My colleague on his early 40’s just passed away after a massive heart attack and later on died. The co-pilot flew the plane and diverted to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A new crew boarded the plane and left Malaysia 2 hours later.
I could have been in that flight. Luckily, I was in New York Flight instead… Indeed, Life is so short, better live life as it was your last day in this world…
More details @ The Peninsula News
The long day started at around 6:30 am pick up from our accommodation then went straight to the airport. Who would have thought that we would reach the triennial training knowing how homesick we are when we left NAIA 3 years back!?! But anyway, I had a great time to be with my batchmates again and Camille was also there – My closest friend here in Doha.
After a very quick flight, we arrived in Dubai where we were taken by bus to the Emirates Aviation College. The facilities inside were impressive. The ditching and evacuation training area also had a Boeing 777, Airbus A330 and Airbus A380 full size section mock ups to practice all the evacuation procedures.
Then we were given many scenarios and act as if we were really on the real situations like Thick Smoke in the Cabin, Emergency Landing on Water, Fire on the overhead bins, Fire inside the lavatory. (All drills can also be monitored in the LCD Screens.)
Next stage was to jump down the evacuation slides. All of us just evacuated quickly from one door, go down barefoot or with socks. The slides give off a lot of friction to slow you down at the end.
The final part was to crawl onto the large slide raft with our inflated life jackets on and practice assembling the canopy. Once we had done that, we had to drop into the (very cold) water and form into groups of six people so that we can stay together and stay warm. Although it was very cold in the pool, it would be fair to say that the mid-Atlantic would be a lot colder, so it was a valuable lesson to learn that forming a group in water were the most effective ways to keep warm. 
We left the training center learning a lot about how to handle ourselves and the passengers in all of the various emergency situations, Fully qualified to be released into the real world of flying again!
Related Post:
* View the rest of the pictures…
* Training at Emirates Aviation College 2006
First of all, free or reduced rate travel is always based on space available. Whether you are the crew or employee’s family traveling at a discount, you will only be issued a seat after all of the revenue passengers, including standby paying passengers. They are always the priority so if there’s no seat available they will ask you to just try your luck on the next flight which has always been a problem for me because all Qatar Airways employee must be back in Doha 10 hours before the next duty time but still I usually try my luck to go to Manila on my 3-4 days off. (What to do in Doha on 4days off!?! I’ll be crazy!)
What this means is that you must be very aware of the available seats on any given flight. This requires some legwork by using the company computerized reservation system to determine which flights are best for you. In my case, it’s always hard to get a seat because Manila Flight is always full or overbooked! Even if it’s not vacation period or holiday! There’s no off peak seasons in Manila flight because there are lots of Filipinos all over the world! And even if there’s a vacant seat, those seats are for senior ones! It’s better to have a full fare ticket as a back up, or else you’ll end up buying a business class full fare ticket!
* The Picture shows there’s no more passenger on cue but me, sitting near the subload check in counter, the other picture is while waiting for the delayed aircraft. There’s no more seat available on the waiting area so the rest are just standing. I’m sitting on my trolley! This inconvenience were just making me decide to resign sooner!
Last April, I flew to manila on my 4days off, August 17-19, I went to MNL again on my 3 days off and same dilemma happens! Fully booked! There’s one jump seat available but there’s one crew who’s more senior than me got the seat.
What makes it worst is that the departure should be 17:30 but the aircraft arrived at 19:40 from Doha! Super delayed! I waited in the check in counter for more than 2 hours sitting there like a beggar and 2 hours again in gate 10. I finished eating 4 BreadTalk’s Cheese Floss and Chef Tony’s popcorn because of boredom! There’s no sign of chance whatsoever but still I stayed there. Just a minute before I call someone to pick me up at the airport, I heard 3 people arguing, they sounded dismay about something. I never knew what is it all about until the ground staff told me that they have been offloaded from MNL Flight! Because they have visa problem. I feel sorry for them but at the same time thankful because their situation gives me a vacant seat! Yehey! Then I arrived in Doha around 12:40 am of August 20 – Just in time for my next duty at 10:50 am (Pick up time).
* After all the inconvenience, this view from the aircraft window simply draw a smile in my face for a minute! I’m glad to see my condo unit nonstop construction and The Venetian Mall as my View from the Top!
