Coffee

I'm feeling a bit snarky about my coffee these days. I've been flying into airports where a good cup of coffee is impossible to find. What's that all about? It's not like there aren't good brands out there. I dream about a strong, flavorful, aromatic brew served with fresh milk or cream. Is that too much to ask? Clearly it can be.

At times I roll the dice and buy a cup only to find they have no fresh milk, only little cups of radiated cream. When I ask the counter folks for milk they roll their eyes but usually pull out a gallon container of milk. This makes me wonder if I'm the only person asking for fresh milk.

On wide bodies at S-CO they have these marvelous espresso machines that serve up a flavorful and strong espresso or cappuccino.  Be still my heart. That machine is enough to  keep me bidding the 777 until retirement.  If I could, but alas I'm on reserve. At the mercy of coffee vendors around the country. 

 I find everyone has a preference for their morning beverage. While I like a strong bitter brew, some like a lighter blond flavor, while others prefer a medium roast. We all agree though that the coffee must be fresh and served properly.  The vessel it's served in can make or break your cup of joe.  A heated ceramic cup is the first choice and a paper cup is the next best thing. Styrofoam should never be used because it imparts a nasty taste to both tea and coffee.  The current styrofoam cups came with the Starbucks coffee S-UA once brewed. We were told due to the high brewing temperature styrofoam was needed so that customers could hold the cups. In First/ Business Class we have a terrific mug which when heated holds a good amount of coffee and makes a terrific presentation. Now if only we could upgrade the economy cups. Either that or install espresso machines on every airplane. Frankly I'm leaning towards that idea.

I don't know about you but a good cup of java really starts my day off right so if we must drink our coffee on the go could we please have a flavorful brew with fresh milk, cream and paper cups?  I'll be less cranky.......I promise.

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The Erudite Vernacular of Bohemians, Aristocrats and Flight Attendants

Flying to and from Florida has it's challenges. Full planes, too many bags and short boarding times all come together to produce the inevitable Passenger without a seat. Just this morning after such a challenging boarding scenario we were trying to close the door when Chad and I both came to the same conclusion, "We have a strap-hanger" I said about the same time he mumbled to the agent "I think we have a spinner". Both he and the agent looked at me and said "Strap-hanger?" While I said "Spinner?". We laughed, corrected the situation, closed the door and proceeded to Tampa. 

We spent the rest of the flight comparing  the Vernacular of two different airlines.

Inevitably when you put f/as together they talk about everything from romance to business. In between bits and pieces of operational jargon comes to the surface of the conversation. At times we stare at one another baffled trying to figure out exactly what the other person is talking about. When it all becomes clear and then we walk around repeating what we've just heard "A Stew?" or "Spinner?".  Eventually we will all speak the same language, but for now there is something so sweet about learning new jargon for the things we're all familiar with.

Stew Kit/ Inflight Service Kit

Id/ Pairing

Extra Stew/ Load

Purser, A Stew/ Lead or Inflight Service Coordinator/ ISM or  International Service Manager

Crew Desk/ Scheduling / Crew Coordination

Standby/ Airport Alert

Mailbox/ Vfile

Bunkie/ IRP /International Relief Pilot

Strap hanger/ Spinner ( PAX w/out seat)

Dirty Book/ Log book write up

IAH/ Mecca

Domicile/ Base

I've also noticed S-UA says 57 or 47 when referring to aircraft, S-CO says Seven 3 or Seven 5.

I'm sure I'll add plenty more to the list in the days to follow.

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Paperwork

Change is difficult. Human beings fight change whenever it threatens to enter our lives. Airline mergers fall into this catorgery. It seems the minute we've grown accustomed to the new procedures they change something else and we are back where we started.
 The day will start out like any other and then the agent hands you a piece of paper you've never seen before. On one of my last trips at S-UA the Captain was handed a small white piece of paper called Reconciliation Totals.  He looked at me and inquired "What am I supposed to do with this?" "Got me " was my reply. We closed the door and pushed.
On the other hand, once I arrived at S-CO, one of the first questions I was asked was" Why do the S-UA agents keep asking me if I want an IBS?"
Folks, I'm here to tell you.......yes! You want an IBS and you want a "Reconciliation Totals".
The perfect airline would have both. ;-)
An IBS is the end all to be all. What is an IBS you ask? It's an Inflight Briefing Sheet. All the info you need for your entire day, every leg of your trip/pairing is in the IBS.

Flight attendant and pilot names, seniority and file/employee numbers, and all meal info for any crew member on each leg. The origination and destination of each flight and FAA minimums.

Flight specific information such as boarding times, configuration of the aircraft,  planned load and stand-bys. Also special equipment, special passengers and inflight entertainment information are included thus taking all the guess work out of deciding what to play on the video system.

Also noted are galley and liquor boarding info, Milage Plus miles, and cabin maintenance issues.

As an added plus if your layover hotel or van changes it will be noted on the IBS. 

Honestly the first few trips I flew at S-CO I was lost without it. Sam, I need an IBS.


The Reconcilliation Totals comes in handy. Picture this, your working an all nighter, it's full and several wheel chairs were boarded 6 hours ago........do you remember how many? Do you trust the manifest? By golly no, at s-UA you check with each passenger listed at a WCHR asking if they still need a wheel chair at the destination. Sometimes you order the right number but other times you sit on the plane with the passenger waiting for the wheelchair you missed. Well the RT breaks down the numbers in the cabin, laps, kids , wheelchairs and umnrs.  How cool is that? I think, if we can have both on each flight, we can conquer the world or at least have the tools to do a terrific job. Because really isn't that what it's all about? Being the best in the business by having combined our acquired knowledge to make life at work a breeze. 

As always, CO and UA folks, please comment if something is askew.
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It's not always a bed of Roses.....

Or a bowl of blackberries,

Or a day at the beach.

When you no longer can fly with your best buds

 and everyone is a stranger

 and you begin to feel like a fish out of water

 and your wishing all the newness would go away.

When you arrive at the airport and recognize no one and your trying to make sense of the paper work, vernacular and the computer system it can be daunting. 

But then you check-in at the duty desk your greeted with a warm smile. Someone from a recent trip says Hi, gives you a hug and asks how it's going and suddenly it starts to feel OK.

You report to the airplane and realize it's all the same.The differences are your making new friends, visiting new places and learning new tricks.

I have realized, it isn't all about the money, flexibility and pension. It's also about adventure, conquering your fears and meeting the challenges you encounter when changing your life.

All text and photos are property of Cross Checked and may not be used without permission.