The route I usually do is to a vacation destination, a big one. I love working the flight because the passengers are usually happy and thrilled to be going on vacation and theres never a problem, leaving the city – it’s full of people who are hungover and broke – so also never a problem.

So, considering I do this flight all of the time, you can imagine my surprise when I encountered this situation.

Once we were inflight headed back to California, I approached the mother and the father of the family sitting in row one. They had a lap baby and also two 5-7 year old boys sitting across the aisle from them. I presented them with our dinner menu and suggested that their boys may not be interested in crepes or salmon, so, if they’d like, I could obtain more kid-friendly meal options from coach. They both suggested that their kids might be interested in the fish. I then explained that I couldn’t guarantee that both kids would end up with the salmon because flying from East to West, I take meal orders from the back of the first class cabin to the front. The father then told me that I didn’t  have to offer first class food to the passengers seated in 2C and A, they were “the help” and could eat coach food.

In a bit of shock, I quickly rebounded and explained that I did, in fact, have enough food for everyone, just not enough of the salmon for everyone to make the same selection. He said he understood, and once again mentioned, that I didn’t have to offer nor serve the passengers in 2C and A a first class meal. I said I understood, and began taking my orders.

When I reached 2C and A they were an older lady and man, who both stumbled over ordering a glass of wine, the lady asking the man “do you think it would be okay?” I explained that everything is free and not to worry about cost. The lady decided against it and opted for a diet coke, the man asked for a glass of red wine.

Later, when I returned to take their meal orders, they had both been told not to order from the first class menu, I told both of them that I had all of our options still available so they could have their choice. Once again the lady turned to the man, and at first responded by saying she’d take the salmon, then just as quickly snapped, “no! I’ll just take a sandwich from the back.. whatever it is, I don’t care. No to the snapper.”

The guy, was a bit braver than she was. “I’ll take the Snapper.” I double checked that he was sure, “Yes, I’m sure.”

When I got to the first row and took the family’s order they seemed to have switched their stance from the kids eating the fish to them just eating a sandwich and some fruit and cheese. I then asked if they wanted me to re-check with their fellow travelers in row 2 (aka “the help”) to see if they wanted to choose a first a class meal (even though one already did) since I now had extra. “No thanks sir, they’ll be fine.”

Now I’ve reached a cross roads. At this point I’m a bit disgusted at how this family is treating “the help” and how scared they are to eat anything from first class. I have more than enough food for them but I cant serve them the first class options without their boss seeing me.

So, I placed two sandwiches on a tray, along with a can of pringles and a note:

If you’d like to eat the fish, you’re more than welcome to eat it in the galley

As I placed the tray in front of the lady, she read the note and mouthed “thank you, but I’m okay” to me. Fair enough. The guy on the other hand looked at me and said “Thank you for treating us so well. We’re not used to that.”

A few minutes later, he ‘went to the restroom’ and stopped by the galley to eat his fish dinner.

Let me be clear: the family was never rude to me nor my crew. They and their kids were as gracious and kind as could be. But, what struck me as interesting was during the deplaning process when I asked them about their vacation, the father pointed over toward “the help” and said “my in-laws were excited to go too, but didn’t seem like they had fun.”

Yes, you heard that right, the “help” was his wife’s parents.

]]> http://upupandagay.com/2012/05/14/dont-feed-the-help/feed/ 6 http://upupandagay.com/2012/04/15/turbulence-trouble-exclusive-photos/ http://upupandagay.com/2012/04/15/turbulence-trouble-exclusive-photos/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:41:14 +0000 Bobby Laurie http://upupandagay.com/?p=8469

Click to Enlarge

Let this serve as a reminder that when the seatbelt sign is on, it’s best that you take your seat.

US Airways Flight 496, an Airbus A319, left Phoenix bound for Denver 6 minutes early at 9:39pm yesterday evening. The flight was uneventful until it started it’s decent through weather in the Denver area.

Around 11:50pm last night the flights on approach to the mile high city were all talking with Denver Departures/Arrivals about the weather that lurked in their path to the runway.

“It was severe mountain wake turbulence right at 32,000ft” one Pilot told the controller, “moderate [turbulence] in the decent, light to moderate icing…the outside temp is -8.” The Controller then warned American Airlines 1488 of the weather and offered them an alternate route.

A few minutes later Cactus 496, the call sign for US Airways, asked to speak to the ground. “Yeah, we have..uh.. two flight attendants hurt we need paramedics at the gate” the Pilot said. “496 Roger” the Controller replied.

