Selects: How Flight Attendants Work

Flight attendants have come a long way. From having to put up with rampant sexism, to the current incarnation as your first line of defense in case of an incident, they are valued airline employees. Learn all about this cool job in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.

• 0:04Josh Clark?

  Buy smart, drive for less and trade for more. That's Toyota Ford ability and it starts with a great deal on an off-road ready Tacoma or half ton Tundra, two of Toyota's longest lasting trucks, combining power for work, tech for adventures and style in between. And they're built on a reputation for quality and reliability, which is why Toyota trucks are known for holding their value, which could mean big savings when it's time for your next Toyota. So get a great deal today and a great value tomorrow. Shop toyota.com for more. Toyota, let's go places. When you're in do it yourself mode, the last thing you want to do is drop everything to pick up that one part or tool that you need. That's where My Lowe's Rewards and My Lowe's Pro Rewards come in. Place your order and Lowe's handles the rest.

• 0:49Josh Clark?

  Lowe's will make the run for you with free same day delivery. Members get more at Lowe's $25 minimum and loyalty membership required. Order eligible items by 2 p.m. Subject to weight and size restrictions and availability. Terms at Lowe's.com/shippingterms. Introducing Voices of VivGart. VivGart is also known as its generic name, Fgart Tigamod Alpha F Cab. And this new show features firsthand stories from people living with a rare disease. Hosted by Andrew Stratton, these perspectives highlight that life is more than a moment, a condition, or a tough day. Living with a rare disease can be challenging, but it does not define the Voices of VivGart. In these episodes, they share their stories from diagnosis to working with their care team on their treatment plan.

• 1:34Josh Clark?

  Listen to Voices of VivGart on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 1:40Speaker 02

  Hey everybody, happy Saturday. Chuck here, delivering a brand new Selects episode, but it's really not brand new because as we all know, these are reruns, carefully curated and selected by both Josh and I each week. This one comes to you from December 7th, 2017. How Flight Attendants Work. Just got back from touring the Midwest and I went on quite a few flights and made sure I gave my appreciation to all the flight attendants because they do such great work and I think are often underappreciated. So if you want to know what they are actually doing on their job and a little bit about how you get hired, some behind the scenes stuff, check out this episode right now. How Flight Attendants Work.

• 2:20Speaker 03

  Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of iHeart Radio.

• 2:30Josh Clark?

  Hey and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. With me is, part of your cabin crews, Charles W. Chuck Bryant. Filling the whole thing out is our pilot, Jerry Rowland. Captain Jairs, as we'll call her from now on.

• 2:44Speaker 02

  If you'd like to return your seat to its full upright position, along with your tray table.

• 2:49Josh Clark?

  If you've lost your device or phone in the seat, don't touch it. Just come get one of us.

• 2:56Speaker 02

  Did that happen to you?

• 2:56Josh Clark?

  It's a new thing.

• 2:57Speaker 02

  What? Tell me.

• 2:59Josh Clark?

  No, it's like a new thing on Delta and like the safety instructions. They actually take a little time to say, if you've lost your tablet or phone in your seat, don't adjust it. Come get a flight attendant.

• 3:10Speaker 02

  What do you mean, "lost" in the seat? What do they mean?

• 3:12Josh Clark?

  Like if you have, if you're sitting there and you've got the Butterfingers, and like you just turn into Jerry Lewis all of a sudden, and your phone slides down into the seat beside you, or in between the seat next to you.

• 3:24Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 3:25Josh Clark?

  Your phone is in grave danger if you adjust your seat back upright again.

• 3:30Speaker 02

  Oh, like?

• 3:31Josh Clark?

  They say, "Get a flight attendant," because they now have additional skills in their repertoire to get your tablet or phone out safely.

• 3:38Speaker 02

  So at some point, a memo went out to these airlines that said, "We're breaking cell phones," because people are like, "Well, maybe if I just throw my seat up, it'll pop out."

• 3:46Josh Clark?

  Sure, it'll shoot right out. Like I pressed rewind on Life.

• 3:50Speaker 02

  Weird.

• 3:51Josh Clark?

  Anyway, this is stuff you should know.

• 3:54Speaker 02

  The, I thought this was pretty interesting, actually. And it gave me even more of an appreciation for flight attendants.

• 3:59Josh Clark?

  Yes.

• 4:00Speaker 02

  Than I had already gained over my years.

• 4:02Josh Clark?

  Yeah. Because if you're one of those putzes who's mean to flight attendants, you're...

• 4:07Speaker 02

  Get off the plane.

• 4:08Josh Clark?

  You're a jerk.

• 4:08Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 4:09Josh Clark?

  Shouldn't be mean to people, anyway. Like, everybody's walking around carrying their own burden that you're totally unaware of. And if you're mean to somebody, it usually is because you're not getting what you want right then.

• 4:20Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 4:20Josh Clark?

  So if everybody can just calm down and be nice to each other, that's great. But be extra nice to the flight attendants. And if you don't agree with me now, I guarantee you'll agree with us at the end of the podcast.

• 4:31Speaker 02

  And even in our own article here, there was a... Interview with a flight attendant.

• 4:37Josh Clark?

  A couple of them.

• 4:38Speaker 02

  Couple of them, but one of them very, you know, one of these vets said, eh, you know, back in the day, everyone was all excited when they flew. They were going someplace fun. Now everyone's crabby.

• 4:47Josh Clark?

  Yeah, but she makes a really great point. Why? She says it's because this is all post nine eleven. That the added layers of security that they've put onto getting from your car onto the plane.

• 5:00Speaker 02

  Eh.

• 5:01Josh Clark?

  Increases stress so much that you're exhausted by the time you get onto the plane. And flying has become a chore, a task.

• 5:08Speaker 02

  Yeah, I don't buy it.

• 5:09Josh Clark?

  The seats have gotten way smaller.

• 5:12Speaker 02

  I do buy that.

• 5:13Josh Clark?

  The legroom's gotten smaller. And yeah, I think that it's just kind of become more of like a, let's get from point A to point B.

• 5:22Speaker 02

  Yeah, I, taking your shoes off, taking your laptop out, it's about all the extra security. No big deal. That's what I say.

• 5:30Josh Clark?

  Did I tell you I've gotten kind of on board your train about taking your shoes off on a flight?

• 5:35Speaker 02

  Oh, to not do it?

• 5:36Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 5:36Speaker 02

  Good.

• 5:37Josh Clark?

  So every once in a while, I'll just be like, to hell with that, I don't care. I'm taking my shoes off. I know my feet don't stink.

• 5:43Speaker 02

  Right.

• 5:44Josh Clark?

  But I understand that there's people like you out there who are deeply offended by that kind of thing. So I typically do leave them on unless my dogs are just yapping so, so loud, I can't.

• 5:54Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 5:54Josh Clark?

  I can't ignore it. But it's pretty rare these days.

• 5:57Speaker 02

  I think my deal with that is, is you can't count on everyone's feet to not stink.

• 6:02Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 6:02Speaker 02

  And I think plenty of people are like, I don't care.

• 6:05Josh Clark?

  That their feet stink?

• 6:06Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 6:06Josh Clark?

  Yeah, that's pretty rotten.

• 6:07Speaker 02

  I just want to be comfy.

• 6:09Josh Clark?

  That's pretty rotten.

• 6:10Speaker 02

  But, um.

• 6:11Josh Clark?

  We live in something called society. There are rules.

