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| Hello from Penguin |
Many people bring candy. Generous people bring chocolate. A few bring gift cards.
On my final trip home from Anchorage for the
2026 season, a woman brought the entire crew ducks. The pilot's ducks
had little pilot hats and two stripes on the sleeve. The women
crewmember’s ducks had little flight attendant hats.
My duck had three spikes of hair and on the
sleeves were three stripes—one more than the pilots. I guess I
outranked them. It was one of the best gifts I’ve received as a
flight attendant. The woman in 15B handed them out when she boarded.
The gesture was grand and greatly appreciated. They were made in
celebration of her mom Cherryl’s 80th birthday, who
was seated in 16A.
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| First class ducks on a redeye from Anchorage |
Was this the only reason they handed us ducks?
They did receive a lot of attention from the crew. Miss Cherryl and
her daughter were offered a complimentary birthday drink and I made a
card we all signed. The captain even gave up one of his airline
trading cards that the kids are all going ape over. Some might
have ulterior motives for giving gifts to the crew
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| Dinner is served first class style |
A Hundred-Dollar Surprise
There was the one time this really nice guy in
first class wanted to give me a tip. With much thanks, I told him we
are not allowed to receive tips from our passengers. He was quite
persistent, as was I, and in the end we landed with no more in my
pockets than when we took off. However, as he left he told me to
check his seat; he’d left me something in it. The bugger had left a
hundred dollar bill and a note of thanks, saying he rarely enjoys the
pampering and professionalism as that day from me.
A Round for the Entire Plane
One trip I’ll never forget was from Chicago
to Los Angeles. It was a very late departure from ORD, and first
class was lightly loaded. While taking drink orders, a man in 3E
asked if he could buy a round of drinks for the entire plane. Surely,
he was joking. After some back-and-forth, he assured me he was
serious.
He explained that he was a producer for a
sitcom that had just won several awards, and this was how he wanted
to celebrate. The other flight attendants in economy were as shocked
as I was, but we were happy to make it happen.
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| My crewmembers in Anchorage |
I made the
announcement, and when the crew in the back finished the service,
they had sold less than $150 worth of alcohol. This guy probably
spends that much on a bottle of wine. (Call me!) The
flight attendants, however, were a little miffed at me. They hadn’t
realized I was going to make an announcement.
Umm… how else
would anyone know he was buying a round? They claimed it was
difficult to keep track of all the alcohol sales. I don’t know why
they didn’t simply create a tab for 3E and attribute each purchase
to him. Do I have to think for everyone?
These days,
especially after the COVID brain fog I endured for four years, I
often joke that I have only three working brain cells. And they don’t
always communicate well with one another. People laugh at the
imagery, but then I do something unintended and silly and think it
may not be too far from the truth.
The Gift That Means the Most
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| Fun crews like to hang out on layovers |
The candy is
fun. The chocolates are decadent. The gift cards are handy when I’m
in the mood for a fancy cold coffee drink at the place I don’t
currently frequent because its union employees are on strike. And I
LOVE my little flight attendant duck, with its three
stripes and the name of Mother Airline on its pocket.
But what I love
most is a letter of compliment that I can give to my supervisor. It’s
nice to look at my work history and see what we used to call Orchid
Letters in my file—proof that the work I do is appreciated by
my passengers.
That kind of
recognition means a lot.
Taking Care of One Another
All flight
attendants love a little appreciation. It’s something to remember
the next time you buy a ticket and feel generous toward the people
working hard to take care of you. Of course, I don’t speak for all
flight attendants. We love the chocolate, too!
So buy the
chocolate for your crew; The
best time to hand
it out is
when you board. Let us know where you’re sitting,
and we’ll be happy to say thank you right back. And then, grab a
cocktail napkin and a pen, jot down a note of appreciation, and hand
it to your crew as you leave the aircraft. It really makes our day
and is something we can look back on for years, sort of like my duck.
It’s a small
world. We’ve got to look out for one another.
If you like poetry, you need to get my books on your shelf.
Signed copies available at www.PenguinScott.com
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