when hotel occupancies were around 3%. Had one of the best travel experiences ever. And how about the avian flu? About the only people infected (and there were incredibly few) were those who actually worked on chicken farms.”

I have to admit that Peter actually made me feel a little better about flying. Even so, I did what every flight attendant has probably already done, I went online and plugged the words SWINE FLU and FLIGHT ATTENDANT into the search engine. Just to see if anyone had it. So far so good. No one has it. Thank god! Here’s some other interesting information I found online concerning flight attendants, passengers, and the swine flu…

USA TODAY wrote… the USA’s largest flight attendant union, says it is directing members to keep an eye out for flu-like symptoms, especially on trips to Mexico. “We’re also pushing airlines to supply gloves and masks.” If a flight attendant observes a passenger with flu-like symptoms, the procedure is to isolate that person as much as possible, Caldwell says. So far, the travel industry is trying to accommodate travelers’ fears. Nearly every U.S. airline with routes to Mexico is waiving cancellation fees or rebooking flights.

Barcelonareporter.com wrote..The union STAVLA, a union that fights for the rights of flight attendants has condemned the airline for not allowing attendants to wear gloves to protect themselves against possible Swine flu infection. A source within the union said it had reiterated a request first made in 2003 for flight attendants to wear gloves when handling biological waste that is generated aboard, this request was put to the Health and Safety Committee and denied.

STAVLA, which has announced that it may take legal action against Iberia, has stated that each flight attendant assigned to the overseas fleet is in contact with about 33,000 passengers a year and has stressed that flights go “several times a day to Mexico.” The union said that after a circular sent to employees yesterday Iberia said ” it only allows the use of gloves by the flight attendant serving a passenger who, in his opinion, is affected by the infection.”

The union representatives of flight attendants recalled that the Regional Institute of Occupational Safety and Health at Work (IRSST) in Madrid has admitted that biowaste requires protective gloves, but “Iberia the practice remains prohibited for reasons of image” .

THE DAILYRECORD.COM wrote…

Q: What can flight attendants and gate agents do?

A: At the airport, gate agents can notify CDC officials at the airport to check waiting passengers who exhibit flulike symptoms. On board, flight attendants are authorized to isolate a sick traveler from the rest of the passengers if possible. Flight attendants also are authorized to dispense face masks to passengers who exhibit flu symptoms.

Have you booked a trip to Mexico and can’t decide what what to do – whether you should stay or go? And if you do decide to stay home, how do you get a refund? Click here for answers

Photos courtesy of (passenger) Wendy Tanner, (flight attendant) Aaron Escobar, (hands) Cafemama – Flickr.com

Galley Gossip: Laviators unite! (mile high headshots)

by Heather Poole on

Recently I wrote a post, the hottest trend on the airplane since the mile high club, about something disturbing, yet quite intriguing, that was taking place not just on the airplane, but behind the locked lavatory door at 35,000 feet. Passengers, and I’m talking all kinds of passengers, have been photographing themselves in the bathroom. Alone. Doing what, I don’t know. But they look like they’re just standing there. And I wanted to do it, too.

I had written, “Oh you better believe I’ll be taking my own self portrait in the lav on my next flight to New York on Wednesday. Until then, check out these interesting shots.” And then I added a photo gallery I’d put together of passengers I’d found on Flickr.com standing in the lav, camera in hand.

One Gadling reader responded, “Heather, if you do photograph yourself in the lav, please spare us the picture! I think people will lose any respect they have for you.”

Sounds to me like someone needs to lighten up, and they can start by grabbing their camera and joining the club – the laviators club. I did! Yep, that’s me up there in the photo looking not so hot on a flight from Los Angeles to New York. Hey, it was late and I was tired. But I just had to do it. Even though my seat mate did look at me a little funny after he caught me trying to sneak my camera into the front pocket of my pants.

The first thing I did when I got home was download the photo, that photo right up there, onto my personal blog. I had a good laugh and I honestly thought that would be that, end of story. But a few days later I got an email with a photo attached from a Gadling reader. “This one’s for you,” Nate wrote, and that’s all he wrote, and it cracked me up!

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The very next day I got another one! Jeff wrote, “I made you a picture.” I clicked the link and thought to myself, Oh. My. God. What have I started?

Next to join the club was one of my favorite flight attendants, Sodwee, also known as Airboy. He works for Emirates. He wrote, “Heather, I was thinking of you from CDG to DBX.”

Airboy wasn’t the only one thinking about me in the lav. Leesa wrote, “My daughter and I flew to LA last week and thought you might want some lav pictures for your collection.”

Well Leesa and her daughter were right! Not only do I have an interesting collection of mile high headshots from readers like you, I want more, more, MORE! So next time you’re on a flight don’t forget to take your camera and make sure to think of me – in the lav. Please, I beg you, join the club – the laviators club. And I’ll add your photo to the gallery above. Hmm…I wonder if Karen Walrond, our own resident photogapher, can give us a few tips?

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