proof: https://imgur.com/a/EpbylIm

*An important edit - I’d like to address and preface this before you go on to read through this thread. It seems that the wording of my title has stirred up controversy and/or has mislead some people. In retrospect, I do think that my choice of words is placed a bit awkwardly. Apologies, I won’t claim that I am the most eloquent person. I am not claiming to be a survivor from one of the hijacked planes (which i’ve been accused of proposing in this thread, jeez), or trying to detract from the day and ‘make it about me’.

My title was meant to convey: I am a flight attendant with 26 years of seniority at one of the two airlines that were used during the attacks that day. I was hired in 1995 and was flying the night prior, from JFK to ORD, on September 10. I was stuck in Chicago after the attacks and air space being closed down. I am still employed by the airline, but have taken a personal leave from work since 2020, when many of us took leaves to avoid the need to furlough more junior flight attendants due to COVID decimating the travel industry. I am still out on personal leave.

I’d also like to address those who are bewildered that I feel the need to offer the insight of airline crew from this day, as if crew had nothing to do with it or were not directly involved. Please understand that sentiment could not be further from the truth:

I was obviously not on any of the 4 hijacked planes that day. I did not run in to my death up to the WTC. I didn’t lose a spouse, parent, or child. Correct. But that doesn’t detract from my experience. Everyone experienced 9/11, the shop owners in Manhattan were involved, the firefighters were involved, the residents near shanksville involved, the motorists driving by the pentagon were involved - and I, and all of our FA’s/pilots that day, were part of the airline family that was involved, watching the TV replays and wondering; “good lord, is that our plane? Is that from my base? Is that my good friend Anna on that plane who I asked to take my trip to SFO today, did I just send her to her death? Is that John on there, who I KNOW always flies the early transcon route during the week, I just had a layover with him last week, please don’t let it be him.. “ and so on. These were real thoughts flowing through all of our heads. Our families and loved ones had every reason to believe that it was any of us on those planes that died. Do you know how emotional and hard it is to call your parents/loved ones, who had every reason to believe that you could have been killed because you are a crew member on one of the involved airlines, and happened to be away on a trip that day, and hear their voice for the first time?

I have not in any of my responses conveyed anything that could be considered exploiting or using anything to my gain. I have not advertised a book, redirected people to a website or product, etc. I am offering insight into what this day / those immediate days/weeks were like at the time for airline crew members - a group that was VERY much so affected, yet often forgotten about in the narrative of 9/11. Is my bearing witness that disturbing or selfish, yet it’s completely okay for other groups - firefighters, LEOs, politicians, etc. can bear witness on TV, articles, etc? We went on a plane back to work everyday for the weeks following the event while most people couldn’t handle the prospect of an airplane at that time. I am telling my story and the story of airline crew as a collective during that time period. I am proud to represent that, 100% yes.

So yes, I do feel more involved than someone that was sitting at home watching TV in Arkansas. There is absolutely nothing wrong with bearing witness - it is human nature to bear witness. When you hear about someone that you knew passing away, but maybe weren’t close or great friends with, what do most people do? “Oh wow, I just saw them a few months ago” “That’s so sad, I remember her being so sweet at Jen’s wedding” and so on. It is bearing witness. When you talk about 9/11 with somebody, what do most people do? They recount where they were and what they were doing. Is it undermining it detracting from what happened that day, or making it about them? Absolutely not. It is bearing witness. And I am bearing witness to what I, and my collective airline family, experienced that day and following weeks as a family that suffered a loss. It is a perspective that is far too often overlooked and I’m offering my testimony, and those of my coworkers, to shed light on what it was like for us - a group that this definitely hit close to home for.

-edit: I won't be answering any questions concerning sensitive security information, like security procedures, anything involving air marshalls, etc. to obviously maintain the secure integrity of these things, and well, I definitely don't want to lose my job! :)

Comments: 994 • Responses: 65  • Date: 

Ct-5736-Bladez636 karma

I know when this time rolls around each year some first responders in New York City and around the county get tense or uneasy because of the possibility of another terror attack on the anniversary. Example of this is the NYPD beefing up patrols every this weekend. Do you and other flight attendants feel the same way?

throwaflyaway560 karma

Sure! It's a hard time of the year for many of us, especially those that knew the crews on those planes. A lot of flight attendants will bid to have off on this day or drop their trip. I think that we all take comfort in the improved security measures compared to 2001, but we definitely know not to get complacent.

craftasaurus136 karma

I happened to fly today, and the plane was very empty in the back, we had a whole row to ourselves, and so did most people back there. The middle was maybe 1/2 full. One of the attendants seemed a bit nervous, and we talked about 9/11 for a couple of minutes. After our chat, I noticed that it seemed to be a hard day for them all. Luckily we had a beautiful day for a flight, and it was smooth and uneventful, my favorite kind of trip. Our hearts go out to you all.

throwaflyaway51 karma

Thank you for your acknowledgement & kind words ❤️

TeddysRevenge477 karma

Was it hard dealing with the survivor guilt? I had a friend who was also a flight attendant for United during 9/11.

She had some real problems in the years following the attack. Felt like better people then her had sacrificed their lives while (in her opinion) a loser like her got to live (she was a wonderful and caring person, even payed her roommates rent for a few months when they lost their job).

Thankfully she got the help she needed before going completely off the deep end. She’s got a family now and doing really well.

We haven’t spoken in a few years but I know she was still struggling when 9/11 would come up every year.

throwaflyaway481 karma

I touched on this a bit just now in a previous question, i'll paste a bit of it:

'I've always thought about how just a struck of luck, fate, etc. could have changed it all. I frequently worked the route to SFO. A lot of people don't know how flexible FA schedules are -- we can trade into, or pick up a trip even just a few hours prior to check-in. One of the FA positions on flight 93 was traded just the night prior - the gal who originally had the trip definitely experienced some survivor's guilt. It's still in the very back of my mind to this day, all of these years later, when I'm building my schedule. "Should I pick this trip up, why do I feel weird about it?" things like that. It's a tiny paranoia that will probably never leave.'

