Toothaches, old friends, jumpseats, and the state of the industry
02-23-2008, 09:03 PM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 2,889
Toothaches, old friends, jumpseats, and the state of the industry
Recently I had an experience that could have been out and out awful, but it really wasn’t. I thought I’d share a few thoughts as to why. Last week I got the first toothache I ever had in my life. I worked a few days through it to see if it was something that would ease with time, but a few days into it I realized I need help. So I went to a local dentist who informed me that A) I needed a root canal on a back tooth and B) she didn’t do them. So…she referred me to an specialist who would see me….in about 2 and a half weeks. I relayed that news to an old friend when he called to shoot the breeze, and he reminded me his father was a very experienced dentist…near Cleveland, Ohio. Hmmm…. “could he help me” I asked? It was 8:30 a.m. on a Thursday. A short phone call later the answer was “yes…he’ll see you at 4:30 tomorrow”. I then called his dad who changed the appointment to “whenever you get here…” Nice to have good friends with good dads! (We cannot control those things---that is NOT the moral of this story. Keep reading…)
Now…trying to figure out how to get 2 hops offline in 18 hours to get somewhere isn’t impossible, but its daunting. However…as this is going on…we are starting a two day rain storm that will start with a tornado warning and end with 14 inches of rain two days later. For the first time in almost 10 years at this address, my oldest daughter and I cleared out our “safe closet” and stood ready to dive in if we heard a tornado. There were funnel clouds overhead, but none (thankfully) touched down. Once the all clear sounded, off to the airport I went hoping for a flight to go through ATL to CLE on mother Delta. No such luck…the ASA flights were cancelled. But my friends at Pinnacle were delayed and still boarding. I needed some luck, and some help from a hometown gate agent, to get through security and get onboard in time, but made it into MEM that evening. A gate agent actually had to go back to security to let me in…there was nobody at the gate to do a boarding pass. (Lucky break # 1—due to a kind-hearted gate agent). Got to MEM and BS’d in the hub with some FDX folks, then hopped an A300 to CLE. Figured flying in the middle of the night into the snow to go to get a root canal was about as bad as you could have it, until I found out another 727 F/O jumping on the same flight was off to a grandmother’s funeral. The weather at both MEM and CLE had us very late, and I had changed my appointment (too optimistically) to 0830. However, that same guy took me in his car to the rental car center saving me time, effort, and a long wait in the cold. What could have been a miserable half hour was a lot easier…again…with the help of a friend.
Off to the dentist…35 minutes away. Mapquest rocks, and rolled in only :05 late and got to work. I am starting to understand why people hate aging. You do what you think is right…and you still fall apart. The doctor “killed off” a dying tooth and covered it in some plastic. It doesn’t hurt…but it ain’t living anymore either. I guess all our pieces and parts eventually follow suit.
A nice post op lunch with the doc afterwards, its time to cruise towards CAK airport for my exit out. Airtran offers a seat, but there’s an ASA or Comair flight leaving about 2 hours prior that MIGHT let me connect home. The flight is grossly oversold, as several flights have canceled. My sleep total in the last 24 hours is about 2 hours, so I quietly doze as the gate agent calls for volunteers. He is hounded, pestered, and is obviously upset he cannot do more to get the flight off on time AND take care of the passengers. And he’s solo…for about 2 hours. Eventually…he makes a party of four give up their seats. After the last passenger boards, I ask him about the next flight—if it is also oversold. He says “yes”…but then says “wait one second”. With 4 pax gone, his weight restriction is now okay, and he say “GO!”. I haven’t said one word to this guy prior—not “have a nice day”, “how you doin’?, or anything. I’m a sleep deprived zombie with Novocain wearing off, and probably look like hell. But—I’m an airline guy—and he is trying all he can to help me out. So off to ATL I go…shocked to be on the jet and out of the snowy north.
