Gailen David is an American former flight attendant, labor activist and entrepreneur. He is best known for Take Off! with The Savvy Stews, The Jet Set and his appearance in the film, Miami Shakedown.[1][2][3][4][5]

Gailen David
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)TV presenter, producer, writer
Known forTake Off! with The Savvy Stews, The Jet Set
Websitegailendavid.com

Background

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David began his career in 1977, at the age of 10, when he began working as an amateur travel agent.[6] By the age of 19, he began applying for flight attendant jobs and became an attendant in American Airlines in 1988.[6]

In 1998, after several inflight conflicts with passengers, he took an extended leave of absence. After 10 months, he returned with a positive attitude and began his second virtual career as a motivational speaker making presentations at workshops about how he became a good purser using a video clips series entitled Why I Fly — Gailen's Story. A video version was on YouTube before being yanked by American Airlines citing copyright issues.[7]

In 2007, David coined Jetiquette as a campaign to advocate for a friendlier travel experience. Originally delivered at American Airlines, the campaign evolved into a training program and a book.[8][6]

In 2012, David was fired from his job after 24 years as a flight attendant at American Airlines after he posted a series of management-parody videos entitled, Aluminum Lady, which criticized the unfair treatment of workers during American's bankruptcy.[9][10][11][12] In April 2012, American sued him in Tarrant County state district court in Texas, accusing him of releasing passengers' private travel information, after he publicly revealed the airline's executives moving first class passengers to coach to make room for themselves and traveling companions and board members delaying flights for their convenience. American eventually dropped the lawsuit. Following a wrongful termination grievance filed by the flight attendant's union, David agreed to receive a settlement instead of rehiring.[13][14][15][16]

In 2021, David, in partnership with Stephen Licata, co-founded The First Flight Out, a Pan Am exhibit and travel emporium located in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood.[17][18]

TV career

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In September 2014, David began appearing in Take Off! With the Savvy Stews, an American travel-themed television series hosted by The Savvy Stews, and aired on CNN Airport.[19]

In February 2016, David co-created The Jet Set,[20] an American TV travel talk show which aired by several stations such as AMGTV, Z Living, ABC, NBC, and CBS.[21][22][23][20]

Filmography

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List of television shows involving Gailen David
Work Date Role
Miami Shakedown 1993 cameraman
Take Off! With the Savvy Stews 2014 co-host, executive producer, writer
The Jet Set 2016 - 2019 co-host, executive producer
The Tech Show (TV Series) 2017 executive producer

References

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  1. ^ Jetiquette - CNN Video, retrieved 2021-05-20
  2. ^ "Fruit Loops And Crying Travelers: The Trials Of Flight Attendants". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  3. ^ Zafar, Aylin (2012-03-18). "Flight Attendant Behind Parody Videos Fired". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  4. ^ "How to Have a Good Flight". www.nytimes.com.
  5. ^ "Smoking On A Plane: A Flight Attendant's View". NPR. 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  6. ^ a b c "Customer-service convert spreads the 'Jetiquette' gospel". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  7. ^ "Rocky's road: Whiz kid makes dream a reality". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  8. ^ "This flight attendant sees to your 'jetiquette' needs". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  9. ^ "American Airlines sues fired flight attendant over online postings". Dallas News. 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  10. ^ "CNN.com - Transcripts". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  11. ^ "Videos Starring Cross-dressing Flight Attendant Blasting American Go Viral". Texas Monthly. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  12. ^ "Flugbegleiter machen ihrem Job-Frust Luft". Der Spiegel (in German).
  13. ^ Gordon, Scott (April 11, 2012). "American Airlines Sues Former Flight Attendant". NBC DFW. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Bhasin, Kim. "This Flight Attendant Put Up Mocking Videos About His Employer, And American Airlines Is NOT Amused". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  15. ^ "WATCH: Flight Attendant Mocks American In YouTube Skits". The Huffington Post. 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  16. ^ "Fired AA Employee Appears in Court". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  17. ^ Quattro, Peggy (2013-02-12). "Grove's CocoWalk welcomes Pan Am-inspired retail store | Biscayne Bay Tribune#". Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  18. ^ "New line of airline collectibles launches — General Aviation News". generalaviationnews.com. 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  19. ^ Savvy Stews: Jetiquette, CNN.com, 2014-09-04, retrieved 2017-03-04
  20. ^ a b "How to Have a Good Flight". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  21. ^ "S.I. residents board TV's new 'Jet Set' travel series". silive. 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  22. ^ February 2016, Paige Albiniak 23. ""THE JET SET", TV'S FIRST TRAVEL THEMED TALK SHOW, SET TO LAND ON MARCH 5TH". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved 2020-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "The Jet Set: Travel & Lifestyle Morning TV Promo". Pax and Peace LLC. 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2020-12-29.