Rick Denton: 0:05

You're listening to CX Passport, the show about creating great customer experiences with a dash of travel talk. Each episode we’ll talk with our guests about great CX, travel...and just like the best journeys, explore new directions we never anticipated. I'm your host Rick Denton. I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport. Let's get going. Today will be something special. I love all my guests all of them. Today though, is going to be something completely different and I simply cannot wait. Travel. Especially air travel today is a grind. Glamour is the last word you think of when you think air travel. What if I told you there was an era when glamour was exactly what people thought of when they thought of taking a flight, luxury appointments, upscale attire, fine dining service seat side, pleasant attitudes from staff and passengers. Most of them my first flight was a 1975 but I was way too young to remember it. My first flight memory is the simple excitement of seeing a movie screen on a DC 10 on a flight from DFW to LAX somewhere in the 80s Sadly the golden era of flying was before my time which is why I am so excited to have today's CX passport guests. Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson authors of true tales of TWA Flight attendants, memoirs and memories of the golden age of flying, released in October 2022. Kathy and Stephanie's book is a wild ride of you can't make this stuff up tails when the names involved went from Marilyn Monroe to Meg Ryan, Ringo Starr to Van Halen, or dandy Don Meredith to the Chicago Bulls, you know, you're going to have stories that aren't told anywhere else. I'm just going to read a quote from the introduction. These are the true stories that will make you laugh out loud and some will bring you to tears. Others you'll find yourself shaking your head in disbelief from crazy layovers sex on the plane galley disasters sexual harassment, death and flight terrible crashes and frightening evacuations great passengers to Yes, the rude the drunks and the truly crazies, folks. I can't even read some of the titles to the chapters without chuckling or blushing. Now a little about our guests from our first step onto the 747 taking it around Kathy compare knew she had made the right decision to join TWA. For 20 years of travel around the globe learning customs languages the ins and outs of smooth travel she relished her unusual career, taking full advantage of what each city or country could offer. Stephanie Johnson flew for TWA for 23 years during the aforementioned golden age of flying, she explored the world as a local uncovering all the secrets of great shopping, wonderful places design the sights to see in those fascinating little corners of the world. From London and Rome to Munich, and Madrid and points east and west, she knew them better than the city she lived in, listeners. I'm not kidding when I say that when I prepare for this episode, I truly struggled on where to start. And I kind of wonder if I ever am going to want this to end. So let's just get started Kathy and Stephanie. Welcome to CX Passport.

Stephanie Johnson: 3:11

Thanks for having us on.

Rick Denton: 3:13

It's this is going to be a wild ride. I'm going to jittery just getting excited about it. Let's start right at the beginning. We hear so much about that golden era of flying that golden age. Was it really that glamorous? Or have we been mythologize That era of travel?

Kathy Kompare: 3:28

YES!

Rick Denton: 3:28

Oh, you got you got? Yeah, so yeah. Was that glamorous?

Kathy Kompare: 3:31

Yes. Yes. If you like limousines and five star hotels, yes. Beautiful pools being picked up under the airplane. We never had to walk through an International Airport. It was fabulous.

Stephanie Johnson: 3:48

Yeah, I'm in total 100% agreement. It was the day and age. And I Cathy and I we've talked about this before. When you walk through the terminal in your uniform, as a crew, people would actually watch you. And today in an airport, a crew goes by, you could care less and it was just a totally different day and age from the seats. Big seats to sit in leg room. We had convection ovens on TWA. I can't begin to tell you it's 1000s of steaks that I cooked to order. Yes, you ordered them. Medium rare medium well done. Like I was my husband laughs today because I was like a chef in a kitchen. I can still touch a steak with my finger and tell you if it's medium well or if it's medium rare.

Rick Denton: 4:44

Oh my gosh. Yeah, that's amazing

Stephanie Johnson: 4:46

Rack of lamb I know we we cooked all this food in first class was unbelievable. And the passengers, they loved it, and they are most appreciative but At the same time, they were so used to it that I can say they were almost blase about the experience too, because it would seem normal. Today, this would be what we call totally abnormal.