I don't know if I would say that I experienced survivor's guilt. If it was a trip that I originally had and gave away or asked a friend to pick up for me? Then I would most definitely experience those feelings (only naturally.. not saying the aforementioned FA should feel guilty. how would any of us have known?) I was shocked, an immense feeling of... near-miss, if you know what I mean? When you're about to get into a car accident maybe and you're able to slam your breaks hard enough just in time and you pull over and have to compose yourself? And so heartbroken for the country & my flying family.

anothercopy409 karma

I remember that by accident that I rebooked my ticket from Newark to Frankfurt for 11.09 back in 2007. I wasnt really looking at the dates just the price and needed to get back to Europe at that time anyway. I only realized like the day before to what I rebooked it to.

When I got on the plane it was super empty like I had the middle row with 4 seats to myself. Is it still as empty today ?

throwaflyaway377 karma

I'm sure many people refuse to fly on the date, whether it be superstition or if it's just too sad, I can empathize with that. Back in 2007 though, maybe the economical climate had something to do with that? The beginning of september is generally a bit slower anyway as its back to school, vacations have ended, etc. The last few years that i've flown on 9/11, though, my flights were no where near empty.

Mononoke1918374 karma

Is it common for crew members to take today off or request to not be on New York bound flights? (I’m not sure how staffing works but I would assume some people would be afraid?)

throwaflyaway588 karma

Many flight attendants choose not to fly this day. Our schedules are incredibly flexible - we pick our trips and create our entire schedule the month prior. We can trade in/out of trips or drop them to other FA's wanting to work, even the day before. (This is all assuming the flight attendant is a line-holder [senior enough to make their own schedule and not be on reserve, or on-call]) so, many just clear their schedule this day or drop the trip. I have flown on this date for the last few years. It's still a traumatic day for many FA's, especially those that were close friends of the crewmembers on those planes.

Otistetrax224 karma

Seems kinda crazy to me that there’s FAs still working that same job 20 years later. But this is coming from someone who’s barely held the same job for more than three years in that two decades.

throwaflyaway378 karma

Our #1, most senior FA in the company, just retired last year at over 60 years of seniority. 20 years is actually JUNIOR in some bases around the system, in my airline. There are plenty lifers here, 20+, 30+, 40+ years. It's an amazing job unlike any other with great benefits. It's a lifestyle, really, not only a job. People get accustomed to the freedom that the job offers.. and the pay isn't that bad either!

kitty_cat_purr136 karma

Did she finally retire?!

I worked for CoEx/XJT/UAX and remember hearing a lot about her. Back before the two systems fully merged I could see UA hire dates on manifests and was always shocked when I'd have some old FA going to work with a hire date before my mother was born, and I'm 36!

throwaflyaway177 karma

She did! I think it was either last year, or very end of 2019. She started in 1957.

Otistetrax29 karma

That’s nuts! That’s not long after an “airliner” stopped meaning a flying boat! Barely into the Jet Age! Any idea how many miles she racked up in that time? Must be in the millions…

throwaflyaway49 karma

I'm sure! I did not know her personally, never flew with her. I've seen her in the crew room countless times. I'd stalk her schedule out of curiosity sometimes, what is #1 flying? She can have what ever she wants. It looked like she was flying just 2 or 3 trips a month to Hong Kong.

ElJamoquio13 karma

she was flying just 2 or 3 trips a month to Hong Kong.

Wow. That would not be my first pick. I dunno what facility she was flying out of, but man, from a passenger perspective, those 12+ hour flights are brutal.

throwaflyaway25 karma

I do not enjoy those flights either. They are productive trips - meaning - great hours and pay for a short trip (4 day) so the trips go pretty senior, meaning, they’re coveted by the more senior FA’s. Beijing, Hong Kong, Delhi, Narita.

Plantsandanger7 karma

Ok if I had that kind of seniority to pick whatever Tripp’s I wanted I might not retire either...

throwaflyaway16 karma

It's true! Many stay because they don't have to work long hours and long months anymore. They can work even just a trip a month to maintain their quarterly hour requirement to accrue vacation days (47 days of vacation once you have over 25 years) and some don't fly at all, go down to 0 - just to keep health insurance. There's not much incentive to leave, especially when you're on the top of the pyramid, unless you're getting to the age where you can't walk anymore.

DaisyPK60 karma

My Aunt just retired from United this year. I think she flew for 56 maybe more years.

I can’t remember where she was flying that day but they diverted her to Canada.

throwaflyaway45 karma

Congrats to that senior mama! And yes, we were stuck all over the place. Asia & Europe included. I was stuck in Chicago.

Swyggles10 karma

Could you please expand on what you mean by the great benefits and the freedom you get? Thanks

throwaflyaway56 karma

Sure. Great benefits include free travel for yourself, your parents, close friends, etc. Every airline has a slightly different benefit program, but at my airline, you can choose either 24 buddy-passes a year, or in lieu of buddy passes, select 2 enrolled friends that have unlimited free space-available-travel like yourself. My health insurance is great and affordable, I have the benefit of having an unbelievably flexible schedule -- I can create my entire schedule, pick when I want off, where I want to go, and can go down to 0 hours if I don't feel like working at all. I don't have to to bring my work home with me.

The freedom we have in a sense of, we can pick up and go all over the globe when/if we want. Not staying in the same state or country for more than 2, 3 days at a time gets you to feel this sense of freedom. I feel like my job is a vacation most of the time.

