ITW / Airboy sits with Skydoll !
Today’s Cabin Crew in the hot seat is a very poised young mother with ambition. She works for a major carrier in the US and apparently likes her job so much she has to write about it on her time off (just like us really!). Heather is her civilian name. Skydoll is how she calls herself on the worldz widez webz. She is very prolific in the Flight Attendant blogosphere to the point she is planning on releasing a book and blogs for a very proeminent travel website called Gadling.com. Please do check out her blog over at :
A : Heather, how are you today ? Are the kids gone to sleep ?
Heather: First I have to say thank you for putting me in the hot seat. It’s an honor. Very excited here. As for the two year-old kid, he should be in bed right now. I do not know if he is in bed because he’s with dad (in LA) while I’m in New York flying back and forth across the country for six days straight. All I can say is he better be in bed! I do not dare call home to find out because I do not want to know that he is not in bed (and there’s nothing I can do about it). Tell you the truth, I’m pretty sure my son is not in bed right now. He’s with dad, remember!
A : Ahah, I remember my sunday evenings with dad watching some action/thriller movies while Mother was down at the pub playing the quiz ! Anyways, you live in the US of A, you work for a US carrier and mainly fly trans-cons (trans-continentals). How do you organize yourself to be with your Kalinkas at home ? By The way Kalinkas means Darling I think in Russian, I’m not sure though…
Heather : I only fly 35 hours a month, so it’s not hard organizing my life to be at home with the Kalinkas. What is hard is trying to drop my trips so that I am only working three trips a month (all of them in a row). Thank god for my trip trader. She works miracles. I wouldn’t be able to do it without her.
A : Trip trader would be the human version of our crew portal where we can swap & bid flights… We’ve all had little scares on-board, my last one was landing in HKG with a typhoon in our tail and 3 inches of water on the runway. What was yours ? I can recall a post of yours mentioning some burning smell. I had the same on a stormy flight and notified the captain who told me it was the burning or tiny dust and particules in the atmosphere that produced that burning rubber/landing gear smell…
Heather : I’ve had two scary flights (one to Paris – fire!) but funny enough, nothing happened during the one that scared me the most. We had a mechanical in New York and the airplane was taken out of service. After a five hour delay we finally got another aircraft. We boarded, took off, and everything was fine. About a half hour before landing I started getting this strange feeling I can not explain, but I was extremely scared. I knew in my gut something was wrong, but I did not know what. I kept asking the other flight attendants if they felt like something might be wrong, if they felt a little weird, but no one else did. I remember sitting in my jumpseat and looking out of the window and seeing that we were extremely low over the water. We should not have been that low at that point. It was 4am and we were landing in LA. The landing was uneventful and I ended up feeling silly for being so nervous. However, the next morning we found out from an agent that the passenger bags had never been loaded on the airplane and the cockpit was unaware that there were no bags underneath, so the weight and balance was off, which explained why were so low and why I had felt so weird, and scared. I don’t know how true this is, but a ramper said we were lucky to have landed safely.
A : Wow, how could that happen ?? Any scoops on you’re soon to be published book ?? Any release date yet ?
Heather : My soon to be published book is NOT soon to be published. But I do love you for saying that. You have inspired me to finish it (AGAIN). I have written, and rewritten SKYDOLL several times. I was actually in the process of rewriting it for a well known publishing house when my agent passed away. Then I got pregnant and my mind turned to mush. I couldn’t write. At least not the book. Not AGAIN. That’s when I turned to blogging. It was quick, easy, and I could do it while my son napped. Now that I’ve been blogging for awhile, and my son is going to pre-school, I’m ready to focus on my book (AGAIN). Hopefully I’ll finish it soon, get it published, and see it in your hands, as well as all the hands of your crew and passengers. Hey, a flight attendant can’t dream!
A : Well if you publish your book, then you have a massive potential here in the Middle East, and I’ll make sure each and every crew gets a copy ! Passengers onboard do not know how fustrating it is for us to unpile their crap on those meal trays, they seem to have this obsession of making our job easier but actually don’t. Any kind of guideline you want to share with our non-operating readers out there besides telling them not to lay their napkin flat on top of the used tray ?
Heather : Ah yes, the piling of the meal trays, very annoying. So is shoving all your crap inside the glass.
A : Hihi that their favourite trick, stuff everything you can in the plastic cup ! Sometimes I’m totally amazed at what people can come up with in terms of stacking… Their place does not belong in a plane seat but at a LEGO design departement ! Favourite layover and why ? Interesting gossip you might not share on your personal blog but you’d like to share here ?
Heather : Any layover over 12 hours. I haven’t had one in years. Four years to be exact.
A : What triggered the decision of becoming a Cabin Crew ?
