It sure was good clean fun in those days. We even got to mix with the " Hosties " as well as other staff.
I reckon the big reason for all of the cooperation is that there was virtually NO competition. Sure we tried to outdo each other but the Industry was so heavily regulated that we could not lose much at all by helping out. These days with so much competition the thought of losing very much market share is followed by staff reductions and wage cuts thus making it a totally cut throat game and the thought of helping the " opposition " has gone.
That did not happen in those days and on the Industrial side of things because there were only two Major Domestic Airlines all we had to do was to get one Airlines staff to threaten a strike / stop work then the management would panic and capitulate and as we almost certainly had a job for life in those days there was no real worry about being dismissed.
That virtually ensured the same wages and conditions were enjoyed by all.
That all changed with de-regulation and those two " Bosses " of AN. who well and truly ruined our " good life " , it was too good to last and it simply did not
Staff today would not be game to try out a strike/ stop work given the knowledge that the Carrier you are with would do anything and everything to eliminate such an activity because they would fold if it kept on for any length of time.
I am so happy that I was there in the Halcyon days and not there now.
The only winners out of all this are the fare paying passengers but then I guess that's what it is really all about, without them there are no jobs at all.
Ah!!! Those were happy days then.
