1. Public Contact: The Backbone of the Airline Industry
By
Robert E. Woyach
Advisor: Dr. Bert Cohler
A Thesis
Submitted to The University of Chicago in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Liberal Arts
The Graham School
December 2010

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For John F. Menchey
Without whom I would never have undertaken nor completed this task. You were my
inspiration and source of this thesis.

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Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………5
The Early Years…………………………………………………8
Education and Skills……………………………………………11
Benefits of skilled employees………………………………….21
Changes for the Future…………………………………………25
Conclusion……………………………………………………..37
Works Cited……………………………………………………41

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Abstract
Public contact employees are the largest sales force at any airline and based on
this premise their efforts can either make or break customer loyalty. A majority of these
employees are involved in ticket purchasing which is based upon price or schedule.
Research has proven that hundreds of good works and deeds can be ruined by just one
negative assessment. Public contact employees are the ambassadors for an airline and
one of the reasons that people demonstrate their loyalty to a specific airline. Several
surveys have shown that the duties of gate, reservation and flight attendants were the
main reasons an airline remained in business.
Historically, flight attendants were trained as nurses so that safety would be
assured if the need arose. This concept has been transformed over time to include all
public contact employees. Everyone who wears a uniform is a beacon of safety and
security in a sea of turmoil and uncertainty. Whether you are a distressed passenger
needing assistance in weather-related incidents or an elderly customer needing
reassurance that everything will be alright, your first instinct is to locate and ask
uniformed personnel of the airline. “Nurses were additionally valuable because “the
average graduate nurse is a girl with some horse sense” who “has seen enough men to not
be inclined to chase them around the block at every opportunity…Nurses would be
disciplined, intelligent, and able to handle onboard clerical duties “better than the average
young fellow.” (Barry 19)
Organizational management is also essential for anyone who ever needed to go
from point A to point B. This organizational management is reflected in reservations

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when, if done incorrectly, can result in passenger delays or misconnects that cause harm
to the reputation of the airline. A mismanaged departure, for example, involving
passengers being unknowingly removed from a flight, will result in lost time for the
customer, lost revenue for the airline and a lost sense of pride for the worker. “A 1999
survey by IBM of senior executives and board members of 119 of the world’s leading
airlines found that improving customer service and customer loyalty were considered to
be the two most critical strategies in meeting their airlines financial goals.” (Doganis 164)
The term skilled has a specific meaning for me since I am a skilled worker. Over
time, I have learned and used skills not only for a career or job, but, also for personal and
public endeavors. While we are sometimes concerned about what skills we have for a
certain job, we must realize that we have acquired many different lifetime skills through
the work or career we have already accomplished. “The invisibility of clerical and sales
work in American culture mirrors public distain for bureaucracy. Although there are only
about eighteen million production and transportation workers and about ten million
professionals and managers, these groups maintain a relatively high profile in the
American imagination. They signify our almost mystical respect for high academic
credentials and, in the case of manual labor, productive work.” (Aronowitz 140) As
children, we accomplish basic skills and continue to improve with basic reading, writing
and speaking. These are critical skills that will help us in the future for a better
understanding of the world around us and our own mindset. Our skills continue to grow
through the completion of high school exams and requirements for a diploma. These
skills are then used for further learning both in academia and on the job requirements. In
academia, these skills will help to produce better grades and a better chance in job

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placement. In choosing a career early on, your skills must be used to the best degree
possible in order to advance your career without the academic background. “In the first
half-century of the corporate era, there were few mentions of the white-collar presence in
the workplace or in American politics or culture. The office worker no longer
corresponded to Herman Melville’s Bartleby, a skilled male copyist in a mid-nineteenth-
century Wall Street law firm, or to Dickens’s Bob Cratchit, an all-around clerk. Instead,
in the expanding corporate offices the clerk became a specialist.”(Aronowitz 140)
Diplomacy and language are two skills that I have tried to utilize over the past 18
years. I have used these skills to better educate and cultivate my career in the airline
industry. Diplomacy and language are only part of the skill used to enhance the overall
idea. There are three main areas in which skills are used in the airline industry. They are
reservation operations, ticket and gate operations and in-flight operations. All of these
three areas fall in the category of public contact. The people that are employed in the
areas of public contact should and truly must utilize skill in their daily job function.
When we look at the words public contact what meaning comes to mind? Public- by
definition is: of or relating to people in general, accessible to or shared by all members of
the community. Contact- is defined as a person serving as a go between, messenger,
connection or source. If we use the definitions of both of those words they are in fact
skills.
Clearly, the jobs that the public contact employees perform are actually skilled
positions. Yet, due to circumstances beyond their control, they are constantly belittled
and treated in demeaning ways. They take the brunt of jokes and conversations of
negative reasoning. This is incredibly ironic since most customers flock to the public

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contact employee for assistance in their time of need. Through the further advancement
of the skills in sales, safety, and organizational management these employees will be
viewed in a different manner: a skilled employee.
The Early Years
Reservations and Ticket Agents were basically the same roles in the original
scheme of things. Reservationists can thank Alexander Graham Bell and his invention of
the Telephone for their careers. “From the first, the way to get a ride on an airline was to
use the telephone. If the rise of the railroads coincided with that of the telegraph, the
airlines took off with the help of the telephone.” (Solberg 208) We might not think very
much of the telephone as a way to communicate today but until the 1990’s the telephone
was the essential way of making an airline reservation. Once the call was placed at the
Reservation office there are two main concerns for the airline. The Passenger Name
Record or PNR is created and the seat is taken out of the inventory for that particular
flight. “Maintaining the seat inventory in real time was the most critical problem. An
airline seat was the most perishable of products; once the plane had left the runway, it
had no value.” (Campbell-Kelly 42)
Math skills were a key measure in ticket processing in the early days. Tickets had
to be written by hand and the appropriate taxes, fees and charges had to be correctly
calculated. From the very beginning the airlines have established city ticket offices in the

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various cities that they wished to do business in. Since early on airline travel began to
convert business people to the concept of air travel, versus other means of transportation.
Airlines needed people with business minds to impress potential customers that the
airline could provide the needed service. Here is an example of a typical day in the city
ticket office:
“A large cross-hatched board dominates one wall, its spaces filled with cryptic
notes. At rows of desks its busy men and women who continually glance from the thick
reference books to the wall display while continuously talking on the telephone and
filling out cards. One man sitting in the back of the room is using filed glasses to
examine a change that has just been made on the display board. Clerks and messengers
carrying cards and sheets of paper hurry from files to automatic machines. The chatter of
teletype and sound of card sorting equipment fills the air. As the departure date of a
flight nears, inventory control reconciles the seat inventory with the card file of passenger
name records. Unconfirmed passengers are contacted before a final passenger list is sent
to the departure gate at the airport. Immediately prior to take off, no shows are removed
from the inventory file and a message sent to down line stations cancelling their space.”
(Campbell-Kelly 42)
Due to the growth of air travel, airlines were faced with another dilemma- what
hours should they maintain at airports? Since flights were flying at all hours, airlines
realized they would have to have staff or personnel at the airport 24 hours a day and
seven days a week. Certainly the skill needed by the employees was simply plain old
work ethic. At this point, the employee would work the long and sometimes quiet hours
and if there was nothing to be done, then he would find or create something to do. A
skilled mind set would use the time well. “During the daytime they organized tasks
around the arrival and departure of aircraft. They might work very quickly to load and
unload a plane and transport its contents and then spend a significant period of downtime
between planes socializing with their coworkers….On the nightshift, baggage handlers
cleaning the aircraft developed their own norms for the cleanliness of the planes…The
expansion of the airlines forever changed the industry from a small niche in

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transportation utilized by the wealthy to an essential mode of transportation for the
American war effort and the economy. The airport changed from a rather informal and
sometimes rustic workplace to a modern bustling terminal set amidst dozens of acres of
concrete.” (Orenic 70)
The predecessor to today’s flight attendant was a nurse. The role became less
medical over the years and more customer focused. The idea of a nurse came about with
the beginnings of air travel. The airline founders believed that having a nurse would
sooth passengers and they would be able to ease and comfort them if emergencies arose.
“People were apprehensive about getting in airplanes, and [Steve] Stimpson figured that
being apprehensive about health was a kind of parallel concern. The company wouldn’t
have nurses on its planes for treatment as such, but half the passengers got airsick, and
having someone at hand used to caring for people would help.” (Solberg 211) This
concept worked well, not only for emergencies, but for the promotion of the airline
concept as well. If you were a passenger in the early days you would like a company
representative on board to be ensuring that the standards and equipment were maintained
and promoted. “Imagine the psychology of having young women as regular members of
the crew. Imagine the national publicity we could get from it and the tremendous effect it
would have on the traveling public. Also, imagine the value they would be to us not only
in the neater and nicer method of serving food but looking out for the passengers’
welfare.” (Solberg 212) The skills of a nurse were needed at the formation of the
position and this has led to an all safety mode with airline travel today.

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Education and Skills
Public contact employees are the largest sales force for any airline. Sales generate
revenue which makes the airline continue to grow and expand and furthermore make a
profit. Based on this concept, why is so much emphasis taken with marketing and
advertising instead of focusing on the people who actually make the sales complete? The
answer should be providing solid education for the employee. “Mangers rejected both
the older ideal of the naturally gifted salesman and the late nineteenth—century model of
the passive, unskilled, order-taking saleswoman. They undertook to shape a whole new
breed of clerks, no longer taking salespeople as they found them.” (Porter-Benson 141)
Skills are learned and maintained with advancement of the career, but a sharp,
skilled and diplomatic employee who knows the importance of a sale can definitely make
the difference. “There is no mystery in the art of the salesmanship. The qualities
required are born in everyone, and only a reasonable amount of training is needed to
bring these qualities to the surface and them serviceable…As I say, good salespeople are
made. They make themselves…The expression, “He is born a salesman” may have
meant something twenty years ago before modern experience had analyzed all the little
secrets of the art, but to-day [sic] no one with common sense, industry and a real desire to
learn need fear to tackle the task of soon becoming a leader in the ranks of the truly good
salespeople.” (Porter-Benson 141) Reservationists are the first point of contact that the
flying public meets with and, therefore, provide an introduction to that airline. Because
the primary goal of the airline is sales, it is vital that the reservationist understands the

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reservation system. “Reservation operations were being run much as they have been
since the 1930’s, despite the big increase in the number of passengers. The reservation
operation involved two main activities: maintaining an inventory of seats for flights and
maintaining “passenger name records.” (Campbell-Kelly 42) These systems vary from
one company to the next but the general concepts and formats are the same. After the
end of the Second World War major advancements in electronics and machinery played a
major part in the advancement of reservation operations. The Reservoir, a machine that
enabled agents to determine the availability of seats before making a booking by
telephone or telex was created. The system was not foolproof. Two major faults of the
system were the undersold seats and overbooking of others. The system is still in place
today and we still have the same problems.
Education plays a key role in the reservations job using world geography as a
prime example. “Training sought both to increase immediate, quantifiable efficiency-for
example, to teach salespeople punctilious accuracy…and to develop the ability to cope
creativity with situations requiring discretion instead of cut and dried compliance with
rules.” (Porter-Benson 147) A potential client calls into reservations and is interested in
going to Europe for the first time. This is a trip for business since her company is
expanding overseas and she has been placed in charge of developing the office and
interviewing possible employees for the branch. This is a chance for a long-term
relationship between the airline and the company since this booking could lead to many
trips as well as the development of a corporate account with large revenue for the airline.
“Developing a clientele, the other major technique of skilled selling, required a long-term
rapport between saleswoman and customer and once again a delicate balance between

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increasing sales and avoiding offense…In order to deal successfully with her clientele, a
saleswoman had to develop empathy with a varied group of comparative strangers, to
learn to anticipate their merchandise wishes, and develop a way to approach each
individual.” (Porter-Benson 150)
Diplomatic skills are essential as the reservationist should ask: what part of
Europe are you traveling to? Is there a particular city in which you would like to
explore? Are you traveling for business or pleasure or both? These are all key questions
to boost sales and if the reservationist is not knowledgeable as to city direction and
proximity the potential client may look elsewhere to find the information necessary for
their travels.
“Training consisted of general education, merchandise training, and salesmanship
training; General education, building on welfare work’s foundation, sought to fill the
gaps left by inadequate family and school training. Courses ranged from grammar-school
work for younger employees to university-level offerings for adults. Although this aspect
of training did not speak explicitly to better selling performance, it grew out of the
conviction that a better education would give an air of polish and efficient competence to
the sales force. Attempting to convey middle-class values and behavior, arithmetic
classes included Franklinesque exercises in personal budgeting, and English instruction
prescribed a drawing-room version of Standard English.” (Porter-Benson 147)
After completion of all the reservation planning, the client prepares for the actual
departure on the trip. This is the ultimate test of the airline and the proper completion of
the sale. The day could be beautiful and sunny or cold and snowy with a huge variety of
different outcomes. The client arrives at the airport with luggage and the ticket agent
asks for the ticket and identification. The agent informs the client that the weather in
another city has caused the flight to be delayed. The agent also sees that the client is
taking a connecting flight to a different city in a matter of hours and that the delay will