TonyFuckinRomo7 karma

What is the pay like?

throwaflyaway44 karma

Currently, the starting pay is right under $30/hr, and after 14 years, you top out at just around $67/hr, plus a per diem pay which you're paid $2.25 - $2.50/hr (domestic & international, respectively) per every hour you're away on a trip - from check in to landing your last flight of the trip. It's a myth that flight attendants cannot make money. You have to fly your tail off (we are paid only per flight hour.. so, not paid during boarding, deplaning, hour long delays at the gate, etc.) - that isnt to say that you wont be broke starting out. The first few years are rough, especially being on reserve ('on-call' - you dont get to pick your trips, you are at the whim of the company when they need you) but once you stick it out for a few years and are senior enough to 'hold a line' (create and dictate your own schedule, work as much or as little as you wish) then you can make much better money.

glitterlok133 karma

Just a dumb point of note — someone correct me if I’m off about this — but I don’t believe any of the flights involved on the day were headed for NYC. They were longer-haul flights, the idea being that they had more fuel onboard, so they’d do more damage when they made impact.

throwaflyaway175 karma

They were all headed for the west coast. I think that the sentiment to avoid NYC would be because the most graphic imagery of 9/11 that was played over and over again was in NYC, the skyline that's very visible during the descent.

PigCopsFatTits290 karma

Not to sound callous or silly, but does the airline give you any kind of special meal or anything?

throwaflyaway505 karma

I said ask me *anything*! No worries. We do get "crew meals" -- they're allocated to us depending on the length of duty that day. If it's a duty day of over 8 hours, with no sit (sit an airport) of at least 2 hours, then we get a crew meal loaded on the plane by catering. It's usually a small side salad, a slice of cake, butter, salt/pepper, and the entree could be a chicken dish, fish, beef, etc. I usually bring my own food in a cooler bag and learned early on to avoid airplane food. I gained some weight my very first year!

PigCopsFatTits105 karma

Interesting information, thank you! I've never had entrees on a plane. Are they appetizing? Are the crew meals much different from what the passengers get?

I did mean originally if was anything specific for 9/11, would you happen to know if there's like... pizza or anything?

throwaflyaway195 karma

Woops, that completely flew over my head. Specific type thing for 9/11, not really. On some specific holidays (thanksgiving, xmas, etc.) they'll board some cute holiday-themed cookie or something along those lines on the plane. You'll usually see more celebratory type sentiments in the actual crew rooms at our bases. There is one flight attendant at one of our bases, that bakes cakes every 9/11 and brings them to the crew room for everyone.

Meals on planes are not all equal, I happen to think that my airline has a really great kitchen. And i'm not being biased! I've flown plenty of airlines, and I love the food on my own airline. Thai curry with noodles, buffalo chicken mac & cheese, sesame noodle salad, etc. They're delicious but loaded with sodium and preservatives so I try my best to stay away from it. Crew meals are typically the same choice as what's on the menu for the first class passengers that day, sometimes it will vary and be something different, but familiar to us - another option from our menu that we serve on other flights. Pilots get a bit more choice as they can request 'special meals' like vegan, hindu, gluten free, vegetarian, kosher, etc. We get those special meals too, but only on international routes.

goodmorningfuture6 karma

That Buffalo chicken Mac and cheese makes me love being a 1K!

throwaflyaway10 karma

If you know, you know. ;)

selling332340 karma

I'll just add that this isn't true for every airline. I know this because stupid fucking Emirates forgot my vegetarian meal and the crew decided to give me a crew meal served with extra guilt. Was just a shitty cheddar cheese sandwich with relish.

throwaflyaway49 karma

So that's what Emirates gives their crews, eh? so...the grass isnt always greener! Haha, shitty crew meals definitely exist. I once got a sad tray of potato chips and a fruit cup. I didn't understand how that constituted as a 'meal'. Usually happens when there are hiccups in the catering system -- i remember this often when one of the kitchens at our bases was closed down for months due to possible listeria being present. all of the flights out of that particular base had embarrassing 'meals' for first class passengers and crew alike.

selling33239 karma

It's interesting to hear how things work behind the scenes. I was in economy and food for everyone else (eating meat) was fine, was just my own food was non existent so I reckon it's just that they don't feed their staff well.

In that case that you mentioned, would the tickets have been cheaper (particularly for first as one would expect a first class experience) to compensate for the terrible meals or?

throwaflyaway16 karma

That’s a good question, I really have no idea if there were any discounts to those first class tickets out of that particular hub at the time. I rarely know anything about ticket prices - I initially got the job all of those years ago so that I wouldn’t have to pay for flights lol!

MeltyRedneckLungs35 karma

SPECIAL MEAL?

Lol “here’s your microwaved shitfood”

throwaflyaway87 karma

Haha. It's actually baked shitfood! We have ovens on the plane! The meals in economy are questionable, but the first class meals are mostly delicious.

Bomb787144 karma

Is there anything that cockpit crews do to really piss you off? I'm working towards being a commercial pilot and it would be nice to know what to avoid doing.

throwaflyaway238 karma

Some FA's get more pissed than others. I'm a really laid back type of person and don't get too riled up.. while I can get irritated, it's just like, i'm rolling my eyes in my mind, thats it.

Some things that come to mind that are not really a huge deal but would be greatly appreciated:

-especially during boarding, it's the most hectic part of the process for flight attendants - give the FA's some room and try not to start throwing too many requests right away. some pilots will walk on, get cozy in the cockpit, and ask for the first class galley flight attendant for 2 coffees, seltzer with ice, and have the crew meals ready as soon as possible. it's just more work thrown onto an already heavy workload during boarding - maybe give some time, towards the end of boarding, and ask for what you need. it's all in how you say it, too. "Hey, when you have a second, no rush -- Could I get XYZ if you have a chance?" is a lot better than "i'll take a coffee 2 creams" you know? I go out of my way to accommodate pilots, they're stuck in the cockpit for hours at the whim of flight attendants to eat/use the bathroom/etc. so I feel for them. But something simple like this can make a world of a difference!

-I understand that we all don't get to choose when our body needs to relieve itself, but it puts a little damper in things when the pilots need to come out and use the restroom while we're just beginning our first class service -- we have to pause everything to let them out to use the bathroom. this is especially frustrating if it's a short flight that still has a dinner/lunch service, we really have a time crunch going on.

-do not talk politics, please. should go for any work place, really

That's pretty much it. Most pilots are considerate and wonderful individuals and I enjoy them very much!

Cranky_Windlass112 karma

Is that a 20 year anniversary pin of 911 they gave you?

throwaflyaway149 karma

Yes, the one on the right. The one on the left (circle pin) was the one that we got in 2002.