Next its Atlanta. Anyone who’s been on the D gates knows that asking for favor there is sometimes not so easy. I show up at a gate for PFN…my hometown. The ASA/Delta gals working the gates are swamped with folks…I sat in a chair for over an hour and never saw them get to move away even for a moment before the next customer was there pleading. The same rain system that pummeled my hometown had ATL a mess. I really thought I was good for 24 hours there or a rental car…no chance of flying home. When I approached the agent during a lull, she researched about 5 flights for me, informing me that this flight was a low chance of having a seat, but there were 3 flights to VPS that night and even listed me on one with no other jumpseaters. She was busy—didn’t have to do it—but I was an airline guy—and she really tried to help. When I went from D to C by the time I got there I was bumped off the jumpseat by a DAL captain. He was there, and quite apologetic, as was the agent. I told them (in all seriousness) not a problem—take care of your own—I’ll get home eventually. We made some small talk and shared a few tales of our last few days dealing with the weather and why we were here. The agent told me there were some missed connections…so I had a chance at a seat and she’d list me as a standby. Considering how hard it had been just to get this far on the trip…I was thrilled. I brought one of the gate agents a coke, took a seat, and tried to sleep. Then the Delta captain came up and said he had been able to list himself as a jumper on the next flight, and said I could take this one and get home. He knew I had to drive to PFN, and he said he had someone picking him up when he got to VPS. I was blown away by the generous act, but before I could even offer anything he wished me well and went to another gate. The flight boarded…I ended up with a seat in back…and got home that night. So…instead of being a tired, miserable commuter with a toothache when I got home, as I was driving back I thought about how many people had gone out of their way to help me in the last 24 hours. And I was incredibly grateful. I was also inspired. I had so many people reach out to help me with tiny little acts of kindness that might have seemed like not a big deal, but the cumulative effect was I got out and back home in 24 hours and won’t suffer with a toothache for the next fifteen days. It reminded me both as a pilot and a person how much a little gesture can mean to weary traveler. And it reminded me to do my very best to help out my fellow travelers, especially my airline friends, whenever I have the chance. So—thanks to everyone. I’ll do my best to take care of you when I get the chance. I was very, very happy to be an airline employee this week, and reminded how wonderful our job can be--when we help each other just a bit. (That's the moral part...)
Now…trying to figure out how to get 2 hops offline in 18 hours to get somewhere isn’t impossible, but its daunting. However…as this is going on…we are starting a two day rain storm that will start with a tornado warning and end with 14 inches of rain two days later. For the first time in almost 10 years at this address, my oldest daughter and I cleared out our “safe closet” and stood ready to dive in if we heard a tornado. There were funnel clouds overhead, but none (thankfully) touched down. Once the all clear sounded, off to the airport I went hoping for a flight to go through ATL to CLE on mother Delta. No such luck…the ASA flights were cancelled. But my friends at Pinnacle were delayed and still boarding. I needed some luck, and some help from a hometown gate agent, to get through security and get onboard in time, but made it into MEM that evening. A gate agent actually had to go back to security to let me in…there was nobody at the gate to do a boarding pass. (Lucky break # 1—due to a kind-hearted gate agent). Got to MEM and BS’d in the hub with some FDX folks, then hopped an A300 to CLE. Figured flying in the middle of the night into the snow to go to get a root canal was about as bad as you could have it, until I found out another 727 F/O jumping on the same flight was off to a grandmother’s funeral. The weather at both MEM and CLE had us very late, and I had changed my appointment (too optimistically) to 0830. However, that same guy took me in his car to the rental car center saving me time, effort, and a long wait in the cold. What could have been a miserable half hour was a lot easier…again…with the help of a friend.
Off to the dentist…35 minutes away. Mapquest rocks, and rolled in only :05 late and got to work. I am starting to understand why people hate aging. You do what you think is right…and you still fall apart. The doctor “killed off” a dying tooth and covered it in some plastic. It doesn’t hurt…but it ain’t living anymore either. I guess all our pieces and parts eventually follow suit.
