MORE THAN A TICKET MEMOIRES FLYING WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES FROM PROPS TO JETS

STUDENT STEWARDESSES STUDYING A PROPELLER WITH GERRY ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

Yes!  We learned more than "Tea, Coffee or Milk?"

We provided many services for our passengers. We hung up coats, helped

place things in the overhead rack, memorized the passengers’ names, passed

out magazines, and offered a pillow and blanket. For emergencies we carried

small oxygen tanks. For babies we had jars of baby food and sometimes Girl

Scout Cookies, and we always had wings or rings for the older children.

On board we had the greatest Girl Scout Cookies to serve our passengers. I

would put the Gerber apple sauce jars in the ice to get nice and chilled. When

we needed a snack we’d eat the Girl Scout Cookies and the chilled apple sauce.

My, oh my, it was tasty!

My friend Claire
giving some children an
American Airlines balloon
and wings.  And notice the ashtray!

For the idle traveler, we could hand them a deck of playing cards to play their 

favorite game, or they could join us in the lounge
at the rear of the plane for some nice conversation. It was wonderful! We
weren’t just servers, but generous, interesting hostesses. Imagine how our passengers
must have felt when they left our home in the sky. They had enjoyed
one brief moment with comfort and attention.

Among the many niceties that we provided were American Airlines stationery
and envelopes. The passengers were able to do any corresponding they
needed done on the plane and give the finished letter to us. We then gave the
written, unstamped items to the agent for mailing—true airmail! 

Additionally,
every passenger had access to some American Airlines stationery that had this
direction on top:

The first passenger letter I received was from a dear, elderly woman named
Clara M. Herring who was nervous about flying for the first time. As the
only stewardess on the flight, I was as tense as Clara was nervous. I felt like
I had this constant inner dialogue playing through my mind, “Am I doing my best."

American Airlines has often been described as the leader in air transportation.
I hope we merit that distinction and will continue to merit it. To do
that we must continue to please you, the customer. Never entirely satisfied
with our service, each day we endeavor to make it better.

If you have suggestions to improve the service, please give us the benefit
of them. If your journey has been pleasant, tell us about it; it will encourage
us. If any individual rendered outstanding service, give me the name
and we will commend him or her for you. We are glad to have you aboard;
I hope that you will travel often with American.

It was always so rewarding and encouraging when the letters were directed
toward me. They validated me as a contributor. Growing up I had been
taught that “it’s not what you get, but what you give that makes you happy.” I
learned first-hand that that is true. One of the most valuable lessons I learned
was to look outward for joy, not inward to be satisfied.