Positive_Strawberry5107 karma

How are you and your colleagues doing today?

throwaflyaway206 karma

We all handle it differently. It's somber for most. I'm based at the same base that one of the crews from one of those planes that day were based at, so a bunch of the more senior flight attendants knew them and flew with them all. There are some flight attendants that refuse to work this day, some decide to fly and honor their coworkers. It's a day that we all feel a lot more united and camaraderie, as a work group, is high. I'm not working today and have actually been on leave for the last year and a half since COVID hit.

RefineOrb86 karma

How close were you to being on any of the planes? Was it just a fortunate day off, or would never have worked that route anyway?

If you theoretically could have been on that plane, how does it make you feel to think “If I had that shift, I would not be here today”? And if so, has it changed you or the way you live in any way?

throwaflyaway210 karma

I've always thought about how just a struck of luck, fate, etc. could have changed it all. I frequently worked the route to SFO. A lot of people don't know how flexible FA schedules are -- we can trade into, or pick up a trip even just a few hours prior to check-in. One of the FA positions on flight 93 was traded just the night prior - the gal who originally had the trip definitely experienced some survivor's guilt.

I was flying just the night prior on 9/10. There was a thunderstorm that night and we were all stuck on the runway in JFK for hours..the weather was just awful -- anybody from NYC remember that storm the night prior? Anyway, there had to have been over 40 planes on the tarmac. We were going to Chicago that night. We were stuck there until the following Friday when there was a flight back to NY. Many flight attendants that were holed up in the hotel that we were in, all banded together and rented a car to drive back to their base. I took the flight the following Friday. We could actually see the the smoldering site on our descent into NY.

It's still in the very back of my mind to this day, all of these years later, when I'm building my schedule. "Should I pick this trip up, why do I feel weird about it?" things like that. It's a tiny paranoia that will probably never leave.

amoebaamoeba141 karma

I remember that storm! My bedroom window faced the WTC and I remember looking up at it and thinking "wow this is an intense storm" because the clouds were so thick I couldn't see the red antenna light on top of WTC 1.

And of course, the next morning it was beautiful and crystal clear.

Thanks for doing this AMA. I'm so glad you were safe.

WinterFilmAwards71 karma

That storm cleared. By 8:30PM, the City was the most beautiful I've ever seen it, just sparkling with crystal clear skies. I was looking out the window from the 96th Floor of Tower 1, talking on the phone and marveling at the beauty of my City.

throwaflyaway35 karma

This was at around 10 - 11 PM in the evening. There were planes out as far as the eye could see on the tarmac, all because we were in line stuck due to the weather. I hope that someone who may have been on the tarmac at JFK that night miraculously sees this and would be able to corroborate this!

Legerity13 karma

This might interest you given your memory of the storm.

https://vimeo.com/28157767

BubbaChanel4 karma

I’ve seen this video before, and it was exactly what I was thinking of when I read OP’s comment.

throwaflyaway12 karma

Thank you! I knew I wasn’t delusional. My brother, who lived in the area at the time, denies that it was ever storming. It drove me crazy.

bradybjr78 karma

Could you describe the weeks and months after 9/11 and coming back into the air? Were you flying that day? Were you stranded? What were the most obvious changes on your first flights following the attacks?

throwaflyaway171 karma

As to where I was, I'll paste a bit of my answer to another question earlier:
'I was flying just the night prior on 9/10. There was a thunderstorm that night and we were all stuck on the runway in JFK for hours..the weather was just awful -- anybody from NYC remember that storm the night prior? Anyway, there had to have been over 40 planes on the tarmac. We were going to Chicago that night. We were stuck there until the following Friday when there was a flight back to NY. Many flight attendants that were holed up in the hotel that we were in, all banded together and rented a car to drive back to their base. I took the flight the following Friday. We could actually see the the smoldering site on our descent into NY.'

We were 'stranded' only in a sense that we didn't know when we would get to fly back home. We were all put up in hotels, of course. Many of us met up and all stayed together in one room together, just for the support. An emotionally exhaustive experience, I was trying to call as much of my family as possible and as quickly as I could to let them know that I was alive -- I didn't own a cell back then.

Coming back to flying was eery. Emptier flights, absolutely erratic and paranoid passengers and crew (understandably so) Security definitely changed, of course. Plastic knives and forks replaced all of the elegant silverware we had up front (in first class), we had to remove e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g from our bags in the security lines... I found stuff in my bags I forgot that I even had. The sheer sentiment of paranoia on the plane was almost tangible those following months.

white87wolf64 karma

Firstly, I want you to know that I feel very deeply for you all. I wish I could say something that'll make those feelings better for you guys, but I don't know what that thing is really, so since this is an AmA...

What is the one thing I can do next time on a plane to make y'all's lives a little easier (I usually fly economy if that matters)?

throwaflyaway115 karma

Thank you for the kindness!

Small ,simple, but appreciated things that you can do on a plane:

-during boarding, rather than block egress of boarding line, just scoot underneath your row while holding your bag before stowing it, just to let maybe 3 or 4 people behind you pass - really expedites the process and prevents a hold up in the boarding line

-if you order coffee, just say how you take it! no need to wait to be prompted by the FA how you take coffee. cream, sugar, etc. Turns the process into a much quicker exchange when you say "coffee, 2 creams 2 sugars please" as opposed to: "Coffee" "how do you take it?" "what?" "how do you take your coffee?" "ummm... in a cup?"

