Flight Attendant Holidays
“So, are you off for Christmas?” Of course not! As much as the flight attendant’s schedule is unpredictable, one thing is sure. I’ll be working each holiday this year and at least for the next 15 years.
Holidays are the busiest time for flying and while all normal people are preparing the celebrations, I’m packing my suitcase and heading to the airport. And I don’t really mind, I got used to it. The good thing about working on holidays is the extra pay, usually nicer passengers and free food, that we get at the airport or in our layover hotels.
Working on holidays can be quite depressing as well and I’m not even a parent yet. I love Christmas, I enjoy decorating my place, baking Christmas cookies, buying gifts for my loved ones and being with them. For the last part, it used to be. Now I’m working on Christmas and my family is in the Czech Republic. While they are enjoying each other, I’m by myself in a hotel. Well, everything is doable and if you are little open minded, you can have Christmas any time. So now we celebrate it at the beginning of December, when it’s somehow easier to get couple of days off. And it works great. I can imagine it will be more difficult once I have kids, but I’m sure everything is doable and they will get used, that we might have Santa coming few days earlier.
And even while working, I could still enjoy some fun. I welcomed New Year in Manhattan. I was watching the Independence Day’ fireworks in Boston. I shopped in the Mall of America in Minneapolis on Black Friday. And with the right crew, you can feel like home. It’s thousands of us here and although we never met before and might not meet again for few months or even years, we stick together even more on holidays and become a family for that trip. We go out for dinner, share the stories and enjoy it in our own way.
Flight attendant’s life can be fabulous and adventurous, but it can be very lonely as well. You realize it, especially when working on holidays. But then you also realize, that when you spread your wings, you can’t stop flying.