• 6:15Speaker 02

  Uh, but getting back to the, the new regulations, which is pretty much laptop out, shoes off. I mean, you still had to go through the line, just like before, you know?

• 6:26Josh Clark?

  Yeah, it seems, it feels different to me.

• 6:29Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 6:30Josh Clark?

  It does.

• 6:31Speaker 02

  Different as in more time consuming?

• 6:32Josh Clark?

  Yeah, much more stressful. Like, it's not a, it's not an event like it was. It definitely used to be an event in a person's life to go on an airplane.

• 6:42Speaker 02

  Well, do you have a different feeling when you go on vacation compared to work travel?

• 6:47Josh Clark?

  As far as the airport goes?

• 6:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, and how you feel about it?

• 6:50Josh Clark?

  Zero.

• 6:51Speaker 02

  Same? Same stress?

• 6:52Josh Clark?

  Yes. A lot, a lot of it, to be fair, is in my head.

• 6:56Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 6:56Josh Clark?

  To me, pretty much the worst thing that can happen to you is missing your airplane. I can't, I don't even want to imagine what happens when you miss your airplane. Yumi's like, it's not that bad. As a matter of fact, she's kind of entertained, like, purposefully making us miss.

• 7:14Speaker 02

  Oh, your own version of cognitive behavioral therapy?

• 7:17Josh Clark?

  Expose your therapy, right. But I, I don't want to miss it. So I, I generate my own stress in a large part. But it does seem like much more of a process than it was before.

• 7:26Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 7:26Josh Clark?

  How about you? You're fine with it?

• 7:29Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, it's no big deal. It's just shoes and a laptop.

• 7:31Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 7:33Speaker 02

  Two bits.

• 7:33Josh Clark?

  But, but it does seem like, and I read this travel and leisure article about flight attendants. Where, where the author was saying, or I think she was quoting a, a flight attendant who was saying like, we've all kind of decided as a group that we're fine with just getting on an airplane and getting to where we're going. And it doesn't have to be this luxury experience.

• 7:55Speaker 02

  Right.

• 7:55Josh Clark?

  And as a result, the price of an airline ticket has come down dramatically. Compared to the golden age of flying.

• 8:02Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah, but then it has gone back up since it was pretty cheap.

• 8:05Josh Clark?

  Yeah, but relative to, say, average income, it's, I think, much less than it was in, say, like, the sixties.

• 8:12Speaker 02

  Right.

• 8:13Josh Clark?

  But in the sixties, they were cutting like, um, like, like cuts of meat on a, on a cart in front of you. I'm not kidding. There was a carving station that they would move. I'm not kidding, I've seen pictures of it.

• 8:25Speaker 02

  I believe it. I think it's funny that that's the definition of fancy is a carving station.

• 8:29Josh Clark?

  It really is. I mean, it is. The guy had the hat and everything.

• 8:33Speaker 02

  Yeah, well, you and my extended family agree on that.

• 8:35Josh Clark?

  But it's true. And all of us take our shoes off while we eat. Eat our carved meat. But there, there used to be that. There were like piano lounges in first-class lounge. Like there were, it was like, it was a, a, an event to do it. But the, the fact that it's gone is because we've all said, no, we want, we want to be able to travel for less cost.

• 8:56Speaker 02

  Right.

• 8:57Josh Clark?

  With fewer frills.

• 8:58Speaker 02

  Yeah, I just kinda wanna get there. I'm, I'm with you there.

• 9:01Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 9:01Speaker 02

  If that's what you think. Or I'm with the airline industry.

• 9:05Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 9:05Speaker 02

  Just put me on the plane and get me there. Maybe throw a whiskey down my throat.

• 9:09Josh Clark?

  Sure.

• 9:10Speaker 02

  And that's about all.

• 9:11Josh Clark?

  There you go.

• 9:12Speaker 02

  Banana maybe.

• 9:13Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 9:13Speaker 02

  If it's the morning.

• 9:14Josh Clark?

  But the people who are gonna help you get there, banana and whiskey?

• 9:19Speaker 02

  Uh, yeah, sure.

• 9:20Josh Clark?

  Okay. The people who are going to help you get there, they have, um, their job has changed over time, but they have not. Because they are unsung heroes and have been from beginning to end.

• 9:32Speaker 02

  That's right. The early days of plane travel, they hired, uh, young men to take care of the stewardship of the plane.

• 9:42Josh Clark?

  Cabin boys.

• 9:42Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 9:43Josh Clark?

  Cabin boy. That Chris Elliott movie?

• 9:45Speaker 02

  Yeah. I think that was a boat cabin, but still.

• 9:48Josh Clark?

  Sure.

• 9:48Speaker 02

  Still a cabin boy.

• 9:49Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 9:50Speaker 02

  Um, and that was just sort of the thing. And then this, this woman came along, and you dug this up, this is really great. Her name was Ellen Church, the 1930s, uh, in 1930, in fact. And she was a nurse and a licensed pilot. So she had it going on. And she said, you know what? Um, I have an idea, uh, Boeing Air Transport, who would become United Airlines. Why don't you hire eight women to, to take care of you on your flight?

• 10:17Josh Clark?

  Mm-hmm.

• 10:18Speaker 02

  For three months and just see how that goes. And it went great. And they said, I think we're on to something here.

• 10:24Josh Clark?

  Yeah. She actually, um, pitched the idea, because at first the, the execs were like, no, that's a stupid idea. We know, this is no place for women.

• 10:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 10:33Josh Clark?

  Um, and she said, well, get this. How is a man going to say that he can't fly because he's afraid of flying? If he knows there's a woman up there flying around?

• 10:41Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 10:42Josh Clark?

  And they're like, actually, that's pretty good psychology. So they took her up on it and it became, yeah, a thing from that moment on. But before her, I have to say, if we're talking gender, nonspecific flight attendants.

• 10:54Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 10:54Josh Clark?

  A man had her beat by 18 years. A German man named Heinrich Kubis, who was the world's first flight attendant, and he worked zeppelins, including the Graf Zeppelin and the Hindenburg.

• 11:08Speaker 02

  Really?

• 11:09Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 11:09Speaker 02

  Did he die on the Hindenburg?

• 11:10Josh Clark?

  No, he lived.

• 11:11Speaker 02

  Oh, wow.

• 11:11Josh Clark?

  Very few people died on the Hindenburg. I think they were mostly on the ground, remember?

• 11:15Speaker 02

  Nah, I don't remember.

• 11:16Josh Clark?

  Because the hydrogen burned up.

• 11:18Speaker 02

  Uh huh.

• 11:19Josh Clark?

  And the people who died were ones who jumped. That's what it was.

• 11:22Speaker 02

  Is that it?

• 11:22Josh Clark?

  Mm-hmm.

• 11:23Speaker 02

  Did we do a show on that?

• 11:24Josh Clark?

  We've talked about it before.

• 11:25Speaker 02

  Yeah?

• 11:26Josh Clark?

  Yeah, in one of our many, many, many short-lived video series.

• 11:30Speaker 02

  Oh, right, of course. So, at any rate, Ellen Church changed the face of the flight attendant industry. And then, in the sixties and seventies, of course, it was sort of a, and this is not me talking here. This is in the article. It was the sexy stewardess phase of airline travel.

• 11:51Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 11:51Speaker 02

  And that was definitely the deal, that you had weight limits and height limits. You had to look a certain way and they put you in the just the right outfit. And it was all about sort of, hey, get up there and look good and serve drinks.