-leave the closed overhead bins closed during boarding. there's usually an FA in the aisle that's closing bins during boarding to indicate that they're completely stuffed with bags, so that helps us gauge about how much space is left and when it's time to ask the gate agent to start gate checking bags. Sometimes it's a lot of work lifting those heavy bins shut - it's heartbreaking to see someone walk down the aisle and open every single one of them, nullifying our closed-bin masterpiece

-just a simple smile and Hello when you walk on! it's actually a work position for an FA to be a "greeter" during boarding. I feel so useless when someone walks on with their headphones and doesn't acknowledge me as I smile and say hi, haha!

mityman5014 karma

just a simple smile

Yes you did mention in another post that you haven't flown since the mask mandate! But I guess we've all been practicing smiling with our eyes.

throwaflyaway13 karma

Oh gosh, you're totally right! So in this case, yes, smile with your eyes!

youni8941 karma

Is there anything the Airlines or you as a group of TAs do to commemorate and remember those who passed 20 years ago?

throwaflyaway80 karma

There are memorials (table, crew photos, flowers, etc.) arranged in the terminal at my base airport. Some of us get together yearly and visit the flight 93 memorial in PA, and just plain old bearing-witness testimonies about the day.

the_green_wolf29 karma

Having that kind of experience within the field must make the attack traumatic to you. Do you, or your colleagues have the fear of something similar happening again? Or do you have faith in that the security has improved for the better, and that people might not be able to do such things anymore?

throwaflyaway37 karma

I believe it's a natural fear that's always in the back of our minds. I'd like to believe that we are much safer today, than back then. We never imagined that could happen back then either, though, so I think it's imperative to not get complacent.

Rayan1990028 karma

How do you feel when you fly over NYC?

throwaflyaway74 karma

I have always been based there since I started, so it is pretty routine after landing there so many times, seeing the city. I always think to myself how teeming with life it is. I try not to think about the obvious absent 2 towers.

Grampionjr26 karma

What's your favorite sandwich?

throwaflyaway59 karma

Sub roll, chicken cutlet, long hots, lettuce, roasted peppers, sharp provolone, oil & vinegar

curiousmex26 karma

Did you think about changing careers after 9/11?

throwaflyaway73 karma

My parents certainly wanted me to. I didn't want to feel like I was giving control of my life's direction over to the people that did this, I wanted to defy that. I have a love for the job and for traveling, and just generally helping people. That's not to say that I wasn't afraid though, the first few months after 9/11 were definitely filled with stress and paranoia.

NationYell23 karma

My friend Jeffrey was a flight attendant on the first plane, by any chance did you know him?

throwaflyaway15 karma

I'm sorry for your loss - I didn't personally know any of the FA's that passed away on that day. I was based in JFK at the time which was a separate base from nearby EWR. The other plane was a BOS crew.

LDPushin_Troglodyte19 karma

Does jetlag become easier to deal with over the years?

Other than ginger ale what else tastes much better in cruising altitude?

Have you ever eaten airplane food on the ground, and if you have, did it taste better/worse/the same?

throwaflyaway41 karma

Staying hydrated is super important on the plane. I'd reccommend bringing an empty 1.5L bottle through security and filling it up at the airport in one of the water-bottle-refilling stations (though, i'm not sure if they're still in use after COVID.. I have been on a leave since March 2020 and haven't flown since then.) at worst, just buy a big bottle in a shop, it sucks that its overpriced, but staying hydrated is so important. We dehydrate really easily up there.

Tomato juice/bloody mary mix apparently tastes better at altitude -- its the only time i find myself drinking it, too.

I've eaten airplane food on the ground for sure - tastes about the same to me, albeit a bit soggier, as it was warmed in our ovens probably a few hours before.

SwampFoxer17 karma

When you’re flying, do you ever scope out the bigger guys on the plane in case you need their help? I’m a very large guy who appears mean at first glance, but I always try to smile and be polite to crew. Probably half a dozen times I’ve had FAs ask me to sit up front or on an exit row, saying things like “you’re my guy if I need you, right?”

I don’t know if it’s because I’m huge or because I actually pay attention to what’s going on and am not in a headphone induced dream world.

throwaflyaway18 karma

Yes. Able bodied assistants - ABA’s. If we need help subduing a violent or erratic passenger on the plane and can’t do it on our own, we’d seek you out. We actively look for who our ABA’s will be every flight.

BlueVixensBlur15 karma

Where are your air-masks located?

And some airlines allow to bring babies onto the plane with the same seat as the parent. Where will they get the air from?

throwaflyaway36 karma

The oxygen masks are located above our jumpseats, 1 per occupant of jumpseat. There are also oxygen masks that will drop down from the galley ceiling if we're in a galley and not close to the jumpseat. There's also an oxygen mask in the bathroom which will drop down.

Each row has an extra oxygen mask (so a row of 3 seats will have 4 oxygen masks that drop down) - this is why it is an FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) that we cannot have more than 1 lap child per row, because there aren't sufficient amount of oxygen masks. (Try explaining this to a family with 2 lap children that won't want to be split up, lol)

no_witch_dies15 karma

Is it true you don’t get paid for delays even though you’re there and have to deal with passengers?

also, how did your training change after the event? Did you personally start looking out for stuff more often?

throwaflyaway19 karma

For the second part of your question, i'd refer to the note that I left in the original post - hope you understand!

It is indeed true that we don't get paid during delays on the ground, provided we haven't pushed back from the gate yet. If it's a delay while we're in the plane on the ground and we still haven't pushed back (meaning, plane releases brake and moves) then our clock has not started. This dates back to RLA laws. That means we don't get paid during the boarding process either, which is a bit sucky because the boarding process is the most hectic part of the flight. If we are stuck on the runway in line to take off, then yes, we're credited for those flight hours/minutes.

caniseeyourdogpls14 karma

Wow there’s some really shitty comments on here. I want to say thanks for sharing your experience. I’m a flight attendant but I was just a teenager on 9/11 so obviously I was not flying then. Listening to my senior crew members stories about that day is always horrifyingly fascinating.

Since my comment needs to have a question: what’s your favorite overnight?

throwaflyaway19 karma

Thank you for the kind words -- It's the internet. I understand that there will always be a few comments like that, but no matter. I feel it important to share testimony from our work group, which really is not known outside of the airline community.

Favorite layovers, domestic -- i'd have to say Jackson Hole. A truly breathtaking place! International - It's a tie between Paris and Athens.

StraightCashHomey6913 karma

Does your crew talk shit about annoying passengers, or passengers that you may have found attractive after the passengers have all departed the plane after landing?

throwaflyaway26 karma

Yes. What else is there to talk about? haha.

