in AIR - all things aviation

Purser Palmer catches up with Michelle, also a Purser for a major airline, and Rob, an elite frequent traveler, to discuss the effect the COVID pandemic had on their work and travel lives.  Michelle is a single mother who commutes from out of state and had just graduated Purser training as the aviation world was grounded.  Rob's jaunts overseas were interrupted as he was quarantined among the rest of New York City.Rob also shares his personal ties to 9-11 - his father is a retired FDNY firefighter.  Michelle and I were in college and talk about how the industry we weren't yet a part of was forever changed.  And, of course, this episode had to address masks on planes.  We all talk about how that has changed travel for passengers, and the job as flight attendants.

Nas is saving lives through her online therapy group focused on flight attendants.  The first life was her own, she admits.Along with Linneth, another mainline flight attendant, we discuss the uptick in abuse and misbehavior onboard flights and how we cope through the anguish it creates.  Nas was featured in the New York Times where she told them that crews are at their wits end.  Another flight attendant said she didn't 'feel human anymore.'Nas has created what I've called a 'virtual jumpseat therapy group' with nearly 4,000 flight attendants, th|AIR|apy.  It's exclusive to the workgroup and a safe place to discuss the importance of mental health along with the resources available.  (www.getthairapy.org)To continue the page and increase the resources available, please consider matching my donation of $50 to www.getthairapy.org/donate.

Palmer is joined by former Pan Am Flight Attendant Lisa Little Freire who shares her personal experiences with the iconic Pan American Airways.  She's joined by fellow Pan Am Museum Board Member Thomas Betti who also serves as Historian and the Host of the Pan Am Podcast.The two will share compelling stories and first-hand experiences from Tom's first flight as an eleven-year-old to Lisa recalling the day of Pan Am's demise.  You'll also hear how Pan Am played a role in aiding the US during wartime as well a successful ditching - crashing in water - in the Pacific Ocean and more.Visit the Pan Am Museum in Garden City, New York.  For more information, visit: https://www.thepanammuseum.org