SAN’A, Yemen – A plane going from the Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen to the island nation of Comoros crashed in the Indian Ocean early Tuesday, a Yemen airport official said.
An official from the Yemeni state carrier said the plane had 147 passengers, including three infants plus 11 crew.
"The weather conditions were rough; strong wind and high seas. The wind speed recorded on land at the airport was 38 miles an hour. There could be other factors," he said.
According to preliminary information from Paris Airports press service, a Yemenia Air Airbus 330 flew on Monday from Paris to San’a, with 147 passengers and 11 crew on board.
Most of the passengers are from Paris, After landing in the Yemeni capital, the passengers disembarked and those destined for Comoros switched planes. Sixty-seven of the original passengers were flying on to Moroni, according to the press service. It was unclear how many more passengers boarded the Airbus 310 in San’a and if the crew was changed as well.
Flight Deck
The Captain was 58, French. He/She entered Air France in 1988 and was qualified on the Airbus A330/A340 in February 2007. The Captain had 11,000 flying hours, which included 1,700 hours on the Airbus A330/340.
The 2 co-pilots were French. They were 37 and 32 years old. They started working for Air France in 1999 and 2004. They were qualified on the Airbus A330/340 in April 2002 and June 2008. The first co-pilot had 6,600 flying hours which included 2,600 hours on the Airbus A330/340. The second co-pilot had a total of 3,000 flying hours which included 800 hours on the Airbus A330/340.
Cabin Crew
The Chief Flight Attendant was French, 49, and entered Air France in 1985. The two other pursers were French, 54 and 46 years old and entered Air France in 1981 and 1989.
There were 6 stewards and stewardesses on board. 5 of them where French and 1 was Brazilian. They were between the ages of 24 and 44 years old and they started working for Air France between 1996 and 2007.
Air France identified the nationalities of the victims of flight 447:
61 French
58 Brazilians
26 Germans
9 Chinese
9 Italians
6 Swiss
5 British
5 Lebanese
4 Hungarians
3 Slovakian
3 Irish
3 Norwegians
2 Americans
2 Moroccans
2 Polish
2 Spanish
1 Argentinean
1 Austrian
1 Belgian
1 Canadian
1 Croatian
1 Dane
1 Dutch
1 Estonian
1 Filipino
1 Gambian
1 Icelandic
1 Romanian
1 Russian
1 Swedish
1 Turkish
The survivors say their relief is overshadowed by the immense sense of loss they feel for those who didn’t make it.
"It feels miraculous and sad at the same time," said Amina Benouargha-Jaffiol, who tried to get on the flight Sunday night, even enlisting a diplomat friend to try to pressure Air France to let her and her husband on.
"Of course, at some level we feel lucky, but we also feel an enormous sadness for all those who perished," she said.
For some it was a simple matter of arriving at Rio’s airport late; for Andrej Aplinc, it was because he got there early.
The 39-year-old Slovenian sailor and father of two was spared because his cab driver was in a hurry to see a soccer match.
With time to spare at the airport, Aplinc, who was supposed to take Flight 447, learned there was no seat on the plane with enough legroom for him to stretch out his bum knee. But since he’d arrived early, he was able to board an earlier 4 p.m. Air France flight, which did have a roomy seat.
"It was such huge luck that I flew with that earlier plane," Aplinc said from his home in Radelj Ob Dravi in northeastern Slovenia.
Gustavo Ciriaco was scheduled to be on that 4 p.m. flight. But he arrived late at the check-in and was told airline agents could not find his seat and the gate was about to close.
The 39-year-old Brazilian choreographer and dancer was on his way to Europe for two weeks of rehearsals for his next ballet, and had a connecting flight to catch in Paris.
Ciriaco pleaded to be let him on the plane, and finally the airline discovered the seating error and relented.
If the reservation mix-up hadn’t been resolved, "I would have tried to take the following flight because I would have arrived in Paris with enough time to catch my connection," Ciriaco said.
The next flight? Air France 447.
"Survivors" like these often need psychological counseling, said Guillaume Denoix de Saint-Marc, whose father was among the 170 people killed in 1989 when Libyan terrorists downed UTA Flight 772 with a suitcase bomb. He now heads an association that helps victims of airline disasters.