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cause the client to miss the onward journey. The client becomes upset so the agent
consults the schedule and re-books the fight to reassure the client that, while he may be
slightly delayed, he will still get to his destination providing him with a sense of comfort
and security. “Saleswomen had as woman learned to deal with affect, to sense and meet
people’s needs. Once behind the counter, they had only to apply their interpersonal
talents to dealing with their customer.” (Porter-Benson 148) The agent was unaware that
this is the first time the client has used this airline. The client feels pleased that the agent
corrected his flights without further investigation and hesitation.
The sale component has one final stage of completion. The actual flight and final
completion of the trip. Even though the flight has been delayed the client is assured that
her connection will be met with the least amount of frustration. The departure gate agent
informs the passengers that the aircraft is arriving earlier than previously stated and that
the originally schedule time of departure should stay the same. The client is then
reassured of the value of savings and has confidence in the abilities of the agent. The
client boards the plane is greeted by the next airline representative: the flight attendant.
“Early airlines distinguished themselves from the railroads and other sellers of service by
officering the “fellowship” of whiteness and banishing tipping…with no charges or
tipping…an airline attendant could “meet every passenger…with a pleasant smile, and on
a more or less personal basis of genial good fellowship.” (Barry 16) The client finds the
seat and settles in for the duration of the flight. Safety announcements are made and the
flight leaves with only 10 minutes delay. “Unlike the railroads, airlines needed to
provide basic reissuance that the transport being sold was fundamentally safe.” (Barry
17)

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The client was not aware that the destination city was experiencing havoc of its
own. There had been a lightning storm and the airport had been closed for about 1 hour.
The flight attendant sees connecting information on the passenger manifests and speaks
with each passenger who is affected. The client is confused but then recalls that he was
booked for the later flight. The flight attendant advises that they will arrive at a specific
gate and that they have the connecting flight information. The client is then advised that
he will make the connection as planned and if there is a problem the agent who will meet
the aircraft would then direct them accordingly. “Ellen Church, the world’s first
stewardess, believed that airline passenger service required a nurse’s “sound knowledge
of human psychology,” among other tributes. To many early stewardesses, homemaking
instincts helped them in their work, but as Florence Nightingale had argued of nursing
itself, it also required skills and training beyond those of womanhood.” (Barry 34) The
sale is complete even with the slight deviations that occurred. The client has a positive
experience with the airline and will remember the way in which the events were handled
and the flawless way they were carried out. The relationship with the client and the
airline is created.
Statistics have proven that air travel is the safest means of transportation in the
world. The main reason for this is the Public Contact employees. Their training is based
on many different facets and not just medical conditions or weather emergencies. The
knowledge and skill of the public contact employee is one of the main reasons that the
airlines have successful safety and security measures. “Flying high meant less
airsickness. Before airplanes were pressurized and flew above the weather, there wasn’t
much the airline could do about this important aspect of passenger comfort. They did

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what they could. After stewardesses reported that people in the window seat seemed to
throw up oftenest, American Airlines advised susceptible riders…adjust their seats to a
reclining position, and fix their eyes as nearly as possible on the ceiling.” (Solberg 381)
An example of these measures involves the reservationist whose job it is to
provide specific medical help or security clearance for those who need it. These types of
reservations could involve: administering of certain medications, seeing-eye dogs or
wheelchair passengers and unoccupied minor children or elderly passengers needing
assistance. Without this information being provided, travel for a passenger would be
very difficult and uncomfortable and may have safety issues. Clients need to address the
specific situations when making reservations so the reservationists may create and fulfill
the requirements for their safety. An oxygen tank, for example, for a client who requires
the constant flow of oxygen requires special planning. The medical desk ensures that the
placement of seats and the types of aircraft for the trip are all in regulation to have
oxygen tanks in specific areas. If the client has an attendant accompany them on the trip
they need correct information and will be notified if the schedule has been changed.
Upon arrival at the airport the public contact employee must ensure that both
passenger and equipment are treated with the education and skill levels that entrust them
to the company. The ticket agent must verify that the seat and plane are correct. At that
point no changes can be made. If there is a change of equipment this must be handled
carefully since the client has placed his trust in the company as in regards to their welfare
and safety. The agent maintains the utmost assurance that the trip will go safely and
entirely smooth as possible. “The Air Transport Industry has wrapped itself in such a
cloud of romanticism that there is no available evidence as to the conditions of the Labor

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Force that keeps the planes flying. In fact, going through material concerning this
industry, one would get the impression that a few handsome pilots and charming
stewardesses make up the entire working force.” (Orenic 81)
The final journey is the actual boarding and loading of the aircraft. The flight
attendant is given the paperwork and is briefed by the ground staff of the situation.
Ground staff and flight attendants help to pre-board special needs passengers or those in
need of assistance in order to avoid rushing or mishandling them. This not only assists
the passenger but, also shows a greater level of care and service. “The cockpit crew held
sole responsibility for safe operation of the plane, but flight attendants were the authority
figures in the cabin upon whom passengers’ safety also depended. Flight attendants
enforced preventive measures daily, such as making sure passengers fastened their
seatbelts for takeoffs and landings. But they also carried the crucial, if rarely exercised,
responsibility for handling passengers in the event of an emergency.” (Barry 74)
Safety and security are key processes in this type of situation. If anything should
go wrong such as improper loading or non-loading of an oxygen tank or flight and
ground crews not being aware of a situation then the entire flight and employee could be
affected adversely. “In the pressurized cabins that became standard after the Second
World War, for example, flight attendants needed new skills in operating heavy, difficult-
to-open doors that maintained the air seal of the cabin. Higher flight altitudes also
required flight attendants to know when and how to administer oxygen to all passengers
in emergencies, and to individual passengers who had trouble breathing in non-
emergencies. Postwar flight attendants seized on the expanding duties of cabin safety as

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a specialized, vital body of knowledge and skills that made them worthy of a place
among recognized professionals.” (Barry 75)
The final key and for most of the traveling public the Operational Management
side of the public contact employee’s position. Without a well organized and workable
thought process everything that the education and skill levels will be a total loss. In other
words organizational skill and knowledge will either make or break the public’s option
and response to the airlines requests. “After six weeks’ training, she explained, the
stewardess had to be prepared not only to serve passengers but to allay their fears. She
had also to “recognize and care for any number of various ills, care for completely
incapacitated or semi-capacitated passengers, care for unaccompanied children and
recognize and evaluate emergencies in order to effect immediate and rapid action for the
safety of the passenger.” And she had to know those emergencies routines and procedures
as they applied over land or water, and in as many as seventeen cabin configurations.”
(Barry 138)
Reservations must have a set of criteria for all bookings made. Agents must use
their knowledge and skills to determine various bookings such as group, individual,
corporate, award, etc bookings. Rosters from the sales department or last minute add-on
passengers will assure a smooth and streamline process. If the group has a multi-leg
journey then all the connections should be thought out before the final booking is
complete. Agents must also consider the ages of the passengers and type of trip that the
group is preparing to take. This consideration will help to prepare for extra time allowed
if elderly passengers would be involved.

