Next trip

I start my next trip on Saturday. Since I am based in Chicago, I fly there to start my trip (sorta like driving to work, only I do it once a week, and then fly back home when my trip is over.)

Easy three day trip...I overnight in beautiful NW Arkansas. This area is the home of Wal-mart, and there is a ton of cash there. As we ride in the hotel van on the two lane roads to the airport or hotel, we pass old country shacks with hub caps in the front yard, and almost next door, a McMansion. The shacks and McMansions--the absolute gamut in housing! Because of Wal-mart, every air carrier has a ton of service into that airport. When we are on approach to land, I can see rows and rows of chicken houses for miles around, courtesy of Tyson Foods. The station folks (people who work at the airport) tell me that there is so much chicken dust in the air, that many families move there and don't know someone in the family has an allergy to chickens until they get there. All I know is that the freakin' flies are huge, because they have lots of chicken poop to feed off of. Lovely!

Second night of the trip is in Cleveland--we get in around 11:30 pm and leave the hotel the next day around 2 pm. We have several crews overnighting in CLE, and some of the party people will typically go out to the Warehouse District. Not me. I will carry my happy butt to my room, check e-mail, and head to bed.

Last day of the trip, we do one leg to Dallas. From there the Company "deadheads" me back to my base (Chicago) and then my trip is done. Instead of taking the deadhead, I will commute home to Washington, DC. We aren't require to take the deadhead if it is the last leg of the trip. But, we are on our own to get to where we want to go if we don't.

Commuting = flying to get to work, or back home from it. Space available, on your own to get there.

Deadheading = flying as a part of work, getting paid for it, but sitting in a passenger seat. They will bump a revenue passenger off to move crew members around the system, if need be.

Non-revving = space available flying, on your own time, for your own stuff. ( This is the reason I do this job!)

So, this next trip, I am flying position #2. Slack dog position-you're main job is to pick up trash. Beautiful! The bad thing about#2 is that your backside faces the passengers when doing the beverage service. That isn't pretty!!!

I go back and forth as to which position I like to fly--#1 kinda rules the roost and #2 needs to chill. If I fly with a great flight attendant, I am cool with either position. The #1 sets the tone for the flight and is the one at the door when boarding. If I fly #2, I cross my fingers for a good flight attendant. The worst is a lazy one, or even worse than that, one that can't stand her passengers! (Please, honey, do us all a favor and get another job!)