Flight attendants, whose profession was once considered glamorous, may have one of the toughest jobs in the airline industry these days. Even before last week's terror threat came to light, they were contending with doing more with less, and for less: planes are packed fuller than they have been in decades, there are fewer perks to provide comfort and distraction for passengers, and flight attendants have seen their pay and benefits cut at many airlines.
See "Maybe the Toughest Job Aloft", Micheline Maynard, The New York Times, August 14, 2006