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Ticket and gate agents are the key personnel in the management of day to day
operations at any airline. Ticket agents will see a group code that is made with the
reservation meaning that all of these people are traveling together. With this in mind,
itineraries should not be changed or altered. If the flight is delayed or has other problems
that will affect the trip the agent will advise both the duty manager and departure agents
as they will make better decisions for the flight in the end. Documentation checks are
also important for if one member of the group does not have the proper paperwork will
the rest of the group remain or continue on?
Gate and departure management employees have to be educated and skilled in
order to insure the departure is timely and hassle-free. The flying public demands and is
assured that the time frame of departure is as exact as possible. Giving accurate and
informative announcements are key in advising the public. “The newly created American
Airlines put together an extensive manual of operations during 1934 and 1935. This
manual not only clearly defined a number of jobs but also set forward policy on duties
and public behavior of employees. Furthermore, all employees were on call for
emergency duty at any time.” (Orenic 36) Falsifying information shows disrespect and
can lead to confrontations. As a result, passengers may choose to fly a different carrier
due to lack of confidence in that particular carrier. Advertising and promotional sales are
also affected by misinformation for a potential customer will look elsewhere for their
business. Even the public contact employees will feel insecure, troubled and less proud
of both their job and the airline they work for because of misinformation issues. “Agents
primary duties covered boarding of passengers and processing of tickets….The station
manager organized his workforce according to the perceived needs of the station.

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It is the responsibility of the Station Manager to see that all routine operations are
analyzed, arraigned in a logical sequence, and each assigned to a certain individual to be
performed at the proper time. This is particularly important for handling arrivals and
departures when station activity reaches a peak. It will require a careful study of the
operations to be preformed, the personnel available, and the physical layout of the
stations to determine the quickest and easiest method of doing the job, If several alternate
plans appear feasible, a trial should be given each, The best method, when determined,
shall be written in the form of instructions and all personal carefully drilled in the
procedure established, Deviation should be permitted only in a emergency or to meet
changed conditions. Improvements should be welcomed but continual change avoided.”
(Orenic 37)
Now the final segment of the operation is ready to begin: the actual flight. The
flight attendants job functions are truly put to the test at this point. If a client has had an
unpleasant experience involving reservations or gate personnel then the flight attendant
can make or break the relationship based on how he or she performs on the flight. Flight
attendants must be both orderly and swift in determining the client’s needs and or wants.
They are the ambassadors of the service on board and the service levels that the client
expects every time that they are on board a flight. Whatever the reason flight attendants
must ensure each client is treated and acknowledged the same way. One particular
acknowledgment that I particularly favor is one that is not prescribed by the airline
industry but has become a good gesture on the part of the flight attendant. If the
departure was delayed as in the above case scenario and time in flight has been somewhat
restored then connecting passengers might feel more at ease when the flight attendant
gives some useful information and ask a common courtesy for the passengers involved.
An announcement is made for passengers that are not continuing to a different destination
for those passengers to remain seated until the connecting passengers have departed. I
have always tried to encourage others with this gesture as most or all of us will face this

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issue at one time or another in our traveling lives. This one gesture of kindness it will be
remembered by the client and if nothing else he will most likely continue to use this
particular airline for all of his business. “In the first two years of jet flying, travel by air
almost doubled. Between 1955 and 1972, the number of airline passengers in the U.S.
rose from 7 to 32 million—almost a fivefold increase. In those years, according to
Gallup polls, the proportion of Americans who said they had flown at least once rose at
least to 50 percent. The increase in population, in the moneyed class, in overall income
played its part in this swift growth, which exceeded that of any other U.S. industry for the
period.” (Solberg 406) The sale is completed and both public contact employees can be
complimented that by working together, in spite of the outcome, a sale was made and
completed with customer satisfaction. The customer will most likely be a frequent
customer for the airline ensuring continual growth in both sale and satisfaction, the
common goal for all employees.
Benefits of Skilled Employees
If a workforce of skilled labor at an airline is content and happy would there be
strife or labor unrest? Would passengers constantly feel the need to have a back-up plan
if the carrier strikes or cancelled due to labor agreements? The answer is most likely not.
If all employees were treated fairly and given due credit, the entire company would
benefit. Issues like working hours and conditions, binding contracts and governing laws
would be viewed not as threats or hostilities but as honest living and working conditions

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and rights that everyone that has ever worked for a living deserves. “One of the
difficulties with achieving competitiveness by cutting wages is that it has profoundly
adverse effects on employee’s attitudes and behavior. Likewise, letting wages decline
below levels prevailing in the industry may produce similar effects.” (McKelvey 58)
Longevity of the work force is another important issue in regards to skilled
employees. If you are an educated and responsible worker you take pride in your job and
in the work you perform. “Efforts to increase the productivity of the work force have
proceeded along similar zero-sum lines. They have concentrated on securing work rule
concessions through collective bargaining, concessions that in many cases look rather
like Taylorism-increasing working time and reducing restrictions on schedules, reducing
staffing levels, and shifting to cheaper forms of labor such as subcontracting. Again,
there is evidence that many of these changes have adverse effects on employee’s
attitudes.” (McKelvey 59) If you are treated fairly and paid accordingly you will
continue to be a successful and valued employee to the organization. By working for so
many years you have the ability to conduct yourself as a spokesperson for the company.
Management will trust your opinion, co-workers will respect your judgment and clients
will expect a certain level of service when you are on duty. “There have been virtually
no efforts in air transport to increase productivity by tapping the hidden potential of
airline workers through participative and employs-involved programs, the current range
in the human resources field. For example, only three carriers claim to have any quality-
of-life programs by which to obtain worker’s ideas and involve them in decision making.
It is not clear whether any of these programs have in fact amounted to much, but there is
strong evidence that workers in the United States want these arrangements and that such

