LOS ANGELES — Putting on his wings and flying the friendly skies is more than just a job for United Airlines flight attendant Dante Harris. It’s a lifestyle.

“You get to see the world," he said. "You get to do many things that many people don’t get a chance to do ever in their life. So it’s a once in a lifetime experience, and when it’s over, it’s the saddest thing in the world. I have never looked at it as a job. This is my life.”

Harris, 42, has always wanted to be a flight attendant and was inspired by three family members who also work for airlines. He started the job 21 years ago and has served countless passengers. But over the last six months, the drop in air travel is much worse than what he experienced after 9/11.

“It’s so surreal because the airports are literally empty," he said. "I’ve never seen Los Angeles International Airport look so empty. You go outside and you barely see any traffic and, you know, that is not characteristic of Los Angeles.”

Harris was furloughed by United Airlines for six months after 9/11 and is now going through it again. United and American Airlines furloughed more than 32,000 workers October 1 after a $25 billion federal aid package expired. The deal was created in the spring to protect jobs, but with air travel still down, airlines need more money to keep workers employed.

Harris is also the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Council 12 union and says many workers in the union are devastated after being furloughed. “I’ve received calls from flight attendants who are packing up their bags, packing up their boxes, and they are moving out, back into their parents’ homes,” he said.

Harris noted that Congress hasn’t approved more funding to protect jobs. On Friday, House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she is willing to support aid for airlines as standalone legislation or as part of a larger coronavirus relief deal.

But for others who work in the airline industry, including Alma Gonzales, it’s already too late. She worked in passenger service at LAX for 15 years and was laid off in April.

“I took it in a calm way at first, but now it’s kind of like depressing because, being there for so long and still not going back, it’s kind of sad,” she said.

Gonzalez struggles to support her family who now rely solely on her husband’s income as a mechanic, which she says isn’t enough to make ends meet. “I have two kids and a grandbaby," she said. "They depend on me financially."

Harris isn’t sure how he’ll pay his bills but is grateful he still has health insurance. For now, he’s taking off his wings and storing them away.

“It’s very sad, especially when you’ve been doing this your whole adult life."