I Could Never Be a Flight Attendant… and 20E Is Why
To all flight attendants: I gained an entirely new level of respect for what you do after witnessing the crew of United 1878 from Chicago to Cleveland handle a very serious medical emergency last night.
The calmness, professionalism, empathy, communication, coordination, and control displayed by that crew under pressure was genuinely incredible to witness. You are expected to be safety professionals, medical coordinators, conflict managers, customer service experts, and emotional support systems all at once — all while trapped in a metal tube at 30,000 feet.
Meanwhile, you also somehow have to professionally deal with people like seat 20E, who apparently saw a medical emergency and thought, “This needs footage.” Even after being told to stop filming, he tried again in reverse selfie mode like he was suddenly operating undercover.
I later learned much of this crew was relatively new out of training, which honestly made it even more impressive. “New” absolutely did not mean inexperienced. United’s training clearly showed.
The crew were the heroes that day. And after watching everything unfold firsthand… I can confidently say there is absolutely no chance I could do your job. Respect.