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arrangements are associated with improvements in work and even in attitudes towards
their unions.” (McKelvey 59) The company then can make informed decisions based on
the fact that employees are well trained and will continue working relationships with
management. Keeping this in mind, management can expect the cooperation of the
worker to better the company for years to come.
With this in mind comes the growth of the business and the impact that this will
have on the most important issue: profit. Each airline wants to make money but if it does
not have a solid labor force it will constantly be compromising sales and client’s demands
due to unrest in the labor area. This concept applies to both labor and management as
well. If the airline has a constant working relationship with both sides the chances of a
strike diminish appreciably. “The Railway Labor Act guarantees employees of any
carrier the right to select representatives of their own choosing and imposes on the carrier
an obligation to negotiate exclusively with those representatives on matters of pay, work
rules, and working conditions. Employees in the airline industry have exercised this right
almost universally. Following an acquisition or merger, however, the collective
bargaining agreements of the acquired carrier are voided. An acquisition or merger
therefore has serious implications vis a vie the pay, rules, and working conditions,
especially seniority rights, of the employees.” (McKelevey 115) Results have shown that
both sides of the disagreement do not want a strike. By having a unified workforce, the
company can save money with the costs of the benefit that they provide. By having the
majority of the employee’s benefits provided by the company the cost are kept low
because the rate of change is less. If all labor groups, as well as management, have the

23. 24
same benefit for years the reward will be greater than the constant overturn required with
paperwork.
Training is a good example of this. A training group of reservationists contains
20 individuals. Of the 20, only 10 remain through the first year with an attrition rate of
half. That might not seem high but the constant training is seen by both the labor groups
who have to work more with less and the client who must endure longer lines and
frustrated workers. “During this period, airline employees of all types worked in close
proximity to passengers. Passengers walked out onto the tarmac or ramp to board the
aircraft, giving them full view of mechanical and loading operations. American’s
policies on interaction with passengers, intra-employee behavior, alcohol and tobacco
use, as well as behavior outside work hours were clearly defined.
Drinking of any alcoholic beverage by any employee on duty or in uniform or by
any flight personnel, at any time with in a twenty-four hour period prior to going on duty,
is forbidden.
Employees reporting for duty showing any evidence of drinking are subject to
immediate dismissal. Any employee who knowingly permits another employee to
attempt to perform his duty while under the influence of intoxicants shall be considered
equally guilty.
In addition to the requirements outlined in the fire regulations, no employee shall
smoke when conducting business with passengers or handling mail or express. Personnel
in uniform shall not smoke in the presence of passengers or …in passenger waiting
rooms.
While the company has no wish to interfere in the personal affairs of the
employees, and will not do so unless that duty is forced upon it, those whose conduct
affairs outside their hours of employment brings unfavorable reflection upon the
Company are subject to penalty or dismissal.
Employees shall not discuss Company business with outsiders except regarding
matters about which they are authorized to speak. This is not to be interpreted as
meaning that the Company is opposed to—on the other hand, it is urged that employees
take advantage of the public’s natural interest to increase the use of air mail, air express,
and air passenger service.

24. 25
Each employee should use the greatest consideration when dealing with other
employees who are working, limiting their remarks to essentials.
An employee is expected to pay his just accounts, and continued complaints from
creditors or garnishment proceedings will subject an employer to dismissal.” (Orenic 40)
The effect of this frustration will ultimately be in contractual outsourcing. This
occurs when the company needs to hire employees to perform a job in which the current
employees can or will no longer perform under the current conditions.
Change for the Future
The future of skilled public contact employees in the airline industry is changing.
Since the mid to late 1990’s companies have been seeing a rise of an educated workforce
that brings knowledge and skills that have been learned and acquired from a broad
spectrum of cultural diversity. Since the 1960’s more and more college age youth have
been exposed to air travel abroad. “Within two decades 100,000 Americans had
circumnavigated the globe by jet. By 1970 as many Americans had jetted [sic] to Japan
as flew to all Europe as in the piston [sic] years. Then, air tourism being a two-way
street, the Japanese turned into the leading air tourists to the United States. Europeans
flying on international vacations outnumbered Americans, lifting tourist income in Spain
alone to 43 percent of that country’s foreign exchange earnings. And Lufthansa put
prayer rugs on its Middle Eastern flights so that Muslims could perform their offices on
the way to Mecca.” (Solberg 408) Airlines have increased their route systems
internationally and have since utilized bi-lingual public contact employees to further the

25. 26
airlines “open skies” agreements creating global systems and seamless air travel. “On
one hand airline executives will be asking their employees to work harder, to be much
more flexible in the way they work and to face up to the disruptions and uncertainty
created by mergers and new alliances, while at the same time accepting minimal
increases or even a freeze in their salaries and more performance-related pay. Yet on the
other hand, they will expect those same employees in contact with customers to be open,
friendly, helpful and very conscious of each customer’s individual needs. Both in cost
and marketing terms, labour is key. Successful airlines will be those that can overcome
these contradictions. They will be those airlines that can effectively implement strategies
to reduce labour [sic] costs while maintaining and enhancing employee support and
goodwill.” (McKelvey 124)
Terms like mergers and acquisitions and employer and employee awareness must
and should be addressed. Without the workings of both groups skilled employees and
even skilled mangers will not survive. I would like to present two views of skilled
employee’s that show working conditions and the relationships of management and
employee. The largest segment of the airline industry is labor. Weber states that “the
opportunity of earning more was less attractive than that of working less…a man does not
“by nature” wish to earn more and more money, but simply to live as he is accustomed to
live and earn as much as is necessary for the purpose.” (Weber 24)
In a 2006 interview with a colleague of mine, Steve Lennertz, a former Trans
World Airline’s employee, we discussed the deregulation system and the outcome from
the point of view of a TWA employee. Steve began his career with TWA in 1980. At
this time the airline was a world leader and one of the largest airlines in the United States.

