Pax shares Poopie Baby Story

Airplane Window View of Clouds

In ATL waiting to board a flight back to ORD. A passenger waiting for the same flight tells me this a story about one of our new young flight attendants.

There was a baby on one of our new CRJ jets from ORD to ATL that pooped in its diaper. Well, the new flight attendant donned a mask. She then offered all the passengers masks. She took out the hazmat bag to collect the stinky diaper. She then left the hazmat bag sealed with the diaper in the setback pocket of this poor embarrassed mother who did not speak much english.

Can you imagine?



What would a mask do to stop a poopie diaper smell?

Why leave the stinky diaper with the Mom in a hazmat bag?



The funny thing is the flight attendant did the right thing. She followed the procedures in the manual. These are guidelines.



Commonsense ? No!



Definitely hilarious!



Usually parents are trying to hid the diaper in toilet wastebin. Then we flight attendants are trying to find the source of the smell that is floating through the cabin.



Parents if you are flying and have to change your baby. Please wrap and tie the diaper up in plastic bag then put it in the wastebin.

Am I checked in?

Due to the times in which we live the air travel industry changes very rapidly on a daily basis.

There was a time when air travelers would purchase paper tickets from a travel agent or ticket agent. Then they would take their paper tickets and check-in with an agent for a boarding pass. There were one or two ways to check-in for a flight.

Today, the technology advances have changed the check-in process. There are more ways to check-in for a flight now. One can use a computer, cellphone, or other handheld device to visit an airline website, for example www.aa.com. You can check -in for your flight up to 24 hours in advance. The latest a passenger can check-in is usually an hour prior to their flight departure time. Every airline is different so check their website or call customer service.



You can also check-in at the airport on a Self-Service machine or kiosk. Some airports have these machines. It a computer screen that is similar to the check-out machine at a grocery store or a bank ATM. You touch the screen and swipe your mileage card, credit card or passport to get your electronic flight reservation.



Checking-in for your flight allows you select a language for instructions, to get your boarding pass, change your seat, check your luggage, add your mileage account number. Some airline websites have tutorials on how to use the Check-in Machines.

For example, go to www.aa.com then look for the search box at the top of the page. Enter the words "check-in tutorial". This will take you the webpage Traveler Information FAQs- Self-Service Check-in. There is advice on airline websites to help you get checked-in faster. They can be a great resource of information.



If you are elderly or not comfortable with computers, ask a family member or a friend to help you get checked-in for your flight and print your boarding pass. This is a good idea if you rarely fly.



Some airports have curb-side check-in. You pull your car up to the departures area at the airport. You unload your luggage and a skycap helps you by checking you in, tagging your luggage and giving you your boarding pass. Then you have one line left which is the security line. This service is great for those who can't deal with computers.



The airports are busy with passengers now because the holiday travel season is coming. The increase in the number of passengers and noise can be overwhelming. I have worked a customer service agent, ticket agent, gate agent, and a baggage handler. I have seen passengers get confused and stand in the wrong lines for  hours. Some people just cannot figure out how to get to their bags checked or their tickets changed.



Ask ! Ask! Ask!

1. Are you a customer service agent?

2. Is this the line to check my luggage?

3. Is this the line to change my ticket?

4. Is there another line which is shorter?

5. Where are other self-service check-in machines located?



Tip: American Airlines at O'Hare Airport has Self-Service Check-in machines located at the baggage claim level. Passengers rarely use these machines. If you are taking the blue line to the airport, stop at the baggage claim level to grab your boarding pass if you only have carry-on luggage. Then go up one more level to get in the security line.



If you can, guide your elderly family members or friends in using the self-service machine, checking-in their luggage, guide them to the security line. Share with them the info on the airline website. Talk with them about the changes in flying. So that they will be more comfortable with the process.



See you in the air!

Connecting with Eat Pray Love in Paris!

 Residence 22 rue de Naples, Paris, France

After my flying the Detroit Shuttle yesterday, I decided to stop downtown to catch the movie Eat  Pray Love.  No I have not read the book yet. I know most people read the book and then see the movie. Well I am different. I am seeing the movie first then I will read the book.

I connected with Julia Roberts character Liz on so many levels.

