This welcoming smile may have greeted you on one of our flights. As an Oakland-based Flight Attendant, Angela Koblitz provides nonstop Hospitality to our valued Customers.
Originally from Seattle, Angela’s family moved to Fairfield, Iowa, when she was 10. She describes Fairfield as a great place to grow up and is proud of her small-town upbringing. A love of languages led Angela to major in Russian at Grinnell College in Iowa (she also speaks Spanish and French). It’s no coincidence that she and her husband, David, met when they were both studying abroad, halfway around the world in Russia.
After working at another airline and then taking some time to raise her son, Joey, Angela joined Southwest Airlines as a Customer Service Agent in San Francisco. She soon fell in love with the Company’s friendly Customers, Employees, and way of life. “Everyone has an area where they shine, and we are all empowered to be
ourselves,” she says.
With a sister already working as a Southwest Flight Attendant, it wasn’t long before Angela decided to take to the skies herself. “Having so much time with our Customers is a gift,” Angela says. “I get to learn about their lives and really connect with them.”
A big fan of our international service, Angela enjoys working flights that allow her to use her Spanish language skills, such as trips to Mexico City. “Customers are so appreciative of our new service, and it’s great to be in such a wonderful atmosphere,” she says.
In addition to loving languages, Angela has a passion for music. She started playing the cello as a child and also sings at her church and in a community choir.
Angela’s smile says it all—welcome onboard and make yourself at home! Thanks, Angela, for taking such great care of our Customers and for letting your personality shine.
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11-23-2011
05:28 PM
17 Loves
This post made me tear up it is so sweet! Thanks Southwest, while other airlines may do this, noone does it like you!
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08-31-2011
02:35 PM
596 Loves
I recently had the pleasure of watching our newest Flight Attendants graduate and earn their wings. What a difference from the first day they arrived at Initial Training! On day one, there were lots of “deer-in-the-headlights” looks, anxious grins, and nervous chatter. At graduation, I saw confident, thrilled Southwest Flight Attendants just itching to serve our valued Customers.
That afternoon took me back to my own Flight Attendant graduation 20 years ago, and I must admit I had some feelings of envy. Although I flew for another carrier, I know firsthand what these new Employees are feeling. There is nothing like it! Earning those coveted wings is a huge accomplishment. Many people have the misconceived notion that Flight Attendants are just waiters or waitresses in the sky. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
During my time in the air, I delivered a baby, lost an engine on takeoff, navigated a smoke-filled cabin, experienced lightening strikes, and lots more. Thank goodness I was highly trained for all these situations. Our Flight Attendants are also highly trained. For four weeks, they are immersed in the world of Inflight. They are given the tools to deal with various events from medical to security to Safety. Upon graduation, Southwest Flight Attendants are equipped with the knowledge and tools to fight an in-flight fire, perform life-saving CPR, evacuate an aircraft, and more. This is all in the name of transporting our Customers from point A to point B safely. Of course, if they happen to have some FUN along the way, all the better.
Our Flight Attendants are known for their cheerful personalities, and our newest bunch is no exception. I’ve heard them singing their PAs, making jokes, and having a great time. I have no doubt that they will take all that energy and share it with everyone onboard our LUV jets.
I am so excited for our new Flight Attendants because I know what a great ride they will have. Flexible schedules allow for lots of time to use our valued nonrev privileges. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit every state in the U.S., as well as numerous countries throughout Europe and the Middle East. I hope our newest Employees will take advantage of their opportunity to see the world.
Even though I hung up my wings almost six years ago, the love of the job never goes away. Many of these brand new Flight Attendants will develop a LUV of flying that will stick with them forever. I hope they will always carry the pride they had the first time they put on the Southwest Airlines uniform and wings. My Son and Me, Taken in 2005
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I would be interested in knowing how many times AEDs have been used in flight and the survival rate achieved. Since the FAA required AED's to be carried on all domestic flights, there has been a tremendous effort to purchase, install and train staff on CPR and use of the AED. Is anyone watching the ROI for this investment?
http://wichitafirstaidtraining.com
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