26. 27
At that time the airline industry was a very labor intensive business. Lennertz worked as
a Reservationist and Ticket agent. As a passenger you called the airline directly or went
through a travel agent. Once you purchased your ticket you had to either go to the ticket
office of the airline or have the travel agent print the ticket for you. TWA introduced
Ticket by Mail in the middle of the 1980’s to attract business. This was a great concept.
It was a great benefit for those passengers living in rural areas as they appreciated the
convenience of door to door service. “The electronic marketplace offers consumers both
fast, borderless and efficient access to information on airline services, timings and prices
and the ability to make rapid and effortless reservations and payments.” (Doganis 173)
By 1985 the airline was not reaping the rewards of deregulation. Even though flights
were in demand and service had increased. Subsequently, a change in management style
was now beginning to be realized.
The division of labor at TWA became apparent in 1985. Senior employees as
well as junior ones were given different pay scales. For example; if Lennertz began his
employment in 1970, his starting rate of pay could have been $5.00 per hour. After the
first year of employment Lennertz was given a raise and subsequently each year after
that. By 1980 his salary would have been established as a maximum pay category. This
pay scale would be in place until 1985. That year two different pay scales were
introduced by the company. The idea behind the two different pay scales was to decrease
the amount of wage and benefits the employee received and to establish a lower cost
structure while improving the overall success of the management of the company.
“Remember time is money…remember that credit is money…money begat money.”
(Weber 14-15) The outcome of this made a huge impact on the company and the

27. 28
employee. In order for Lenertz to make up the difference in pay he asks if other
employees to give him their shifts. The result was the notion of part-time work as
opposed to full-time work in order to meet expectations. “The replacement of senior,
well paid workers with new, lower paid workers, or indeed starting a new organization to
achieve the same end, may also have considerable costs. Anecdotal information from
manufacturing firms suggests that the skills and firm-specific expertise held by senior
workers can be worth a great deal, especially when firms need to make rapid changes in
products or the delivery of services.” (McKelvey 58)
Shortly after this change the chairman of TWA left the company and his
replacement did not have any type of vision for the future. Much needed improvements
were not made. The upgrading of planes, computer systems and facilities were not a
priority. Instead of reinvesting in the company for further growth and opportunities, the
new management chose to make as much money as they could and then leave the
company with their earnings, while the rest of the employees were left to rebuild the
company before it was lost. “Labor relations in the industry worsened still as financiers
like Frank Lorenzo and Carl Icahn purchased and merged various airlines, including
TWA, Continental and Eastern, resulting in extended and bitter battles with labor. Frank
Lorenzo’s push to build a non-union airline through deep wage cuts and replacement
workers and refusal of President George H.W. Bush to form a Presidential Emergency
Board led to a two-year IAM strike at Eastern Airlines.” (Orenic 220) Management has
used the idea of Weber “keep an exact account for some times both of your expenses and
your income. If you take the pains at first to mention particulars, it will have this good
effect…” (Weber 16)

28. 29
Another colleague of mine, Charles Lindblad, has worked for Scandinavian
Airline Systems for the last five years. He is Swedish and has many ties to SAS through
knowledge and language of the Scandinavian countries. He states” the United States is
not the only country in the world that has seen the blight of the industry.” Working
conditions in Scandinavia has been affected by the loss of downsizing and contractual
outsourcing. “Three parallel developments pushed European airlines to place greater
emphasis on cutting labour [sic] costs. The first was growing competition as bilateral air
service agreements between European states were liberalized. Second, the crisis of 1990-
93 hit European carriers just as badly as their American counterparts, especially the state
owned airlines. Third, several European governments decided that their loss-making
national airlines, which they owned, needed to be restructured and made profitable in
order that they could be privatized.” (Doganis 112) Management of SAS divided the
groups of workers into four separate companies: SAS-Norway, SAS-Denmark, SAS-
Sweden, and SAS-International. The main reason for this split was that each company
would be self-managed and create a “sister” company for revenue. For example; SAS
Ground which is the division of SAS corporate whose sole area is public contact. These
include reservations, ticket and gate agents not flight attendants. This group is a handling
company for SAS. Ironically SAS-Norway for example does not need to hire SAS-
Ground to work in Norway if another company outbids them for the job. “A further
factor affecting labour productivity is the degree of outsourcing which an airline
undertakes. If labour-intensive [sic] activities such as flight kitchens, heavy maintenance,
aircraft cleaning or IT support are outsourced, then an airline’s own staff numbers are
invariably reduced and output per employee is enhanced. Conversely, if an airline

29. 30
contracts in catering and maintenance from other airlines, its own staff numbers will be
swelled without any corresponding increase in traffic though there may be an increase in
revenue generated.” (Doganis 109) As far as the company is concerned this is a solution
for cost savings for what price? SAS for the most part utilizes part-time employees to run
its day to day operation. According to Lindblad, employees even at part time hours, still
afford to live very reasonable in their respective Scandinavian countries. The
International division retains solely the use of part-time employees with full benefits. In
this instance wage is not the driving force for employment.
During my 12 year airline career, I have witnessed all of the above-mentioned
facets. I began my career in the industry in 1993. I was hired by Swissair at Washington
Dulles International airport as a part-time ticket agent. I often rotated between the
downtown ticket office and the airport counter. The job paid well with benefits
comparable to most in the industry. Since Swissair was only part-time and I needed a
full-time position, I applied and was hired by Lufthansa German Airlines in 1994. The
difference in management style and company trends was astounding. At Swissair one felt
the camaraderie and a sense of all things Swiss. Employee morale and benefits were very
high on the companies list. Employees were paid well for their work and enjoyed ample
vacation and time away so that you could enjoy your career and balance family and work
life. Lufthansa on the other hand was the second largest airline in Europe and had an
extensive route network. Pay and vacation were not as extensive as at Swissair but
greater than that of other carriers. However; that was to change in the near future as well.
“Other airlines, such as Lufthansa have converted some of their divisions into separate
subsidiary businesses to whom the core airline business sub-contracts functions such as

30. 31
engineering or ground handling. In the process they take many staff of the core airline’s
head-count, thereby, artificially improving their labour [sic] productivity…In such
situations it is difficult to establish how many of the subsidiaries’ 28,000 employees are
required for work on Lufthansa’s core airline divisions and should be included when
assessing Lufthansa’s labour [sic] productivity.” (Doganis 109)
Lufthansa was already seeing the demand of lower fares and the decline of the
service standards that had been the mainstays of the industry for years. The idea had
shifted from an elegant service of travel to a simple means of transportation. “As the
airlines’ glamorized hostesses demonstrated particularly well, such jobs may bring
admiration and envy but generally do not offer good wages, job security, nor respect or
the discrete work involved. Stewardesses enjoyed wages of glamour that others did not,
but also toiled especially hard to earn them. In airline passenger service, where the point
of production and consumption were one and the same, concealing the labor involved
demanded and additional, crucial effort to deliver the promised charm and attractiveness,
along with the service that customers expected and the safety they were encouraged not
to notice.” (Barry 208)
During my years at Lufthansa less focus was placed on what the customer’s needs
and wants were. There was a shift to what the customer does rather than what he can do
for himself. The skilled labor intensive model that had been used in the past was slowly
being replaced by technology. This technology was positive in its original use. How that
use was distributed is the key to understanding the industry today. For instance, the use
of computer generated tickets. During the early years and really up to the 1980’s tickets
for the most past were hand written and fares were calculated manually based on the rate