My first connection was with the box. Her box of dreams, Liz collected photos and articles of all the places she wanted to visit.

I started creating my box of dreams after my sophomore year of high school. My sister and I were unable to go to Paris for spring break with Madame Susan Tartare's French class from Luther South. This was my defining moment to start collecting everything I could about Paris.  I began collecting the Chicago Tribune and Suntimes  Travel Section. I read travel articles about Paris. I watched the airfares and followed the currency (french franc).  Each time that Madame Susan Tartare show our french class about a film about Paris or France, I visualized myself there. This created a burning desire so deep inside of me. I focused on my dream for the seven years during high school and college.

The second connection I had with Liz was her description of feeling dead, no pulse. The experience of travel definitely brings one alive. That is the reason for me being a flight attendant. I feel alive when I view the beauty of earth from above. I feel alive when I interact with people of other cultures. I feel alive when I hear the languages of other tongues. Something resonates within my soul. I come alive. I feel the emotions of the languages spiritually connecting within me.

My third connection with Liz was that she was a woman traveling solo. I left my home two days after I graduated from Mundelein College to fly to Paris. I left solo. I did not know anyone in Paris. The only thing I knew was where I would be living for the next year. I had no friends, no job, nothing but my dreams. I chose to live at L'UNCF which is similar to a YWCA.


Please enjoy the photos from my return to Paris in October 2009.

The street where I lived as a student in Paris. 

Naples Residence
Restaurant
Unionist
Library

Christian Union of Young Women

Doorway

Shop near the residence

Bakery where I shopped as a student.

Bakery

Pastries

Mother holding french bakery bread

Butcher Shop near Naples Residence

Mother and son shopping at the Butcher

Courcelles Blvd

Signs pointing to the St Lazare Train Station

Metro Sign

Woman going into the Metro

Villiers Metro Sign near Naples Residence

Monceau Hotel near Naples Residence

My Favorite Retreat in Paris: Monceau Park

Monceau Park Entrance

Monceau Park

These are photos from my walk to Parc Monceau or Park Monceau which is walking distance from the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris Hotel. I spent days there jogging or walking when I was a student living there in Paris.

Sculpture at Monceau Park

Allee Jacques Garnerin Monceau Park

Allee Jacques Garnerin Monceau Park

Women feeding birds

Birds at the Pond

Pond

Parc de Monceau 1861

Monceau Park Gateway

Monceau Park Rotunda

Monceau Park Pond

Monceau Park Pond

Mothers and children at Monceau Park

Man walking with an umbrella at Monceau Park

Pyramid at Monceau Park

Monceau Metro

Paris My First Love

Eiffel Tower

After twenty-five years I have the opportunity to return to Paris. I accepted the invitation to accompany an old high friend. This is one invitation I could not turn down.Paris is one of my favorite cities. My love affair with Paris started when I was in high school.

I began studying French during my sophomore year. I went to live in Paris after I graduated from college and received my B.A. in French Language and Culture. These photos are from where I lived as a student in Paris. The photos are of the Eiffel Tower and River Seine.

Why did I become a flight attendant?

Arc de Trimophe

My mother took my sisters and I to New York when I was twelve years old. That experience created my desire to fly. I love the thrill of the take off and landing. My sisters were frightened by the engine noise and movement. It felt to me like a roll coaster ride.

It took me a lifetime to begin my career as a flight attendant. I applied after graduating high school and during college without success. I never gave up on my dream to fly. I finally became a flight attendant in 2007 for American Eagle Airlines. I am based out of Chicago O’Hare Airport. I fly domestically on the Regional Jets.

What does an airline look for in a Flight Attendant?
I would recommend having strong customer service skills and communication skills.

What is the schedule of a Flight Attendant?
You must be willing to move to another city, work weekends, holidays and long days.

Is there an age limit on becoming a flight attendant?
U.S. Airlines can no longer discriminate by age. You can be any age and apply to be hired as a flight attendant.

What is the beginning salary of a flight attendant?
Beginning flight attendants salaries vary by airline. The range can be $12,000 to $18,000 for new hires. Some airlines pay for training, others do not pay. It is a good idea to have some money saved up if possible to help you through basic training and moving to another city after training.

Written by Janice Temple Robinson