Holiday_Platypus_52613 karma

Hi!

Could you speak on how exactly you found out about the hijackings?

Also, in a different response you mentioned you're in a larger base (5,000 FAs). Could you give examples of those? I'm assuming ATL, LAX, etc. Any surprising ones?

Thanks.

throwaflyaway37 karma

Sure thing, it was a pretty shocking moment. I worked a flight out to Chicago the night before 9/11. The next morning, I wanted to get to the airport much earlier than my actual check-in time, so I went about an hour early. I was in the flight attendant crew room (where we go for our crew briefings, use the computers to check our schedules, print things out, etc. theres also a place to eat, or lounge and watch tv) in Chicago airport. I got down there shortly after the first plane hit the tower. A lot of people were huddled around the TV with the news on, speculating what could have happened. We mostly just assumed it was some small plane, maybe student pilot, like the narrative on the news was at the time. I went over to the computer area which was just directly adjacent to the lounge area with the TV. I remember having a trip that was scheduled about a week later with a redeye in it that I was desperate to get rid of, so I wanted to see if anybody had picked up my trip yet that I was trying to drop. (remember, this was before smartphones, so I had to be near a computer) Not even 20 minutes had passed and I heard shocking screams and crying coming from the TV/lounge area right next to me. By this point, everyone in the crew room was coming to see what had happened and watching the horror unfolding before our eyes. It was obvious at this point that it wasn't an accident, we were all terrified if it was one of our planes that was involved, and who could be working it -- anyone that we knew? The next few hours were completely hectic and scary. When my crew and I headed over to our gate for check in, the gate agent was already announcing that all flights were cancelled and to go home. Well, we were NY based, in chicago, how do we get back home? We had to wait a while to get hotel rooms in Chicago, and we stayed there until the following Friday, when there was a flight back to NY. Many FA's got together and rented a car to drive back to NY because they wanted to be home so desperately. I stayed at the hotel.

At my airline, there's about 2 really big bases with 4k+ FA's, SFO & EWR. Boston, Honululu, Guam, and Cleveland are pretty small.

Backslasherton13 karma

Is there a dip in passengers on days like this? Or do you see about the same? Also, how are the passengers usually? Do they share in the somberness or are they business as usual?

throwaflyaway31 karma

In recent years, I haven't noticed flights being any emptier on 9/11. The passengers behave and act pretty routinely, business as usual, for the most part. There are always a few (I'd say, generally the older folks) who like to bare witness and talk about the day, inquire about my experience and share a story. I have gotten a really heartfelt note from a passenger to myself and the rest of my crew about their appreciation for us and knowing how hard it must be to work on a day like this. Many acts of kindness out there that make the job worth it even more.

tpeiyn13 karma

Unrelated to 9/11, but:

We are flying Delta with our 2 year old next month. He isn't used to wearing a mask. Do you have any tips? How do you handle it when you have a very young child that won't reliably wear a mask on your flight?

throwaflyaway42 karma

I actually haven't flown a trip since March 2020 - before masks were even mandated on planes! I've been out on a company offered leave, since then, to avoid the need to furlough more junior folks. I'm trying to stay out until after the mask mandate is lifted in (possibly) January -- too many incidents are transpiring because of belligerent antimaskers etc. i'd rather just sit this saga out, frankly. I'm sorry that I don't have any advice to offer you for this particular scenario - best of luck, and hopefully another crew member who's reading this might be able to chime in!

tpeiyn13 karma

The mask violence is ridiculous! I experienced a little bit at work, but nothing like the scenes taking place in planes. It's scary to think you could be trapped with multiple people like that at 35000ft.

throwaflyaway6 karma

I agree. It's another reason why i've kept myself on a leave from flying since March 2020 - once I saw how crazy it is with all of these mask issues and people getting belligerent, I really did not want to return to work under those conditions. I thought that maybe the TSA mask mandate would be lifted this month, as that's when it was set to expire - but it's being extended until January.

lyvanna12 karma

How did you end up as a flight attendant? Is it hard/does it require a lot of education? Is it something that could be conceivably done part time?

throwaflyaway20 karma

There was a 'cow call' in NY at the time, basically a big group interviewing/hiring event. I was very interested in being able to travel but couldn't afford tickets that young. I didn't think much of it, but I went and tried out and was invited to training which was about 7 weeks in Chicago (this was back in '95) The only educational requirement is a high school diploma or GED. Starting out, it might be really hard to work part time unless you're able to find a place that can be very accommodating to your schedule. You're on reserve (on-call) when you start out, so you are at the whim of the company's needs. Once you accrue enough seniority in your base, you can become a line-holder.. this means that you are senior enough to 'hold' your own schedule, you pick your trips, where you want to go, when you want off, etc. and just have much more control over your schedule by dropping/trading trips, picking up trips, etc. If you are a lineholder, you can definitely do this part time. It's a bit trickier on reserve though.

Etti7211 karma

Thank you for doing this AmA, I've read many of your responses and I thought they were truly eye-opening especially from my perspective as an aspiring airline pilot.

One slightly unrelated question: What aircraft types have you worked on and which one do you prefer?

throwaflyaway17 karma

Thank you for your appreciation! It is not a perspective that's heard by most people on this day - i really wanted to shed some light onto it.