31. 32
of exchange for the day of the purchase. The technology of computers made tickets
faster and easier to produce. One could process three to four more tickets during the time
one had to produce manually. “It should be borne in mind that the Internet can be much
more effective as a direct marketing tool than the telephone because customers can view
things on their screens that they cannot “see” on the phone. They can be shown
photographs or even films of locations, hotels or airports. They can also view the interior
layout of different aircraft cabins and choose their seats in relation to the exits, toilets, or
any other factor which is important to them. At the same time, since there is no physical
product to deliver other than a ticket which can be printed and delivered electronically,
air travel is particularly suitable for e-commerce.” (Doganis 171)
The downside of this technology has been in the service level. In the past
employee and customer held conversations. Customers could always find skilled,
knowledgeable personnel to ask an assortment of questions. Generally questions could
and would be answered with confidence. Public contact employees would form a long
lasting rapport with customers. I like to use the phrase: if you talk people listen. “The
ability to achieve this is partly related to the product and service quality being offered and
partly to staff attitudes and culture. From the first enquiry about service availability and
fares to baggage collection at the end of the flight, passengers will have around a dozen
or more separate contacts with airline employee’. If any one of those turns unpleasant or
is unsatisfactory for the passenger it can sour his or her view of the airline. The quality
of personal contacts is of key importance in a service industry. Online selling and
automation will reduce the number of personal, one-to-one contacts, but will re-
emphasize how important the remaining contacts are.” (Doganis 225)

32. 33
I left Lufthansa and began my career with United Airlines. I use the term career
because I truly believed that this would be a lifelong road to success. United Airlines
was a large company that virtually serviced the world. The company is part of the Star
Alliance. Star Alliance is the culmination of various airlines working together as one.
The idea of code-sharing and seamless travel has made huge strides in the area of service.
Since the middle of the 1990’s airlines have seen the use of technology and downsizing
to minimize service levels. As an educated and skilled bi-lingual employee I had vision.
Finally, companies would begin to utilize employees for their skills and benefits would
be reflected in this. The idea never seemed to take hold with management. The company
did extremely well in the international market. Flights were always full and passengers
flocked to United Airlines because of this bilingual service both on the ground and in the
air. The benefits did not become fruitful. Over time the division of labor and
management became so severe that public contact employees decided upon unionization
of the workforce. “The largest private-sector organizing victory in recent memory
occurred in September 1997, when the Communications Workers of America won the
nationwide elections for ten thousand United Airlines passenger service employees.
…After the election victory, the Communications Workers extended its drive to fourteen
thousand United Airlines white collar employees, a large step toward organizing the more
than forty thousand workers in this job category.” (Aronowitz 155)
Unions have two sides, one for the worker and one for themselves. For a worker
there is common unity. Wages and work rules are established. Employee’s rights and
codes on conduct are maintained. For the union there is a voice in the company along
with financial rewards. Strong leaders in unions reflect the willingness for fair and equal

33. 34
work. The advent of the unions to United Airlines work and attitude did change. Public
contact workers could provide excellent service without the fear that they were taking too
long to meet the needs of the passengers. “And the union must challenge one of the most
important of management’s prerogatives: determining how many workers are needed to
do the job and under what circumstances the company can deploy labor. When unions do
their job, they can interfere with capital’s “flexibility” in directing the workforce and
“allocating its resources to maximize efficiency,” phrases that mean enforced overtime,
hiring mainly part-time and contingent workers, and investing according to the criterion
of lower labor costs and a “favorable business environment,” a euphemism that signifies
the foreign government is prepared to intimidate, jail, or even kill recalcitrant workers.”
(Aronowitz 217) Passengers were grateful the public contact employees took the time
and effort to meet the expectations that the airline promised.
The idea, however, was short lived. At the time of unionization United Airlines
was marred in deep financial trouble. Monies that should have been allocated for
expenses were given to expansion and technology. I believe that companies need to
modernize to make advances in new products. The philosophy of expansion should come
at a rate of time. During this time, more so than ever, the company should have had the
sense of conserving financial resources for future endeavors. It did not. Employee
groups were bound by contractual obligations. Management therefore would have been
free to their pursuits. We see the model that TWA used widen the gap of the worker for
the benefit of the management. Salary and position increases for management were
growing at astounding rates. As a public contact worker I was dumbfounded. Swissair
and Lufthansa did have their faults but neither company had been as management heavy

34. 35
as United Airlines. “In every corner of the country, concern is mounting about America’s
ongoing ability to provide good jobs and a raising standard of living in an ever-tougher
world marketplace…Above all, it requires a new spirit of active cooperation and a
willingness to change old ways of thinking…Unfortunately, we have heard far too little
about the most profound change of all: the impact of deregulation on the people who
work for our nation’s airlines and on whom the public depends for high service standards
that have been the hallmark of America’s commercial aviation industry.” (McKelvey
350)
This was to become the downward spiral of the company. Other labor groups
were in negotiations with the company for benefits and salary raises. Since 1994 there
virtually was no increase in salary. The management of the company was finding it more
and more difficult to sustain workers. “Payroll costs have become a crucial problem for
the industry, its employees, the shareholders, and the public. All are affected by it and a
satisfactory solution is in their mutual best interest. Without a solution the outlook is
bleak indeed. For the airlines, not finding a solution could mean shrinkage instead of the
continued growth necessary to meet expanding needs of the traveling public. For airline
employees it could mean inevitably fewer and fewer jobs or perhaps no jobs at all for
many of them. For the public it could mean higher fares and drastically reduced service.
For the shareholders, it could mean little or no return on their investment, a situation
many have already endured for years.” (Orenic 217)
Vision 2000 was the first phase of United Airlines plan. This plan was for
management to receive a 25 percent pay raise in order to maintain quality employees.
What was wrong about the entire Vision 2000 was that the employee was not included in