"They can have big psychological problems. We meet a lot of people like that," said Denoix de Saint-Marc, who was asked by French authorities to counsel relatives of the victims of Flight 447 at a crisis center at Paris’ airport.
In the case of UTA flight 772, some of the pilots and cabin crew who had flown the French DC-10 jetliner before handing it over to the doomed crew "couldn’t resume their careers," Denoix de Saint-Marc said.
"They lost their flying licenses because of big psychological problems or alcoholism," he said.
Such traumas have a name: "Survivors’ syndrome," seen often in combat and other crisis situations in which those who make it feel as though they fled, deserted their buddies or were cowardly, said psychiatrist Ronan Orio.
But being saved by the ticket counter, traffic or other caprices of life should not be considered traumatic, said Orio, who has worked with victims of hostage situations, terror attacks and airline crashes.
Instead, near-miss situations should be viewed in a positive light, he said.
"People who take a plane and have a second chance win the lotto. They have the right to continue where the others died," he said.
Benouargha-Jaffiol and her husband Claude Jaffiol got a second chance last Sunday.
The couple, who live in Montpellier, France, had pulled strings to try to get on Flight 447, even drafting a family friend, a Dutch diplomat, to phone Air France and try to get them seats on the overcrowded plane.
"My husband demanded that Air France put us on that flight," Benouargha-Jaffiol said. "But nothing doing, the flight was totally full."
She and her husband finally left the airport, returning Monday after the disaster.
Source: http://www.airfrance447.com/
The presumed crash of Air France flight AF447with 216 passengers and a crew of 12, continues to pose a mystery to aviation writers and analysts world-wide.
Stunned analysts say it would take extremely violent weather to bring down such a large jet, especially one as reliable and modern as the Airbus A330-200 in question.
By industry standards Air France has a relatively young fleet and the aircraft operating flight AF447, registration number F-GZCP, had only entered service in April 2005 and had passed a routine in-hanger inspection in mid-April.
Former Airbus pilot John Wiley told CNN that speculation lightning had brought down the plane was likely to prove unfounded since most modern passenger aircraft were capable of withstanding direct strikes.
Analyst Kieran Daly of online aviation news service Air Transport Intelligence said the lack of communication with the aircraft “does suggest it was something serious and catastrophic.
“The A330 is state-of-the-art, with extremely reliable engines made by General Electric.”
CNN air travel expert Richard Quest says the twin-engine plane, a stalwart of long-haul routes, has an impeccable safety record, with only one fatal incident involving a training flight in 1994.
“It has very good range, and is extremely popular with airlines because of its versatility,” he said.
Brazil and France have scrambled search and rescue aircraft on both sides of the Atlantic, but with a vast area to scour, there is dwindling hope of finding survivors.
The Brazilian Air Force said the flight AF447 was last logged flying at an altitude of 10,600 meters (35,000 feet) before contact was lost.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “The health and wellbeing of all our passengers and employees is of paramount importance and Qatar Airways in no way compromises the safety of any individual.
“Passengers should be reassured that modern aircraft have very advanced air filtration systems which ensure a high level of air quality despite the confined environment they are travelling in.”
Qatar Airways has been working closely with local health authorities in Qatar and monitoring developments with international health organisations and governments around the world in order to be able to take the most appropriate measures.
Four Boeing 747-400 flights going out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport was cancelled after a FedEx MD-11 cargo aircraft crash at 6:49 am (7:49 Manila time) yesterday in Tokyo’s Narita Airport and consequently causing the closure of one of its runway and resulting to cancellation of 38 outgoing flights.
The FedEx cargo plane smashed into the runway and burst into a ball of fire while attempting to land killing the pilot Kevin Kyle Mosley, 54, and copilot Anthony Stephen Pino, 49. Aviation Accident Investigators believed that wind shear, an aviation term for sudden gust of strong wind, may have been a factor in the accident.
The airlines that were unable to leave Manila was Japan Airlines flight JL746 scheduled to depart at 9:10, while JL741 which is supposed to arrive in the afternoon failed to depart from the same airport for a return trip. Northwest flight NW002 which was scheduled to leave for Detroit via Narita at 8 am with about 400 passengers, was also cancelled.
