What was September 11th, 2001 like for you? This flight attendant who chooses to remain anonymous, remembers the chaos and feelings of that time:
Septembers in Phoenix [are filled with] warm, sunny skies. We often spent time in the pool out back, floating on a raft, beer in hand, watching the planes coming into Sky Harbor on final approach. That September was no different – at first.
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On September 10th, 2001, I was getting ready for bed, I had an early 5AM turn. A turn is just flying to one city and back, so I was flying to ABQ (Albuquerque, NM) and back to PHX (Phoenix, AZ). While I was getting ready I was getting a major headache, my sinuses were acting up and I just felt like my head was going to explode; but I figured a good night sleep would help.
My alarm went off at 3:30 am. I woke up groggy, and my headache was not gone. I looked at my boyfriend and said, “I know I could power through my turn, but I don’t want to take any chances. I’m going to call out sick since my sinuses are pounding.” I made a quick call to work, and back to bed I went.
The phone woke us both up – it was my boyfriends mom. She lived in the east and was awake having breakfast when the news broke. My boyfriend and I were both flight attendants, and she was calling to make sure we were ok. He told me to go turn on the TV, and that was the beginning of the biggest change the airline industry would see.
We sat and watched it live; we saw the buildings on fire. We heard the newscasters speculating. We saw the 2nd plane hit, and we, like everyone else watching at that moment, knew this was no accident. Our phones were ringing off the hook. Parents, siblings, cousins, friends, coworkers – all of us were calling each other to see if we were okay, and to try to understand what we were witnessing. The thing I remember most about watching the TV coverage, was when they said all planes were being grounded and they were all accounted for except for one. I remember watching, waiting to hear that all the planes were down when they announced the fate of United flight 93. My heart broke knowing the fear those people must have gone through. Still, to this day, I get teary thinking about how I would have felt being in a plane about to crash, especially in such a way. Us flight attendants and pilots know the G-force and speed that they would have felt. It would have been terrifying.
“Our lives were on hold; Was there something in the universe that was helping me that day?”
Like everyone else, I sat glued to the TV, watching the horror unfold. The internet wasn’t like it is now, and communication from our company was done mostly by phone. We would call in and listen to the hotline to hear updates about our company, and how we were affected. That’s how we learned that planes were going to be grounded until further notice. Our lives were on hold. Thousands of people were stranded around the country, not knowing when they would get home. That’s when it hit me…I would have been in ABQ, on a turn with no clothes, or anything! Was there something in the universe that was helping me that day? Why did I call in? Was there something to my headache or was it just me not wanting to get on a plane that day?
Days passed, and nothing much had changed. Planes were grounded; the world was glued to their TV sets. Aside from the deaths, the terrorists and the uncertainty of our country, we were thinking about our beloved airline, and the millions of dollars they were losing by not being able to fly – Would they go bankrupt? Would they layoff employees?
“Would I have a job?”
There we were again on a warm September day, sitting by the pool, but there was one very noticeable difference; there were no planes flying overhead. It was an eerie quiet in the sky.
The government gave the okay for planes to take off again, but only a few. It was time to get those who were stranded to where they needed to go. A day or two later the rest of the fleet was okayed to go as well. We knew it would be different, we knew it would be difficult, but we knew it had to be done. My airline gave flight attendants the option to not come back right away if we were too [uncomfortable] to do so. Some people needed the extra time to stay with family and try to reassure small children; some would never make it back – the reality being too scary to deal with. I felt I was ready. Not having been in the sky at the time; I think I was affected differently in that way.
“My flights for the next 3 days were empty”
I headed to the airport early, unaware of how much extra security I would have to go through and wanting to be prepared for the crowds needing to get on long awaited flights – The [airport] was a ghost town. It was somber, quiet, and deserted. The security agents took their time looking through all of the bags, checking ID’s, and only allowing passengers with tickets to go through. Before the attacks, anyone could go through security and to the gates with their loved ones. Our employees were sad, but ready to get America flying again. My flights for the next 3 days were empty, sometimes with only 5 or 6 people, but no matter what, EVERY passenger, gate agent and pilot that I came into contact with thanked me for coming to work, and was sorry for everything that had happened. Although it was a difficult time, the camaraderie among all of us was there.
The next big hurdle for the airlines was recovering financially. How do you plan for your planes to be taken out by madmen? American and United Airlines lost aircraft and passengers! The most we had to deal with was the grounding of flights for that week. After mourning for my fellow Americans, now was the time to worry about my career. I had only been with [my company] for 4 years – was it enough [to avoid getting laid off]? Our company kept us in the loop, letting us know they would do anything they could to avoid furloughs, and layoffs. The employees rallied. We asked to help and they let us. We donated our wages, and agreed to work for free on a volunteer basis. People gave what they could – some 1 hour free, some 40 hours free – we were going to do our part to keep our airline in the air! Miraculously not ONE person lost their job or was furloughed from our company. Others did not do so well, and our hearts went out to them.
“On the plane soooo much changed.”
Over the years, [airline] guidelines [have become] way more strict. Everyone, even airline employees, had to do more background checks and other protocols to get through the airport. On the plane soooo much changed. The pilots are basically cut off now; there’s very little going in or out of the cockpit during flights, and our training dealing with hijackings drastically changed. The public, *sigh* – 90% of them were so supportive, understanding and willing to do whatever it took to keep the airlines up and America safe. New procedures at security, like not being able to bring your nail file, liquids or Swiss army knives anymore, posed some issues with travelers. Some were not so nice when complaining about all of the changes. It seems like every year since the attacks, something new pops up that triggers more changes.
Throughout it all, my faith in humanity, our country and our company never faltered. I knew I would continue to be a flight attendant, and I knew that I would be proud to be someone who was willing to go the distance to help others out in an emergency. I still feel admiration for my fellow employees and the public to this day. September 11th is never far from any of our thoughts, and I think that’s a good thing.
– Anonymous Flight Attendant –