35. 36
the process. Companies could have great and energetic management. If employees are
unhappy and angry the division between employee and employer grows considerably.
That is exactly what happened. Negotiations between two labor groups were ratified.
Two labor groups were in the midst of completing negotiations when the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks took place. “With the hijacking of four U.S. airplanes by terrorists
on September 11, 2001, the airline industry faced new crisis. The following severe drop
in air travel, high debt levels and labor costs, poor management strategies and high fuel
costs served to push several major carriers to the brink of or into bankruptcy. Between
August 2001 and December 2006, the airline industry shrunk by over 150,000 workers.”
(Orenic 221) The end result was a hasty retreat to the negotiating boardroom. All
contracts were then amended and ratified. We as a labor group felt we had won the
outcome. The outcome was short-lived. After six months of fruitful rewards the
management had started a revolution. This bloodless revolution was bankruptcy!
In the first year of bankruptcy nearly twenty thousand jobs were lost. Frequencies
of services were reduced to either nothing or routes sold off to sister carriers as United
Express or suspended entirely. “In December 2002, United Airlines filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy in aviation history. IAM members and other workers
at the airline faced layoffs and $700 million in wage cuts. Many also lost their pensions,
although the IAM bargained to continue a defined-benefits pension plan. The airline
exited bankruptcy in 2006.” (Orenic 222) We can clearly learn from the mistakes of
management and employee groups. Workers believed that their jobs were still secure in
the face of ever changing climate. Management continues to demand higher productivity
and still higher earning potential all in the name of greed. In the past the outcome of such

36. 37
types of chaos was revolution and for the present day it is bankruptcy. “The quality of
service has clearly suffered, however, and deregulation has proved to be far more anti-
labor—anti-people—than most of it’s advocated and anticipated. A disturbing trade off
occurred. Passengers won low fares, but a substantial part of their gain came at the
expense of airline employees…They tried to make up for a range of corporate ills,
including those attributable to poor management decisions, such as bad route selections,
unwise choices in aircraft, ill-advised acquisitions, and shortsighted deferrals of pension
plan contributions…Today, an industry long known for excellent service is the subject of
daily headlines criticizing its service for failing.” (McKelvey 351)
Conclusion
In the last several years the airline industry or for that matter the entire travel
industry has become smaller and smaller. As recently as the early 1980’s, we saw the
demise of “old carrier’s” such as Eastern Airlines, Branif and Pam American. Mergers
have taken place in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s with the acquisition of TWA to
American and even Continental to United by the end of 2011. Last year, 2009, we saw
Northwest and Delta merge to create the world’s largest carrier only to be eclipsed with
the Continental and United merger when it is completed. This merge and demise
syndrome brings both hopes and fears to skilled employees. The positive case scenario
involves a larger work force, a larger route network and more service to broader
destinations. The negatives usually involve losses for the public contact workers.

37. 38
Reservation departments at TWA and American airlines were “merged” together. This
created a glut of knowledgably skilled workers who had matching salaries to match
length of service. The airlines needed to eliminate negative cash flow and decided to
close all but one reservation office and lay-off most of the reservationists. Ticket and
gate agents at the merged airport operations did not feel the effects of the merger as
reservationists did but soon they also felt the effects through extended hours and
relocation of agents. Flight attendants were the most effected since TWA had not hired a
flight attendant in more than 10 years. Seniority was extremely high at TWA and the
only solution to the merger problem was to take the TWA flight attendants at the merger
date seniority. In other words thirty and forty year flight attendants were now “new
hires” for the merged company.
The overall view of the company provides a more upbeat picture during a merger.
The management of the merged company has a better cash flow. The network is larger
and the amount of skilled workers is greater. The reservations departments have thus
become streamlined. The knowledge that the former airline employees brings to the
group will help the younger and less experienced agent providing a guide to help solve
problems. New ideas of thinking and job creation might occur once things have settled
down. Ticket and gate agents can learn and use different approaches to handling cases
and developing a rapport with the newly acquired client base. Clients will continue to see
the old familiar faces and then some new ones in which they will attempt to develop new
relationships. Continuing, flight attendants will see a different approach to the job
function and work load management. Areas that might not have been addressed with the
former carrier might be a great source of comfort with the new carrier. The reality is the

38. 39
company will go on and continue to have a presence and for a time at least the skilled
employee will continue to learn knowledge and appreciate that they can still make a
difference in the lives of others.
During the past 15 years I have seen the advancement and the fruition of the
airline industry and the affects of the skilled workers that are mentioned throughout the
thesis. I believe that we are headed back in the right direction. As consumers continue to
demand and expect more of the “traditional” feelings and desires of a previous
generation. This is shown in the airline industry. People have requested and even
demanded the reservationists and customer service representative at major airlines to be
located in the United States. American accents are again starting to be heard on the
phone. Airports are seeing more and more personal assistance with questions and making
decisions better than the “outsourced” body that held the position. Finally, in flight
trends of meal and rapport with customers is becoming more like the past.
For the entire body of skilled employee our jobs and careers are beginning to turn
around. The consumer and company owners are beginning to realize that these
employees are truly what are needed to run and manage our airline industry. Skills are
learned and acquired overtime and the replacement of the skilled worker has played
havoc and financial mayhem with consumer and board members alike. Knowledgeable
and educated reservations, ticket, gate staff and flight attendants will be far better for the
overall good of the customer. Safety and adherents of one’s surroundings will not only
deter confrontations and injury but will be an actual reward on the part of flight
attendants as well as ground staff. On-time departures and stress-free travel is the end
result if reservations, boarding gate and in-flight operations are skillfully engineered. I

39. 40
can be proud to say that I am a skilled, educated and resourceful employee and I rally and
rely on this type of employee in the future.
“Labor must, on the contrary, be performed as if it were an
absolute end in itself, a calling”
-Max Weber

40. 41
Works Cited
Aronowitz, Stanley. From the Ashes of the Old: American Labor and America’s Future.
New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998
Barry, Kathleen M. Femininity in Flight: A history of flight attendants.
Durham: Duke University Press, 2007
Campbell-Kelly, Martin. From airline reservation to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of
The Software Industry. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003
Doganis, Rigas. The Airline Business in the 21st Century.
New York, Routledge Press 2001
Lennertz, Steven. Personal Interview, 2006
Lindblad, Charles. Personal Interview, 2006
McKelvey, Jean T. Cleared for Takeoff: Airline Labor Relations since Deregulation.
Ithaca: ILR Press, 1988
Orenic, Liesl Miller. On the Ground: Labor struggles in the American airline industry.
Chicago: The University of Illinois Press, 2009
Porter-Benson, Susan. Counter Cultures: Saleswomen, Mangers, and Customers in
American Department Stores 1890-1940. Chicago: The University of Illinois
Press, 1986
Solberg, Carl. Conquest of the skies: A History of Commercial Aviation in America.
Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1979
Weber, Max. The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
New York: Routledge Press 2005

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