05/07/2021
✈️🛫🌎❤️ More important now than ever to practice patience and kindness to all our service industry employees.
This is a post from a friend who is an Airlines pilot -
Sad that this is the best and only advice I can give these days............
Copied from a colleague…Great advice…
If you are flying anywhere this month, on any airline…
Pack snacks and PB&Js, bring a refillable water container, portable charger for your phone, bring a cheap light extension cord with a power strip or outlet tripler for charging in a place where there are very few outlets, a deck of cards or UNO, download extra movies on iPad, if you have wireless headsets also bring old school plug in type, bring a light blanket, go to the airport 1 extra hour earlier than you would have, bring your patience, and a mask. If you must travel with kids, go to Dollar Store and buy new toys they have never seen, give them these during delays. You can also buy the blow up arm floaties, to use as pillow or lumbar support for your back. Small portable fan or paper fan. A tennis ball to use to massage you aches.
Airlines don’t supply pillows or blankets anymore. There is no food onboard to buy or give, usually there is not enough beverages for 2nds.
Fill your water bottle in airport, or buy a bottle. There is not enough bottled water onboard to fill your container, nor are we allowed to fill it.
If you are booked on last flight of the day, be prepared that you might end up spending the night in airport.
Do not check your medicine or keys in your luggage.
Bring a Pen!! You may have to fill out forms, or need to write down info.
I have been in this business for 30 yrs and I have NEVER seen it this crazy! Every airline is short staffed, gate agents are working alone at gates for oversold flights, the wait times to get through to reservations are 3+ hours. Restaurants and stores can’t get people to work. Super long lines everywhere. LOTS of mechanical issues, weather, staffing issues none of which is due to frontline employees. They are as frustrated as you are. They are EXHAUSTED! This has been happening to them EVERY DAY for over a month, with no relief insight.
So I am asking you to BE VERY KIND TO EVERYONE. It’s always appreciated. We always bring treats, whatever they may be to the agents and flight attendants.
DON'T bring your pets if you don’t have to.