Two flight attendants were  injured during the decent into Denver. The turbulence was severe enough to cause damage in the cabin, possibly from where the flight attendants struck the ceiling. One of them has a few broken bones.

“Not that it makes a difference..” the Captain said already having been cleared for his approach, “but we’re declaring a medical emergency.”

Click to play the conversation with Air Traffic Control and US Airways 496 -> Play (note: there are silent breaks between transmissions. the clip is just over 3 minutes long.)

The flight attendants were taken to a local Denver area hospital for treatment. One of the flight attendants on board is a personal, close friend of mine. Hearing this story struck a chord. This could have happened to me, as recently as my flight yesterday home from Cancun.

As flight attendants its a risk that comes with the job, being injured while at work due to unsettled air. For me, I never think twice about a bump or two because of how common it is.. I’m always thinking that it can go from a few little bumps to severe turbulence in just a second and ensure the bins and carts in my galley are always latched, even during service. Nothing is ever fully unlocked or extracted from its stowage position for reasons such as this. It would be hard enough to restrain myself, never mind a galley full of supplies and equipment.

Take this as a lesson: When the seatbelt sign is on, sit down. Is getting up worth the injuries?

I’ve worked many flights with my friend involved in this incident and those passengers couldn’t have had a better flight attendant on board in the event things went from bad to worse.

Here’s to hoping she has a speedy recovery.

This situation though, well — it was just plain funny. Prior to boarding the agents came down to talk to us about a problem they were handling. It seems that a guy with an emotional support animal was ticketed to be seated in our exit row. Now, we weren’t quite sure if that was allowed. But, the obvious says No. I mean, if he needs an emotional support animal to fly, well, then, how would he handle an emergency situation?

He was moved to 14F. As we were pushing back from the gate, I was taking my demo position when he handed me a Starbucks cup. “Can you take this? There isn’t enough room for me, my dog and the cup,” he unhappily said. Mind you, he had a Yorkie. There was more than enough room.

Once we got in the air, we pulled the carts out and Brad, my best friend and fellow flight attendant on board, immediately noticed that 14F was missing. A quick scan of the lav lights told us that they were empty.. yet, he was no where to be seen. Brad went to the back and found the passenger sitting on my jumpseat with his dog running around the back galley. He told the guy that wasn’t allowed to sit there and to make sure to keep control of the dog.

My dog is overheating I had to get out of my seat

That’s the excuse he gave Brad. “Regardless,” he said, “I can’t have you sitting on the jumpseat.” So the passenger slid over to the door bustle. Logical, right? Brad asked him to stand. He became even more upset.

We finished our drink service and then the back of the plane started to fill up with people lining up to use the restrooms, so Mr. UnHappy return to his seat. About an hour later he came to the back galley again. Now, it wasn’t just his dog that was overheating, it was him.

It’s so hot on this plane, aren’t you hot?

I wasn’t hot. The plane was 73 degrees. It was comfortable. He was the only person complaining. “Sir, I see that you’re wearing a long sleeve button down shirt and a sweater, you might want to remove the sweater. It’s not hot on board.” Now he moved into the back corner of the galley, right across from my jumpseat. Brad came back to the galley and sat down in his seat. I went over to mine.. sat down. And he was literally standing right in front of me. Un-phased that was he in my way and practically right on top me. He stood there while passengers walk around him, over him and at one point kicked his dog just to make their way to the bathroom. He was making a point – he was moved from a more comfortable seat with legroom, to a regular seat thats so cramped it’s overly overheating him and his pooch.

The pilots called and needed a break so I got up and headed to the front galley. The second I was out of the way he leaned on the door and sat on bustle. I quickly responded with “Sir, once again, don’t sit on the door” and I left.

While I was gone he once again complained to Brad about how his puppy was overheating. Brad still raised the issue that he, himself, was wearing a sweater. If it was so warm and unbearable for his dog, how is it that he’s can still function with a sweater on?

That question netted no response. The 14Fried, err, F was just looking to complain. He was trying to see what he could get out of us since he was so inconvenienced. I returned from the flight deck to find the guy still lingering in the back. Then, like a sign from God, or what the Pilots like to call themselves sometimes, the fasten seatbelt sign came on and we asked 14F to return to his seat.

When he got off the plane, he said nothing and looked at no one.

But, what shocked me the most was having to cut off a man about 60 years old.

