With staff shortages and major delays across the country, patience is key to navigating an airport this year. These are some pretty blunt realities to follow.
Flying, in general, can be pretty stressful. hundreds of thousands of us will do it this summer to get the much needed vacations, but it's not the same game out there. With loads of flight delays, pilot shortages, airport staff shortages and less patience in public after a pandemic, your attitude can change everything about you travel experience in 2022.
Kristie Koerbel, a current flight attendant, gave some practical and very blunt tips on her Facebook page on how to act. She wrote, "I feel like as a Flight Attendant I should attempt to share some tips to get you through airline travel for the foreseeable future." Since posting, everything from her page has been oddly deleted (I'm sure her company was upset with the post or something). However, these are very good tips for everyone.
Koerbel did not hold back on what you should and shouldn't do:
- "Things are not good..... if it's less than 7 hours - DRIVE!"
- "Download and use the app of the airline you are flying."
- "Fly MUCH earlier than you need to - a whole day early if it's important!!"
- "ALWAYS fly the first flight in the morning."
- "Schedule long layovers - Your 1-hour layover is NOT enough anymore."
- "Avoid connecting in Newark (Or any New York airport for that matter)."
- "Be nice. As stated above, we are overworked and tired. We will not help you if you are mean."
- "Being drunk on an airplane is a federal offense, so don't overdo it."
- "Get trip insurance if you have a lot of money invested."
- "Don't be "That guy." Don't hold up boarding because you have your extenders open till they are busting and you can't figure out how to make it fit in the overhead."
- "Take showers, brush your teeth, leave the perfume off, don't eat stinky food."
- "Bring a sweater if you tend to be cold."
- "For the love of God wear shoes to the bathroom!!!"
- "Don't tell a Flight Attendant they look tired. We are and we know. You may cause us to ugly cry right there in galley."
DON'T BE THESE PEOPLE:
A little bit of patience and grace can go a long way these days. I think the one that stands out the most in her tips is, "Be nice. As stated above, we are overworked and tired. We will not help you if you are mean." These airline employees are overworked and trying their best. They don't control if your flight is on time or not, they just facilitate getting you to your destination as best as possible.
Just last week, over 1,500 flights were delayed or canceled. Airlines and government officials are currently re-evaluating airline and schedules to better streamline the process and try to improve in a tough year for the business. Shortages of workers, especially pilots, is hurting their ability to operate all their planned flights. This stems from the pandemic killing off so much travel and crushing the industry, they're still trying to recover and catch up with pilot hiring.
Here's some more tips on how to save a little dough while you travel too:
Moote, Kimmie, & Otis discussed it all this morning and gave a few tips of their own. Listen to the Post Show Pod: