Saintd, first off, I thank you for wanting to recognize exemplary service. It seems that today in our society, the only time we ever write or phone is when something went wrong. Sadly, the good things can go unnoticed.

Now, with that said, please allow me to give you my take on CO management's view. Bear in mind that I am no longer a CO F/A. I left my 20 year career recently (with CO and other airlines, by the way)when I was fed up with the way things seemed to be headed.

CO does not care if you have a file full of complimentary letters, because I did. All that matters is that a human being is occupying a jumpseat and therefore allowing the flight to depart with the required number of crewmembers. Case in point: As I said, I had a LOT of letters from both passengers and fellow crewmembers commending me on my work ethic, friendliness, my obvious love of my career, etc., etc. However, I seemed to go through a period of time where I was catching every cold and flu bug that came within 100 miles of me. I was, my entire career with CO, always on some step of discipline. Always on the verge of being terminated because of "unreliability".

Now, allow me to present Case Subject #2: A f/a in my last base who we shall call Jane. Jane was notorious for being rude to passengers and fellow crewmembers. She was lazy, apathetic, indifferent and we all swore if she smiled, her face would crack wide open. Jane had complaint letters in her file and was on a step of discipline as well. However, Jane never missed a day of work. She would show up coughing, hacking, sneezing and end up making the rest of us sick...but she was there. She even once had a supervisor (who acknowledged her disciplinary problems) meet the flight and fly her last two legs as CO's way of "thanking her for her reliability." And, at the end of the year, this miserable human being who boasted that she was only in the job for the passes got invited to the Perfect Attendance Banquet hosted by none other than Uncle Gordon, and she got her little trophy and her free first class upgrades and a $100 gift certificate.

Now you tell me...what is wrong with THIS picture?

And that,ladies and gentleman, is in part why I no longer fly for Continental Airlines.

(But, if y'all don't mind, I will toss in my two cents from time to time)