Up in the Air Quotes

Karen Barnes: I'm here to be fired right?
Natalie Keener: We're here to talk about your future
Karen Barnes: You don't have to "sugar coat" it I get the drill, what are they offering?
Natalie Keener: Inside the packet you'll find a clearly worked out severance package
Karen Barnes: Give

me the bullet points
Natalie Keener: It's actually pretty good three months' pay, six months medical and a full year replacement services through our company's CTC
Karen Barnes: "Replacement services" that's generous
Natalie Keener: Commonly it takes one month of searching for every ten thousand dollars you earn in salary

Karen Barnes: So I could be looking for a while
Natalie Keener: Not necessarily
Karen Barnes: Don't even sweat it I'm pretty confident in my plans
Natalie Keener: Really?
Karen Barnes: Yeah there's this beautiful bridge by my house I'm going to jump off it

Craig Gregory: [over the phone] How's the road warrior?
Ryan Bingham: Twenty minutes from boarding into a world of bliss.
Craig Gregory: Great numbers out of Phoenix. You know Big Auto is going to drop another 10K this month.
Ryan Bingham: No kidding?
Craig Gregory: Yeah, Christmas came

early.

Steve: [after being informed by Ryan that his been let go] Did I do something wrong? Is there something I can do differently?
Ryan Bingham: This is not an assessment of your productivity. Try not to take this personally. I want you to review this packet. Take it seriously. I think you'll find a lot of good answers in here. This is not an assessment of your

productivity
Steve: [Sarcastically] I'm sure this will be very helpful, a packet thank you
Ryan Bingham: I need your key card I want you to take the day get together your personal things then tomorrow get yourself some exercise go out for a jog give your some routines and pretty soon you'll find your likes
Steve: How do I get

in touch with you?
Ryan Bingham: Don't worry we'll be in touch with you soon, this is just the beginning
Ryan Bingham: [Narrating] I'll never see Steve again.

Bob: [Shows them a picture of his children, after having been informed he's been let go] What do you suggest I tell them?
Natalie Keener: Perhaps you're overlooking the positive effects your career transition will have on your children
Bob: The positive effects? I make about ninety grand a year, unemployment is two hundred fifty

bucks week is that one of your positive effects? We get to be cozier because I won't be able to pay my mortgage on my house so maybe we can move into a nice one bedroom apartment and I guess without benefits I'll be able to hold my daughter as she suffers from her asthma that I won't be able to afford the medication for her
Natalie Keener: Tests have shown that children

under moderate trauma tend to apply themselves academically as a method of coping
Bob: "Go fuck yourself",that's what my kids will think
Ryan Bingham: Your kids' admiration is important to you?
Bob: Yeah of course
Ryan Bingham: I doubt they ever admired you
Bob: Hey, asshole,

aren't you supposed to be consoling me?
Ryan Bingham: I'm not a shrink I'm a wakeup call, I see guys who work at the same company their entire lives guys exactly like you they clock in and they clock out and they never have a moment of happiness you have an opportunity, this is a rebirth, if not for you do it for your children

Ryan Bingham: [after sleeping together] You're up.
Alex Goran: I have to fly stand by to make a meeting in Cincinnati.
Ryan Bingham: Ok.
Alex Goran: [playfully] I made you feel cheap.
Ryan Bingham: Just leave the money on the dresser.
Alex Goran: I'll text you

later so we can swap schedules.
Ryan Bingham: I really like you.
Alex Goran: I like you too.
Ryan Bingham: Good, go catch your flight.

Ryan Bingham: What happened?
Kara Bingham: Jim's got cold feet.
Kara Bingham: Today?
Kara Bingham: Yeah that's how cold feet work.
Ryan Bingham: What do you want me to do?
Kara Bingham: Talk to him.
Ryan Bingham: You want me to talk to

him?
Kara Bingham: [speaking in metaphors, referring to getting married] It's either you or me and you know my track record I've already struck out once.
Ryan Bingham: [speaking in metaphors, referring to getting married] I've never been up to bat, I haven't even been in the dug out.
Kara Bingham: Don't you talk for a living?