Rick Denton: 5:14

Oh, I'm sitting here shocked. I mean, first of all, you had me shocked with the word legroom. Like I don't understand what that word even means anymore. Right? So let alone but then cooked to order steaks, I almost would want to have fun with a flight attendant. I know that I just couldn't possibly do that. But next time that I'm happened to be up in the first class cabin, I'm being asked about what I want to choose, like my steak, medium rare, please and see what the reaction would be. I can't even imagine what that would be like. So that glamour, it, there must have been just a bevy of stories with that. People watching you walk to the airports and I can visualize that the fashion design of the uniforms themselves. The just the aura of the flight attendant there is. And when you when I started reading through the book, the very first story caught my eye. And it's the cigar story. And there is no way this story happens today. So it's sort of the anti glamour. But I'm curious, will you share that cigar story with the listeners?

Stephanie Johnson: 6:12

Yes, I'd be happy to because that is my story. Word, every word of it is totally true. I was working first class. And it was the procedure that when you were on the ground before the passengers would get on, you go up to the cockpit, introduce yourself to the captain and tell him what position you were working. So this was one of our very senior captains. And he said, Stephanie, if you have any problems with commissary need anything or any problems with passengers, I'm here, I will back you up. I said, Oh, great, you know, thank you. Sounds sounds good to me. Sounds good. Yeah. So we get up in the air, we put on a fabulous show for the passengers great food, the whole nine yards, no problems. We pull down the movie screen like you were talking about movie screens on it on airplanes, and the people are gonna watch their movie. My flight partner and I were sitting on our jump seat finally taking a break. When a call bell goes off. And I got up to go answer it. And the first class was full. And there was a woman and a window seat. And she said, someone's smoking a cigar. Can you ask them to put it out? And I said certainly. Now I know most people are going slick are on an airplane.

Rick Denton: 7:36

Your story could stop right here. And we'd all be shocked. Wait, what's this about a cigar?

Stephanie Johnson: 7:41

Cigar? Yes, at that day and age, people were not only allowed to smoke a cigarette, but they could smoke a pipe or cigar on the plane too. Well, I'm not a lover of cigars. I'll be honest. And when she asked me to ask the person to put it out, I was like, Yeah, okay. Good course. So I went back to the gentleman. And I said, Sir, I said, I'm terribly sorry, I said, but someone has complained about the odor of the scar. I'm going to have to ask you to put it out. And I smiled and said, thank you. And I turned around and left. Five minutes later, I still see this cigar smoke wafting up in the air. I went Oh, good. Great. So I went back. And I said, Sir, I said, I'm so sorry. I said, I know you're enjoying your cigar. But I'm going to have to ask you to put it out now. Thank you. And again, I leave. All right, five minutes. Laters still cigar smoke. Last year, I know. So I went back the third time and this point, the airline magazine, which was called TWA Ambassador magazine and the seat pocket in front of everyone. I pulled it out. So I opened a magazine up immediately put it under this passenger's nose and run my finger through the line where it says if someone complains, you have to put it out. I said, Sir, I said, I'm sorry. You have to put it out now. And he just sits there and stares at me. And then he says no. I said, Okay. I said, so. I've asked you three times nicely. And I pointed this out to you what the rules are. And I understand you correctly that you're saying no, you will not put it out. He said I'm not putting it out. I said fine. Thank you. I turned around. I thought okay, Captain, let's see. Let's say kiddo, are you going to stand up? So I told him what I just told you. He says no problem step. I'll be out a few minutes. Thank you. So he comes out of the cockpit and when a captain had on his hat and his jacket, you knew they were not coming out for a cup of coffee. This was business. So he he walks back to this passenger and says hello my name is Captain sound. So it said my lead flight attendant told me that she sounds good Three times to put out your cigar and also showed you in the TWA a bouncer magazine, what the rules are. He stares at this guy and says I'm the captain. I'm only going to ask you once the guide looks at him and says I'm not putting it out. It's all right. He turns around, goes back into the cockpit. There was always a co2 fire extinguisher up there for electrical fires. And he comes out with the fire extinguisher in hand, goes back to the sky, breaks the seal on it pulls up the nozzle blasts off of co2, oh, that's a cigar. The scar is out. It's covered in white. You know stuff that's not going to burn you or hurt your clothes. And he takes the scar out of the guy's finger and said we will have no more cigar smoking on this flight. Well wait and turns around and walks off and as it goes past the galley. I'm in the galley literally holding my arms around my ribcage trying not to laugh out loud, right? And he hands me the guard so stuck with you please throw this away. And he said, I'd like to know if you have any further issues. I said, certainly. Trust me, I didn't go out in that cabin for about 10 minutes. I thought no, no, no, I can't walk out there. And when I was the unbelievable thing to me at the end of this was that man never said one word to me. The passengers were had a full load that nobody around ever said one word to me about this. It looks like that's totally normal.