• 12:05Josh Clark?

  So, and they were, they were like those limits you talk about?

• 12:08Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 12:08Josh Clark?

  Technically, they're still around. There are weight limits and height limits, but they're restricted to, you can't be so short that you can't reach the overhead bins.

• 12:17Speaker 02

  Yeah, they're all practical limits.

• 12:18Josh Clark?

  Right, you can't be so tall that you're just bumping your head all over the place.

• 12:21Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 12:22Josh Clark?

  You have to be of the, of adequate size to fit into a jump seat that the flight attendants sit in.

• 12:28Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 12:29Josh Clark?

  But that's it. Back then, it was, you have to weigh, like, no more than 120 pounds. You have to be this height. And it had everything to do with looks and attractiveness.

• 12:39Speaker 02

  Yeah, and you're 32, so you're fired.

• 12:41Josh Clark?

  Yeah, that was the thing, like, very early on. I think in the fifties? I think in the 1950s, they, they started, airlines started instituting age restrictions, where once you got to age 32, you were no longer eligible to be a flight attendant. You might have a job down on the ground, but you couldn't be a flight attendant anymore because you were too old, according to them. Plus, also, you couldn't be married.

• 13:06Speaker 02

  Or have kids.

• 13:07Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 13:07Speaker 02

  Yeah. It's very restrictive back in the day.

• 13:10Josh Clark?

  Also, maybe the most sexist industry that's ever existed.

• 13:14Speaker 02

  And of course, that's airline-dependent. It's not like there was a federal regulation, you know?

• 13:19Josh Clark?

  Right, yeah.

• 13:20Speaker 02

  So, it all depended, but...

• 13:24Speaker 02

  You need a high school diploma at the very least these days, but they're very competitive jobs to get. Gone are the days where you can just waltz in there with a headshot and get a job as a flight attendant. A lot of people want these gigs. And so if you have a college degree, then you definitely have a leg up these days.

• 13:40Josh Clark?

  Definitely, but it's always been pretty competitive. Supposedly in 2006, Delta announced that they had a thousand openings and got like a hundred thousand applications.

• 13:53Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 13:54Josh Clark?

  But it's always been like really competitive because from the beginning it was viewed as like really glamorous.

• 13:59Speaker 02

  In the beginning.

• 14:01Josh Clark?

  In the beginning, for sure.

• 14:02Speaker 02

  I don't know about from the beginning.

• 14:03Josh Clark?

  So because it's been a really competitive career, Chuck, and because the airlines were run by like men who decided that they owned their flight attendants because they ran the airlines, there was in that 60s, the swinging 60s era of that sexy stewardess thing you were talking about, like they were a major draw for airlines.

• 14:30Speaker 02

  Sure.

• 14:31Josh Clark?

  And the airlines like advertised them as such. So I've got, I found something. This is in that travel and leisure article I found. You ready for this?

• 14:41Speaker 02

  I am.

• 14:42Josh Clark?

  This is gonna knock your socks off. I purposefully didn't send this to you because...

• 14:45Speaker 02

  You wanted my socks to be on the floor.

• 14:46Josh Clark?

  I wanted your, yeah. So National Airlines in the 60s had an advertisement where they had flight attendants Debbie, Cheryl, and Karen, and they cooed, "Fly me." They also had an alternate slogan, "I'm going to fly you like you've never been flown before."

• 15:04Speaker 02

  And these are print ads?

• 15:06Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 15:07Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 15:08Josh Clark?

  Continental, well Continental's was lame. Braniff had one. Their advertising said, "Does your wife know you're flying with us?" Yeah.

• 15:18Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:19Josh Clark?

  Pacific Southwest said you want an aisle seat because all of our flight attendants have mini skirts and sometimes they drop stuff.

• 15:26Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:26Josh Clark?

  Basically. And then get this, Eastern Airlines gave out little black books to their male passengers.

• 15:33Speaker 02

  Oh, wow.

• 15:33Josh Clark?

  So they could get the numbers of the stewardesses, the flight attendants.

• 15:37Speaker 02

  And then Qantas had a slogan, "Ever seen a tickle fight?"

• 15:40Josh Clark?

  Crazy. You're right.

• 15:42Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 15:42Josh Clark?

  That's basically the sentiment behind it. And so you've got the airlines advertising this, and then the flight attendants' unions are fighting this stuff tooth and nail to be treated in a dignified manner and not be fired because you weigh 122 pounds.

• 15:57Speaker 02

  Right.

• 15:58Josh Clark?

  Which, yeah, it's just crazy. This is like, this was the way that it was back then.

• 16:02Speaker 02

  Yeah. You show up for work and it's like, "Hey, honey, get on the scale."

• 16:05Josh Clark?

  And when's your birthday again?

• 16:06Speaker 02

  Yeah. Terrible. You kind of went to a Bill Clinton there. Sounded a little Bill Clinton-y.

• 16:12Josh Clark?

  I thought it sounded like W.

• 16:14Speaker 02

  All right. Well, let's take a break then and work on our presidential accents. And we'll come back and talk about post-9/11 flying.

• 16:37Speaker 02

  You know, you're never done decorating your home. You know what I mean?

• 16:40Josh Clark?

  Sure.

• 16:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, because it's a process. There's always something you could do or buy or update. The only question is, what's next? For us, our animals just wear out our rugs so quickly, it's usually a new rug.

• 16:51Josh Clark?

  Well, Chuck, whether you need a rug or whatever is next for you, you can go to Wayfair. It's the smart place to get it.

• 16:58Speaker 02

  That's right. Whatever your style, whatever your budget, whatever you're looking for, Wayfair makes it easy to find it. And you can feel good about your purchases, too, because Wayfair verified products go through a thorough 10-point quality inspection.

• 17:09Josh Clark?

  And with over 20 million 5-star reviews, Wayfair must be doing something right. You can find pieces made for real life and get even more value with Wayfair Rewards. Join Wayfair Rewards today to get 5% back on every purchase. Head to wayfair.com to shop all things home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R dot com.

• 17:35Josh Clark?

  Buy smart, drive for less and trade for more. That's Toyota affordability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer.

• 17:45Speaker 02

  That's right. Make a smart buy on the off-road Ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and longest-lasting trucks, built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventure, and the rugged style for everything in between.

• 17:58Josh Clark?

  Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic 4Runner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus hybrid power on many models, you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way.

• 18:13Speaker 02

  That's right. And long after you leave the lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So you can trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota, let's go places.

• 18:38Speaker 02

  Hey, everybody. Cozy season is upon us. And that means crisp mornings. That means soft layers. And that means Bombas.

• 18:45Josh Clark?

  Yeah. Bombas makes your comfiest fall staples so you can make the most out of one of the best seasons of the year. Bombas has new suede moccasins that are perfect for fall because they have cushy soles, a sheerling lining, and they're made of water-resistant suede.

• 18:59Speaker 02

  That's right. And their slippers are everything you'd want for a cozy night in, made with the softest, squishiest materials.

• 19:04Josh Clark?

  And of course, Bombas has socks. Not just any socks. Socks for every type of weather, every type of occasion, because fall can be fickle and Bombas makes socks that can handle it all. And the best part about Bombas, for every item you purchase, they donate an essential clothing item to someone facing housing insecurity. One purchased equals one donated, with over 200 million donations and counting.

