Could airline baggage fees create another Steven Slater?

by Tom Johansmeyer on


We’re still in the early stages of figuring out just want made flight attendant Steven Slater jettison himself from a JetBlue plane via the emergency slide. There are conflicting accounts from the passengers on board, including those who allegedly pushed Slate over the edge, and then there’s Slater’s story about having been beaten by an unruly passenger’s bag. He raised the issue of how passenger carry-ons are getting out of control – and how they’re only making flight attendants‘ jobs harder.

At the same time, we’ve seen a rise in the number of airlines charging fees for checked luggage. Before this happened, passengers were motivated to bring their luggage on board by the lengthy waits at carousels upon arrival. Now that you’re increasingly likely to have to pay for that dubious privilege, it’s even harder not to carry more on board with you. So, the overhead bins are becoming tighter, and passengers, eager to take their seats upon boarding and get onto terra firma upon arrival, are tangling more and more.

Not everybody has rushed to shove what they would have checked into the overheads, of course. Airlines are reporting billions of dollars in aggregate from ancillary fees, including those for checked bags. That money has to be coming from somewhere, of course. Nonetheless, there’s now even more reason to try to get your bags into the cabin, even with JetBlue’s “first checked bag free” policy.
So, the airlines have realized a return on customer frustration (a financial ratio I wish really existed), making money on checked bags, and at the same time, the flight attendants are sustaining headaches from passengers who are trying to dodge the cost. It’s no fun for anybody, particularly the passengers, who are paying to be put into this situation.

The big question remains: are these policies the breeding ground for the next Steven Slater?

Doubtless, Slater has been off-kilter for a while, having indicated that he’s been thinking about doing something crazy (like this stunt) for most of his career, which is closing in on a quarter of a century. While there are plenty of disgruntled and annoyed flight attendants out there – as there are disgruntled and annoyed people in any profession – this is the first time one of them has a deployed a safety device that could double as a weapon. Most have found ways to cope with the irritations that come with the contemporary flying workplace, and it seems safe to assume that Slater probably hasn’t inspired further in-flight shenanigans.

The implications of having to pay to check your bags are probably being felt in the cabin, but they don’t seem likely to inspire further (alleged) criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. As long as the airlines keep making money of these policies, and it appears likely they will, expect them to stick around for a while. Let’s face it: airlines need the cash. Unless there’s a direct connection between making money and creating another Steven Slater, you’ll have to keep ponying up a few bucks to check extra luggage.

JetBlue memo: Steven Slater’s slide “as dangerous as a gun”

by Tom Johansmeyer on


The Associated Press has unearthed an internal JetBlue memo, and it’s pretty clear that the airline doesn’t view disgruntled flight attendant Steven Slater as a hero. In fact, JetBlue‘s memo has characterized his actions as inexcusable.

Loved because he left his job in grand fashion – despite the fact that “aviation is in his blood” and he wants the gig back – the emerging reality suggests that Slater really put himself and other people at risk of injury or worse.

Even if Slater was reacting to an uncooperative passenger, JetBlue isn’t interested in his excuses. The company’s chief operating officer, Rob Maruster, wrote in the memo, “If Mr. Slater’s story proves to be accurate, and even if there was a precipitating event that motivated his behavior, that still doesn’t excuse his actions.”

And, let’s not forget that Slater was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing. He entered a plea of “not guilty” and is out on $2,500 bail. According to a report by MyFoxNY, he faces felony charges.

Perhaps the most frightening part of the Slater saga – aside from the fact that a person whose “primary job is safety,” as the flight attendants like to say, lost his mind in something that’s nowhere near a crisis situation – is that he could have injured or killed somebody.The fact that he deployed an emergency slide, notes the memo, is “the most distressing aspect” of the situation. According to The Associated Press report:

“Slides deploy extremely quickly, with enough force to kill a person,” the letter to employees read. “Slides can be as dangerous as a gun.”

Maruster added that the “episode does not reflect the professional and sincere service you deliver to our customers every day.”

Fortunately, when he used this “gun,” Slater also had a beer in his hand. This guy might be getting the “hero” treatment by working folks everywhere, but here’s the question nobody seems to be asking: would you want to rely on him where you work?

