Cabin Crew

Air travelers braced themselves for more disruptions today as British Airways cabin crews began the second day of their strike with no resolution in sight. As both sides squabbled over the legality of their 72-hour work stoppage, more than 25,000 passengers were stranded Wednesday when the airline canceled half its flights from London and up to 30% of the 1,000 flights it operates worldwide each day.

If you have trouble sleeping on a plane, Virgin Atlantic may be the airline for you. The British-based carrier announced last week that it has appointed its first ever “whispering coach” to teach crews on long-haul flights to speak in tones between 20 and 30 decibels to ensure that snoozing passengers are not disturbed on nighttime flights. The “whispering coach” is part of the airline's campaign to promote its new “upper-class dream suites,” high-priced lay-flat seats that the airline will roll out this spring on designated routes, including flights between New York and London.

Cabin crew members overpowered a hijacker who threatened to blow up their Air New Zealand jumbo jet with dynamite today at Nadi International Airport, airline officials said. They said the pilot, co-pilot and chief engineer rushed the hijacker--an airport employee--while he was negotiating by radio with the control tower. No further details were immediately available. The hijacker, a Fiji Indian, had said he had dynamite strapped to his body.

Warning: In the event of excessive cabin pressure, your flight attendant may go completely ape. Unfortunately, that's what happened when an "air rage" incident sent Steven Slater sliding down a jet's emergency evacuation chute Monday — and might eventually send him to jail. A 20-year veteran flight attendant with JetBlue who sat on a committee dedicated to upholding the airline's in-flight values, Slater had such a bad day at the aerial office that he's become something of an international celebrity.

British Airways on Thursday won a High Court injunction blocking a threatened 12-day strike by cabin crews that could have grounded about 1 million travelers at the height of the Christmas season. The decision ended a roller-coaster four days of disputes and negotiations over the planned work stoppage, which threatened to further undercut the beleaguered airline at one of the busiest travel times of the year. The union called the strike in response to British Airways' decision to reduce cabin crew staffing on most flights to cut costs.

The fellow who names the National Aeronautics and Space Administration space shuttles is either a dolt, or has a morbid sense of humor. Considering where the cabin crew of the previous shuttle ended up, the last name to consider for the Challenger's successor should be "Atlantis." But that's what it's named! DON KUMFERMAN Ridgecrest

I would like to draw your attention to an article by Mark S. Wexler, ("True Confessions of a Worldly Mileage Maniac," March 4). He states: "I once asked how we, as passengers, look to the cabin crew. 'When I walk down the aisle I see little chickens looking up with their tongues hanging out, waiting to be fed,' the flight attendant replied. " 'They eat and hopefully they sleep,' " was added to the comment. If this is truly how the Pan Am cabin crew feel about their paying passengers then I, for one, have no wish to fly Pan Am. Whether first- class or coach-class chickens, I suggest that we would be "turkeys" to do so. GRAHAM C. MILLER South Pasadena

Regarding Nathan Kravetz's concerns about cabin crew and carry-on luggage ("Plane Panic," Letters, Nov. 15): If he finds it necessary to "drag" his bag down the aisle to his seat, then that bag is too heavy for a flight attendant to drag. He should consider checking his bag, or removing enough items so that it is manageable for him. Since when has the flight attendant had time for "partying" on board? The cabin crew is usually hard-pressed to finish the service before landing. If Kravetz has indeed had all of the bad luck that he describes happen to him, he needs to be doing something differently.

Virgin Atlantic Airways cabin crew called off strike actions over pay after the Unite union reached agreement with the British carrier controlled by billionaire Richard Branson. Two 48-hour strikes, planned for Wednesday and Jan. 16, have been canceled after a two-year pay deal was agreed upon, Virgin said. The deal includes a 4.8% pay increase in the first year and guarantees to keep pay in line with the retail price index in the second year, the airline said.

TWA released the names and some information about the four members of Flight 800's cockpit crew. Passenger and cabin crew lists have not yet been made available. * Capt. Steve Snyder of Stratford, Conn., hired in 1964. * Capt. Ralph Kevorkian of Garden Grove, Calif., hired in 1965. * Flight engineer Richard Campbell of Ridgefield, Conn., hired in 1966. * Flight engineer Olive Krick of St. Louis, hired in March. (Crick was observing Campbell as part of his training.

British Airways on Thursday won a High Court injunction blocking a threatened 12-day strike by cabin crews that could have grounded about 1 million travelers at the height of the Christmas season. The decision ended a roller-coaster four days of disputes and negotiations over the planned work stoppage, which threatened to further undercut the beleaguered airline at one of the busiest travel times of the year. The union called the strike in response to British Airways' decision to reduce cabin crew staffing on most flights to cut costs.

The sight of airline cabin crews trying to mollify enraged passengers has become all too common. But a recent Air India flight added a twist when crew members mid-flight started punching each other in front of startled passengers. Accounts of what happened differ now that everyone's back on the ground. Exactly who started the brawl and why got a bit lost in the clouds, though one flight attendant has accused a crew member of trying to molest her. What no one disputes is that with New Delhi-bound Flight IC-844 cruising at 30,000 feet over Pakistan around 4 a.m. Saturday, the cockpit and cabin crews broke into fisticuffs.

Virgin Atlantic Airways cabin crew called off strike actions over pay after the Unite union reached agreement with the British carrier controlled by billionaire Richard Branson. Two 48-hour strikes, planned for Wednesday and Jan. 16, have been canceled after a two-year pay deal was agreed upon, Virgin said. The deal includes a 4.8% pay increase in the first year and guarantees to keep pay in line with the retail price index in the second year, the airline said.

In the airliner of the near future, armed pilots would sit in the cockpit while flight attendants trained in martial arts provide cabin service and passengers are subject to video surveillance. Legislation that won overwhelming Senate approval this week would take on-board security to a new level, in which pilots with semiautomatics are but one element. Traditionally, crews have focused on flight safety and passenger comfort.

As a frequent air traveler, I have to respond to "Flight Attendants Cruise Beyond Bad Old Days of 'Coffee, Tea or Me?' " (Her World, Dec. 13). While I agree that "air rage" has seemed to increase, we must also look at the fact that the airlines' handling of passengers has degraded. Passengers used to feel welcome on flights, but now some of us feel as if we are a big inconvenience to the cabin crew. From uncomfortable seats in coach class to the often surly treatment by cabin staff, all contribute to passenger frustration.

Regarding Nathan Kravetz's concerns about cabin crew and carry-on luggage ("Plane Panic," Letters, Nov. 15): If he finds it necessary to "drag" his bag down the aisle to his seat, then that bag is too heavy for a flight attendant to drag. He should consider checking his bag, or removing enough items so that it is manageable for him. Since when has the flight attendant had time for "partying" on board? The cabin crew is usually hard-pressed to finish the service before landing. If Kravetz has indeed had all of the bad luck that he describes happen to him, he needs to be doing something differently.

Flight attendants from United Airlines Flight 232 today relived the sights and sounds of a crash landing in Iowa that one called "a roller coaster ride with special effects." Cabin crew members from the ill-fated DC-10 jet, which crashed nine days ago in a cornfield near the Sioux City airport, shuddered remembering the chaos of the crash. "To come out and to look and see nothing but debris. . . . I said, 'Oh God, where is the other half of the plane?'

For those of us who've experienced "road rage" on the highway, having recently flown from JFK to LAX, let me offer some equivalent terms you can use when flying the friendly skies. How about "plane panic" or "flight fury?" When you come aboard and you're a "senior," the cabin crew, standing in first class, offer you a weak smile and no help as they watch you drag your carry-on bag down the aisle toward your seat in the rear. Flight fury! Those who board first grab the bin space and stow huge carry-on luggage that should have been checked.

For those of us who've experienced "road rage" on the highway, having recently flown from JFK to LAX, let me offer some equivalent terms you can use when flying the friendly skies. How about "plane panic" or "flight fury?" When you come aboard and you're a "senior," the cabin crew, standing in first class, offer you a weak smile and no help as they watch you drag your carry-on bag down the aisle toward your seat in the rear. Flight fury! Those who board first grab the bin space and stow huge carry-on luggage that should have been checked.

Air travelers braced themselves for more disruptions today as British Airways cabin crews began the second day of their strike with no resolution in sight. As both sides squabbled over the legality of their 72-hour work stoppage, more than 25,000 passengers were stranded Wednesday when the airline canceled half its flights from London and up to 30% of the 1,000 flights it operates worldwide each day.