Rick Denton: 11:37

I didn't catch that part in the story. When I read I'm sitting here chuckling as you're telling the story because I read it but I didn't catch that people just sort of smoke. Fire extinguisher on the plane, no big deal.

Stephanie Johnson: 11:47

No, he the passenger never said one word to me. The passenger sitting next. I mean, people get up they go to the lab. They say things. No one person ever said anything was like, oh, that's totally normal.

Your CX Passport Captain: 11:58

This is your captain speaking. I want to thank you for listening to CX Passport today. We’ve now reached our cruising altitude so I’ll turn that seatbelt sign off. <ding> While you’re getting comfortable, hit that Follow or Subscribe button in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. I’d love it if you’d tell a friend about CX Passport and leave a review so that others can discover the show as well. Now, sit back and enjoy the rest of the episode.

Rick Denton: 12:24

Oh my gosh, now just try to envision what that might look like in today's world. Like there's no way that a say, let's be honest amongst the three of us right now and all the listeners will probably go in. And that was the right thing for the captain to do. If only they could do that again in the future. Right? Let's take care of this annoying passenger who won't follow the rules. I love it. And that's the kind of stories that just ooze through this. They're not always fire extinguisher on guest ones. There's actually a few cheeky ones that actually quite a few cheeky ones in there. And they really do crack me up. It's amazing. The how travel was quite different back then. And how much you noodling, let's say was going on in the air. So I'm curious, what are some of your favorite and let's keep it PG 13. But what are some of your favorite cheeky stories from the air?

Stephanie Johnson: 13:11

Kathy and I we were talking yesterday. And she said you have to tell the earth story. And so it's my story again. The passengers, it was kind of funny when people got on, you know, we're standing out in the cabin, you know, saying you know, you put you like a chair, yada yada, you know, saying hello being pleasant. And you would immediately pick up on where everybody was seated, you know, and who got on with whom. So this fella sits down in an aisle seat. And little while later a few minutes later, a woman gets on. She sits in the window seat. And so obviously they're not traveling together. So everything's fine. It's a night flight. You know?

Rick Denton: 13:59

Uh oh...i think I know where this story is going

Stephanie Johnson: 14:01

right? This is in the day and age when we have pillows and blankets for people. So something they don't have today, and lots of pillows and blankets. So my fly partner, every 20 minutes after the service was done, the company wanted us to walk through the cabin, check, make sure nobody needed anything. And basically that they weren't burning the place down with the proverbial cigarette. So she's doing the cabin check. And she's gone for quite a while and I didn't think too much at all about it. And then she comes back and she says you're not going to believe this. And I'm going what? And she said, You know that guy out there or that woman she said, they're all rolled up in a blanket together, sprawled across the sea. And she said, I'm walking down that aisle slowly. And all of a sudden I feel myself trip on something. I thought, Oh, it's a blanket. And I leaned down and I start to pull on it. And she said it's a pair Have men's trousers? No way. That's what she looks over. And she says the two of them canoodling, she would say, and the seat and she thought, oh my lord, I don't believe this. So she takes the pants and rolls them up and take some up to first class and open up one of the bands, moves some pillows and blankets, puts the pants in there, puts the pillows and blankets in front of the Yes, closes and closes the been. She tells it to flight attendants in first class what she's just done, and they're laughing. So she comes back and, you know, tells me exactly what I'm telling you now, and I'm going oh my god, and haven't she said don't worry. She said, I will take care of it when he rings the call button. And I said, good. So needless to say the morning lights starting to come up, hang. She says uh huh. So she goes out there? And she says, Yes, sir. Do you need something? And he says, Well, yes. You said, I decided that I was going to take my trousers off, so I wouldn't get them wrinkled while I Yeah. And he said, I can't find them out. She said you can't find them. Oh, no. She said, let me help you. Look. So now she's down on our hands and knees in the aisle. She pops up in the row in front of him. He says to these people. Excuse me. Did you happen to see a pair of slacks? Nicolay? No, she goes up pops up at the other side. Did you say no? And behind? No, no. She goes, sir, I have no idea. Nobody seems to know what's happened to the slacks. And and she said, Would you like me to write up a flight report to the company so that if they find your slacks, they can return them? It's going up? No, no, no, that will be necessary. So the guy got off the airplane wrapped up in a TWA blanket.

