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| Source/Courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Germanwings_-_Service.jpg |
Today, we have a special guest on Leaving Cairo. On condition of anonymity, I have bagged an
interview with a member of Cabin Crew for a world class airline. Here to introduce us to the highs and lows of
life in the skies, I introduce to you – “Billy Spears” (those of you who are lovers of The Beatles will know where this
name nom de plume comes from.)
Q: Thanks for agreeing to this interview. So, how long have you been flying?
I started quite late really.
I've only been flying for five years & I'm in my 50's.
(There you go readers, you don't have to be young, in your 20's in order to start your flying career).
Most of us are 9-5 Monday to Friday workers and I’m sure
there are those out there that are keen to escape from or read about someone
who has escaped that routine.
Q: Can you describe a ‘typical’ working week?
My work patten is only
published 6 weeks in advance and so its not always easy to plan what to do in
my spare time, I am quite used to making no future commitments.
This creates pros and cons on
both sides: I get a fair amount of time off because of the time changes I encounter when flying, but on the
other hand I get very tired changing time zones, which effects the quality of
time I get when I am at home. Here’s
an example itinerary:
Return to Edinburgh in one
day
4 days Las Vegas
6 days off
5 days Kingston, Jamaica
Q: Where’s your favourite destination, and why?
I should say Greece, but my
works takes me mainly to the Caribbean. For relaxing, I suppose St. Lucia and for an unforgettable experience
(but not necessarily in a good way ) Jamaica.
St Lucia is still relatively
unspoilt and has retained some culture of its own, Jamaica
Of all the places I have
ever visited...and there are many...Corfu has to be one of my favourite
places along with Palm Springs USA
Q: Any horror stories/tales about difficult passengers,
situations? Spill the dirt!
There is always the
potential for upset. Holiday makers/passengers enter a place (the airport) that
they are not familiar with and are stressed before their trip begins. I find it
better to be very non confrontational in dealing with the public, but sometimes
the person involved is just plain out of control. During a trip from Jamaica, a
passenger became very very offencive and threatening for no apparent reason. He
was reported and met by the police on arrival in London. I can still see the
blood vessels standing out on his fore head in my mind!
Q: And any particularly nice stories?
I love to dip my toes in the
water of other people's lives. I'm very lucky to have met so many people, even if for such a little time.
One such couple were travelling from the Caribbean
to London and were fabulously friendly and just great to be around. They were
travelling in First Class and I made sure they had the opportunity for the full
treatment. It was very sad that it turned out they were returning to London to
attend a cancer clinic. All the first class crew wished them well when they
left the plane. Our thoughts and wishes went with them and if there any truth to
the stories of positive energy helping, then this was a real case.
Q: Would you recommend this job? And what should one be careful of/be prepared
for? What myths and illusions should
they dispel?
Worse thing about the job is
the jet lag. One day you go west and your day turns into 23 hours, and the other
direction you miss a night's sleep before you arrive.
I would recommend this job
to anyone who has an interest in seeing the world and meeting people. They will
also need lots of stamina. Myths and illusions: its not very glamorous and I
don't speak any foreign languages, so it’s not always necessary to have a
foreign language.
Thanks, Billy, for this
insight into life in the skies.
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If you, too, are interested in a career as Cabin Crew, you
can look at the following websites for more information:
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