Motivational king of stuff?
Ryan Bingham: I tell people how to avoid commitment.
Kara Bingham: What kind of fucked up message is that?
Ryan Bingham: It's a philosophy.
Kara Bingham: It's stupid.
Ryan Bingham: It could've helped you.
Kara Bingham: You

haven't been around much you basically don't exist to us. I know you want to be there for her here it is: this is your chance.

Natalie Keener: [on the docks in Miami] What happened to Alex?
Ryan Bingham: She had to leave town to get to a meeting
Natalie Keener: That's too bad, where'd she live?
Ryan Bingham: Chicago
Natalie Keener: Are you going to go see her?
Ryan Bingham: We don't

really have that kind of relationship
Natalie Keener: What kind of relationship do you have?
Ryan Bingham: Casual
Natalie Keener: Sounds pretty special
Natalie Keener: Do you think there's a future there?
Ryan Bingham: We never really thought about it, what's going on here?

Natalie Keener: Really never thought about it?
Ryan Bingham: No
Natalie Keener: How can you not think about that? How does it not cross your mind that you might want a future with someone?
Ryan Bingham: It just doesn't
Natalie Keener: Don't you think it's worth giving her a chance?

Ryan Bingham: A chance at what?
Natalie Keener: A chance at something real
Ryan Bingham: Your definition of "real" is going to evolve as you get older
Natalie Keener: The isolation, the traveling is that supposed to be charming?
Ryan Bingham: No, it's simply a life choice

Natalie Keener: It's a cocoon of self-banishment
Ryan Bingham: Wow big words
Natalie Keener: You have a set a way of life that basically makes it impossible for you to have any kind of human connection and now this woman comes along and somehow runs the gauntlet of your ridiculous life choice comes out on the other end smiling, just

so you can call her "casual"? I need to grow up? You're a twelve year old

Ryan Bingham: Kara mentioned you had some thoughts about the marriage.
Jim Miller: I don't think I need you to do this.
Ryan Bingham: Why would you say that today?
Jim Miller: Last night I was lying in bed, I couldn't fall asleep, so I started thinking about the wedding and the ceremony. I thought about how

we'd buy a house and move in together, I thought about having a kid then having another kid, I thought about Christmases and thanksgivings, spring break vacation, I thought about going to football games then all of a sudden they've graduated, have jobs, getting married and then I'm a grandparent then I'm retired, I'm losing my hair, getting fat and then the next thing I'm dead. I couldn't stop

thinking to myself "what's the point?"
Ryan Bingham: The point?
Jim Miller: What am I starting?
Ryan Bingham: It's marriage it's one of the most beautiful things on earth it's what people aspire to do.
Jim Miller: You seem happier like all my unmarried friends.
Ryan Bingham: I'm

not going to lie: marriage can be a pain in the ass and your right all this stuff leads to your eventual demise we're all on running clocks that can't be slowed down or paused we're all going to the same place.
Jim Miller: There's no point.
Ryan Bingham: There is no point. That's what I'm saying, I'm not normally the guy you'd talk to about stuff

like this.

Ryan Bingham: How do you like Wisconsin in February?
Alex Goran: I'll like it if you're there and I know a killer burger joint in Milwaukee
Ryan Bingham: I mean northern Wisconsin, what are you doing this weekend?
Alex Goran: You want me to be your date?
Ryan Bingham: Yeah

Alex Goran: At your sister's wedding?
Ryan Bingham: Look, I'm not the wedding type but this is the first time I don't want to be the guy alone at the bar, I want a dance partner I want a plus one so if you can "stomach" it I'd like it to be you

