Korean Airlines gets a warning about hiring practices

From Google news:

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Watchdog urges Korean Air to stop sexist hiring


SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's official human rights watchdog urged Korean Air Lines Co. on Wednesday to stop banning male job seekers from applying for flight attendant positions, saying the policy violates a law banning sex discrimination.

However, Korean Air said it has no intention of abiding by the watchdog's advice because it "seriously" violates an individual company's rights to formulate its own hiring system.

The state-run National Human Rights Commission said the country's largest airline has not recruited new male cabin crew since 1997. It said Korean Air has been filling male crew positions from those working at other in-house divisions.

The commission's advice is not legally binding, but investigator Na Sang-won said that if Korean Air does not comply, the watchdog may ask the Labor Ministry to take punitive action.

Korea's law on equal opportunity in employment carries a maximum penalty of a 5 million won ($3,810) fine.

The watchdog said Asiana Airlines Inc., the country's second-largest airline, had not also hired male cabin crew for its domestic flights but stopped the practice this year.

Korean Air said in a statement later Wednesday that it would not change its hiring practices, but aimed to deploy some male employees with experience to flight attendant positions.

The company said it was difficult to apply the same system on female employees because they have fewer years of service compared with their male counterparts.

Korean Air said it has about 3,150 flight attendants — 2,730 women and 420 men.

Law of Attraction, Madonna, and a psychic Flight Attendant

I was dying to go to the Madonna "Sweet and Sticky" tour, but all the good tickets started at $350.00 for a seat. When I went to see about buying a ticket in Denver the seats were far away.I had friends going to the concert in Denver so I thought I would see about getting a ticket and going with them but I didn't want to spend that kind of money for a seat so far away. I read that Madonna admitted to selling her front row seats to ticket brokers, so I figured the only way to get a good seat would be to win a contest. A friend of mine sent me an invitation to enter two contests. One to win tickets to Madonna and another for a week long vacation at an Eco spa. Guess which contest I wanted to win more? I also entered a contest that was on Facebook to win tickets to Madonna.

Several weeks later, I landed from a flight from London and turned on my cell phone. I had a message from a friend who works in management for another airline. She announced she had two FREE FRONT ROW SEATS to Madonna in Boston for the next day! It couldn't have been a better time. I had to have 2 days off after the London trip for legal rest. I called her back and told her I would definitely be there. My airline had a flight in the morning nonstop to Boston. Unfortunately when we called to look for a hotel (she was flying in from D.C.) most of the hotels were sold out or the cheapest price was $400-$600 a night. It was the baseball play-offs and the Red Sox were in the play off. My friend told me she would investigate and call me in the morning to tell me the hotel she got.

The next morning I set my alarm for pm instead of am and woke up at 7am. The flight to Boston left at 8:10am! I rushed out the door in 10 minutes. Fortunately I live about 20 minutes away, but I was stressed! I got on the employee bus to the airport and ran into a flight attendant I had flown with before. She asked me what I was doing so I explained how I overslept and how I only had 20 minutes to get to the flight and that the cheapest hotel was $400.00 a night. She calmly replied that I should not worry. I was going to make the flight and a crew member would offer for me to stay in their hotel room. I thanked her and thought, yeah, sure a complete stranger is going to offer to share their hotel room with my friend and me. I ran to the head of security and rushed through barely making the flight. I had to sit on the flight attendant jumpseat since the flight was completely full. One of the crew members was going to the hotel and the rest of the crew was continuing on to D.C. My friend in the meantime called me to tell me she made a reservation at a Courtyard by Marriott for $400.00.

I waited for the hotel van to pick me up. My friend was landing an hour after I got in. The flight attendant on my flight caught her hotel van to the hotel. The hotel had their phone number on the van so I called them to see if they might have a room. They were sold out. As I was standing there a crew of three flight attendants walked up to wait for the hotel bus. Since the other flight attendant had just left I went over to tell them they just missed the bus. I explained I was a flight attendant too, and why I was in town. I told them how expensive the hotels were because of the play offs, and, the only female flight attendant standing there turned to me and told me not to spend the money. She would get a room with 2 queen beds and my friend and I could stay in her room. I was shocked! I didn't even know her and she generously offered to share her room with us. She was so nice she even lent me her camera to take pictures since I didn't have one. I took a video of her opening act and one whole song before the battery went dead.

The concert was AMAZING! We were front row on the stage right side. We had some great gay boys standing near us so when Madonna came to our part of the stage she flirted with them. There was even once near the end of the concert, where one of the guys put his hand out and Madonna held it. I was in HEAVEN!!! It took me at least a week to come down from the high. I couldn't believe that I was able to go see Madonna front row for free!!!!

I asked for free front row seats to Madonna ( I was hoping to win them) and got it! WOW, things were working for me that week. I was also able to trade two of my domestic trips for a Beijing trip. It had been almost a year since I was able to get a trip to Beijing. Next time I run into the flight attendant I talked to on the bus. I will have to ask her if she is psychic. Everything came true as she predicted.

Republic to hire Flight Attendants for Hawaii

Here is the article from the Mercury News:

Republic Airways consider to enter Hawaii

The Associated Press

Article Launched: 10/08/2008 02:13:47 PM PDT

HONOLULU—Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings is considering plans to enter the Hawaii interisland air market in partnership with a local carrier.