• 19:26Speaker 02

  So head on over to bombas.com/sysk and use code SYSK at checkout for 20% off your first purchase. That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com slash SYSK, using code SYSK at checkout.

• 19:57Speaker 02

  Alright, so we did mention that after 9/11, things of course did change. And, things changed in a big way for flight attendants.

• 20:08Speaker 02

  Not that they never trained on safety, but I think the training got way more intense.

• 20:13Josh Clark?

  Yeah, did you see that one I sent you?

• 20:14Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 20:15Josh Clark?

  From, I think, the Points Guy's website.

• 20:18Speaker 02

  Yeah, we should go over that now, actually.

• 20:19Josh Clark?

  So, he has a Flight Attendant Insider who writes quite a bit for his site. I don't remember her name, but just look up the Points Guy Flight Attendant Insider. And, she goes into great detail about what it's like to go through training. And it is more intense than I realized it was, for sure.

• 20:38Speaker 02

  Yeah, and this depends on the airlines, but they sort of give averages. The average training is seven weeks, but they can be as long as 12 weeks. We're talking six days a week, 12 hours a day. And, they call it Barbie Boot Camp, because you don't show up in your sweats and tank top with no makeup.

• 20:56Josh Clark?

  Right, it's not like you're a passenger.

• 20:57Speaker 02

  No, yeah, exactly. Your big fuzzy slippers and your pillow from home. No, you show up as if you are there to work a flight. So you have to be in whatever attire that they require you to be in. And have your hair done however you would do it. And just basically be game day ready. And then, they work you that many hours a day, because that's about how many hours a day you're gonna be working.

• 21:22Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 21:22Speaker 02

  As a flight attendant.

• 21:23Josh Clark?

  When you start working, at first you have very little control over your own schedule. Although I get the impression you have flexibility out of the gate. But if you say, "I want to work this many days a month", that's the input you have at first, until you start to develop seniority. So yeah, they expose you to that.

• 21:42Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 21:43Josh Clark?

  Six days a week, 12 hours a day during training.

• 21:46Speaker 02

  For many weeks. So, the first thing they do is learn all the safety equipment. They're given written tests, that she said that they had to score at least a 90 on.

• 21:58Josh Clark?

  80. I said that really weird, didn't I?

• 22:01Speaker 02

  Yeah, well, she said if it was an eighty, they had to retake it. So they had to score at least a ninety to pass.

• 22:05Josh Clark?

  I got you.

• 22:06Speaker 02

  And then, uh, practical exams, where you had to score a hundred percent on these practical tests. And that basically means you are on a fake plane doing the thing. And it's not like you're serving that Diet Coke wrong. It's all, it's mainly ninety percent of this training, ninety-five percent of this training.

• 22:25Josh Clark?

  Yeah, that's what she said.

• 22:26Speaker 02

  Is, uh, equipment, safety, all that stuff.

• 22:30Josh Clark?

  Right, like, the first stuff where they're giving you these tests that you have to score high on, uh, is, here is, here is all of the stuff you need to know about the equipment. And then there's the drills where you're showing that you know how to use it in these simulated emergencies, right?

• 22:43Speaker 02

  Yeah, like smokes pouring in a cabin, what do you do?

• 22:45Josh Clark?

  Did you see that one picture of, um, Emirates Airlines? It's like the big-

• 22:49Speaker 02

  I did not.

• 22:50Josh Clark?

  Like, a third of an Emirates plane, basically, the, the main cabin-

• 22:53Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 22:54Josh Clark?

  With the slide out going into a pool inside, like, a hangar.

• 22:57Speaker 02

  Uh huh.

• 22:58Josh Clark?

  And you're like, oh, they're gonna have to go down that slide.

• 23:00Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's not-

• 23:01Josh Clark?

  There's no way they're not going down that slide, in high heels and everything, too. Um, but they're running these drills, and apparently, this is a big, um, this is where most people wash out, she said.

• 23:12Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 23:12Josh Clark?

  Was during the drills, because it's so stressful. And, and also, um, she, she points out that because this job always has been and, and still is so competitive, that the airlines can choose to be super picky. So they will drop you from this, these training programs-

• 23:28Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 23:29Josh Clark?

  Pretty, pretty easily and quickly, because they know that they're, they're, they can find somebody else who could do it better, right?

• 23:34Speaker 02

  Yeah, so you end up with the cream of the crop in the end.

• 23:37Josh Clark?

  Exactly, that's a really good way to put it. And then she says that really the last thing they learn and the stuff that they spend the least amount of time on is the actual customer service stuff, like pushing the beverage cart-

• 23:46Speaker 02

  Right.

• 23:47Josh Clark?

  Where they know exactly what to do during, if sudden turbulence hits-

• 23:50Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 23:51Josh Clark?

  And there's a beverage cart. They, they are taught less how to pour that Diet Coke or whatever.

• 23:56Speaker 02

  I think, like, I think I could do that.

• 24:00Josh Clark?

  The pouring the stuff? I would get so stressed out.

• 24:03Speaker 02

  The whole thing, like, I've seen it enough now, we travel enough for work-

• 24:05Josh Clark?

  Uh huh.

• 24:06Speaker 02

  Where if, like, a flight attendant was like, "Oh, my ankle!" I, I could throw on the vest and run beverage service.

• 24:12Josh Clark?

  You'd be like, "Step aside, I've got this."

• 24:14Speaker 02

  Like, I know exactly how to, how they're doing it, I'm paying attention.

• 24:17Josh Clark?

  Would you splint the person's ankle first and then take over beverage service?

• 24:21Speaker 02

  I would splint the ankle, and then I would get up, "Do you want peanuts, pretzels, or a Biscoff cookie?"

• 24:25Josh Clark?

  Yep.

• 24:26Speaker 02

  Do you, what kind of drink you on?

• 24:28Josh Clark?

  Can't serve peanuts anymore.

• 24:29Speaker 02

  Sure you can. I had peanuts the other day.

• 24:32Josh Clark?

  What?

• 24:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 24:33Josh Clark?

  You had peanuts?

• 24:33Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 24:34Josh Clark?

  On a flight?

• 24:35Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think they, they don't serve peanuts if someone's allergic. But I don't think they banned peanuts, did they?

• 24:41Josh Clark?

  It was my impression they have just stopped. I've been on so many flights where they're like, we, we've got peanuts, but you can't have them because 13E is allergic. And everybody's like, oh, now they have almonds.

• 24:52Speaker 02

  Yeah, they did have almonds on a Delta flight the other day that was on, they were delicious.

• 24:55Josh Clark?

  You had peanuts on a flight? That's like a, a Selacanth.

• 25:00Speaker 02

  And then, uh, I'm a, I'm a sucker for those Delta cookies, though.

• 25:04Josh Clark?

  Are you? I have, um, I have, uh, desensitized to them. I actually just do pretzels now. Those Biscoff cookies?

• 25:12Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 25:13Josh Clark?

  I used to be a junkie for them.

• 25:14Speaker 02

  I like them.

• 25:14Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 25:15Speaker 02

  I mean, you know, it's just a little, was it cinnamon?

• 25:18Josh Clark?

  Treat in the air.

• 25:19Speaker 02

  A little shortbread something or other?

• 25:20Josh Clark?

  It's like a gingerbread, kind of. But it's called Spekulose.

• 25:24Speaker 02

  Ew.

• 25:24Josh Clark?

  Which is the worst name for a dessert treat on, on the planet.

• 25:27Speaker 02

  It says that on the package?