Rick Denton: 17:07

Oh, man.

Stephanie Johnson: 17:09

We're cracking up and we said Oh, wouldn't it be sweet if his wife was there to pick him up?

Rick Denton: 17:15

That's right. She did the romantic gate pickup and here he comes out walking out with a TWA blanket. Explanation he came up with

Stephanie Johnson: 17:22

Oh, I know. I know. And like we said you can't make this stuff up.

Rick Denton: 17:27

No. And this is our PG 13 story. I can't even imagine what some of the stories that we're not going to put on this podcast today. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Kathy, any any stories that are in the in the cheeky realm for you as well?

Kathy Kompare: 17:41

I did not have any loss of men's slacks. Well, that's good. That was good. You know, I did have Sean Connery on a flight. Okay. And that was like pure pleasure. Yes. I mean, for me

Rick Denton: 17:58

was there are there stories? there are these stories sealed

Kathy Kompare: 18:02

the stories are sealed but he was a perfect gentleman double oh seven

Rick Denton: 18:08

Yes.

Kathy Kompare: 18:09

The epitome of everything

Rick Denton: 18:12

Little little steaminess on the flight just with the passengers being there. So you know, double oh seven that a part of the double Oh, seven magic right as the glamour of the travel that the the James Bond the character does all over the place. But you as flight attendants got to have some of these same fantastic travel opportunities as well. And in the book, I read these tales of these fine dinners. I've read of entertaining companions that were discovered from the flight and even swimming in the sand, which I don't think anybody wants to do that today. But just the thought of, hey, let's go swim in the river that flows to the middle of Paris. So I'd love to hear it. Let's start with you. Kathy. I'd love to hear some of your best memories from some of your overnights in these destinations.

Kathy Kompare: 18:52

London was one of my favorites. I mean, there were wonderful restaurants. They I remember hearing Oh, British food. Not so good. Well, we found wonderful restaurants. And very often you're with the crew. I once had a lovely dinner with my husband who came along on a five day trip. Nice. And we sat down in a lovely restaurant. And here comes our captain. Oh. All right. So with those strange woman,

Rick Denton: 19:28

Oh, we're back to the cheeky Okay.

Kathy Kompare: 19:31

A british woman. Yeah, this isn't in the book. But she was instructing him on how to eat asparagus, the British way with your fingers. And we laughed and laughed at this guy. And then, of course, two days later, I'm upstairs working to take care of the cockpit. And I he looks at me and he goes no, no He didn't go any further. But he knew I had seen him.

Rick Denton: 20:04

There's probably I would imagine some sort of a code of whatever happens on an overnight stays on an overnight and some of those stories don't get shared back. You know, something in your story there. It's not the London part of it. But I love the fact you said upstairs and just the fact of being able to go upstairs in a plane and I did have some 747 memories, doing that as a special thing. Stephanie, what about you, when it comes to overnights any best memories from some of those exciting destinations?

Stephanie Johnson: 20:31

Oh, wow, I just remember Paris, wonderful meals in Paris. The French, you just can't beat them for cooking. And, you know, I was 21 years old. And here I am in Paris for the first time and we're having lunch. And I had never had salad, no suab I thought I died and gone to heaven, chunks of tuna and tomato and olives. And it's wonderful vinegar at dressing. And it sounds so mundane right now. But not in Paris. It wasn't so many places that we go. And what was really nice was, we had obviously more senior people that say, Oh, we've got to go here, you've got to try this yada yada yada. So as a newbie, you were always been, shall we say, escorted taken care of, and help with senior crews. We were entertaining. We had taken a group to London, it was strictly business for him. And I don't know what all we have been doing. But somebody said, Well, where are we going to go for dinner? And I said, Well, you know, there's a great little Italian restaurant, close to Harrods. Why don't we all get in a cab and go over there. So we do. And we're having dinner and everybody is going, Oh, this is so wonderful. How did you know about this place? And I said, it's a flight attendant, what can I say? We always find the best places.