There was four guys traveling from California to Mexico. Supposedly, the oldest of them all was their “father” though he didn’t look old enough to be the father these three other guys. Anyway, Dad, we’ll call him, sat in first class with me and the remaining three all over 40 years old, sat in row 6.

During boarding the guys in 6 started screaming “DAD! Hey DAD! DADDY!” trying to get his attention. Of course, he didn’t hear them. The flight attendant working the aisle proceeded to tell them that theres no way he’ll hear them screaming so just to quiet down.

During the initial beverage service they each ordered two drinks. Like I said, not unusual during spring break time, and headed to a very spring-break like destination. Their Dad also came to back to visit every now and then, keeping the yelling down.

While I was walking through the cabin collecting trash I noticed that they appeared to be intoxicated. Very much so. Naturally, I told the crew to stop serving them drinks.

All was fine, and they never questioned why they never got their third and fourth can of beer. They kept asking about it though, wondering when we were going to deliver it, why it was taking so long — but they never demanded it and finally got the hint.

However, one of them decided he wasn’t done and was on a mission to find more alcohol. Where is it always free and flowing (within reason)? First class.

He walks up to first class while I was behind the curtain and sits in the empty seat near his Dad. He knew, that I knew he was there. It didn’t seem to phase him though. Finally, he rings the call button. Really? You’re not even a first class passenger and you’re going to ring the call button — that takes nerve.

My Dad would like another beer.

I knew those words were going to come flowing out of his mouth — so I was ready. “Really? He’s been drinking white wine the whole flight long — he wouldn’t be having another beer, he’d be having a beer.”

Whatever. He wants a beer.

Okay, I’ll play along. I pour a beer into a plastic cup, fully knowing it wasn’t for my first class passenger, and place it on the Dad’s tray table, furthest away from his “son.” Then, there I stood, waiting for his Dad to even take a sip.

“You can leave now,” the son said.

No, I’m actually waiting to make sure your Dad likes the type of beer I poured. After a few seconds I headed back into the galley, but just as quickly turned back around to catch his son reaching for the glass of beer.

“What do you think you’re doing, sir? You said that beer was for your father, so let him drink it.” He was a bit shocked that I caught him. Really? Did you think I really didn’t know where the beer was going?

He continues to bring the glass closer to his mouth, and was about to chug it. I took it out of his hand and threw it away. “Sir, you need to return to your seat now, unless you’d like to pay the upgrade seat and sit with your father.”

You’re such a brat, you know that?

That’s all he could say to me. I’m a brat? I’ve been called worse. But, just how drunk are you to think that I wouldn’t you notice taking a first class seat and ordering the one item you’ve been drinking on board and expect me to believe it was for someone else? Drunk enough that I was going to make sure he didn’t drink that beer.

But, what’s really making these turns fun for me is doing them practically every week with the same crew. I don’t know how we managed to pull this off, but for the last few weeks a variation of myself, Patti and another flight attendant name Kirsten have managed to bid and hold these one day trips. For the whole month of March, we’re all on them, together – every week.

In flight attendant training you learn about CRM or Crew Resource Management and it’s basis is working together effectively while maintaining an open line of communication at all times. The three of us decided to take CRM to a whole new level.

A few weeks ago we decided to have an onboard Pot Luck. Our airline changes out our food menus every four months and after about two weeks the food becomes “old” to us since we’re around it all day, everyday, so we thought we’d bring our own fully knowing that we’d have to eat it on board since we couldn’t bring fresh food items back into the US at the end of our day.

Unfortunately Patti had to be removed from this particular trip for personal reasons but Kirsten and I continued with our plans – and made our reserve flight attendant quite happy with an onboard buffet of items that weren’t created by LSG.

I decided to bring an antipasto salad, which I knew would pair well with the linguine in white clam sauce that Kirsten was bringing. Her dish was amazing. The fact that she was able to figure out how to package it, put it together and cook it on board was also a sight to see. It only took her about 20 minutes to get it plated and served.

Now for the month of March the three of us fly together 4 times and we’re thinking of other dishes we can bring while we dish on the jumpseats. Any thoughts on food that’s easy to cook on board, but still tastes good? What have you made on board that surprised you?

I find myself in Fort Lauderdale quite a bit now a days. The redeye flight is easy peasy! Everyone’s asleep and theres not much to do. I sleep well during the day in the rooms of our layover hotel thankfully, because the flights back to West coast are crazier than any New York – LA flight I’ve ever worked.

