A CABIN ATTENDANT RPT ON A RETURN LAND BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE ON HER MD80 JUST 30 MINS AFTER TKOF FROM EWR; NJ.

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I WAS STANDING NEAR THE AFT GALLEY PREPARING FOR THE BEVERAGE/MEAL SVC; WHEN ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT REMARKED THAT HER EARS WERE 'POPPING' AND THAT IT SEEMED LIKE THE ACFT WAS DSNDING AGAIN. I AGREED WITH HER THAT SOMETHING WAS ODD AND I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE COCKPIT BY INTERPHONE. AFTER RECEIVING NO ANSWER; I GLANCED UP THE AISLE AND NOTICED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS STANDING RIGHT IN THE COCKPIT DOOR. I STARTED TO WALK TOWARD THE FRONT WHEN I HEARD THE CAPT COME ON THE PA AND SAY 'LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; IF THE OXYGEN MASKS DROP; DO NOT USE THEM; WE WILL BE GOING A RAPID DSCNT.' I PROCEEDED TO THE FRONT TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. I WAS TOLD WE HAD LOST BOTH 'OXYGEN PACKS' AND HAD ABSOLUTELY NO ACFT PRESSURIZATION. THE CAPT SAID WE WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY RETURNING TO EWR AND TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG. HE SAID IT WAS NOT A PLANNED EMER AND WE WERE NOT TO COMPLETE OUR CHKLIST. AFTER PREPARING THE CABIN; THE CAPT LATER ANNOUNCED WE WERE 'TOO HVY' TO LAND AND MUST BURN FUEL FOR A WHILE BEFORE LNDG. IT WAS ABOUT 45 MINS TO 1 HR BEFORE WE LANDED. ALL IN ALL; OUR BLOCK TIME GATE-TO-GATE WAS ABOUT 2 HRS. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED.