Coral Gables, FL -- (SBWire) -- 02/10/2012 --Gailen David, purser with American Airlines for 24 years, may be facing termination after posting two controversial video parodies on YouTube. The videos, entitled “American Airlines Asks Flight Attendants for Help” and “Aluminum Lady,” satirized the management prowess of the C-level execs at the said company. The first featured David in a generic airline executive costume reading an actual letter released by Lauri Curtis, American Airlines’ Vice President of Onboard Service, while the second was loosely based on the corporate leader of the AA flight attendants and was inspired by the Hollywood movie “Iron Lady.”

After working on the inside at the Dallas/Ft. Worth headquarters of one of America’s largest airlines and witnessing years of mismanagement, David said that the only thing he could do was express himself, using the talents he possessed, through these videos. Before long, the videos had become instant hits. However, they soon turned from popular to controversial when American Airlines headquarters, through David’s supervisor, called him and asked him to remove the videos. He was also asked to attend an investigatory meeting that, he was informed, may result in his dismissal.

Since the videos began airing on YouTube, thousands of frequent flyers, airline employees, and even public figures such as Ben Stein have expressed their support for the workers of the airline, many of whom are facing layoffs following the airlines’ Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing. Several YouTube viewers have also expressed support for David as well as indignation after news spread that American Airlines had attempted to have the videos removed.

After years of creating customer service programs for American Airlines and even writing a book on the topic entitled “Jetiquette – The Customer Experience and You", Gailen David became known as The Sky Steward. He has also offers travel tips on a variety of TV morning shows and on his own blog, www.DearSkySteward.com. Despite his other accomplishments, David says that his intention was always to return to American Airlines to do what he loves, which is to travel and to make a positive impact on the travel experiences of others. This, however, is being endangered by the latest occurrences at American Airlines, which threaten to result in not only the job loss of many of his colleagues but also the company’s eventual demise. 

As of press time, David has refused to remove the videos and has now decided to invite the public on a real-time journey as he stands up for what is right, whether or not it costs him his job.