Flight attendant experiences 40 years of ups and downs in aviation
This piece uses an alias and does not name the airline to protect the flight attendant’s identity.
For some people, flying is a chore. For others, it’s a passion. For Susan Smith, it’s both. Smith is a flight attendant who has been working for the same airline for 40 years. She’s traveled to dozens of countries, met countless people and experienced the joys and challenges of being in the sky.
Smith started her career as a teacher, but she had always been fascinated by flying. She applied to the airline company two years before she got an interview, and she decided to give it a try. Soon, Smith said she became hooked by the flexibility, the camaraderie and the service-oriented nature of the job.
“We call it jump seat therapy,” Smith said. “You sit on the jump seat and you become almost instantaneous friends. It’s real funny. It’s fairly easy to talk to everybody, because the people that choose to be a flight attendant all want to be a help of some kind.”
Smith has seen many changes in the industry over the years, from security measures to technology upgrades. She said she often mediates between bickering passengers, and they typically resolve their issues long before the flight lands. But Smith has also dealt with unexpected events, such as passengers fainting onboard and hitting their heads on the galley.
“In all the years that I've been on, if we’ve had a medical emergency, I've never had anybody not pop up and say ‘Hey, I have medical experience,’ ‘Hey, I'm a doctor,’ ‘Hey, I'm an ER nurse,’” Smith said. “The gratitude that you feel for these people to step up and help you out and help somebody that they don't even know is just amazing.”
Best of all, Smith said she enjoys exploring the world and learning about different cultures. She’s traveled to many places in Europe, Asia, South America and Canada. She loves Italy for its history and beauty, London for its “hustle and bustle” and Peru for its hospitality.
“Every place you go, you can look for the charm of each city and country,” Smith said. “But one thing I’ve noticed is that wherever you go, people are busy working, busy visiting, busy going out to eat. We’re all the same, which I love.”
During the flight, Smith said she’s noticed people watch both older movies and new releases, even back-to-back. She recommended comfortable clothes and bringing layers, even though she said you can always ask a flight attendant to change the temperature.
“The biggest complaint we get is ‘Oh, it's too cold in here,”’ Smith said. “And feel free to loosen your laces if your feet swell, but please don’t take your shoes off!”
Mealtime is Smith’s least favorite part of the flight – not because of the food (which she confirmed flight attendants do eat) – but because of the 200-pound meal cart she must push up and down the aisles.
“I don’t think people know how heavy that thing is,” Smith said, laughing.
The veteran flight attendant said people also don’t often recognize that the crew works for 15 or 16 hours at a stretch.
“You don’t show your fatigue because you’re there to serve your passengers, but many don’t realize that you’ve been on duty for much longer than they might think,” Smith said.
As she gears up for her next time onboard, Smith said travelers should remember to hydrate (with water, not alcohol, as she specified), and to follow all safety instructions, even the seat belt signs. She said she loves her job and continues to feel grateful for the many unique experiences.
“I would definitely recommend this as a career,” Smith said. “It’s exciting. Everybody’s got places to go.”