Rick Denton: 22:04

Let's do a little change of pace here. Now. You're talking about the air of glamour. And when I'm talking to guests on CX passport, a lot of times I'm talking present tense and present tense is travel is a beating. And so it can be nice to take a break to go into that first class lounge which you're describing as a first class lounge in the sky. But let's pretend that you're you're worn out from the travel. Let's take a little break here and join me in the first class lounge. We'll move quickly and hopefully have a little bit of fun here. Let me start. Oh, let's start with you. Stephen. Let's go back to you. Dream travel location from your past.

Stephanie Johnson: 22:35

Oh, that was simple. I went on a picture taking safari to Kenya and Tanzania. Oh, nice. Oh, it was fabulous. It really was truly the best best trip of my life and my husband to this day. So it's the same thing. And he can remember every minutia detail. It was wonderful. I tell everybody go on a picture taking Safari.

Rick Denton: 23:00

Oh, that sounds really nice. Oh, I like that. Kathy, what about you? What's a dream travel location from your past? I would

Kathy Kompare: 23:05

say Athens and the Greek islands. Oh, yeah. Going from one to the next. They get better and better. Again, the food's perfect. They always have wine, fresh fish, you know, and then they start dancing. So there's entertainment. Love it.

Rick Denton: 23:24

I love it. My wife and I are hoping to take a trip to Greece a year from now. And so that idea of the islands and the food and the wine, all of that that's helping inspire us to get on that ticket site. Let's get something booked. What about let's stay with you cast Kathy we'll go your to you. What is a dream travel occasion? You've not been to yet?

Kathy Kompare: 23:45

New Zealand.

Rick Denton: 23:46

Okay. Yeah. What about New Zealand?

Kathy Kompare: 23:49

Well, I've seen a lot of it on on television. And it just looks wonderful that people look wonderful. It's it's a little more British than Australia. And it has a none of the poisonous bugs and snakes.

Rick Denton: 24:06

Oh, that's right. I've heard that factoid right

Kathy Kompare: 24:09

there. That's kind of a big deal for me. So I

Rick Denton: 24:12

can see why yes, that would be fun to avoid that a good reason to have that as a dream travel vacation that you have been to what about you Stephanie?

Stephanie Johnson: 24:20

Well, this is gonna sound redundant, but I would love to go to South Africa. And not necessarily for picture taking Safari. But I'd love to see the cape. I would love to go out to wine country. They have their wine is superb, and the scenery and everything else. I don't know why. But at this stage of life, I think it might not happen because that's a long flight.

Rick Denton: 24:49

And it's not quite as nice as flying was once once long ago. Although I will say one time I did have the opportunity to fly first class actually in a three cabin plane from Japan Narita to DFW and they had a pina Taj, a South African Pina Taj on there was the first time I've ever had that. And so yes, the South African wines are spectacular and it was on a flight that I got exposed to it. So perhaps there's just a little hint of glamour still left and flying today. I'm going to open this up to whoever goes first. What is a favorite thing to eat?

Kathy Kompare: 25:21

Indian food.

Rick Denton: 25:22

Indian food for Kathy. All right. What about you, Stephanie?

Stephanie Johnson: 25:25

Good. And I mean, really good. Caviar.

Rick Denton: 25:30

Okay, coming out strong.

Stephanie Johnson: 25:34

take about I got spoiled again, TWA beluga caviar from Iran. That's what we served at first class on international on our appetizer cart. No less.

Rick Denton: 25:47

Oh, my gosh, well, you may win the entire suite of CX passport favorite thing to eat. I have not had anything that were I'm over a little over 100 episodes, so it's hard. Remember them all, but I don't think it thinks trumped beluga caviar. Well done. Now. On the other side. What's the thing your parents forced you to eat? But you hate it as a kid?

Kathy Kompare: 26:09

Nothing.

Rick Denton: 26:10

Really? Kathy? Nothing.You just loved everything.

Kathy Kompare: 26:14

My dad was a pediatrician. If we hated it, we didn't have to eat it.

Rick Denton: 26:20

Wow. Okay. All right. Um, there are kids around that. I don't have a lot of kid listeners. Right. But I would imagine that if I did, they'd be saying going . That's not fair. I got forced to eat something last night. But good for you. Kathy, what about you? Stephanie?

Stephanie Johnson: 26:33

No, my mother and father never made me eat anything that I said. I didn't like my mother. Occasionally she'd say, No, I know you don't like this, but just taste a little bite. Because down the road, you might change your mind. But no, I was pretty eclectic. I even ate liver and onions.