• 25:28Josh Clark?

  Spekulose, it's like, uh, yeah, that's the original Dutch name for that.

• 25:32Speaker 02

  Interesting.

• 25:32Josh Clark?

  I'll tell you where the money is, Chuck.

• 25:34Speaker 02

  Where's that?

• 25:35Josh Clark?

  I don't remember what airline it is, but they have this Dutch treat. It's, it's two thin, very sweet waffle cookies with a caramel, like, inside.

• 25:47Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 25:47Josh Clark?

  Right? Carmel sandwich. And they say, take this thing and put it over your hot coffee and let the steam from the coffee warm it up. And brother, you were on cloud nine.

• 25:58Speaker 02

  Who tells you that? The flight attendant?

• 25:59Josh Clark?

  The package.

• 26:00Speaker 02

  Oh, okay.

• 26:01Josh Clark?

  The flight attendant doesn't tell you that.

• 26:02Speaker 02

  Right.

• 26:02Josh Clark?

  They just go, here, read this package.

• 26:05Speaker 02

  That sounds like some fancy, uh, international type of line.

• 26:08Josh Clark?

  I know, it was domestic.

• 26:10Speaker 02

  Was it?

• 26:10Josh Clark?

  I think it was Midwestern, though. There's a lot of, um, European immigrants from the 19th century.

• 26:15Speaker 02

  Right.

• 26:16Josh Clark?

  So that would explain why.

• 26:17Speaker 02

  Exerting their influence?

• 26:17Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 26:18Speaker 02

  In all the best foodie ways?

• 26:19Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 26:22Speaker 02

  We got sidetracked there, where were we?

• 26:23Josh Clark?

  Oh, we were talking about how difficult the training actually is.

• 26:27Speaker 02

  Yeah, and that's sort of the long and short of it. I mean, it's long, it's sort of grueling, and at the very end is when you learn just the... She said that you learn that 5% of time you spend is what you end up doing 99% of the time.

• 26:41Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 26:42Speaker 02

  But you just have to be so prepared for that 1%.

• 26:45Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 26:45Speaker 02

  In case something goes wrong, you can just react on instinct.

• 26:48Josh Clark?

  Well, what made me feel really good was that she said the flight attendants you were flying with are so well-trained, and they also have to go back for annual training every year.

• 26:59Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 26:59Josh Clark?

  To learn like new stuff that the airlines have figured out, learn new procedures, whatever. And, you know, anytime, say, like, an airline deploys a new jet in its fleet.

• 27:10Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 27:10Josh Clark?

  They gotta go figure that out, because the safety stuff's in different places, and they need to know this stuff.

• 27:15Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah.

• 27:15Josh Clark?

  And they need to be able to remember it and act on it during an emergency. So, I guess I didn't really realize this, but any flight attendant on a commercial aircraft that you're flying is capable of saving your life should an emergency arise.

• 27:30Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, they talk about, they even go through like baby-birthing training.

• 27:34Josh Clark?

  Right. So, the next time you want to yell at them because they're saying the overhead space is full.

• 27:40Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 27:40Josh Clark?

  Remember that that person can save your life if this plane starts to go down, or lands in the water or something.

• 27:46Speaker 02

  And it's not their fault the overhead space is full.

• 27:48Josh Clark?

  No. It's all the people who put their bag up and then walk to the back of the plane.

• 27:52Speaker 02

  Are you talking about the worst people on earth?

• 27:54Josh Clark?

  The worst people on earth, and they took their shoes off as they were walking back.

• 27:58Speaker 02

  Oh, man. Why do people do that?

• 28:00Josh Clark?

  I don't know, but I was on a flight the other day, and I've never seen overhead space more screwed up by just a handful of people who did that. It was crazy. Like, toward the end, people who were sitting in like the first, you know, five rows after first class were having to go to the back of the plane, and you're just like watching them like, "Oh, man, you poor person" as you're walking off the plane, and they're just sitting there waiting to get their bag.

• 28:27Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 28:28Josh Clark?

  It's crazy.

• 28:29Speaker 02

  Yeah. I think when they started charging for bags, that's when everything went berserk. Because nobody wants to check their bag, except me. I don't mind now.

• 28:42Josh Clark?

  Yeah, it's crazy to me.

• 28:43Speaker 02

  Yeah, I've never lost a bag, so I don't mind. I don't have to sweat it. I mean, this is a... If I'm just going on a work trip, I don't even have my roller bag anymore. I have my, and I'll buzz mark of them all day, my Red Ox.

• 28:56Josh Clark?

  Oh, really?

• 28:57Speaker 02

  Yeah, my Red Ox shoulder bag.

• 28:58Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 28:59Speaker 02

  Uh, the thing is great and I can fit everything in there. But if I'm going on like a vacation, and I know you think it's heresy, but I will check that bag and relax my day away.

• 29:09Josh Clark?

  I'm not trying to yuck your yum here.

• 29:11Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 29:11Josh Clark?

  If you want to check your bag, that's fine.

• 29:13Speaker 02

  Or gate check it, that's the good deal, because you don't have to pay there.

• 29:16Josh Clark?

  Okay, I have no problem with gate checking it at the plane, so it's just stowed in a handy manner. So you just walk off and they hand it to you.

• 29:24Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 29:24Josh Clark?

  That's fine. But there are very few things that you can do that is a bigger waste of time than standing around waiting for your bag to make it to the bag carousel. I hate doing that, especially when you're ready for vacation to start.

• 29:37Speaker 02

  Yeah, I don't mind, because most airports, my bag's cruising around that thing by the time I get to baggage.

• 29:42Josh Clark?

  Oh, yeah?

• 29:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, for me.

• 29:43Josh Clark?

  Okay.

• 29:45Speaker 02

  And that's just because I, uh, I don't know, I don't like having to mess with fighting a bag, a suitcase on a plane.

• 29:54Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 29:54Speaker 02

  I don't like contributing to that whole process.

• 29:57Josh Clark?

  Sure.

• 29:58Speaker 02

  Much less being a business traveler, like you see those dudes that have the, the roller bag with the big bag on top of that and then a backpack.

• 30:06Josh Clark?

  Mm-hmm.

• 30:07Speaker 02

  You're like, dude, that's like, you've got three pieces of luggage.

• 30:09Josh Clark?

  Yep. Need to merge them.

• 30:12Speaker 02

  Right, but this is not about just us complaining about traveling.

• 30:14Josh Clark?

  No, all the flight attendants are like, get back to the flight attendants, get back to us.

• 30:19Speaker 02

  Uh, so, customer service, it is the goal of the flight attendant to keep you happy as possible. Um, but also, you know, they don't have to indulge you, once you have passed the point of sobriety.

• 30:33Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 30:33Speaker 02

  Or just jerkness, um, they don't deal with that stuff anymore. Like, they will stop. Boarding the plane, if you're drunk before you get on and have you escorted off, it's it's serious business now.

• 30:46Josh Clark?

  Yep.

• 30:46Speaker 02

  You shouldn't get on a plane if you're loaded.

• 30:48Josh Clark?

  No. Time was, they would get you loaded on the plane. Now, they, yeah, they don't, they don't mess with that.

• 30:55Speaker 02

  But they're, they're long days. So like we said, 12 hour days. They are, if you're, if you're new, like you said earlier, they don't have a ton of control over their schedule. So you're gonna be working a lot of weekends. Everybody's gonna be working some weekends. You're gonna be doing overnight trips, spending the night in, in cities and that can sometimes be fun if you put a positive spin on it.

