With Thanksgiving only days away, I started thinking about what I’m grateful for and the list is long. That includes you for reading my posts. I’m also grateful for the miracle of air travel and for the people who work in the industry. It still amazes me that these huge metal aircraft can lift off the ground with so many passengers, so much luggage, cargo and still carry us around the world quickly and smoothly.
We are fortunate to be living in this modern aviation era. Many of us like to criticize airline leaders but when you look at the scale of their operations it is incredible how well things usually run. These companies are massive and the logistics are complicated yet most days they keep everything moving with surprising efficiency.
Some airlines operate thousands of flights each day. The biggest four in the United States: American, Delta, United and Southwest each run more than 4,000 flights daily. They connect to hundreds of destinations across many countries and rely on tens of thousands of employees. They move hundreds of thousands of travelers and all their bags every single day. With numbers like that it makes sense that bad weather or a delayed aircraft can disrupt the entire system.
With all this in mind and because Thanksgiving is almost here I want to share my top travel and life tip. Be kind to everyone and when you fly be especially kind to gate agents flight attendants and pilots. They work hard and often do not get the appreciation they deserve. If you doubt that watch how passengers treat airline staff during your next trip. Many travelers barely acknowledge them. And here is something many people do not know some flight attendants are not paid until the plane pushes back from the gate.
Remember that the most junior workers are usually the ones scheduled on holidays. They would rather be at home with their families just like you and me. Yes they might earn overtime but money cannot replace time with loved ones. So if you are flying this week or during Christmas or any other day, take an extra moment to be patient with the workers around you, even the TSA agent who is trying to direct the line. Without them none of us would be going anywhere.
I almost always bring a few small bags of chocolate to show my thanks. I have been doing this for about thirty years and hand a bag to the flight attendants when I board. When I fly with my young kids ages six and nine it feels less awkward because I let them give the bags to the crew. The flight attendants always appreciate it and usually thanks us multiple times.