Heather : When I didn’t receive the raise I felt I deserved at Fossil (watches) I decided to look for a new job, but not just any job, a GOOD JOB that paid REALLY WELL. While I looked for THAT job, the one that paid well, I needed to find a
flexible job to pay the bills. That’s when I spotted an ad in the newspaper for a flight attendant for a low cost carrier that only flew turns out of Dallas. I figured if I became a flight attendant I’d be able to travel and see the world (so what if I only saw the New York, Florida, and California airports!) as well as have time to interview for the GOOD JOB I was determined to find on one of my many days off. I got the job. While working for that low cost carrier in those sexy blue pleated shorts, I realized that I liked laying out on the beach on a weekday, and being able to go to the gym when there’s no one else at the gym, and shopping at odd hours of the day, and sleeping-in the mornings (mornings, what mornings, it’s time for lunch!) and pretty much doing what I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do it. Don’t even get me started on all the days off! What I loved was the freedom, the flexibility – THE LIFESTYLE. Three months later I realized I didn’t want that well paying job, what I wanted was to become a flight attendant for a real airline with real (long) layovers, and so I applied to a major, ditched the shorts, donned the dress, and the rest is history.
A : Ahah the pleated shorts, you know they are real famous ! You’re facing the customers after a red-eye, what is your reaction when pax leap up to grab their luggage in the overhead bins and we’re still taxiing. In fact we only just left the active runway…
Heather : Pick up the phone (one eye open), and mumble, “Ladies and gentleman, we are not yet at the gate. Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened until the Captain has turned off the seatbelt sign.” Pause. Give the guy a chance to sit down. “We need you to take your seat. Please.” Pause. Give the guy a chance to sit down. “Sir, you need to take your seat. Please!” Pause. Give the guy a chance to sit down. Sigh, hang up phone, unbuckle seatbelt, stomp up the aisle, slam bin shut.
A : The other day I was in the crew bus and one of the girls was doing her nails. The ride smelt of nail varnish like she was varnishing the entire window next to her. I wondered what male crew could do in order to compete with the opposite gender… Can you help ?
Heather : I will not write what I’m thinking, but I have a feeling you have already thought it.
A : Ahah I think everyone thought of it while reading those lines ahah. You live out of a suitcase like many of us Crew do. Did you ever unpack between two flights (I personally haven’t) and what are the essentials that will make it to your suitcase ??
Heather : I’m a commuter. That means I live in Los Angeles and work at a base out of another state – New York. When I’m flying (a week straight) out of New York, I’m not at home in-between my trips, so I do have to unpack, but only a little – Just toilletries and books, and I switch out the dirty uniform items for clean items. Shoes and layover clothes stay in the bag. Essentials? That’s easy -underwear, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hair brush, makeup, ponytail holder, and a good book. The rest I can live without.
A : The best seat on any aircraft, apart from the jumpseat ?
Heather : The aisle seat in the second row of first class. When I’m in coach I always go for row 33. It just feels right.
A : Tell us about the worst flight you have ever operated, be kind, loose the names for confidential reasons… !
Heather : I worked a trip with two lazy crewmembers who actually did the beverage service while wearing ipods. Very embarrassing.
A : Holy C***, iPods while doing the Bev cart ????? Who were they ? They need some ass whipping !! lolol. You have Hand Sanitizer, like many of us do, or at least i hope you have… Did you ever sanitized the aft lavatory before actually using it yourself ?
Heather : I go through phases with the hand sanitizer. When I first started flying I went nuts and santizied everything. Right now I’m no longer santitizing the hands with the lovely smelling gel. I’ve exchanged the sanitizer with soap and water and lots of paper towels. For instance, I use one paper towel to push the soap dispenser. Another to turn on the water. Then I actually wash the hands. Next I’ll grab another towel to dry the hands and open lavatory door. I do this several times throughout the flight. Therefore, I am the reason we’ve run out of paper towels in the lavatory.
A : Best tip you can give rookie FAs like myself for endurance ?
Heather : Let it go! When a passenger annoys you, just let it go. And have fun! What’s the point of working the job if you’re not having fun. We have a fun job, so enjoy it! And take pictures. Lots and lots of photos.
A : Anything you would die for near your home ? (for example, I could definately do with a French Bakery at the bottom of the building instead of a Avis Rental Car boutique!)…
Heather : A decent mexican restaurant that serves salty chips, fresh salsa, chili con queso and dark beer.
A : What was your occupation before becoming a crew ?
Heather : I designed watches for Fossil. (Before that I designed western clothes – Yeehaw
A : Lets imagine for a second you could pick celebrities to man the different doors on your aircraft who would they be and explain why !
Heather : Oh my god, I’m too tired to think.