A nice post op lunch with the doc afterwards, its time to cruise towards CAK airport for my exit out. Airtran offers a seat, but there’s an ASA or Comair flight leaving about 2 hours prior that MIGHT let me connect home. The flight is grossly oversold, as several flights have canceled. My sleep total in the last 24 hours is about 2 hours, so I quietly doze as the gate agent calls for volunteers. He is hounded, pestered, and is obviously upset he cannot do more to get the flight off on time AND take care of the passengers. And he’s solo…for about 2 hours. Eventually…he makes a party of four give up their seats. After the last passenger boards, I ask him about the next flight—if it is also oversold. He says “yes”…but then says “wait one second”. With 4 pax gone, his weight restriction is now okay, and he say “GO!”. I haven’t said one word to this guy prior—not “have a nice day”, “how you doin’?, or anything. I’m a sleep deprived zombie with Novocain wearing off, and probably look like hell. But—I’m an airline guy—and he is trying all he can to help me out. So off to ATL I go…shocked to be on the jet and out of the snowy north.
Next its Atlanta. Anyone who’s been on the D gates knows that asking for favor there is sometimes not so easy. I show up at a gate for PFN…my hometown. The ASA/Delta gals working the gates are swamped with folks…I sat in a chair for over an hour and never saw them get to move away even for a moment before the next customer was there pleading. The same rain system that pummeled my hometown had ATL a mess. I really thought I was good for 24 hours there or a rental car…no chance of flying home. When I approached the agent during a lull, she researched about 5 flights for me, informing me that this flight was a low chance of having a seat, but there were 3 flights to VPS that night and even listed me on one with no other jumpseaters. She was busy—didn’t have to do it—but I was an airline guy—and she really tried to help. When I went from D to C by the time I got there I was bumped off the jumpseat by a DAL captain. He was there, and quite apologetic, as was the agent. I told them (in all seriousness) not a problem—take care of your own—I’ll get home eventually. We made some small talk and shared a few tales of our last few days dealing with the weather and why we were here. The agent told me there were some missed connections…so I had a chance at a seat and she’d list me as a standby. Considering how hard it had been just to get this far on the trip…I was thrilled. I brought one of the gate agents a coke, took a seat, and tried to sleep. Then the Delta captain came up and said he had been able to list himself as a jumper on the next flight, and said I could take this one and get home. He knew I had to drive to PFN, and he said he had someone picking him up when he got to VPS. I was blown away by the generous act, but before I could even offer anything he wished me well and went to another gate. The flight boarded…I ended up with a seat in back…and got home that night. So…instead of being a tired, miserable commuter with a toothache when I got home, as I was driving back I thought about how many people had gone out of their way to help me in the last 24 hours. And I was incredibly grateful. I was also inspired. I had so many people reach out to help me with tiny little acts of kindness that might have seemed like not a big deal, but the cumulative effect was I got out and back home in 24 hours and won’t suffer with a toothache for the next fifteen days. It reminded me both as a pilot and a person how much a little gesture can mean to weary traveler. And it reminded me to do my very best to help out my fellow travelers, especially my airline friends, whenever I have the chance. So—thanks to everyone. I’ll do my best to take care of you when I get the chance. I was very, very happy to be an airline employee this week, and reminded how wonderful our job can be--when we help each other just a bit. (That's the moral part...)
Last edited by Albief15; 02-23-2008 at 09:09 PM.
02-23-2008, 09:54 PM
#2
Line Holder
Joined APC: Mar 2007
Position: GLEX/CL-605
Posts: 31
What goes around comes around.
Good things happen to good folks. I attended one of Albies prep sessions, wasn't hired and was offered my money back. Didn't take him up on the offer since I figured he earned it and someone else would eventually hire me and the lessons I learned would help that process. Sure enough I was recently direct hired as a Capt flying a BBJ and G450 (the new company paid for the 450 type) in part due to a well executed interview. But it doesn't stop there. Last winter my daughter started applying to several Universities which require complicated and intense interview processes. I figured what helped me would help her so I asked Albie if he or his lovely bride would be able to do some interview prep for her. As luck would have it, Melissa was coming to Vegas and she took time from her schedule to provide my daughter with world class interview prep, and no matter how hard I tried, she wouldn't take a dime. So, a year comes and goes, my daughter is a senior now. Last week she interviewed for the highest scholarship offered at the University of the Pacific, today she is in AR and interviewed for a full ride at Hendrix College and next week she'll be in MN interviewing for the President's Scholarship at Gustavus Aldolphus. I'm glad your tooth feels better!
