Heather Poole

Tag: Galley Gossip

  • 10 signs you’re commuting, non-reving, or traveling standby

    You know you’re a commuter when you pack 20 pairs of pantyhose inside your crew bag. This is what I was thinking as I packed my suitcase to go back to work last week. Of course two seconds later I had to stop what I was doing so I could update my…

  • Giving thanks to military men and women this Memorial Day

    Near the end of a flight from New York to Dallas, a little girl, 9 years old, handed me a piece of paper that read: “Everyone on this plane that works on this plane is very kind and welcoming, comforting and makes me feel safe, happy and comfy, so thank you to…

  • In defense of old and weary flight attendants

    “Wouldn’t it be nice to be served by flight attendants that are actually excited to come to work? Yes, safety training is important. But there is no reason to believe that a fit and alert 29-year-old should perform less safely in an emergency than a weary, overweight 60-year-old.” –Bill Frezza, Forbes.com…

  • My 5 favorite flight attendant videos of all time…

    This post originally appeared on my Galley Gossip column featured on  Gadling.com 2. Pam Ann: Cabin Service (staring Pam Ann) 3. Carol Burnett Show: No Frills Airline (staring Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, and Harvey Korman) SEE MORE

  • Even flight attendants deserve the right to choose pants!

    In a magazine I read years ago, a bigwig working for an international Asian carrier was quoted stating, “Passengers wouldn’t dare yell at a flight attendant wearing a dress.” It felt like a snide remark directed toward flight attendants in the United States who prefer to wear pants. Instead, it…

  • Why flight attendants might NOT open an emergency exit during an evacuation

    The first thing a flight attendant does before opening an emergency exit during an evacuation is assess the conditions outside. This is one reason why some airlines require passengers seated in the exit rows to keep their window shades up during takeoff and landing. The last thing you want to do is escape…

  • Improve your travel with Bruce Lee

    The following quotes are from the book Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee’s Wisdom for Daily Living by John Little. 1. Something for nothing – “There is only something for something, never something for nothing.” Think about that next time you feel nickel and dimed by an airline. Ticket prices are less than they were twenty…

  • How do flight attendants survive on such a small salary?

    I’ve been offered a position as a flight attendant. Training hasn’t started yet, but I’m freaking out a little. Should I back out? It seems like a fun and exciting job, but the pay is $20/hour with only a 79-hour guarantee of work per month. The first year I would…

  • Height, weight and age requirements for flight attendants (and why Christina Ricci could never be a Pan Am stewardess)

    “In this male-dominated world, in that famously openly chauvinistic culture, these women were really taking the reins and running their lives in a way most women didn’t,” Christina Ricci said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming television show, Pan Am, a night time soap opera revolving…

  • Electronic devices and the passenger with cat-like reflexes

    When a passenger said to me with a straight face that he had cat-like reflexes, I tried not to laugh. Only it’s impossible not to laugh when a person says something like this, and actually means it. FYI: I’ve been around a lot of passengers and I have yet to…