Heather Poole

Tag: Galley Gossip

  • Taking care of other people’s kids in flight

    Long ago I was on a flight from Chicago to Boston via New York when a weary woman with an active baby sat next to me. Having much experience babysitting, I was used to babies and thought I might be called upon to smile, wave and cheer up a crying…

  • 9 safety tips for new flight attendants (and solo travelers)

    1. “The Gift of Fear,” by Gavin De Becker, should be required reading for all men and women, especially for those of us who travel, particularly for women who travel alone. I’ve recommended this book to more flight attendants and passengers than anything thing else over the years. It’s saved my…

  • 10 ways to handle a tight connection

    1. Book wisely. If you need to be somewhere really important, it’s probably not a good idea to book your flights with less than an hour between them. Even an hour is pushing it. An hour and a half is good. Two hours, even better. Whatever you do, don’t take the…

  • The Worst, Funniest, and Most Common Bad Passengers I’ve Encountered

    From time to time I get asked questions about bad passengers. I thought I’d share a few of them here. What’s the worst passenger behavior you’ve witnessed? I’ve caught passengers taking other people’s luggage out of the bin to make room for their own bags. I’m not joking. They’ll pull…

  • Can passengers read pornography in flight?

    From time to time I get questions from readers who want to know what the rules are regarding viewing pornography in flight now that Wi-Fi is available on board most airplanes. Thankfully, it hasn’t been much of an issue (knock on wood). But planes are crowded, personal space barely exits, and when…

  • The 10 best travel apps for flight attendants (and frequent fliers)

    1. FAAWait – During a creeping weather delay a flight attendant who also works part time as an air traffic controller told me about FAAWait. It’s his favorite app. One click and we knew which airports across the country were also experiencing delays, how long the delays were averaging, and what had…

  • Interview with a Saudi Airlines flight attendant

    With your culture, how do you handle the treatment of female passengers? Like everybody else. No special treatment these days. During the Ramadan, how do you deal with not eating and drinking during sunlight with a very tiring job like yours? It’s allowed in our religion (Islam) during Ramadan to eat and…

  • How being married to a flight attendant is great training for the job

    Hi Heather, My wife is a flight attendant and for some time now I’ve been looking to make a career change and was thinking ofbecoming a flight attendant myself. I can see how she enjoys it and has fun with it and I’d like to try it, too. Do you think it would…

  • How to answer flight attendant interview questions

    I’m scheduled for a flight attendant interview on Tuesday! I’ve been through the process once before so I am familiar with the questions they may ask, but I’m just not confident in my answers sometimes. The hardest part is answering behavioral or situational questions. When they ask, “Name a time…

  • How do new flight attendants on probation commute to work? (And who pays for it?)

    I would love to become a flight attendant. I live close to Fort Lauderdale airport, only about 30 miles from Miami International Airport and 80 miles from West Palm Beach Airport. I also have two teenagers (13 and 16) so that’s where my question begins. If I live in Florida but my base is…