Delusional JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater wants his job back

by Tom Johansmeyer on


Who wants a job that drove him so nuts he went ballistic and jumped out the back door of a plane? Well, that would be Steven Slater, of course. The flight attendant now famous for popping the escape chute, grabbing a beer and going home from JFK airport in Queens – who has been thinking about this for the past two decades – wants his job back. And, that makes sense, since he isn’t likely to get his own reality show.

The man whose father was a pilot and mother was a flight attendant has the aviation industry “in his blood” says his Legal Aid defense attorney, Howard Turman, who continues, “That’s what he likes to do.” Of course, the fact that Slater has a funny way of showing it went unmentioned.
According to USA Today:

“His hope is to return to the aviation business,” Turman is quoted as saying by The Associated Press. AP writes that “Turman portrayed his client as hardworking, loyal and surprised by his own overnight fame. Slater ‘wants to thank the world for its understanding,’ Turman said, referring to the Internet and media response to his client’s public unraveling.”

And, Slater wants to go back to JetBlue. After all, Slater believes, according to Turman, “JetBlue is a wonderful airline which he (Slater) has loved working for, and wishes to continue working for. He understands the problems, but it has been a fair and understanding airline.”

Now, it seems, the limits of that understanding will be tested. JetBlue seems unlikely to welcome the wacky flight attendant back with open arms, according to an internal memo covered by the Wall Street Journal. Though the story of how Slater bailed hasn’t been corroborated, the airline says his actions were “unacceptable.”

Duh.

Fortunately, there are many opportunities open to him, especially if he can get Hertz to give him O.J. Simpson’s old gig. Slater clearly knows how to make a run through an airport.

Five new jobs in media for flight attendant Steven Slater

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Even though the president of the flight attendant union has come out in support of Steven Slater‘s keeping his job (requiring some sort of mental gymnastics I simply can’t fathom), there is a shot the temporarily famous flight attendant may have to freshen up his resume. The odds that he’ll get a gig in Hollywood seem low, but that doesn’t mean he can’t get a fantastic gig with its unappreciated cousin: commercials.

Slater, if he can keep the hype around him pumped up for a while longer, might be able to turn his JetBlue flight meltdown into another 15 minutes of fame, though reality suggests this won’t happen. Who cares about the odds he’ll actually make some big cash on this? Let’s take a look at five commercial/spokesman jobs that would be perfect for this particular disgruntled flight attendant.

[Image: AP Foto/Louis Lanzano]My thoughts:

1. Monster: I’d love to see Slate shilling for the job search website, especially since he should probably spend some time there. In fact, if I can see building a YouTube reality series around his job hunt, which could bring some viral love to Monster. Of course, this probably isn’t going to happen.

2. Resort industry: Imagine that crazy smile surrounded by the words: “Need a vacation?” Do the math on that one. Especially since people are increasingly unlikely to take their vacation time, I can see some serious potential with this idea.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

3. Beer: The Hollywood Reporter calls this a natural fit, “given that he had a cold one before his exit from the plane”

4. Service companies: Michael Priem, CEO of USDM.net notes an opportunity for service companies to use Slater as a spokesman. That could work, depending on how it’s spun. USDM.net is an agency that works with airlines, hotels and other travel industry companies. Says Priem, “He could show how painful it is to be in the wait line for a cell phone carrier or sit at a service center that frustrates us.”

5. Famous angry guy: Angela Farrell, at marketing firm MSCO, suggests using Slater as a controversial judge on “American Idol.” That could work … for half an episode, if Slater still matters by the time the ink dries on the contract.

Steven Slater on airport stunt: I thought about it for 20 years!

by Tom Johansmeyer on


Former(?) JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater may not have stepped onto the plane with the intention of grabbing a beer and dropping the emergency chute, but it wasn’t far from his mind. The New York Times got a few moments with the now (in)famous flight attendant in the elevator of the Upper East Side apartment building where Slater was camped out after being released on bail.

In this exclusive – and enviable – interview, Slater told the Times, “I’ve thought about it – for 20 years I’ve thought about it. But, you never think you’re going to do it.”