WHEELS UP is my podcast taking you behind the headlines of stories involving the airlines, employees and passengers. Jay Ratliff, my co-host, is iHeart's airline analyst and a former airline executive.
We start this new installment with a very uplifting story about Artemis Bayandor, a United flight attendant who volunteered to help with the airlift out of Afghanistan...but the way she did it is something you MUST hear.
We also discuss the likelihood of a coming vaccination mandate before you can fly domestically. Considering that ticket sales are still very low, many airlines think this could lure passengers back. However pilots and employees say if they are mandated to get vaccinated, they may just not show up to work. And with the pool of available employees virtually non-existant, what can the airlines do?