LIVE - FROM DALLAS - 6/3/12

It was early this morning when the first of 75 AirTran flight attendants took off from various cities on the Southwest route map and headed to Dallas to begin transition training. The primary emotion among us is excitement - we know what a bright future lies ahead of us – but we were also anxious, nervous, and sad to leave our loved ones for two weeks. We know we are in for long days and hard work, but we are ready to put our shoulders to the grindstone and get this done. 

As wave after wave of us arrived, we were greeted at the hotel by the friendly staff. A Hilton Garden Inn, the hotel is clean and quiet with a lovely pool, a great work out room, and refrigerators and micro-waves in every room. Breakfast is served in the lobby and the van will take us anywhere within a 5 mile radius. Many of us took advantage of that and headed to Target to stock up on needed supplies for the week. 

After unpacking, most of us could be found milling around the lobby and in the business center trying to figure out EBS – the bidding system that is going to be our new best friend. Bids are only open for 4 days and close on Tuesday so, with class all day tomorrow, that doesn’t leave much time to get our July bidding done. But 4 people from Southwest, Crystal, Caroline, Valarie and Kim, spent hours patiently answering our questions and guiding us through the process, trying in one day to impart all of the knowledge they have gathered over the years. It is people like this that make Southwest the company it is – people who are willing to step up and help their fellow crew members. We can surely feel the LUV!

Many of us are retiring early tonight as our van time is 7 am. It has been a long first day, and class has not yet begun. As we each settle into our rooms, I have no doubt that there is a murmur emanating upwards tonight – a collection of 75 voices, all practicing their announcements.