Meanwhile, a Boeing 747 Philippine Airlines flight PR431 from Tokyo failed to arrive at 1:30 pm. Its return flight to Narita, PR432, marooned another 400 passengers at the Centennial Terminal 2.
The accident however strands thousands of passengers, half of it bound for the United States, which was left unattended at Terminals 1 and 2. Its been a practice of airlines that in the case of unforeseen event, such as the FedEx plane crash, that the carrier is not responsible for hotel accommodations of stranded passengers or to take care of their food billings, except when the reason for suspension of flight was when the airplane they were supposed to take experience technical problems.
I always have New York flight so I was curious about what happened in the Hudson River Plane Crash and saw this picture… hehe! Just want to share it… =)
The crew of a Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300, registration A7-BAA performing flight QR52 from Washington,DC (USA) to Doha (Qatar) last Sept 06 2008, declared emergency due to an engine failure about 175nm west of Gander while enroute at FL370 and requested a descent to FL200. After the descent to FL200 the flight deck crew dumped fuel and diverted to Gander,NL (Canada). The airplane landed safely at Gander about 50 minutes after the engine failure.
The crew had attempted a relight of the engine, during which the EGT limits were exceeded. Subsequent inspection after landing revealed tiny particles in the tailpipe and debris on chip detectors. The engine (GE90-115B) was removed and sent to the manufacturer for further analysis.
A replacement aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, registration A7-ACA was dispatched to Gander as flight QR3052 to pick the passengers up and bring them to London Heathrow.
The mid-afternoon crash, which occurred as the Spanish airplane left the busy Madrid Barajas International Airport, killed 153 people, officials said.
“I have never seen anything like this in my life,” ambulance driver Luis Ferreras told the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Spanair spokesman Sergio Allard said 172 people were on Flight JK 5022, which was bound for the Canary Islands, off the coast of northwestern Africa. The numbers were frequently updated throughout the day — at one point it was thought 26 people survived and 175 people were on board.
Bodies too hot to touch
Lines of ambulances raced to the airport soon after the crash as a large plume of smoke rose from the accident site.
“Only the tail was recognizable,” rescue worker Herbigio Corral said of the airplane, according to Reuters. “There was wreckage scattered all over the place and dead bodies across a wide area. A lot of them were children.”
A police officer said the bodies were so hot that police could barely touch them and told El Pais that the shattered wreckage bore no resemblance to an airplane.
Spanish Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez confirmed the number of survivors was only 19.
A Spanish Red Cross official told BBC that they are providing psychological support to family and friends at the Madrid and Canary Islands airports, where many had gathered to greet or send off their loved ones. Passengers from Germany could also be aboard the flight since it shares a Lufthansa flight code, LH 2554.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero interrupted his holidays in southern Spain to handle the crisis in Madrid, while the Spanish Olympic Committee said the Spanish flag would fly at half mast in the Olympic village in Beijing, Reuters reported. Spain’s national soccer team wore black armbands at a friendly match with Denmark.
The development minister said the aircraft’s flight data recorders have been recovered.
The plane’s first takeoff attempt was delayed after the pilot reported a breakdown in a gauge that measures temperature outside the plane, Spanair spokeswoman Susana Vergara said.
Vergara said the gauge was fixed. The plane crashed on the second takeoff attempt.
El Pais reported that an engine on the plane’s left-hand side caught fire as it was taking off.
“We don’t know the reason for the fire, but that seems to have caused the accident,” El Pais editor Guy Hedgecoe told CBC News.
Hedgecoe said that shortly after the fire began, the plane then descended onto the airstrip, crashed and caught fire at the end of the runway. The plane ended up in a wooded area at the recently built Terminal 4, located on the edge of the airport grounds.
Spanair said the jet, which was 15 years old, last passed an inspection in January, and no problems had been reported since then.
Wednesday’s plane crash was the deadliest in Spain in more than 20 years. In February 1985, an Iberia Boeing 727 crashed near Bilbao in the Basque region, killing 148 people.
The worst plane crash in aviation history occurred in the Canary Islands, when two fully loaded Boeing 747s crashed into each other in 1977, killing 583 people.
Former BA stewardess Yasmine Gibson lists her top 10 pet hates
ASK FOR AN UPGRADE
The only people besides the check-in staff who have the authority to upgrade are senior crew members. They won’t do it just because you ask, unless you happen to be the captain’s spouse.
SNEAK INTO THE BUSINESS OR FIRST-CLASS CABINS
There are some people who just won’t take no for an answer and when no one is looking, they see a spare seat and hope that they will not be noticed. But the crew have a passenger list which, as well as giving them passenger details, tells them exactly which seats should be occupied. Culprits will be spotted and hauled humiliatingly back into "cattle" class.
ASK FOR HELP WITH YOUR BAG
You carried it on board, you can hoist it into the overhead locker.
DISRUPT THE SAFETY DEMONSTRATION
Agreed: some people travel a lot and already know the safety demonstration by heart. If they want to ignore the briefing that is their decision. But they should just sit quietly reading, rather than talk, laugh or try to mimic the crew. Don’t bother – you’ll get a tongue-lashing from any cabin crew member worth their salt.
DISOBEY THE FASTEN SEATBELTS SIGNS
The captain illuminates the signs for a reason: either the weather is turbulent or the plane is still ascending or descending.
COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FOOD
The meals are usually catered by a completely different company so it isn’t the cabin crew’s fault if you don’t like your chicken chasseur. There is also not much that can be done at 30,000ft in the air if they run out of beef. However, if you graciously explain you cannot eat/are allergic to the choice that is left, the cabin crew might be able to find you a spare meal from another cabin.
PILE LOT OF RUBBISH ON TOP OF YOUR MEAL TRAYS
It is difficult to fit them all back in to the trolley anyway.
DEMAND A DRINK JUST AFTER THE MEALS HAVE BEEN CLEARED AWAY
After serving countless meals to passengers and being on their feet for hours with no rest, the crew finally get a chance to eat something. This happens when they have cleared all the rubbish in from the passenger meal service. If you value your life, wait 15 minutes or so after this is done before you hit the call button. If you are desperate then go along to the galley; this is slightly less maddening, but still annoying.
ASK THEM TO CLEAN THE LAVATORIES
This doesn’t really come under the job specification of cabin crew. On a full long-haul Boeing 747 flight there are only marginally less than 50 passengers per toilet. It is a horrible job.
PROD MEMBERS OF CABIN CREW
There is something about uniforms that makes people think the people in them are public property. Cabin crew hate going on the Tube in uniform as it is impossible to travel incognito – people always stare or start conversations by asking where they are off to. Something about air hostesses makes certain passengers think it is all right to grab a skirt or prod a shoulder to get attention. They would never do this with other uniformed staff, such as police officers, bus conductors or soldiers. It’s irritating. Please stop it.
AND FIVE WAYS TO INGRATIATE YOURSELF
1 Before they arrive to collect your meal tray, arrange it as it was when it was given to you, minus the food. As you pass it back to the crew, smile and say: "I just wanted to make it easy for you."
2 Take off your headset when a member of crew is trying to talk to you. It saves time and shouting.
3 Empathise with them. Remember if they are short-haul crew this might be their fifth flight of the day.
4 OK, you can read their badges and know what the crew are called, but try to avoid using their first names – they don’t know yours and it seems over familiar.
5 Buy lots of duty-free goods: the crew get commission.
Let this be another lesson – keep your seatbelts fastened during all phases of flight! And never get up when that seat belt sign is turned on. You never know when clear air turbulence will strike. When it does the injuries can be catastrophic.
This happened on Monday. A Continental flight from IAH to FLL. The plane was cruising at 31,000 over the Gulf of Mexico when it struck turbulence, causing injuries to all three flight attendants onboard. Each one was taken to the hospital when they arrived in FLL. Fortunately, no passengers were hurt.
Always Fasten Your Seatbelts!. Always buckle the kids up. Safety should always come first!
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS (also called stewardesses and stewards) help make flights
safe, comfortable, and enjoyable for airline passengers. A Flight Attendant's work begins when the plane's crew meets for a preflight
briefing covering route, weather, type of food and beverage services to be
offered, and passengers with medical problems or special requests.