Rick Denton: 26:51

Oh, gosh. liver and onions has actually shown up as an answer to this question. So for you to eat that I was eating. I'm impressed. I'm impressed. All right, that

Stephanie Johnson: 27:01

it was a prelude to beluga caviar

Rick Denton: 27:05

my parents, if you want your kids to have exotic travel and openness to the world, don't force them to eat things, I guess maybe the story that we're telling here. All right. Let's close out the lounge. Kathy, I'm going to start with you. And then close out with you Stephanie, what is one travel item not including your phone, you will not leave home without

Kathy Kompare: 27:22

makeup.

Rick Denton: 27:23

I like it. Stephanie

Stephanie Johnson: 27:26

makeup

Rick Denton: 27:34

let's actually go back to talking about the flight attendant the experience of being a flight attendant during that area. In my world of customer experience, we talk a lot about employee experience. Now, when I read some of the stories in your book, it just highlighted how different things are today as compared to back then. I was even shocked and I read it. And I gasped out loud when I read some of the questions on just the application for the job. So I'm curious. Tell me both sides of it. What were some of the things that you think were really special about being TWA Flight Attendants back then? And what are the some of the things that you're glad that have disappeared?

Kathy Kompare: 28:14

I think they expected us to have more education. Language fluencies. You know, I met lots of foreign nationals, who you know, they could speak five languages. That's impressive.

Rick Denton: 28:33

That is interesting. That length. So language was a requirement back then. Was that a true expectation?

Kathy Kompare: 28:38

Yes. For international flying.

Rick Denton: 28:41

Interesting. Yeah. Okay. Well, the imagine that's something that you were that was really special about that. Stephanie, what from you like from that era? What was really special or what's something that you're glad is disappeared?

Stephanie Johnson: 28:52

Ah. Well, I agree with Kathy. What was very special were the people that we worked with the other crew members. Just the most eclectic group. And well read, well spoken, and obviously well traveled. And I think all of that goes back to our job. But things that I would change would have been the fact that they were so strict with us about the way we looked. Yeah. How much we weighed. Believe it or not, I had to sign a piece of paper in 1968 When I came with the company, that I would quit at 32

Rick Denton: 29:39

Oh my gosh. Really? Yeah.

Stephanie Johnson: 29:41

Yeah. 32 You're out of here, Princess. That's it.

Rick Denton: 29:45

Oh, my gosh. I was already kind of shocked on the weigh ins and some of the stuff you described about appearance. But I didn't know about that part that get out of here.

Stephanie Johnson: 29:54

Yeah, yeah, you're over the hill, princess. So you're 32 But they changed that. This is really interesting. There's, we came across and it's in the book. It's a copy of a letter that was sent out by TWA management to the flight attendants in the 1940s. And believe it or not, they were allowed to be married that which, you know, things change where you couldn't be married, and then you could be married. But you're still 32 You're out of here

Rick Denton: 30:32

with so many things that my brain just exploded. Yeah, I didn't even know that you could get married. Wow. Oh my god.

Stephanie Johnson: 30:38

Yeah, you couldn't be married. But what was interesting in this letter from the company to the to the hostess is that they were hosted CES, not flight attendants was that they had seen a too much of an air of independence. And this is coming from the married flight attendants. So if it became important that the company had to furlough, flight attendants, they would furlough the married flight attendants before the single flight attendants. Even though the married flight attendant might have more seniority.

Rick Denton: 31:14

Oh, my gosh, I know it's an audio podcast. People can't see that my jaw is on the floor when you're telling me this. Are you serious?

Stephanie Johnson: 31:22

Yeah, no, it's in writing. That's right in the book.

Rick Denton: 31:25

oh my gosh. And that's another I mean, I'm not here to promote the book. I'm just here to tell great stories and hear about it. But oh, my gosh, yes. Go read the stories. Y'all had me shocked when you were talking about some of the girdle checks and some of the things that were going on before you were allowed to get on a flight?

Kathy Kompare: 31:40

Oh, yeah, Stephanie went through that they had they had the relaxed when I started.

Rick Denton: 31:47

Stephanie,

Stephanie Johnson: 31:48

Yea, its amazing.

Rick Denton: 31:48

What's the story there?

