United Airlines has released a new video showcasing a day in the life of four flight attendants. Beyond the marketing fluff, what is this video attempting to show us?
Here’s the latest video:
Earlier this year, United came out with a video bearing the identical title, which I analyzed here.
That video has since been removed, but I found a copy of it below:
You’ll note there is a quite a difference. While both videos stress the glamour of the job and the importance of great service, the older video seems much more genuine.
By that I mean the employees look and talk like the employees you see all time on United. The latest video seems more like four young models rather than what you can really expect onboard a United flight. It’s true: the composition of United FAs is changing. For the first time, I am noticing FAs who are younger than me and more retirements will naturally lead to younger crews.
If the point is to try to recruit new FAs, the latest video does a decent job of it. In many ways, being a FA would be a great job. I also like that the latest video is realistic as well, as new hires do start on a reserve basis and may find themselves traveling on a very unpredictable schedule. However, in emphasizing the fun and glamour of the job more than the service, I do not find this a particularly persuasive tool to attract more customers.
CONCLUSION
I enjoyed both videos, though I prefer the older one over the latest one. Even so, the times, they are a changin’…
Does the video show how a FA can attend parent-teacher meetings, medical /dental appointments, pay school loans and debts in a reserve schedule and salary?
If being away from home is a deal breaker for you than quite honestly this is NOT the job for you. As far as paying the bills goes, if you compare how much you would make at another job that has the SAME minimal schooling/work experience requirements you would find starting salary for a Reserve flight attendant is pretty good in comparison, and that does not include how much our excellent health insurance is worth (something rarely offered at _any_ price nowadays). Lastly, depending on where you are based, Reserve does not last forever. New hire flight attendants are holding a schedule straight out of training in some cases, something unheard of to many of us who have been doing this job for decades.
I missed the part where the FA is rolling her eyes at the passengers whenever they speak, the FA’s are hanging out in the galley berating the passenger in 16 F for ringing his call bottom and refusing the help with the overheads. Did I miss those parts?
Not A Fan you also missed the part where the flight attendant voulenteers to hold the crying baby for a bit as the mom seals with her other little kids. Or where the Flight attendant sees the family with toddler twins trying to get packed up and off the plane and voulenteers to help carry the car seats off the airplane. And while it wasn’t United you also missed the part where the Flight attendants successfully evacuated a full 767 onto the runway in Chicago with one wing ablaze and at least initially the good engine still running.
Both of these strike me as ra ra recruiting tools designed to sell the best parts of the job while ignoring the other aspects of it. They aren’t a day in the life by any means which would have been more interesting to watch.
I just realized why the old videa has been remoived,. All just white people. Nowadays you cannot have it. You need black, latino and asian in the videot to be politically correct in nowadays US as ther people who has nothing else to do and possible get paid just to find this cr..p