I can't agree more. Be nice to the people who control your fate. Be understanding of the pressure and rules they work under, and you'll be surprised again and again how far people will go for you.

People are often telling me I'm "lucky" because I get upgraded a lot and always seem to squeak by even when I'm late for a flight. Luck has nothing to do with it. I have worked service jobs in the past and I know exactly what it's like to have customers screaming at you. So I try to be the person who injects some calm and maybe a smile into their day; it works wonders, and it makes me less stressed out as well.