Holiday Schedule.
Year Two. Month Eight. #SLC.
The Holidays are upon us.
The feasting. The presents. The families. The drama. The fiascos.
There is no better example of a microcosm of holiday stress and chaos than your local airport.
And guess who gets to be there to witness it all.
Your local flight attendant.
Each November, cabin crew worldwide hold their collective breath and await the release of the December schedule or roster. And around November 20th, cabin crew everywhere are either cheering and making holidays plans ...or wringing their hands and begging colleagues to take their Christmas Eve trips.
It's half scheduling expertise and half luck, but it's what we all signed up for.
The last year and a half I've been lucky.
My first Memorial Day and Labor Day I had off. I worked on Halloween, but with my favorite crew, so it didn't feel like work. Thanksgiving of last year I was only assigned a late evening turn, so I left my Friendsgiving right after turkey and got back in time for pie. My first Christmas as a flight attendant? Five days off, and yep, I flew standby home to Wisconsin. Holiday win.
This year I had a line so I bid to have my birthday and pretty much every holiday off ...and I got it.
So Christmas was going to be a breeze, right?
Wrong.
My schedule for December this year is not the lucky type. I spent so much time of my bid, but it just didn't work. A San Francisco turn on Christmas Eve and a Palm Springs turn on Christmas morning. And a ton of standups sprinkled in there, just for fun.
Ugg.
Right now, I'm sitting in the crew lounge in Salt Lake City and staring at these cute-but-sort-of-endearingly-cheap holiday decorations that someone has put up. The sky is grey. I'm exhausted because I flew into Salt Lake City at 6:40am this morning to rejoin my trip. Last night, because of a bizarre and complicated airplane mechanical issue I was released from duty early. I had been bummed because I was missing a Seattle friend's birthday, but because of the unexpected night off, I was now able to go.
This job is crazy.
But your days off will happen. Eventually. Sometimes unexpectedly. Your weekends will land on a Tuesday. Your birthday (and those of friends and family) will be celebrated not quite on the exact day.
And holidays. Holidays happen when they happen.
So whether you are planning on celebrating Hanukkah a few days late, Christmas a couple days early, or New Year's Eve in an airplane at 34,000 feet, don't worry.
We're all there with you.
Happy Holidays!
The Holidays are upon us.
The feasting. The presents. The families. The drama. The fiascos.
 |
| Did you get the schedule you were dreaming of? Or did December leave you out in the cold? |
There is no better example of a microcosm of holiday stress and chaos than your local airport.
And guess who gets to be there to witness it all.
Your local flight attendant.
Each November, cabin crew worldwide hold their collective breath and await the release of the December schedule or roster. And around November 20th, cabin crew everywhere are either cheering and making holidays plans ...or wringing their hands and begging colleagues to take their Christmas Eve trips.
 |
| Schedule bidding, quarterly recurrent training, ugg. Grown up homework. |
It's half scheduling expertise and half luck, but it's what we all signed up for.
The last year and a half I've been lucky.
My first Memorial Day and Labor Day I had off. I worked on Halloween, but with my favorite crew, so it didn't feel like work. Thanksgiving of last year I was only assigned a late evening turn, so I left my Friendsgiving right after turkey and got back in time for pie. My first Christmas as a flight attendant? Five days off, and yep, I flew standby home to Wisconsin. Holiday win.
This year I had a line so I bid to have my birthday and pretty much every holiday off ...and I got it.
So Christmas was going to be a breeze, right?
Wrong.
 |
| My face when I find out I'm doing a Palm Springs turn on Christmas morning. |
Ugg.
Right now, I'm sitting in the crew lounge in Salt Lake City and staring at these cute-but-sort-of-endearingly-cheap holiday decorations that someone has put up. The sky is grey. I'm exhausted because I flew into Salt Lake City at 6:40am this morning to rejoin my trip. Last night, because of a bizarre and complicated airplane mechanical issue I was released from duty early. I had been bummed because I was missing a Seattle friend's birthday, but because of the unexpected night off, I was now able to go.
This job is crazy.
 |
| Last year, I brought Thanksgiving to my co-workers. Cranberry bread and smiles! |
And holidays. Holidays happen when they happen.
So whether you are planning on celebrating Hanukkah a few days late, Christmas a couple days early, or New Year's Eve in an airplane at 34,000 feet, don't worry.
We're all there with you.
 |
| Hot chocolate at home on a day that's not quite Christmas ... but it's close enough. <3 |
Happy Holidays!
Love your post as always Celessa! <3 Leslie T.
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