On a recent flight back to base from Fort Lauderdale, boarding had its issues, but we managed to get off the gate on time. Once in flight, the flight attendants in coach were about half way through their initial service and as my first class meals were cooking I decided to pass through coach doing a trash run. As I approached row 15 the passenger in 15C started to feverishly scratch herself. Her neck, her head, her arms, her hands, everywhere and anywhere.

I knelt down and asked if everything was okay. Then, it started.

Fleas! I’m being biten by fleas!

What? Fleas? There’s no way she’s getting accosted by fleas and no one else is. I asked her to clarify.

I’m itchy, all over. They’re biting me, everywhere! Look!

She rolled up her sleeve and pointed to a birth mark.

See! Look! The bites are so strong, they’re turning black!

I looked at my flight attendants in the aisle, and they motioned to me that they already knew of her complaint. So, I suggest to the passenger that she go in the restroom and shake out her shirt since it appears that the fleas are under her clothing. She then followed me up to the first class galley and waited there for the passenger in the restroom to exit.

She had been on a 7 day Jazz cruise and said that the mosquitos were unlike anything she had ever experienced. Everyone was getting bites and for a lot of their cruise they had to remain in doors.

Case Closed: They’re not fleas — it’s mosquito bites that she’s suffering from.

She goes in the restroom, comes out and says that she didn’t find anything (shocker!) and was going to take a benedryl and nap to hopefully rectify the problem.

About two hours later she comes to the back galley and asked me if a dog had sat in her seat on the flight prior to the one we were on. I explained to her that we don’t allow dogs to sit in our seats, but even so, I wasn’t on board that flight and there’s no way to know. She then starts to complain about her allergy to dogs and thinks that it’s the root of her issue. But then, she let a whole lot of crazy loose.

This is just a very uncomfortable flight for me. I even stepped in gum on my way back from the bathroom earlier. It’s all over the sole of my shoe. Look.

She flashed the three of us her gum covered shoe, except: there was no gum. I politely told her that I didn’t see any gum on the bottom of her shoes and her response will sit with me forever:

A HA! That confirms it! It’s fleas! It’s fleas I tell you! They’re so hungry they ate the gum right off the bottom of my shoes!

She drank another glass of water, and went back to her seat. Deplaned by saying a polite and joyful, “Thank you!”

You know the saying “put it out into the universe and It’ll find you.” Well, I put it out there and goes a response, though not the one I was hoping for.

This past week I was working a Mexico turn and on the return flight, about half way to Los Angeles I went to the back galley and sat down on a jumpseat. I was the only one back there as the other flight attendants were in the cabin serving. Five minutes after I sat down a man who looked to be around 85-90 years old comes to the back of the plane. He’s standing next to my jumpseat and finally looks down at me and says “Hey, Bobby.”

First of all, I know that my name is displayed on my uniform, but it always throws me off when people use my name. “Can I tell you something?” he added.

“Of course! What is it?” I replied.

“You’re one hot man, you know that?”

Excuse me? What? Wait — did you just say what I think you did? I was totally thrown off. “But, I’m sure you hear that all the time” he concluded.

I quickly responded with “awe, thats very nice of you, thanks.” He said “I thought I’d make your day.”

When the other FAs got to the galley I filled them on what the man had said, and they couldn’t stop laughing. I was working with Patti, and she kept saying: “What? Are you sure? The little sweet old man in 5C??” Yep, that was him.

The other flight attendant started drawing hearts all over a water bottle, wanting to give it to the man and say it was from me — but she knew better.

Later in the flight I was doing a trash run, and he stopped me again. This time he was telling me that he lives in Orange County, has a house in Palm Springs (no big surprise there) and is friends with a few hotel owners and how nice they are and he kept going on and on before he stopped abruptly and asked, “What’s your astrological sign?”

There it is. The question which usually is followed by someone asking you out, which at this point was something I was dreading. It’s not usual for me to get hit on at work, but its even less of an everyday occurrence that I have to turn down an 85 year old.

“I’m a Leo,” I said. “I knew it!” he replied. “I can feel the fire.”

Laughing, I walked away. I didn’t know how else to respond.

During deplaning he handed me a note with his name, phone number and, just in case I had dementia like him– he wrote where he lived on the paper.

Johnny
555-555-5555
ORANGE COUNTY
PALM SPRINGS
FREE HOTEL ROOM

Thanks for the compliment Johnny, but I’m going to pass.