Stephanie Johnson: 31:50

Well, fortunately, I was skinny, rail skinny, there wasn't anything on me that was shaking. Let's put it that way

Rick Denton: 32:00

I can assure you that's never been uttered on a CX passport podcast.

Stephanie Johnson: 32:06

But the bottom line is, they required us to wear a girdle, they would have supervisors that will come up and flick some of the flight attendants on their guerriers to make sure that they had the girdle on. I know. And of course, and then there was brought check, because remember in the 70s All right, oh, they take their finger and they run it up and down your back.

Rick Denton: 32:31

This is I mean, as someone who is I'm old enough to have kind of heard some of the stories but not in detail. But imagine someone younger than me. 20s teens, this has to just be shocking someone to think about Wait, this really took place in a workplace. And that is some of the things Oh, I'm sure you're glad have disappeared. It sounds like there's so much that was special about the relationships, some of the education requirements, the the expectations, but then some of the physical aspects of it. And then my gosh, some of the shocking social element of you. If you're married, you're going to get furloughed. First. It just shocks me.

Kathy Kompare: 33:05

We were really some of the first feminists and fighting a lot of these rules with our unions. And there's a book out now the stewardess rebellion, and it and it goes through all the stewardesses from various airlines who formed unions, got rid of weight check, got rid of girdles, got rid of marriage, you're out. 32 year out, they really, really worked hard.

Rick Denton: 33:38

Oh, that's interesting. I'll get that into the shownotes. I didn't know about that book. Yeah, take a look at it. I don't think folks would look at that air and immediately associate flight attendant with advancing the feminist movement. But I get what you're saying there that the that group was a part of helping advance and make some of the changes not just in the airline, but changes as a part of a wider society changes. Well, let's go away from some of the things that needed to change. Let's talk about some of the celebrity culture because those elements inside of the books certainly fascinated me. You know, on one hand, you talked about how people get nonchalant about a medium rare steak or whatever. And I imagine that was something that happened to you as flight attendants as well that you'd been had to kind of be blase sort of nonchalant about some of the wealthier, more famous passengers. But I gotta imagine there's some good stories as well. Tell me about some of those great stories of those celebrity culture passengers, what tales come top of mind to you.

Kathy Kompare: 34:29

I somehow could manifest any celebrity I wanted to meet. They would show up. I don't know how. And but it happened. But one of my favorite celebrities was a very famous actress Rosalind Russell, who played Auntie Mame on Broadway in in the movie Auntie Mame. I just adored her. She was a 1930s 40s Comedian. And I really wanted to meet her. I knew what her married name was. I knew she lived in Beverly Hills. And I, you know, I was out in Los Angeles, and on a layover, and I got a phone call at seven in the morning. And they said, how fast can you get to the airport? I was the most junior person 47. And I said an hour? And they said, No, you've got 30 minutes. So I flew out there, walked on the 747. They shut the door. And the flight service manager said, you're working first class and Rosalind Russell is in one a. All right. And I just dropped my luggage and went, thank you, God. And we had the most wonderful talks during that flight. And found out she and I had the same birthday. And it was a sad flight because she was going to Sloan Kettering in New York for treatment for breast cancer, but she was amazing. And I just thought, I am the luckiest person alive, to be able to, you know, have this thought,

Rick Denton: 36:21

just be able to manifest it, how wonderful. What a great opportunity to be able to you know, as she's traveling to go do something that's particularly challenging. Yeah, you were able to provide a moment of comfort and, and, and glamour. Let's go back to that for a little bit. Stephanie, what about you any, any in the celebrity culture stories for you?

Stephanie Johnson: 36:40

Well, I've got a lot but one comes to my mind. Do you remember dandy Don Meredith?

Rick Denton: 36:47

Well, I mentioned him in the intro he was before my time, but as a resident of the Dallas Fort Worth area. Yes, I am quite familiar stories,

