Last week I scrunched into a Comair Flight 5353 seat … without my computer bag allowed onboard … and considered consequences of current cortisol crises ... and our lost art of flying.
It’s no secret that to fly anywhere anymore… is to arrive late … lose bags … face cortisol cranks … and squeeze into Fisher-Price-sized seats. If you’re not stressed enough … an overworked stewardess rattles off details about how not t
o sink in oceans … fall from planes … or suck oxygen funny … while you ram into emergency isles to escape fire. It seems lots to ask even frequent flyers like me.
Add to that … daily cutbacks that warn passengers to expect no food … wait outside in rain … bring no briefcases onboard … and endure frigid floor drafts to stretch gas … as well as less service - to shrink overhead expences for the airline.
Did I say shrink?
No wonder stress levels spike at airports … in ways that shrink human brains. Homeland security guards dump your liquids … employees demand shoes off … teams herd people like sheep … and airlines redefine … homeland and service … to avoid any care in either.
Within the current calamity at airports … lie fewer and fewer flying options … that passengers paid for at ticket counters. With hard earned dollars people also pony up their rights to basic benefits onboard.
Step into that stage … Comair Flight # 5353 Attendant Gwinder Childs. This attendant served us single handedly and seemed to catch every sun ray from a passenger’s perspective. She engaged passengers … invited requests for service … smiled constantly … acted as if service was a privilege … and spoke to all in fine rhetoric.
Headed to a conference on the brain … I saw Childs as a serotonin generator for both passengers and airlines. Throughout the entire flight she returned art to air travel … one person at a time.
Could brilliant employee leaders like Gwinder single-handedly toss travel adventure back into flights? If she does … and if the purse strings at Comair loosen as a result … I hope Gwinder is first in line for a well deserved pay raise!
She carried an entire air experience up to new clouds on flight 5353! Have you observed courageous leaders who fix broken parts as Childs restores care to customers?
This post was syndicated - thanks to Chicago Sun Times and also thanks to WPXI in Pittsburgh.
Thank you for recognizing Gwinder Childs and her duties as a flight attendant for Comair. She is a co-worker and great friend of mine and is so deserving of your wonderful comments!
Posted by: Mary Jo | May 16, 2008 9:05 PM | Permalink to Comment