Tuesday, September 05, 2006
82 year old flight attendant still loves his job
His name is Bob Reardon, he's 82 years old, and he's been a flight attendant with Northwest Airlines for the past 55 years.
There's an article about Northwest's longest-serving flight attendant in the Pioneer Press, a newspaper in Minnesota. The article notes that, like so many other flight attendants, Mr. Reardon is dismayed at cuts and work-rule changes that require him to work more for less pay. But "If I didn't like the job," he says, "I would have quit 20 years ago."
Read the whole article about Bob Reardon (with photo) here: More work, less pay. But quit? No way - Pioneer Press
Technorati Tags: airlines, cabin crew, flight attendants, Northwest Airlines
There's an article about Northwest's longest-serving flight attendant in the Pioneer Press, a newspaper in Minnesota. The article notes that, like so many other flight attendants, Mr. Reardon is dismayed at cuts and work-rule changes that require him to work more for less pay. But "If I didn't like the job," he says, "I would have quit 20 years ago."
As the most senior flight attendant, Reardon can bid on exactly the trips he wants. The sense of control over his schedule gives him the feeling of being his own boss.Reardon began flying thinking that he would stay with the job for just a few years. In his case, he had planned to return to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, where he was studying French and Spanish literature. But, as happens to so many flight attendants, after a few years of flying, he just couldn't give it up. Being a flight attendant became his lifelong career.
"There's a certain freedom," he said. "You can build your time to suit yourself."
Lately, Reardon's monthly schedule includes two six-day trips. He flies from the Twin Cities to Tokyo. Once his plane touches down, Reardon doesn't hunker down in the hotel for the night. Instead, he's off for dinner with his friends who live there and who are a major part of his life.
He stays in Tokyo overnight and flies the next day to Hong Kong or Manila. After a 36-hour layover, he returns to Tokyo, then back to the Twin Cities the next day.
...
Before the most recent work rule changes and pay cuts imposed upon the flight attendants in July, Reardon typically averaged 72 to 74 hours per month of flight time. To meet the new minimum requirement of 75 hours per month, Reardon had to add another flight to his monthly schedule: roundtrip to Honolulu, boosting his flying time to 82 hours.
"I liked the job so much that I didn't want to quit," he said. "A year would go by, another year would go by. After 20 years, I said, 'Well, I guess it's permanent.'"He says he doesn't worry about saving for old age because he is already there!!
Read the whole article about Bob Reardon (with photo) here: More work, less pay. But quit? No way - Pioneer Press
Technorati Tags: airlines, cabin crew, flight attendants, Northwest Airlines