• 31:16Josh Clark?

  Sure.

• 31:17Speaker 02

  Or it can be a big drag.

• 31:18Josh Clark?

  Yeah. But one thing that I have seen across the board from all the sources I hit for this was that you, it's up to you how much or how little you fly. Up to, I think, 100 hours a month. There's like a maximum you can, you can work.

• 31:33Speaker 02

  Right. They probably minimums too, don't you think, or no?

• 31:36Josh Clark?

  Not that I saw.

• 31:38Speaker 02

  Probably minimums to get perks.

• 31:40Josh Clark?

  Probably do.

• 31:41Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 31:42Josh Clark?

  But I get the impression that that's actually, once you've done it for like six months. Typically, when you're hired on for an airline, you're on a probationary six month period.

• 31:51Speaker 02

  On the perks?

• 31:51Josh Clark?

  Yeah. Because they don't want just, you know, number one, they don't know you from anybody. They've known you for seven weeks. They just trained you.

• 31:58Speaker 02

  Right.

• 31:58Josh Clark?

  They don't know what you're really like.

• 31:59Speaker 02

  I want 10 buddy passes and then I'm gonna quit my job.

• 32:01Josh Clark?

  Exactly. Well, I saw another thing too. Apparently buddy passes are like the worst thing that's ever happened to a flight attendant.

• 32:08Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah?

• 32:08Josh Clark?

  Cause everybody begs for them, but they are like really actually bad passes. Like you're at the, the end of standby. And if your friend, if you give the buddy pass to your friend and they start yelling at the gate agent, you get in trouble because it was your buddy pass that was being used. You might even have your perks revoked because your friend was a jerk to the gate attendant and everybody's always asking you for them. So a lot of people just don't even touch the buddy pass perk.

• 32:36Speaker 02

  That's like if you're a country club member, you're responsible for the behavior of your guests.

• 32:40Josh Clark?

  Right. Now.

• 32:41Speaker 02

  Not that I would know.

• 32:42Josh Clark?

  There are other perks. You don't know? You've seen Caddyshack.

• 32:46Speaker 02

  Yeah, but I've never like belonged to a country club.

• 32:49Josh Clark?

  There are other perks where like a family members, immediate family members, sometimes extended family members, spouses. They get the same perks you do, which very frequently is like you just pay taxes on the ticket.

• 33:03Speaker 02

  Right, yeah.

• 33:03Josh Clark?

  And you fly for free. Though that's different, like all flight attendants take advantage of that. Some of them will will hop on over to Europe or something for, you know, lunch.

• 33:15Speaker 02

  Hundred bucks?

• 33:16Josh Clark?

  Yeah, maybe, if that.

• 33:18Speaker 02

  And tax?

• 33:19Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 33:20Speaker 02

  Well, buddy passes used to be a lot easier when they didn't oversell all the flights. You know, like I used to have friends back in the day, I'd get a buddy pass, fly, no problem.

• 33:31Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 33:31Speaker 02

  But now, you're right, it's you're in a bad position.

• 33:33Josh Clark?

  Yeah, you are. Do you remember flights where like entire rows would be empty?

• 33:38Speaker 02

  It was the best.

• 33:39Josh Clark?

  They'd be like, well, the flight was scheduled, so we have to, we have to stick to it. It's strange now.

• 33:44Speaker 02

  What a day. So you're gonna be working seventy-five to eighty-five hours a month generally, but like you said, I guess you can't go over that one hundred mark. And interestingly too, another thing you get trained for is, very sadly, human trafficking these days. They will fly kidnapped people right in front of people's faces. And so flight attendants now are trained to to spot this kind of activity, which can mean like an adult who doesn't really understand about the final destination. That's a bad sign.

• 34:17Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 34:18Speaker 02

  Or if it's like an adult traveler with a minor and they just, it definitely looks like a little more than parental behavior going on.

• 34:26Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 34:27Speaker 02

  Like, don't get up and go to the bathroom, that kind of thing.

• 34:29Josh Clark?

  Apparently, that's how it started. There was a man who caught the suspicion of a flight attendant named Sandra Fiorini. She worked for American Airlines. She noticed that like a late eighteen-year-old teenager age guy who was, had an infant that still had the umbilical cord attached. And like a bottle of milk in his pocket and a couple of diapers stuffed in his, in his pocket, his other pocket. So like this baby was stolen or bought or something.

• 34:59Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 35:00Josh Clark?

  And she started looking into it and found out that this is actually a big deal and. teamed up with a woman named Deborah Sigmund who founded Innocence at Risk. And they kind of started this program where now if you're a flight attendant, one of the things you're trained for is to recognize human trafficking. And they actually, a bunch of flight attendants volunteered at the last Super Bowl to look for human trafficking because apparently the Super Bowl is like also the Super Bowl of prostitution and human trafficking in the world every year. So, flight attendants went to the Super Bowl and volunteered to kind of like keep tabs on things and call out people they thought were human trafficked.

• 35:40Speaker 02

  You mean the big game?

• 35:42Josh Clark?

  Yeah. Somebody wrote in and said, "You can call it Super Bowl, you can't do anything."

• 35:47Speaker 02

  Yeah, you can't like advertise anything using those words.

• 35:50Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 35:50Speaker 02

  I don't think.

• 35:51Josh Clark?

  We can't sell our Super Bowl bobble heads that we have a box full of.

• 35:55Speaker 02

  It's too bad.

• 35:56Josh Clark?

  It was a poor investment.

• 35:57Speaker 02

  Uh, should we take our final break here?

• 35:59Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 36:00Speaker 02

  All right, let's do that. We'll talk a little bit more about some of the perks and drawbacks right after this.

• 36:20Josh Clark?

  Buy smart, drive for less, and trade for more. That's Toyota affordability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer.

• 36:29Speaker 02

  That's right. Make a smart buy on the off-road Ready Tacoma or a half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and longest-lasting trucks, built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventure, and the rugged style for everything in between.

• 36:42Josh Clark?

  Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic 4Runner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus hybrid power on many models, you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way.

• 36:58Speaker 02

  That's right. And long after you leave the lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So, you could trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details, or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota, let's go places.

• 37:23Josh Clark?

  You know, eating is a huge part of our lives. It fuels us, it brings us together, and it's one of life's great pleasures. But once a meal's over, we don't think much about what happens next unless something starts to feel off, because what we eat and how our bodies respond to it is complicated.

• 37:38Speaker 02

  That's right. From the very first bite, food kicks off a chain reaction. Signals moving between the gut, the brain, and the immune system. The constant back and forth we can't see and often don't fully understand. So we want to introduce to you Eating Interrupted, a new podcast from iHeart Ruby Studio. It's hosted by longtime journalist and Crohn's patient Cynthia McFadden. Eating Interrupted explores everything from food allergies and intolerance, and why they seem to be on the rise, to how digestion changes as we age, and what it's really like to live with a chronic GI condition.

• 38:06Josh Clark?

  Through personal stories and expert insight, listen in to unpack what it means when your body doesn't always respond to food the way you expect, and what science is now revealing about why. Listen to Eating Interrupted on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 38:25Speaker 04

  First thought is like, wow, how are we going to do all this?

• 38:28Josh Clark?

  Hey, this is Josh and Chuck from Stuff You Should Know.