Each Flight Attendant is assigned a work station and specific inflight
duties. On board the plane, Flight Attendants check to see that first-aid
kits and other emergency equipment are aboard and that supplies, such as
food, beverages, blankets, and, reading material are adequate. As passengers
board the plane, Attendants greet them, check their tickets, and assist
passengers by hanging up coats and stowing small pieces of luggageunder the
seats or in overhead compartments.
Flight attendants are responsible for passenger safety. They explain safety
regulations and emergency procedures, check to see that seat belts are
fastened during takeoff and landing, and assure that other Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) safety standards are followed. Flight Attendants are
also concerned with their passengers' comfort. Depending on the length of
the flight, they may operate movie and audio systems, sell and serve
cocktails, and heat and distribute precooked meals. Before and after meals,
Attendants make periodic trips through the cabin to ensure passenger
comfort. For example, they might offer to help care for infants, bring
magazines, or adjust seats. In the event of an illness or emergency, Flight
Attendants may distribute medicine to alleviate symptoms or administer first
aid or operate emergency equipment such as chutes to quickly evacuate
passengers. At the end of the flight they see the passengers off the plane,
inspect and clean the cabin, and fill out any flight attendant reports
required by the airline.
WORKING CONDITIONS
A Flight Attendant's job is both physically and emotionally demanding.
Flight Attendants are on their feet during most of the flight and under
pressure to complete their tasks within the scheduled flight time. At times
they have to serve meals and pour drinks under turbulent flying conditions.
Despite stress or fatigue, they are expected to deal pleasantly with
passengers of all personality types, including those who are difficult or
rude. Although Flight Attendants enjoy the benefits of travel, they also
may have to live out of suitcases for weeks at a time. They may be
scheduled to fly at any hour, weekends and holidays. Attendants are usually
required to purchase their first uniforms. Payment can be made through
payroll deductions.
Most Flight Attendants belong to a union representing all flight attendants
within their airline. Among the unions representing these workers are the
Association of Flight Attendants, the Independent Federation of Flight
Attendants, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS
Flight Attendant wages start at a range of $12,000 to $18,400 annually.
With several years of experience, Flight Attendants can expect to earn from
$14,100 to $20,100 per annum. Top senior wages can reach from $20,100 to
$42,000 a year. The hourly wage paid to Flight Attendants is quite high,
but they are customarily contracted to work only from 50 to 75 hours per
month. If the need arises for them to fly more often, they are compensated
at a rate of time and one half.
Many airlines offer extra compensation on international flights to Flight
Attendants are fluent in a foreign language. The pay differential for
multilingual Flight Attendants can range from 50 to 75 cents per hour.
Fringe benefits can include health and life insurance, retirement plan, paid
vacation, lodging and food costs on "layovers", uniform replacement, and
free or discount air travel for Attendants and immediate family members.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING
Hiring requirements are similar among all the airlines. Flight Attendants
must be at least 19 to 21 years old. Height may be between 5' 2" and 6' 0",
with weight in proportion to height and bone structure. Depending on the
airline, natural vision must be at least 20/50 to 20/200; corrected vision
(glasses or contacts) must be 20/20 to 20/50. General health must be
excellent; all airlines give pre-employment physicals.
A high school education is usually required. In addition, most airlines
prefer two or more years of college and/or work experience involving contact
with the public. Nursing experience or training is advantageous.
International air carriers require or prefer fluency in a foreign language,
such as Spanish, German, Chinese, or French.
Personal characteristics, as revealed in interviews and tests, are extremely
important. When interviewing prospective Flight Attendants, employers look
for maturity and adaptability, a pleasant voice and good vocabulary, good
grooming, and tasteful dress. Applicants are also evaluated on their poise,
tact, and enthusiasm for the job.
Flight Attendant courses, offered by some community colleges and trade
schools, may provide helpful background information on the job and its
requirements. However, airline officials emphasize that such instruction is
not necessary and has little or no influence on their selection decisions.
In any event, all airlines conduct their own training programs for new hires,
regardless of their backgrounds. While in training, which lasts from four to
six weeks, candidates usually receive either a small salary or free housing
and meals. They are expected to bring sufficient money to cover personal
expenses during training, plus moving expenses to their first home base.