Stephanie Johnson: 36:55

dandy don Well, this particular flight, they were not boarding through the first class store was lucky 1011. They're boarding through the second door all the passengers. So that meant that anyone at first clouds had to walk through business, and then come into first. And at this point in time, they had just started boarding. I'm standing up in the front of the airplane talking with my flying partner, when who walks through into for first class, but dandy Don Meredith. And I'm like, Ah, and I looked at my slide partner said, I think we've got dandy dawn on today. And she looks at me like why, you know? Oh, you twit. Everybody knows you're standing on as he had on jeans, cowboy boots he had on a leather belt with a big fancy belt buckle course. Of course. Yeah. He had on some, you know, you know, regular cotton shirt with a collar. But he had on this beautiful suede leather jacket with friend shot. And just a touch of glamour, the most beautiful blue Porsche sunglasses. Cowboy. And I looked at him, and I hadn't gotten the passenger manifests list. Yep. So I didn't have any passengers name. And I said, per chance. Are you dandy Don, and he was sporting exactly what you have on your face right now. Theater and a little bit of mustache, you know. And he took his fingers. He rubbed his beard a little bit and he said with Jandy don have one of these. And now the little backstory to this is at that point in time he's doing Monday Night Football with Howard Cosell putting it on the map. Everybody knew who those two were. But he also started doing some Lipton iced tea commercials. So he's reminisced his beard and he said what dandy don have one of these? And I said, Well, I have no idea of dandy Donwood. But I said, dandy Don would certainly be drinking iced tea. And I stretched it out. And he looks at me and it kind of nudges me in the shin with his cowboy boots. He starts laughing I said, Yeah, I thought you were dandy, Don. And I said to him, are you married? Okay, man, it starts blushing. And I was married at the timeout. I said, No, not for me. And I point at my rent. And I'm because at this point, I'm just teasing. You know, I thought that you're you're on my playing field now but okay. And so, he said, his slapping in his red in the face. And I said not for me. And I said I can find you a really great girl. And at this point, one of the flight attendants from coach comes walking through stunning blonde, gorgeous and I said no take her for it. thought he was gonna roll out of his seat is laughing so hard, you know, and you're talking about being relaxed around people, we really got relaxed around them. And that's why they enjoy talking to us. And we enjoy talking about,

Rick Denton: 40:13

yeah yeah, I definitely get that sense, from the reading to the book, some of the stories, that it's a place of comfort place of joking. It's a, it's it's a time long gone, of being able to have where the flight is actually a positive experience in and of itself. Now, we're way at a time, I knew this was gonna be a bonus episode. We're way at a time. So I want to ask you, let's go to today. And knowing what you know about the flight experience back then, and knowing what you know about it today. What's sort of a quick tip, what might you share with passengers today? For them to have a great flight experience to get on the good side of a flight attendant? What would you what's a quick tip for our passengers today?

Kathy Kompare: 40:56

Be nice. Smile.

Rick Denton: 40:59

I like that. I think we could end the episode on that.

Kathy Kompare: 41:02

I mean, don't cause any trouble. Don't complain. You know, don't fight with your fellow passengers

Rick Denton: 41:10

and keep your pants on. That's probably something that we need to learn from the early stories. Well, it Kathy Stephanie, I've really enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with you today. The stories, listeners, this is only just scratching the surface. There's so much more so much fun to be shared inside the story, some some heart rending stories as well, that will touch your heart as well. Where can folks get access to this book, where's the the place that you want them to look to go find and get this book so that they can enjoy these stories for themselves.

Stephanie Johnson: 41:40

The website is www.truetalestwa.com They can go to our website, which is fun, and it's got lots of pictures on it and everything. And they can go that website. And they can directly click on to Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and other places to order the book. And I have had good friends of mine that they've just gone into their local bookstore in order to through their local bookstore.

Rick Denton: 42:10

I will get all of that. And I have been to that website. There's some great pictures on there listeners, go go rummage around that website. As you get to there. There's some fun, fun pictures there and some fun tales. And you can get all that information by scrolling down looking in the show notes and clicking the links there. Well, Kathy and Stephanie, I've enjoyed this conversation thoroughly. It's a it's a departure for what six passport often does. But it's still just been so much fun to hear about what flying the glamour era of flying was. Thank you for being with me on the show today. What a delight it was.

Stephanie Johnson: 42:40

Oh, well, we'd loved it Rick. Thank you. You're wonderful.

Kathy Kompare: 42:43

Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.

Rick Denton: 42:49

Thanks for joining us this week on CX Passport. Make sure to visit our website cxpassport.com where you can hit subscribe so you'll never miss a show. While you're at it, you can check out the rest of the EX4CX website. If you're looking to get real about customer experience, EX4CX is available to help you increase revenue by starting to listen to your customers and create great experiences for every customer every time. Thanks for listening to CX Passport and be sure to tune in for our next episode. Until next time, I'm Rick Denton, and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.