• 38:31Speaker 02

  That's Alan Goya, planning engineer at AT&T, and he's talking about Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, where every seat, screen, phone, and transaction is connected with AT&T fiber and 5G, redefining the fan's experience, and Alan's master plan made it all possible.

• 38:47Speaker 04

  It was going to rival anything that was already built, and that takes quite a bit of people and different teams to all be on the same page.

• 38:55Josh Clark?

  That includes field services manager Drexel Jones. His team made sure it all came together and held up on game day.

• 39:01Speaker 05

  Through what Alan's whole crew designed, we connected the event visitors to the world.

• 39:07Speaker 02

  And after years of hard work and collaboration, it was opening night.

• 39:10Speaker 05

  To actually see the whole stadium light up and data's flowing is a beautiful thing.

• 39:14Speaker 04

  With the fan's experience, it's incredible. It gave me a lot of pride.

• 39:18Josh Clark?

  AT&T, connecting fans to what they love.

• 39:22Speaker 06

  Connecting changes everything. AT&T.

• 39:40Speaker 02

  All right, let's talk about pay.

• 39:43Josh Clark?

  Baby.

• 39:44Speaker 02

  You don't make a ton of money. I think starting salary's in the mid 30s.

• 39:49Josh Clark?

  Oh, no, no.

• 39:50Speaker 02

  For a flight attendant?

• 39:50Josh Clark?

  That's, no, no. Starting salary can be like 18.

• 39:54Speaker 02

  Oh, really?

• 39:54Josh Clark?

  The median in 2012, or 13 or 14, was 37. The median.

• 40:00Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 40:01Josh Clark?

  That's like, that's the middle.

• 40:04Josh Clark?

  That's, that's not much, you know? That's why it's such an attractive, um, a job for people who are just looking for extra money.

• 40:15Speaker 02

  Right.

• 40:16Josh Clark?

  If you're a parent and you, you have so much control over your schedule, once you start to get some seniority.

• 40:22Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 40:23Josh Clark?

  It's a great, great way to spend your money. If you're a soap opera star. It's a great, great extra job. Did you see that?

• 40:30Speaker 02

  Yeah, what was her name?

• 40:31Josh Clark?

  Kate Linder, who plays Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless.

• 40:34Speaker 02

  Who knew? She's a flight attendant, as well.

• 40:36Josh Clark?

  For like 32 years.

• 40:38Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 40:38Josh Clark?

  And she's done them both for about the same amount of time.

• 40:40Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 40:41Josh Clark?

  And she does it like every week.

• 40:43Speaker 02

  Yeah, and she says it helps keep her grounded, no pun intended.

• 40:47Josh Clark?

  Yeah, she didn't say the no pun intended part.

• 40:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, but, uh, I mean, she gets those perks. She gets to fly to Europe for lunch if she wants.

• 40:54Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 40:55Speaker 02

  And act on soaps.

• 40:57Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 40:57Speaker 02

  So, good for her.

• 40:58Josh Clark?

  And that's not to say that the, that median, I mean, obviously, that's the, the middle amount, but it goes much higher than that. And it all has to do, all perks, all pay, all benefits, all that stuff. The flight attendant profession is all about seniority.

• 41:14Speaker 02

  Oh, sure.

• 41:15Josh Clark?

  The, and there are plenty of flight attendants out there who are career flight attendants and, you know, like Kate, uh, Kate Linder. She, she's been doing it for 32 years. There's another, um, woman named Candy Bruton, who is a 43-year veteran of flight attendant.

• 41:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 41:33Josh Clark?

  Like, there, you can make a, a long, happy career out of it, now that they've taken that age restriction off.

• 41:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, $21.23 a few years ago, an hour, was the, was the rate for a first-year attendant.

• 41:48Josh Clark?

  Right.

• 41:49Speaker 02

  So, plus $20 an hour. Uh, but here's the thing, and this is something that I bet 95% of human beings don't realize. When you were sitting on that plane and those doors are open and they're getting you your first-class drinks or they're helping you put your bags away.

• 42:04Josh Clark?

  Yep.

• 42:05Speaker 02

  And you're complaining because you don't have a pillow and coach, they're doing that for almost free because the only hours that they get paid for at that rate are flight hours.

• 42:15Josh Clark?

  Yeah, when it says the boarding door is now closed, the clock just started for them.

• 42:19Speaker 02

  Never knew that.

• 42:20Josh Clark?

  No, I didn't either. They get something like depending on the airline, maybe a dollar fifty to a dollar ninety-five an hour for the pre, the boarding stuff, the pre, while the door is open stuff, I guess is what you call it.

• 42:34Speaker 02

  Yeah, so like next time you're sitting on the tarmac and you're delayed for two hours.

• 42:38Josh Clark?

  Uh huh.

• 42:38Speaker 02

  And you're super grumpy, think about that flight attendant who is getting paid almost nothing to be dealing with how grumpy you are.

• 42:46Josh Clark?

  If the boarding door is closed, they would be getting paid, right?

• 42:49Speaker 02

  No, they said in here if flight delays, they like flight time is the only thing that matters.

• 42:54Josh Clark?

  I thought it was once the door is closed. So if the door is closed and you go out to the runway and you're just sitting there on the runway, they would be getting paid. I thought.

• 43:02Speaker 02

  That's not what it said.

• 43:03Josh Clark?

  Somebody let us know.

• 43:04Speaker 02

  Because it said in the article, if next time you're on a big flight delay, think about the fact that they're not making any money.

• 43:10Josh Clark?

  I know you're, I know.

• 43:11Speaker 02

  And that's probably why the airline put it in there because can you imagine how much money they would have to pay in flight attendants for flight delays?

• 43:17Josh Clark?

  Yeah, but it's not like the flight attendants are just like, I'm off the clock. Don't bother me. Once we get into the air, you can bother me.

• 43:24Speaker 02

  I know.

• 43:25Josh Clark?

  You don't hear that, you know, so they should be paying them for that.

• 43:27Speaker 02

  Hey, I agree.

• 43:28Josh Clark?

  You know? I think we should band together and start a social movement here.

• 43:33Speaker 02

  I wonder why they should tip flight attendants too.

• 43:36Josh Clark?

  Yeah, that's not a thing.

• 43:37Speaker 02

  They should stand, you know, the end when they stand there and say, good day and I hope you enjoyed your flight?

• 43:41Josh Clark?

  Mm-hmm.

• 43:41Speaker 02

  They should be holding a jar, as far as I'm concerned.

• 43:43Josh Clark?

  Shaking it?

• 43:44Speaker 02

  Yeah, throw five bucks in there on your way out.

• 43:46Josh Clark?

  Bye-bye.

• 43:47Speaker 02

  I think that'd be great.

• 43:48Josh Clark?

  Uh, you remember Tina Muklow?

• 43:50Speaker 02

  Oh, sure.

• 43:51Josh Clark?

  The hero of the D.B. Cooper heist?

• 43:52Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:53Josh Clark?

  He tried to give her ten, twenty thousand dollars and she said, no tipping allowed.

• 43:57Speaker 02

  That's right.

• 43:58Josh Clark?

  What a hero.

• 43:59Speaker 02

  And quite often, flight attendants are the heroes on many flights, whether it is dealing with. Literally a terrorist.

• 44:05Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 44:06Speaker 02

  And trying to manage that situation bravely. Or, uh, God forbid, some sort of incident in the air with, um, you know, like with the, with the plane itself. But at the very least, those jerks on planes that think they can just talk to people however they want.