Depending on the circumstances, the amount required may range from $200 to
$1,000.
ADVANCEMENT
As seniority increases, Flight Attendants receive higher pay, better flying
assignments, and greater job security. Some advance to management positions
such as flight attendant supervisor, instructor, or inflight services
manager. A few transfer to other departments such as customer services,
personnel, or sales.
FINDING THE JOB
One should apply directly to the airline. Candidates who meet the minimum
requirements may be invited to local group interviews by a team of
recruiters. Those who pass this screening are scheduled for individual
interviews. Free air transportation may be provided to the interview location if in another city.
Source
Aug 14-16′ 2008 – I just came back from Washington (as usual) but this time we used Airbus 340 to Washington & Boeing 777 going back to Doha… I missed Airbus! The last time I flew with this aircraft is 7 months ago (Hongkong Flight) A340’s capacity is 266, While B777 is 305! And it’s equipped with “AIP” an indication panel where you can see the passengers’ seat number who pressed the call bell, so no need to look around like a hunter where the call bell is is! Hehe! And there’s jumpseat in mid galley! Unlike in B777 there’s no seat at all except for drawers!? But in B777 the bunk beds are more spacious!
Unbelievably, I was able to managed being in-charged of the mid-galley with lots of special meals, nakapag load ako ng 4carts on time eh nasa cabin din ako at the same time because of Bar Service! I can’t blame anyone why nobody helped me load the carts co’z anyone has their own task din & the one’s I’m flying with as in 4-5 times ko na nakasama mga flying buddies ko na. Nice naman sila.
Anyway yun nga back to the story. Nagulat sila How I’m able to finish loading the carts so Quick! Eh nasa cabin din ako…hehe! About the passengers naman same old stories, kakatapos lang nila kumain ask na agad what time next service or hingi na agad ng anytime snacks… Haaaay No comment na!
We arrived the hotel in Hyatt Reston Virginia around 5:30pm (it seems like the rain has just finished) then went straight to Target Supermarket, I invited Ji Hyun (Korean) if she wants to buy some groceries. I told her 18-20mins away lang! medyo rocky & puro grass yung lalakaran and both of us were wearinghigh-heeled shoes! It turns out to be 45mins walk! Sabi nya sakin, “Star, you told me it’s less than 20 mins walk!” sabi ko nalang “this is a good form of exercise!” She keeps on complaining about how far it is kasi pagod nga sa flight. Kaya nagpapatawa nalang ako the whole time para hindi ako antukin!
Napapasigaw ako sa may parking area kasi umulubog sa grass yung heels namin, Sabi ko nga kay Ji Hyun “Hey let’s go back!!!” then she still continue to walk, sabi nya she was on half way of getting out of the grass mas longer pa pabalik
.
We finished shopping around 9:30pm ate dinner then walk far again but that time its dark already, iba naman yung way namin, we crossed some bridge then followed a long fence but we end up climbing a hill with our high heeled shoes & groceries! Sabi ko nga “Wow this is unforgettable we should take a picture” sabi nya “Star! I will kill you sabi ko, “I’m just kidding!” hahahaha! Kasi naman hirap na umakyat ng hill picture pa nasa isip! Pero in-fairness funny din sya kasama naging close na kami coz we always fly
together on a 14hrs flight! =)
We supposed to go to Tysons Mall together but when I called her she was still sleeping so as usual I just went to mall by myself again… didn’t have much time to sleep in our entire 27hrs stay but during our crew rest for 3hrs during the flight I was completely deep sleep! I can’t believe I have Washington flight again
After 2days…
Qatar Airways Oryx in Blue sky… Isn’t wonderful?
A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man.
Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess. “Madam, what is the matter,” the hostess asked. “You obviously do not see it then?” she responded. “You placed me next to a black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat.”
“Be calm please,” the hostess replied. “Almost all the places on this Flight is taken.
I will go to see if another place is available.” The Hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later. “Madam, Just as I thought, there are no other available seats in the economy class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is a seat in the business class.
All the same, we still have one place in the first class.” Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued: “It is not usual for our company to permit someone from the economy class to sit in the first class. However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting.” She turned to the black guy, and said, “Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in first class.”
At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by what they had just witnessed stood up and applauded.
