I have been thinking a lot about you lately. It’s hard being new but it is particularly hard to be a flight attendant right now. Nearly every day I read about some airline’s perceived misstep. You’re no doubt feeling it on the line too.  We are photographed and recorded constantly these days as people hope to capture a moment they can cash in for an easy payday or at least 15 minutes of fame.  I find myself hesitating in every interaction with passengers, trying to scan through all the different ways my words and actions could potentially be used against me.

It sucks but I promise you, this too shall pass.

When I started my career as flight attendant it was a very similar atmosphere. My airline made a passenger unhappy‑ I honestly don’t even remember why‑ and it went viral. Just weeks out of training, I was bombarded with news stories on how awful my new airline family was. I scrolled through friends’ Facebook posts about the awful experience they had one time many years ago and how they will never fly my airline again. Random social media trolls called for heads to roll. Sound familiar?

I remember feeling a sinking sense of despair as I read the comments. What the f**k did I just get myself into? Did I truly just quit my job and move to a new city so I could work for some flying devil corporation? Should I quit? Deny being a part of such a horrible company? My personal experiences didn’t match what I was reading. No, my company wasn’t perfect but it was no more dysfunctional than any other company I have worked for. Those other companies just weren’t as public facing as airlines.  For the most part, my coworkers were kind, caring individuals who genuinely liked helping their passengers. Was I missing something?

I decided to stop torturing myself by reading the garbage and instead focus on my own experiences. I stopped reading the comments and even hid a few Facebook friends that were particularly nasty. I noted the joy my coworkers brought me and delighted in the fun we had together. Rather than focusing on the few passengers that were intent on starting drama, I focused on the kind ones — the ones that smile and say please and ask how I am doing. They help a little old lady put her bag up or hold a baby for an exhausted mother traveling alone. When you start noticing them you realize they outnumber the rude ones. When I had a prickly passenger, who came onboard already convinced that we were going to abuse them, I looked for ways to flip that idea and exceed their rock bottom expectations. Eventually, the media hype died down and people began to like us. It will happen again, just be patient.

I’m not saying the airlines and our fellow coworkers are always perfect or that things don’t need to change. Our job isn’t always easy and yes, sometimes we epically mess up. If you haven’t already, you will develop a thick skin. You will learn to accept that often times passengers act out with us in response to things that have absolutely nothing to do with us. You will learn to shut out the noise and stay focused on the day to day. When someone wants to create drama and really gets under your skin, you will repeat “I get paid to sip cocktails on a beach” over and over and over. As I said earlier, this too shall pass.

Just hang in there. You are doing a great job.

XO,

Sky