Prost!
Prost!
02-23-2008, 10:09 PM
#3
Administrator
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: C-172
Posts: 8,024
Nice post, Albie, as always. This is how I view APC - we each have special strengths, knowledge and expertise. It doesn't take much to do a kind act every now and then. You'll feel very good about yourself, too. In my case, I have gotten back a whole lot more than I given.
02-24-2008, 12:13 AM
#4
Line Holder
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Position: CRJ FO
Posts: 62
Albie, that was a wonderful recounting of your daunting day and how everyone went the extra mile to help you. I found it especially inspiring because previously, I had been reading about Commuting Nightmares in the Regional forum. It was a bit depressing to read about the horrible experiences other people endured commuting-- many of which were caused by uncaring or outright malicious gate agents, FAs or even pilots. Reading your post reminded me that for every miserable experience out there, there are dozens more positive outcomes. Since most people feel compelled to share only their bad experiences, it was nice to hear about your pleasantly extraordinary one. Most importantly, it reminded me that no matter how tired, cranky, or irritated I may be, just small acts of kindness can go a LONG way-- especially when it comes to helping our fellow airline employees. Thanks for sharing your story, and may we all remember its moral!
02-24-2008, 03:46 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: C47 PIC/747-400 SIC
Posts: 2,100
Albie, thanks for sharing,I'm a newbie at NJA now,and commuting is but a fast receding memory,but your post reminded me of the fact that there are great people out there,and we have to take care of each other, here is a shameless plug for Emerald Coast,my wife directly attributes your wonderful prep to her success at the SWA interview ,Godspeed,tailwinds !
02-24-2008, 07:38 AM
#7
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 2,889
02-24-2008, 09:24 AM
#8
Can't abide NAI
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Douglas Aerospace post production Flight Test & Work Around Engineering bulletin dissembler
Posts: 12,037
Albie - great story.
To relate this to your Counseling gig - Delta asked me during the interview "What have you done to go the extra mile for a passenger?" Of course, I told the show up on time, prepared, and push the old lady through the airport in a wheelchair (seems like every other leg these days). Delta's replay was "Well, everyone has done that. What else?" After an uncomfortable silence I explained how we took kid counts, moved bags, worked with dispatch and did everything possible to get jumpseaters, non rev's and passengers on board while still respecting our schedule. Turns out one of the board members was a long time commuter - result - "hired, welcome aboard."
Good goes round - thanks for your story.
To relate this to your Counseling gig - Delta asked me during the interview "What have you done to go the extra mile for a passenger?" Of course, I told the show up on time, prepared, and push the old lady through the airport in a wheelchair (seems like every other leg these days). Delta's replay was "Well, everyone has done that. What else?" After an uncomfortable silence I explained how we took kid counts, moved bags, worked with dispatch and did everything possible to get jumpseaters, non rev's and passengers on board while still respecting our schedule. Turns out one of the board members was a long time commuter - result - "hired, welcome aboard."
Good goes round - thanks for your story.
02-24-2008, 12:15 PM
#10
Doesn't Get Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,598
Albie,
You deserve to have good things happen to you. You have probably helped more guys get jobs they dreamed of than anyone else in this country. I did a prep with you in OKC a couple of years ago and you went out of your way to accomodate me. I got the job I wanted and then got the dream job I wanted about 9 months after that one. Your prep got me those jobs and opened my eyes as to who I was during an interview. Your good at what you do and you are a great individual. It comes as no surprise that people go out of their way to help you out. It's good to read something inspiring on these boards once in awhile. Thanks......
You deserve to have good things happen to you. You have probably helped more guys get jobs they dreamed of than anyone else in this country. I did a prep with you in OKC a couple of years ago and you went out of your way to accomodate me. I got the job I wanted and then got the dream job I wanted about 9 months after that one. Your prep got me those jobs and opened my eyes as to who I was during an interview. Your good at what you do and you are a great individual. It comes as no surprise that people go out of their way to help you out. It's good to read something inspiring on these boards once in awhile. Thanks......