• 44:22Josh Clark?

  Yeah.

• 44:22Speaker 02

  They gotta put up with a lot in a very cramped space.

• 44:25Josh Clark?

  Um, very early on in, in flight attendant history, I don't know if we said or not, you said that Ellen Church was a registered nurse, but that was par for the course for early flight attendants. They had to be registered nurses.

• 44:36Speaker 02

  Makes sense.

• 44:37Josh Clark?

  Um, there was one named Nellie Granger, who, uh, was a TWA flight attendant. And she, um, was on a flight going to Pittsburgh, I believe, in 1936, and it crashed. And she pulled a couple of passengers to safety and, um, made it down the mountain to get help and went back up with the rescuers to help, um, minister to the, the, the two injured passengers whose lives she saved.

• 45:06Speaker 02

  And she got 30 cents an hour.

• 45:08Josh Clark?

  She got a trip to the Indies with her aunt.

• 45:12Speaker 02

  That's nice.

• 45:13Josh Clark?

  By TWA, yeah.

• 45:16Josh Clark?

  I got a couple more things.

• 45:17Speaker 02

  Sure.

• 45:18Josh Clark?

  There's some crazy stuff that, uh, flight attendants have seen. The one that gets me, though, is dead bodies on planes that are purposefully brought onto planes. Not people who die.

• 45:31Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 45:31Josh Clark?

  Apparently Singapore Airlines has what's called a corpse closet on their planes to stow a passenger who might die midair.

• 45:38Speaker 02

  That's nice.

• 45:39Josh Clark?

  They're in the minority there. I think they might be peculiar with that. But sometimes, because shipping a body is very expensive, it can run into the thousands and thousands of dollars.

• 45:47Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 45:48Josh Clark?

  Some people say, well, it'd be cheaper if I just bought a plane ticket or put my mother in a garment bag and just smuggle her body on board and took her where she's going to be buried myself.

• 45:59Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 46:00Josh Clark?

  That a guy got caught doing that in Miami. Um, there was, in this mental floss article, there was, um, the person who was interviewed said her roommate, um, found a mother and a daughter trying to smuggle the dead father onto a flight.

• 46:14Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 46:15Josh Clark?

  Just in a wheelchair and said that he had the flu, but he was clearly dead and they had to stop the plane mid-flight.

• 46:20Speaker 02

  Wow. Maybe he did have the flu.

• 46:23Josh Clark?

  No, he was dead.

• 46:24Speaker 02

  No, I mean, maybe that's how he died.

• 46:26Josh Clark?

  Oh, maybe he previously had the flu. Yeah. They could have been like, give us a kernel of truth to what we just said.

• 46:33Josh Clark?

  That's it. Oh, and don't order Diet Coke because apparently it takes the longest to stop fizzing on a trolley. Okay?

• 46:40Speaker 02

  That's science.

• 46:42Josh Clark?

  If you want to know more about flight attendants, just chat up a flight attendant. I'm sure they'd love to tell you some great stories. And in the meantime, it's time for listener mail.

• 46:52Speaker 02

  I'm gonna call this PSA about the flu. Because we had someone, Courtney Harmuth, who was a sconny, who says this. "Hey, guys, wanted to basically give you a PSA about how dangerous the flu can be. In 2012, I was a healthy high school freshman, was suddenly stricken with a horrible digestive distress, a chills fever, coughing after a week or so. My parents took me to the GP, and I was told to go to the hospital for observation and get an IV. What was supposed to be one night turned into a month. I'd contracted the swine flu."

• 47:27Josh Clark?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 47:28Speaker 02

  "That first night, my vitals went crazy, and I ended up having to be kept in my local hospital for two weeks. During my stay, I developed pneumonia as a complication. Soon after that, fluid began to fill my lungs, and I had to be helicoptered to a larger hospital in Madison."

• 47:43Speaker 02

  She said being in the helicopter was pretty sweet, though.

• 47:46Josh Clark?

  Oh, really?

• 47:46Speaker 02

  Yeah, even though, you know.

• 47:47Josh Clark?

  I would think being sick in a helicopter would not be comfortable.

• 47:50Speaker 02

  I think she's a bright-side person. "For about 20 minutes, I was only taking in about 30% oxygen. My parents were told I could have brain damage or may even die. Upon my arrival to the larger hospital, I was immediately put into a medically induced coma for 11 days."

• 48:04Josh Clark?

  Oh, my god.

• 48:04Speaker 02

  "I was finally taken out of my coma. I had atrophied and weighed a measly 95 pounds. At 12 years old, I had to relearn how to walk, write, and use basic motor skills. I am extremely lucky, and I am completely recovered from the ordeal, did not suffer any long-term health effects. And now, at 23 years old, I've thankfully not had the flu since. I tell this to everyone to say, please get vaccinated against the flu. The flu vaccine doesn't just protect you, but also your kids, parents, friends, and coworkers. Really love your show. I want to thank you for doing such a great job."

• 48:38Speaker 02

  About important and sometimes hilarious topics. That is our Wisconsinite fan, Courtney Harmuth.

• 48:44Josh Clark?

  Thanks a lot, Courtney. Glad you made it through that one. That was pretty scary.

• 48:48Speaker 02

  Yeah, we said the flu could be dangerous. There you have it.

• 48:50Josh Clark?

  Courtney just proved it, everybody. If you want to tell us a great story that is harrowing and amazing, we want to hear it. Or if you have a good flight attendant story, that's a good one, too. You can send us an email to [email protected].

• 49:08Speaker 03

  Stuff You Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

• 49:23Josh Clark?

  Buy smart, drive for less, and trade for more. That's Toyota Fordibility, and it starts with a great deal on an off-road-ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's longest-lasting trucks, combining power for work, tech for adventures, and style in between. And they're built on a reputation for quality and reliability, which is why Toyota trucks are known for holding their value, which could mean big savings when it's time for your next Toyota. So get a great deal today and a great value tomorrow. Shop toyota.com for more. Toyota, let's go places. Introducing Voices of VivGart. VivGart is also known as its generic name, Fgart Tigamod Alpha F-Cab, and this new show features firsthand stories from people living with a rare disease.

• 50:05Josh Clark?

  Hosted by Andrew Stratton, these perspectives highlight that life is more than a moment, a condition, or a tough day. Living with a rare disease can be challenging, but it does not define the Voices of VivGart. In these episodes, they share their stories, from diagnosis to working with their care team on their treatment plan. Listen to Voices of VivGart on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 50:28Speaker 05

  In Orlando, meetings reach another level. Thanks to a growing list of award-winning restaurants, a world-class convention center, a great hotel community, easy access through the airport, and of course, the weather. Andrew Moyes, VP of Fan Expo HQ, had this to say about Orlando. Often, we will bring our entire team to Orlando for the event, and that includes our executive-level team members. And we're able to give them a great experience with luxury hotels, special restaurants, all those key things to feed into the proper executive experience. Orlando's easy airport access and close proximity to hotels and transportation make it a top choice for hosting major events. And while you may know Orlando for its attractions, industries like healthcare, aerospace and

• 51:10Speaker 05

  advanced manufacturing make it a hub for cutting-edge businesses. Or in the words of Mr. Moyes, Orlando really can be that destination where you can innovate, collaborate, and look to the future. And that's what makes Orlando unbelievably real. Learn more at orlandoforbusiness.com.

• 51:28Speaker 00

  This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.