I can’t believe I survived my unbearable schedule for this month and July is about to end! This is definitely one of the bussiest & strenuous month I ever had because only few crew are trained for Boeing, the ones I’ve flown with are facing the same problem like me. Imagine arriving 7 in the morning from Dubai nightstop then Dubai again the following evening at 6:30pm pick-up time! I’ve been doing these for over a week now! I’m glad they’re training more Boeing crew now. Too much Dubai & Washington! I can’t take it anymore and the worst part is, even if I reported sick, they will just adjust the dates, they will not remove Dubai from my roster even if I’m day-off! I only have 5 days off this month + my sick leave = 8
Next month as predicted, no new layover, no other destinations. I just have 4 Dubai & 6 Washington till September 3 (if anyone wants Washington just inform me, you may drop swap form in my pigeon hole: 1778 – I will accept any layover flight) Ugh! Even if I’m smiling my face still looks so tired! My eyes looks so stressed! I deserve to pamper myself…I feel so restless… I need vacation leave…
I rarely write blog entries because I’m more of a reader, I browse a lot, read a lot! From endless beauty tips, fitness, healthy food, exercise, skin care to cosmetics! If I don’t have flight my entire day will just be spent in front of my laptop! I have lots of beauty tips to share, skin care to recommend and a lot more!
Lately, there are lots of people sending me messages in friendster,multiply & ym (Honestly! online & offline messages not just about vanity but anything under the sun wholesome questions such as how to become a cabin crew, about faith, about life and of course beauty stuff which I do enjoy answering) It makes me glad when they appreciate my response & when they say I inspired them… I appreciate being asked, it gives me a feeling that I was able to help someone in my own simple ways… They usually call me Ate, Ms. Star, Sis all the time… It’s pretty amazing how powerful the internet is… We can gain new friends, keep in touch with family, relatives & friends…
With these circumstances, I realized that I should be blogging more often to share my insights , reviews and recommendations… I definitely won’t review a product I haven’t tried yet… (what’s the purpose of reviewing anyway!) I’m currently working on a new blog site… A better more informative website with categories that will suit your interest. My roster is quite hectic nowadays with only few day off – So I will launch it by the end of the month! I consider this multiply a success because it reaches 2,000+ viewers every month. I hope you will all continue to support my new blog site when I launch it soon… Thank you…
To sum it up, my day doesn’t start well, waking up with lots of errands ahead of me, roster changes, lack of time to pack my stuff, short sleep & time pressure! I really hate the feeling because I’m a very punctual person, I’m always ahead of time & never gets late.
I managed to be ready at 8:32 am just in time to wait for the transport bus. The Rostering called again to say “THE FLIGHT WILL BE DELAYED-I WILL BE ON HOLD-JUST STAY HOME” It’s too early to be pissed off so I just return to my room, had breakfast, read our Lady of Perpetual prayer book & think positive that there’s maybe a reason why all these unecessary things are happening…
Around 11:30 am I arrived at Technical bldg. since not everyone is on the briefing room. I went out to check my pigeon hole and was surprised to read a letter with this intro –> “CONGRATULATIONS ESTRELLITA” for someone who haven’t been flying for more than 2 years & without experience It never cross to my mind that I will be promoted so soon. It was so unexpected because there are lots of senior crew than me, some were like 3 years flying and just recently got promoted.
* I feel so blessed & contented in every single moment of my life, I’ve learned that never place a period where God has placed a comma.. God has been so good to me all these years ..Copied From my multiply online diary...
I don’t know what will happen next… Despite of sleepless nights, turning day into night & having abnormal sleeping patterns, I honestly feel so lucky & privilege having all these things so I might as well share it with you… I’m exploring different countries & being paid to do it, and because only few jobs offer the chance to work in a different environment every day, with different scenery, surrounded by different faces, Try many cuisines all over the world, shopping in different destinations & take lots of pictures in different scenery, having discounts in some business establishments- restaurants & shops including duty free with our I.D, But the biggest benefit of all is walking through the airport in uniform, head held high, pulling wheeled flight trolley, and having people look admiringly at you… If you fly internationally as a flight attendant, the world will be your playground, you can go virtually anywhere on vacation! 
"Me, Myself and a Star..." 