I've worked every aircraft in the fleet, even the 747 which we retired a few years ago. The new 787's are really cool and I enjoy that plane a lot, really cool to see the technology in aircraft advance throughout the years and the 787 is a testament to that. I am pretty versatile and don't mind what plane or position i'm working -- I do have to say, though, that I loathe the 737. any variation of it. the galleys are not flight-attendant friendly whatsoever, it's cramped, uncomfortable, the floors are always leaky, it still has girt bars.. it's just a gross plane to me! But that's just my opinion, some folks love working that plane.

edgeplot10 karma

Honest question: It's been 20 years. Why is it hard?

throwaflyaway46 karma

For those of us that lived through that day at work and witnessed the raw emotion and devastation, this day really brings us back. Many of us knew and were good friends with the crew members that were on those flights. Airline crew are very tight knit, we are eachothers family away from home, flying all over the world, exploring new places, working countless hours in a metal tube together with these people that you have to rely on to potentially save your life if things get serious, etc. all build a bond very quickly. So it was very close to home and devastating that members of our own ‘winged family’ were killed. In the initial hours, we didn’t know who the crew members were that perished. The company blocked the schedules of those planes in our system so we couldn’t look up who the working crews were. Flight attendants know each others frequent routes, you know? “Oh god, please don’t tell me that was my friend _____, she always does the morning route to SFO.” It was a lot closer to home than just watching a horrific scene on TV.

beerdweeb9 karma

This isn’t 9/11 related but you said anything! As a crew member, have you ever been nervous on a flight before with turbulence or something otherwise? If so, how was it dealing with the passengers?

throwaflyaway25 karma

Turbulence doesn't make me nervous, so long as i'm strapped into my jumpseat if it's really bumpy. I'd be afraid if I was out in the aisle during bad turbulence, even clear air turbulence, you can be thrown into the ceiling and break your neck. I've been lucky enough all of these years to avoid any serious incidents in the air (knock on wood) once midflight, our right engine blew out, made a pretty loud bang, and I was able to see out of the windows at that exact moment there was some orange flash. I kept myself composed as passengers looked at me (we were doing a beverage service), because you don't want to look afraid, obviously. I calmly walked to the back galley and called the purser to see if the pilots have said anything about it yet. Everything went routine and was well - we were fine flying on one engine, and we were about 30 minutes from landing, thankfully.

biomeddit9 karma

What is your favorite action movie?

throwaflyaway24 karma

I am soooo bad with movies. I'm more of a reader.. I'm a geek for any marvel movie and I remember really liking that one movie with aliens which was pretty action-ey... Independence day I think?

randomly_lit_guy8 karma

I'd like to apologize for some of the offensive comments made here.

  1. Could you tell us if your perspective on life and death changed after 9/11 in any way?
  2. Do you/did you talk to the families of your late friends? What were the first few days after the disaster like?

throwaflyaway15 karma

  1. I was young at the time, you know, you still having that feeling of death being some distant thing. I realized at that young age that our time could be up any day. I remember my parents really wanting me to quit, and I, in my own mind, had to accept that whatever was going to happen to me, would happen. I didn't want to succumb to living my life in fear because of the actions of these evil people.. to feel that they would have this control over my life. Not really a profound, fundamental shift in thinking, just more of a wake up call.
  2. At the time, we had the bases of EWR, to which PHL was a satelite base to. JFK was a separate base (where I was based) to which LGA was a satelite base to. years later, JFK/LGA/EWR all became one base, then we closed JFK, and its just EWR & LGA now, for the NYC area. I wasn't based in EWR back then, so I did not personally know any of those crewmembers that were working the flight out of EWR (or BOS for that matter) not to say that there weren't ever trips with mixed based crews on them, but I never remembered working with any of them. The first few days after the attack were very emotional. We were stranded all over the world in hotels, not knowing when we would get back home. I was stuck in Chicago from Tuesday until the following Friday when there was a flight back to NY. The hotel we stayed at in Chicago was a popular known crew hotel. People would drop off cards, flowers, food, etc. The hotel was loaded with crew so we would all get together just for the support, and frankly, we were all afraid/shocked. It was emotionally draining having to call all of my family to let them know that I was okay (i didnt have a cell back then) That first day back at the airport was surreal - being stripped of anything that was metal.. the ladies' nail files, a cork screw that we all carried for the wine bottles, etc.

FaithInTheFaux6 karma

Favorite airports to have layovers at?

throwaflyaway13 karma

Vancouver (Canada) is a beautiful airport. Great food options at IAH & SFO. I find DEN great for a long sit, plenty of space to lounge somewhere and go on the computer without feeling too crowded. I loathe IAD & ORD.

Semido2 karma

Thanks for doing this AMA!

As a (pre covid) frequent traveller, I have a few questions:

  1. Do you have any tips on making long haul / overnight more comfortable?

  2. Is there any simple way for passengers to make your job easier?

  3. Any tip on successfully dealing with the annoying neighbour in the seat next to me?

  4. Do you usually work with the same people, or is it a completely new crew combination each time?

throwaflyaway10 karma

Thanks for the questions!

Do you have any tips on making long haul / overnight more comfortable?

- If you aren't flying first class, you'll definitely want to bring some of the amenities that are given to pax by default up there on long-hauls. Bring an eye mask so you can get some sleep, your own blanket, water, and some snacks. Being as self-sufficient as possible leads to a much more comfortable flight, rather than relying on someone else to grab a drink for you any time that you're thirsty, hungry, etc. Noise cancelling headphones work wonders, too.

Is there any simple way for passengers to make your job easier?
-Pasting from my previous answer to another comment:
Small ,simple, but appreciated things that you can do on a plane:
-during boarding, rather than block egress of boarding line, just scoot underneath your row while holding your bag before stowing it, just to let maybe 3 or 4 people behind you pass - really expedites the process and prevents a hold up in the boarding line
-if you order coffee, just say how you take it! no need to wait to be prompted by the FA how you take coffee. cream, sugar, etc. Turns the process into a much quicker exchange when you say "coffee, 2 creams 2 sugars please" as opposed to: "Coffee" "how do you take it?" "what?" "how do you take your coffee?" "ummm... in a cup?"
-leave the closed overhead bins closed during boarding. there's usually an FA in the aisle that's closing bins during boarding to indicate that they're completely stuffed with bags, so that helps us gauge about how much space is left and when it's time to ask the gate agent to start gate checking bags. Sometimes it's a lot of work lifting those heavy bins shut - it's heartbreaking to see someone walk down the aisle and open every single one of them, nullifying our closed-bin masterpiece
-just a simple smile and Hello when you walk on! it's actually a work position for an FA to be a "greeter" during boarding. I feel so useless when someone walks on with their headphones and doesn't acknowledge me as I smile and say hi, haha!

