Tip Three: Know Your Job

Sounds pretty basic, but I mean more here than knowing how to do a 757 Economy service.

Know United Airlines. Know the different departments, the key people running them, and the different procedures for handling all types of situations. Learn how this company is organized and how it operates.

Problems with payroll that the regular staff cannot help you with? Know who heads that department. Problems with scheduling that a regular scheduler cannot solve? Know who manages that crew desk. Knowing the employee job groups can be very valuable at times.

Ditto for phone numbers. Know the Unitel equivalents so your not stuck in FLTLINE hell.

Also know your immediate supervisor's job responsibilities. Learn as much as you can about how many flight attendants they handle, what their tasks are, what their work schedules are, etc...

Are you on reserve? Try and get permission to sit over the shoulder of a crew scheduler for a day and see them give out the CLLR assignments. You'll learn a great deal of information and this can only help you better understand the nature of their work.

It is of our opinion that gathering even basic information from this company is exceedingly difficult. That's why this web site was created in the first place. Be patient. Good starting points for getting answers include:

• Your local AFA office (if you've been following my advice, you would already have their phone number handy)
• Your supervisor (if they don't know the answers, they can refer you to someone who does)
• SkyNet (good for telephone numbers and department leader's names)

Know how to read between the lines also. Know when the communication you receive is relevant or just fluff.

And lastly, know your work responsibilities. Because the airlines love to change things constantly, make sure you know what you're supposed to be doing. Know that FAOM. Know the 30-whatevers. Your flying partners can be a great deal of help here. The more you know, more professional treatment you will expect.

Oh, and read Jumpseatnews.com. Sorry, couldn't resist!

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