Boarding the flight from DC to Los Angeles was going as normal. Everyone upfront was super nice, cordial, fun to talk to, it was great. I was looking forward to our 6 hour journey back to the West. Once airborne, as usual when flying from East to West I started taking drink and meal orders from the back of first class to the front. Our airline has this policy so that if someone books a round trip in first class and they book the same seat both ways, if they happen to be in a seat which ends up having the last choice in meals – going the opposite way, they’ll have the first choice. It seems fair, in theory.

When it came time to take meal orders, the last two seats in first class were in for some bad news. All I had left was the vegetarian option; Ravioli.

Hi there, so I’m sorry to inform you that the only option I have left is the ravioli. But, if this doesn’t work for you from the main cabin I can get you the following options: Caesar salad, fruit and cheese platter, a club sandwich, a mushroom wrap or a ham and cheese sandwich.

The lady on the aisle seat responded with: “What? there’s not enough food for all of us?”

I explained to her that there is in fact enough food for everyone, the problem is that I didn’t have enough of the meat option for everyone. The company only gives us 5 of those and 4 vegetarian meals.

She then said: “Well, why didn’t you tell me on the ground that the chicken was spoken for?” —  So, I told her that I had no way of knowing that everyone would opt for Chicken, as I just had taken orders seconds before approaching her. She was appalled. Shocked that she couldn’t order chicken.

“This is really ridiculous. What am I supposed to do? Starve?” – Not exactly. There are various other options you can have aside from the chicken meal. In fact, I had offered her six meal options. She handed the menu back to me and said “I’ll decide later what I want to do.”

Okay then. That works for me. I told her if she was truly unhappy to send a letter to the airline. Maybe they would listen and consider her suggestion about having double the amount of meals so that if everyone wanted chicken, everyone could have it. I did tell her that doing so would be an incredible waste since I’d be throwing out meals and also it would be a waste of money.

So here’s my question to you: When flying domestically in first class, its known that airlines don’t provide every option for every passenger. What order should orders be taken in? Front to back? Back to front? Full fare to upgrade? What’s your point of view?

sen·ior  ma·ma

noun
1. older or elder flight attendant
2. of earliest admission to group of flight attendants at a particular airline
3. flight attendants whom have been flying for said airline since the beginning of time

When I first started working for US Airways back in 2006 the first word I learned was “senior mama.” They were the group of flight attendants whom had been with America West (yes, I was a westie) since the 1980′s and with US Airways East since the 1950′s who were basically dinosaurs still roaming the skies. Now, in their defense, not all of them were “old” per-se, but they posses more seniority than the vast majority of flight attendants at the airline making them “senior.”

So, what are the tall-tale signs you’re becoming a “Senior Mama?”

1. The Turn Bag. With seniority comes the ability to hold the most sought after trips, the transcon turn is one of them. Why pack for a 2 day if you can just take your required items in a small, wheeling, purse-like bag, and show off to the world that “I’m too good for overnights.”
2. Technology is smarter than you. Through the years your airline has changed reservation systems, crew scheduling systems and even gotten those “fancy” new touch screen panels on the Airbus, and you don’t know how to work any one of them. You get so frustrated just trying to check in for your trip that you start pressing every button on the keyboard, give up and proclaim “I’ll just wait for them to call me.”
3. Coach? What’s that? For all of you senior flight attendants that work at legacy airlines, working in coach is like visiting a zoo. You don’t want to go beyond the bulkhead divider into the sometimes mayhem which awaits for you. Working in First Class you provide the most drawn out, longest first class service you can just to tell your co-workers in the back, “ugh, I’m so busy!” Meanwhile, you’re dealing with eight to twelve people, and no one is hungry and everyone is sleeping.
4. The Bitch in the Back. Okay, so you work for an airline where there is no first class, or maybe you’re not quite senior enough to hold first class, but you can be the bitch in the back. The one position on the plane that you can avoid dealing with the circus that is The Boarding Process. You get to keep to yourself, manage all of those inventory numbers (if you choose to participate in the inventory process rather than just proclaiming “we’re out of everything!”) and make a few announcements. The biggest hurdle you have is trying to maintain sanity while the nursery/bathroom line grows larger and larger while you’re trying to count.
5. InFlight Shoes. For the women, you’re supposed to be in heels in the terminal and through out the boarding process. For the men, you should be in black dress shoes. But, you’ve been working on your feet for so many years you now opt for something a bit more comfortable like the Dansko Clog for women (and MEN! Yes, I’ve seen it!) or black UGGs to get you through the flight. The second you step foot onto the plane you change into your “service shoes” or for those extra-special-senior mama’s you don’t even bother with the heels anymore you always wear your “service shoes.”
6. Who’s that? They work here? You’re quickly approaching senior mama status when you don’t know any flight attendants hired a year after yourself. You hear stories about Jenny and Sarah and have no clue who they are and you hear that they’re based at your airlines most junior base and your only thought is, “We still fly there?”
7. Senior Mama buddy-bidder called in sick? Meet the Reserve! You don’t like working the most recent factory produced flight attendant graduates so you buddy bid with someone to avoid having to babysit the newbies. Let’s be honest, they all have to be “re-trained” for the real world anyway.
8. Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome aboard…uhhh. You’ve been with your airline so long that you can’t remember the name of the airline you work for. You’ve been through so many mergers and name changes that you just say “you’re onboard United American Airways”
9. Slam, Click! You’ve been to all of the destinations your airline flies to over and over and over again that when you get to your layover hotel all you want to do is slam your door closed, letting it click behind you, lay on your bed and tune the TV to your stories.
10. The F Word. The one “F” word that’s not your vocabulary, Furlough.

