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United737522
12-25-2007, 12:53 PM
I have read every one of your columns since you have started writing them. I really enjoy them. I worked as a gate agent and I saw some crazy stuff in just 1 year. I imagine an FA sees some crazy stuff. However, I read your column this week and am having trouble with this:

9. Crewmembers are permitted to dress in costume on Halloween flights. Most don't participate, but some wear inoffensive outfits and a select few do go to extremes. I have seen clowns, devils, Disney characters, pilots dressed as flight attendants and vice versa. One flight attendant went too far when he changed into his costume in the airplane restroom and emerged as a terrorist. He was detained by security and was fired soon afterward. I guess you could say that his Osama bin Laden costume bombed. I find it strange that he actually thought people would be amused.

There is NO airline who permits the wearing of costumes on Halloween. That would be so incredibly unprofessional, and not even the likes of WN, SX or Ryanair would allow it.

Then you proceed to say that FAs dress as "devils... pilots dressed as flight attendants and vice versa." If an airline did allow some sort of costume, it would not be the above. Can you imagine boarding the plane and having a devil as a pilot or FA? Even in the gate area, such a sight would be appalling.

Most airlines hardly allow pilots to wear holiday ties with their uniform.

Sorry, your #9 doesn't fly with me.

jfrenaye
12-25-2007, 02:04 PM
I will beg to differ on this. I flew on Halloween this year and I saw the WN and US employees dressing up. Gate folks, ramp folks, and flight crew. It may not be a "policy" or "sanctioned" but they must turn the other cheek.

Ned
12-25-2007, 04:43 PM
Welcome to Tripso United.

I don't know what happened this year on US, but last year I flew them on Halloween. The captain and pilot flew as pirates (at least they had funny hats and a patch over one eye each time they came out of the cockpit), and all the FAs flew as angels, even the male FA, complete with wings and halos, over their normal uniform. They had to take the wings off after taking off, in order to complete their duties, but the halos stayed put. It was a delightful flight with them. It helped everyone on the 2.5 hour flight which was delayed for about 45 minutes on the tarmac, stay upbeat the whole time.

I've been told the Southwest flight attendants go all out, but I've never flown them, so I don't know for sure.