Tribute to the Best Flight Attendant Blogs

Flight Attendant, Hostie, Flight Comfort Engineer, Stewie, Pilot Nanny.

Whatever you call them, flight attendants are some of the most under-appreciated people in travel.  Most work long, difficult hours, away from home and family for slim wages.  Over the years the Fighting Couple has literally interacted with hundreds of flight attendants.  We are grateful for their kindness, and in light of the brave attendants of  flight Asiana Flight 214 that recently crashed in San Francisco, we are also thankful for the preparation to handle flight emergencies.

In a tribute to these men and women, we want to highlight a few really fun flight attendant blogs that we follow.   Each brings a unique perspective of the realities of a really difficult career.

#Crewlife Speak

Ok…before we share these great blogs with you, we need to do some training on how to read stewie blogs.  Flight attendants have their own language, here are a few must know phrases:

PAX = Passenger

Crosscheck = Occasionally heard as “disarm your doors and crosscheck,” often announced by the lead flight attendant as the plane approaches the jetway. This is to verify disarming of the emergency escape slides attached to the doors. When armed, a slide will automatically deploy the instant its door is opened.  This would be bad.

All Call = This is kind of a flight attendant conference call.  Attendants in each of the sections on the plane receive instructions from the purser, pilot or lead.

FA or F/A = Flight attendant.

ATC = Air traffic control

Blue room = The lavatory

Deadhead =(can be used as a verb or noun) This refers to a flight attendant that is traveling to another airport for the sole purpose of another on-duty assignment.

Crashpad = An often austere apartment shared with other flight attendants or pilots.

The Flying Pinto

The Flying Pinto!

The Fighting Couple is especially partial to one particular blog, our friend Sara Pinto Keagle: The Flying Pinto.    Besides being an active flight attendant, she is an author, advocate, podcaster and media personality.  Anyone that is considering becoming a flight attendant or signing up for flight attendant training should read her book and visit her blog’s flight attendant career center.  Flying Pinto’s site includes the ins and out of how to enter the business, hints on how to survive, and a good dose of humor.

What we love most about the Pinto is the voice she maintains consistently on the blog.  You feel like you have a friend in the friendly skies.  Most of all we LOVE the Flying Pinto’s Mission:  “To bridge the communication gap between flight attendants and their passengers and therefore create a more pleasant inflight experience for everyone.”  Cool huh?

The Flying Pinto was one of our celebrity judges for the best dress “flight attendants” post.  Check it out!

A Little Comedy in the Cabin 

The next blog we want to feature presents the lighter side of flight attending: Reserve Flight Attendant Life.  The site is a collection of posts in the form of memes and tumblrs.  Some of these are a little inside baseball talk, but quite a few are hilarious!  One of our favorites:

Crashpads and Crewlife

Heather Poole

The flight attendant blog with one of the largest followings is Heather Poole.  Heather authored the book, “Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet.”  She was recently featured in the LA Times, discussing the decline in courtesy in air travel.    Her blog features some of the highs and lows of flight attending.  From an outsiders view, one of the more interesting sections is the “Crew Confessions” section.  Heather shares emails, (most anonymous) with rants about the “crewlife,”  These candid snippets give real insight to just how difficult the crew life really is.  So be nice to the stews!

So what is one of the biggest complaints from flight attendants?  Luggage!  PAXers trying to cram too big of a case into the compartment.  Are you looking for great holdalls with wheels?  Visit Direct Luggage online for the best selection of luggage for you next flight.

Altitude with Attitude

Buckle up for our next featured blogger: Shawn Kathleen- The Sassy Stew.  You guessed it from the name, this blog has a little kick.  This self proclaimed “know it all” offers an edgy conversation on passengers, crew life and other timely travel topics.  At times, the Stew comes down pretty hard on us humble PAXers.   Featured articles include:  “How Not to be an A**hole When Traveling with Children” and “Dear Passengers, Here are the Answers to ALL of Your (Dumb-A**) Inflight Questions!” Most article’s are not for the faint of heart.  Are you ready for some Crewlife with a little sass?

A View for the Top

Our final feature is the stewie blog that we would have if we were flight attendants.  Definitely one of the greatest perks of a career in FA is seeing the planet without being in the Navy or sharing your marital disharmony online for the rest of the world to read.    Check out: Travels & Tales of a Flight Attendant.  It is another blogger that chooses to use Tumblr.  What we like most about reading this blog…is that we don’t have to read it!  The pictures featured  are  wonderful snapshots of the aviation world.  She…we say she, because this blogger is anonymous, has a real eye for photography.  The follower is given a first hand view of sights around the globe.  Amazing!

We hope that you give these handful of bloggers a follow.  And next time that you fly the friendly skies, thank a flight attendant!

Oh…and one more thing…please return your seat back to its original upright position.  Flight attendants prepare for cross check.