A : Favourite passenger quote/question so far ?
Heather : Upon finding a passenger seated with a large box between his legs, not under the seat…
FA: (pointing at box) Sir, is that a large package between your legs?
SIR: (looks at package and smiles) Yes, that is a large package between my legs.A : OOOh my, I bet ya 5 bucks he was one of these sleazy, single retard we usually get, with sweat on his forehead and most likely Obese… No offence ! Pepsi or Coca-Cola ?
Heather : COKE! But I’d rather have an iced tea – unsweetened. Or a coffee – no sugar, lots of milk. No, scratch that, I’ll take a wine. Red. And make sure to use the big glass.
A : We have potentially dangerous jobs up there at 35,000 feet, but on ground, have you ever feared for your life ?
Heather : No, but I should have been afraid, because I was held up at gunpoint once. It was a car jacking and there were 4 guys and 3 guns. Three months after the incident happened it started to seriously affect me. Now I’m a lot more in tune with my “sixth sense.” Speaking of fear, I highly recommend the book THE GIFT OF FEAR to anyone and everyone, particularly to those who travel. Trust your fears. I’ll be writing more about this on Gadling.
A : Have you ever been to Paris, my homeland, if yes, what were your highlights ?
Heather : I love Paris! I have very fond memories of my Paris layovers, like the time I went to the Eiffle Tower and actually purchased one of those dancing paper cut out thingies on a string. I never could figure out how it worked. And the time I used the ATM and accidentally emptied out my entire bank account so that I spent the 36 hour layover walking around the city with entirely way too much cash in my purse. And oh those delicious chocolate croissants the hotel provided when we’d arrive and our rooms weren’t ready. I loved when the rooms weren’t ready. Of course the Paris trips go senior, so I could only hold Paris on reserve, but people who hold Paris do not call in sick. Needless to say, I didn’t get to go there often, but when I did, I felt as if life couldn’t get better, like I was living the dream. Because I was.
A : I’ll tell you something, Mother & Father were amazed to see how many “OLD” FAs were crewing on their Paris Miami with AA. The funniest part was them chewing gums as Mum says !! Thanks ever so much for taking some time off to answer my questions, much appreciated. Speak to you soon !
Heather : Sooner than you think – CONGRATULATIONS, you’re my flight attendant of the month! Check it out here… CLICK AWAY !
A : Ahah well thanks !! What does that involve ?? Acceptance speech, a cruise, a cash prize, an inflatable FA ?? Lol again thanks for your time, this was awesome !
Related Posts, according to Airbot... (automatically generated)
FILED UNDER: Emirates, From Glasgow, Galley Cart, ITW | Interview, Networking, Yeepeee Woot Woot, cabin crew
Tags: Action Thriller, AIRBOY, Ambition, Amp, answers, Array, Blogosphere, Blogs, cabin crew, Continentals, Dad, dubai, Emirates, Evenings, flight attendant, Flights, fly, Gadling, God, Heather, Heather Poole, Hkg, Hot Seat, interview, Itw, joining, Little Scares, Miracles, questions, quiz, Six Days, Skydoll, sleep, Sodwee, stewardess, Thriller Movies, travel, Typhoon, UAE, Young Mother Discussion
5 comments for “ITW / Airboy sits with Skydoll !”
Post a comment
Socialize Me
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
I’ve been to:
Click map to go large !
Nice interview Airboy and Heather! Good to get to know a fellow blogger and FA a little better!
PS oops when I worked for my first airline, a colleague and I played chess while doing the service…but we pulled it off as V… Flair which was a competency we were marked on by our superiors…the airline I flew for at that time encouraged ‘giving passengers a unique experience, using our personalities…” We were just trying to pass the time of a 4 sector shuttle day with some fun! Oops…I could never get away with that in my current job!
Salut,
J’écris de Montréal.
J’adore lire ton blog, il est génial et drôle à la fois!!!! Bravo! This interview is very interesting and entertaining. I love your blog, its the best!!!!I look forward to be in the Emirates family (DOJ Jan.2nd). Maybe I will have the chance to work with you on a flight!
Carine
Nice interview indeed Airboy!… And I’m now fascinated with the word Kalinka!
Lol GoT, where in the world did you balance the chess board on the carts?!?
I love V….. Flair! Makes the flight so much fun! I put two stickers on the back of two cups the other day and made a PA at the end of service to see who go it and flaired off whatever they wanted off the carts! Great fun!
Believe me SkyHighBoy it wasn’t easy but I think we had to leave some things behind and balance it on two lots of paper cups (plus it was a travel chess set tee hee).
Apologies for the highjacking of your post Airboy!
Ahah, you’re welcome. This is harmless, it would be a different story in an other setting.