Natalie Keener: [showing him the new company set up of firing employees over the internet] Someone sits down at a conference room somewhere and our server routes their session to one of our termination engineers
Ryan Bingham: "Termination engineers"? Really?
Natalie Keener: I prefer "terminators" but it was bumped because it was

illegal
Ryan Bingham: I can't imagine why
Natalie Keener: They follow a work flow that takes them through anything from s standard dismissal to a violent aggressor
Ryan Bingham: Are they practicing right now?
Natalie Keener: Beta testing, role playing we go live at the end of the month

Maynard Finch: [referring to his frequent flier miles] You're the youngest person so far to hit ten million. I don't know where you find the time
Ryan Bingham: [dumbfounded after reaching his goal] I don't know
Maynard Finch: [Hands him the lifetime executive status card] We really appreciate your loyalty.
Ryan

Bingham: I've thought about this moment so many times, I even thought about the conversation we'd have
Maynard Finch: What'd you want to say?
Ryan Bingham: Now I don't remember
Maynard Finch: That's alright it happens to all of us, where are you from?
Ryan Bingham: [realizing he has no home] 'm

from here

Craig Gregory: You remember Karen Barnes? She was part of a thirty percent reduction in Wichita, Natalie fired her
Ryan Bingham: I've fired dozens of people a day
Craig Gregory: She killed herself, jumped off a bridge
Ryan Bingham: Fuck
Craig Gregory: I need to know if anyone gave you

any signals, depression?
Ryan Bingham: Their all depressed when we fire them
Craig Gregory: I need to ask you this stuff
Ryan Bingham: No, I don't remember
Craig Gregory: You don't remember anyone woman that gave you any signals?
Ryan Bingham: No, nothing stands out, is Natalie

alright?
Craig Gregory: Natalie quit
Ryan Bingham: She quit?
Craig Gregory: by text message, fucking nice right? Nobody's got any manners anymore
Ryan Bingham: Did she say where she was going?
Craig Gregory: no, I need you back in the air, did you hear what I just said? I thought

you'd be thrilled about that
Ryan Bingham: That's fine, what about the video conference?
Craig Gregory: CTC is going have to pause since Natalie walked out, we've got to get our work horses in the air: doing what they do best
Ryan Bingham: How long you sending me out?
Craig Gregory: We're going to let

you sail and sail, send us a post card if you ever get there

Ryan Bingham: [Narrating] To know me, is to fly with me the airport is where I temporary live. When I run my card the system automatically prompts the desk clerk to greet me with this exact statement "pleasure to see you again" it's these kinds of systematized friendly touches that keeps my world in orbit every once and a while I do speaking engagement motivational kind of stuff

but Gold Quest? We're talking Major Tony Robbins shit

Ryan Bingham: Tell me you're not taking this seriously
Craig Gregory: [in his office] That's why I brought the entire company in from the road because I'm not "taking this seriously"
Ryan Bingham: There's a methodology to what I do there's a reason why it works
Craig Gregory: Coke and IBM have been this for

years are you familiar with them? Just like everything else it'll take a few months for the transition then everyone's going to settle in
Ryan Bingham: Who are you taking off the road?
Natalie Keener: How are not getting this? You're grounded everybody's grounded it's done
Ryan Bingham: What we do is brutal and it does leave

people devastated there's a dignity to the way I do it
Craig Gregory: Like stabbing them in the chest instead of the back?
Ryan Bingham: Am I the only one that sees by doing this we're making ourselves "irrelevant"?
Craig Gregory: No we're making you "irrelevant",don't blame me blame the high fuel costs, blame insurance

premiums, blame technology you better watch yourself you're too young to become a dinosaur
Ryan Bingham: I'm not a dinosaur
Craig Gregory: I want you to show her the ropes
Ryan Bingham: I'm not the only one who knows what's going on here, get someone else to do it you're very confident that this girl doesn't know what she's

doing I don't think setting a MySpace page qualifies you to rewire an entire company
Craig Gregory: Great then here's your chance take her out there show her the magic, take her to the paces
Ryan Bingham: I'm not a fucking tour guide
Craig Gregory: We're ringing the bell and rounding everybody up you want to stay out there

your welcome to but you will not be alone you let me know