Not too long after 9/11, I was on a flight from San Francisco to Seoul. We were almost done boarding, waiting for the final passengers to get seated. I was in a

Not too long after 9/11, I was on a flight from San Francisco to Seoul. We were almost done boarding, waiting for the final passengers to get seated. I was in a bulkhead aisle seat, we were about ready to take off and a flight attendant took her seat facing me, and started making small talk. At one point I commented on how reassuring it was to have such a mature flight crew. She smiled and motioned towards a fight attendant in first class who was finishing her tasks. "See her? She's number 2". "Number 2?". "Yes, she has the 2nd most seniority of all 22,000 United flight attendants. 46 years." She went on, "One time, she missed her flight because she drove to the airport for a flight and fell asleep in the employee lounge. When she woke up, she thought she had already completed her flight and went back home."