Any tip on successfully dealing with the annoying neighbour in the seat next to me?

-Oh boy. It is the worst if you end up sitting next to someone that annoys you. If there are open seats throughout the cabin, you could ask the flight attendant if it's ok for you to switch to that seat. Explain why. There generally shouldn't be a problem unless it would be a higher class/cost of seat that you're moving to (premium economy, first class, etc.) and still, explain anyway your situation. A flight attendant might empathize and decide, screw it, you can sit there (even though we're not allowed to let someone sit in a higher class unless they pay - but some would turn a blind eye)
Do you usually work with the same people, or is it a completely new crew combination each time?

- It's a new crew combination per trip, meaning, if its a 3 day trip, you'll typically stick with that same crew all 3 days. You have some days off, start another trip, and it's a new crew. We're all awarded a schedule of flights, referred to as "lines" every month, depending on the type of line, there are about 3 to 5 positions on the line that are awarded to flight attendants who would presumably fly together all month. However, our schedule is extremely flexible, so most of us end up trading out of certain trips, dropping them, picking up other trips, etc. to fit our own personal schedule. Over the years, you of course become familiar with all the crew members you've flown with and you can fly with them frequently as time goes in. Very small bases are especially tight-knit, with only 200-400 flight attendants, they're like a family that all know eachother. I'm in a larger base, over 5,000 flight attendants, I have plenty of friends i've made over the years through flying with eachother, but it isn't rare for me to meet someone new on the crew. there's constant movement - people transferring in and out from other bases, new hires, etc. It's a really nice aspect of this job. you work with someone that you're not crazy about? no worries. it isnt likely that you'll have to go to work with them again on the next trip.. and if you do, you can trade out of/drop the trip!

RayBun41 karma

If I offered my flight attendants something like, some candy that's wrapped, can you take it? And if so how often does a passenger do that?

throwaflyaway3 karma

We can, sure! Plenty of thoughtful passengers bring on boxes of chocolates, little gift bags (with things like hand sanitizer, starbucks giftcard, etc.) it's always very appreciated and a great way to get spoiled by your flight attendants. We'll hook you up throughout the flight, usually!

VinniTheP00h1 karma

Excuse my ignorance (non-American here), but could you explain the proof? Are those some sort of badges only given to the people directly involved with 9/11?

throwaflyaway3 karma

sure thing - and no, there are no such “9/11” badges. They are simply lapel pins given out by the airlines to crew members on 9/11 anniversary- the one on the left was the first one that we got in 2002, and the one on the right is to commemorate this years 20th anniversary. I wanted to include as much ‘proof’ as possible in the picture, so I felt it was fitting to have those pins there. not that pins are any definitive proof by any means, lol - just felt it was a way to commemorate today’s date as well.

aquaponic0 karma

Do you have any insights on: How come the pilots did not protect the cockpit? Why was it that the former military trained pilots were overrun by these terrorists? (I know-hard to answer, but it seems that all 4 of the flights had their cockpit overrun. Statistics alone would make me think that one or more would have been able to stand up to the attackers). Thanks and I’m sorry for your very significant loss. We all lost an amazing amount 20 years ago.

throwaflyaway6 karma

I don't have any doubt that the pilots fought for control, any pilot would. It really is one of those things that we will never know the answer to definitively. Many say that they had box cutters - and when probably more than 1 person is coming at you with box cutters in a cramped space like a cockpit, how quickly could one be subdued? Passenger and crew calls from the plane convey that the hijackers claimed to have bombs on them - could this have compelled the pilots to comply to the extent that they did, if they did? We really won't ever know. I hate to think about what they went through. Thank you for the kind words.

tedlovesme-13 karma

[deleted]

throwaflyaway4 karma

I will paste my response to a similar comment:

Apologies if that is how this post comes off - certainly not made to be strictly about me. Every 9/11, I often feel that the perspective of crew members are rarely heard about. I'd like to use this as an opportunity to convey, on behalf of my entire work group, what this day is like for some, what crew members went through, how various crew members were stuck all over the country for days while airspace was closed down, the terror of watching the TV in the crew room and wondering, "which of my coworkers were on that plane?" It is a part of history that's rarely heard on this day.

Hatrick_Swaze-97 karma

Why is flying turning into such a racial battlefield? It should be an enjoyable, exciting time in a persons life...but its not. I put most of that on the bad stewards and stewardesses of the airlines. You know exactly what I mean.

throwaflyaway36 karma

Hmm.. racial battlefield? I actually don't know what you mean. I haven't, in my experience, witnessed anything particularly noticeable when it comes to racism on the planes.

There is a huge uptick in violence in travel currently due to mask drama -- customers refusing to comply with the mandate. Drunk passenger incidents have also become more frequent. But i'm very curious for you to elaborate more about this -- especially since you put that on the crew.

Are you insinuating the crew encourages/harbors racist atmosphere on planes? We're a super diverse work group so I strongly disagree with that. In any case, like every job, there are bad apples. Most of the people I've worked with have a great disposition.

Travel can definitely get stressful, especially everything leading up to even getting on the plane (waiting through security lines, less-than-friendly TSA officers in certain airports, running to your gate, attempting to navigate a new airport while it's crowded, etc.) by the time folks get on the plane, they're a bit exhausted and anxious. I go out of my way to try and make my passengers feel welcome and at ease. Whether it's with a welcoming smile, asking how their day is, inquiring about their travel -- anything to put them at ease and feel relaxed. Happy flight and all goes right!

vesperzen-112 karma

How good are Bagel Bites?

throwaflyaway50 karma

Apologies if that is how this post comes off - certainly not made to be strictly about me. Every 9/11, I often feel that the perspective of crew members are rarely heard about. I'd like to use this as an opportunity to convey, on behalf of my entire work group, what this day is like for some, what crew members went through, how various crew members were stuck all over the country for days while airspace was closed down, the terror of watching the TV in the crew room and wondering, "which of my coworkers were on that plane?" It is a part of history that's rarely heard on this day.