Note: T.C. contributed to this post.

This past week, however, the reverse was true. Fog seemed to have bogged down right on top of the airport, much like it usually does in San Francisco and the airport was never fully able to recover.

I drove to work early on Thursday, December 27th because my friend Brad was working a DC turn that checked in at 6am. I was working later that morning at 7:45am headed to Chicago so I figured I’d just relax in the crew room until the time came for me to check in for my flights. Brad left on time, but my flight – well thats another story.

7:45am came and went and my crew and I were gazing out the window at nothing but gray. The fog was so dense we couldn’t even see the gate which was literally 150ft from the window. Our aircraft was on a hardstand from the night prior and was awaiting clearance to be tugged over to the gate, but the problem was that they couldn’t see the gate, or even other aircraft for that matter.

The Orlando crew, which left the crew room at 7am to board their plane came back into the room at 8am, also awaiting a plane to be tugged over. Then, at 8:15am I receive a call from Crew Scheduling informing me that our flight is delayed until 10:08am (scheduled 8:45am departure) due to fog in Chicago.

So, I posed the question: “Do you want the good news, or the bad news?” to my crew. They opted for the good first, and well – the good news was that they were flying/working with me. The bad news, well that was the delay of course.

At 9:50am our gate agent called into the crew room to inform us that our aircraft was being tugged over and to head over to the gate. We boarded the plane and was told that our new departure time, since we missed our “wheels up” time for Chicago, was 10:35am. That left us with 45 minutes to board, pushback and take off.

Shockingly, we did it. It’s amazing how quickly people move when you tell them that if we don’t get airborne by a particular time that they weren’t going anywhere.

Once inflight all was going fine until the Captain came out of the flight deck for his restroom break. He informed me that our windshield defroster was giving them an error message. He said there was a 75% chance that it could be fixed in Chicago and a 25% chance we’d be cancelled once we landed.

Usually, I’d be doing the cancel dance, but today was a turn day. All I have packed is a change of underwear, socks and a t-shirt along with my amenity kit. Being cancelled wouldn’t be a fun experience.

I phoned the aft of the aircraft and posed the question: Do you want the good news, or the bad news? Once again they opted for the good first, and once again it was that they were working with me. The bad, well – I had to break the news that their New Years plans might have a bit of a hiccup in them if we were to be cancelled.

Once we landed the mechanics boarded holding a piece of paper with the title “A319 Troubleshooting Guide.” Needless to say, I wasn’t hopeful.

Our new pilots boarded and told us, quite frankly, we weren’t going anywhere, anytime soon. In fact United nor Spirit nor JetBlue had the part we needed available in Chicago and there was a chance we needed to wait for it to be flown in from Fort Lauderdale.

I felt for our gate agents in Chicago. Not only did they have to break the bad news, but they were dealing with passengers who had been delayed for about 3 hours now because of our foggy experience trying to leave LA.

About three hours later, a miracle. They fixed it! It seems the whole problem was simply with a popped circuit breaker.

We boarded and took off back to LA.

Once inflight, I received a call from the Captain. More bad news. It seems the fog hadn’t let up in Los Angeles and there was a chance we’d have to divert to Ontario, California. This time, I called the back to relay the message and before I could even ask “Do you want the good news, or the bad news?” I was met with “Just lay it on me, give me the bad news.”

Luckily, we didn’t divert. The good news was that we made it home that night. The bad news was that we were five hours late.