An Oct. 1 memo indicates Republic Airways would use 70-seat Embraer 170 jets under a code-share agreement, according to a report in The Honolulu Advertiser.

Republic Airways' Shuttle America subsidiary would operate the flights under the brand of Big Island commuter carrier Mokulele Airlines. The subsidiary plans to hire 22 flight attendants for the Hawaii venture.

The memo says flights could begin before Nov. 15.

The additional island flights would help fill a void left by the demise of Aloha Airlines, leaving Hawaiian Airlines and go! airlines as the dominant interisland carriers.

Kingfisher Airlines Hiring

India's airline, Kingfisher is hiring Flight Attendants, opportunities for Foreign Nationals/Expats as well as Indian Nationals.
There website for more information is:

http://www.flykingfisher.com/careers.asp

Airlines that are hiring

While there are not many airlines in the United States hiring right now, there are foreign carriers that do hire people from other countries. Just be aware that you might have to relocate to another country to work for them. Of the U.S. major carriers, the only one that is still hiring is Virgin America.

• Allegiant
• Cathay Pacific (Multinational)
• Chautauqua
• Emirates* (Multinational)
• Etihad
• Gulf Air (Multinational)
• Mesa*
• Mesaba*
• Pinnacle*
• Qantas UK (International)
• Qatar* (Multinational)
• Republic
• Ryanair* (International)
• Shuttle America
• Singapore (International)
• Trans States
• Virgin America

It's Never Too Late

Here is a great article I came across:

Passavant home resident sees dream take flight

Sunday, September 21, 2008

By Kathleen Ganster

Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette

Leola Zialkowski, 83, visits with passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines flight at Pittsburgh International Airport. The visit was part of Second Wind Dreams, which helps senior citizens realize lifelong dreams. Mrs. Zialkowski, of Passavant Retirement Home in Zelienople, had always wanted to be a flight attendant.

Passengers flying from Pittsburgh to Tampa Bay on a recent Southwest Airlines flight were more than surprised when they saw the brand new flight attendant helping them board. When the gate attendant asked them to "Welcome our honorary flight attendant, Leola Zialkowski," they rose from their seats and gave her a standing ovation.

Maybe it was because Mrs. Zialkowski is 83 and was finally fulfilling her lifelong goal to become an airline attendant. "I was just too short back then," she said of her younger days.

Mrs. Zialkowski is a resident of Passavant Retirement Community in Zelienople and was taking part in Second Wind Dreams, a program that helps senior citizens realize lifelong wishes. For Mrs. Zialkowski, it was becoming a flight attendant. At 5-foot-1, she didn't fulfill the height requirements the airlines had when she was younger.

"After we found out about her dream, I called Southwest Airlines," said Pat Goetz, director of Passavant's Community Life Program. "I had heard they are very customer-service oriented, so I thought I would start there."

It paid off. She was put in touch with Silia Holder, grounds operation manager at the airline's headquarters in Dallas. Ms. Holder not only made all of the arrangements with the airline for Mrs. Zialkowski to work, she also flew in from Dallas to oversee the experience.

"I couldn't believe it when [Mrs. Holder] called and said she was flying in," Mrs. Goetz said.

At the retirement community, arrangements were made for Mrs. Zialkowski to have her hair, makeup and nails done and then she was transported to Pittsburgh International Airport with her friend and fellow Passavant resident Delores Fruth and her two sons, Gary and Greg.

Once there, the airline gave Mrs. Zialkowski several gifts, including a smock that she immediately donned and filled the pockets with snacks to hand to the passengers. Mrs. Zialkowski, who uses a wheelchair, waited at the end of the entrance ramp, greeting passengers and giving them crackers and peanuts. "It was so much fun. I asked them what they wanted and just welcomed them," she said.

"It was wonderful. She was overwhelmed by the whole thing," said Mrs. Fruth, who is also on the committee for Second Wind Dreams. "Southwest Airlines went all out. It was just such a delightful day. ... And the passengers were just great. They all congratulated her."

After the passengers boarded, the airline took Mrs. Zialkowski on board and presented her with her wings. "I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe so much attention was being paid to me," she said.

Once her flight attendant duties were done, Ms. Holder and her colleagues from the Pittsburgh office of Southwest took Mrs. Zialkowski and her group to lunch.

Back home, Mrs. Zialkowski was eager to show her fellow residents the gifts Southwest had given her, including flowers, a balloon, T-shirts, the apron, a large teddy bear -- and the wings.

"I still have them on," she said.

Although she enjoyed the experience, once was enough. "I'm not applying for a job, but it sure was fun," she said.

Freelance writer Kathleen Ganster can be reached at suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.

First published on September 21, 2008 at 12:00 am

Flight Attendant Hiring

Unfortunately hiring for flight attendants has slowed down considerably. Here is an article about Alaska:
"STATEWIDE – Due to soaring fuel costs and a stalling economy, Alaska Airlines is cutting up to 1000 jobs, ten percent of its workforce. The layoffs affecting pilots, flight attendants, aircraft technicians, customer service agents, and ramp workers, will begin in November."

Fortunately for flight attendants, most airlines ask for voluntary leaves. There is usually more than enough flight attendants that are willing to take a leave, so the junior new hires aren't usually furloughed. If you get furloughed, when the airlines need to start hiring again, they first call back the flight attendants that are furloughed.