Cabin Crew Excellence Magazine Issue #3 july 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.com Issue #3 July 2015 Issue #3 July 2015 MAGAZINE 4 SUMMER LIFE HACKS CABIN CREW CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT D e f i n e Happiness! Now Pursue It! 5 WAYS TO DRY YOUR NAILS FAST! QATAR AIRWAYS The World's Best Airline - A Different Perspective What Does Your Social Media Profile Say About You ? 6 Beauty Habits That Give Cabin Crew Wrinkles 6 Beauty Habits That Give Cabin Crew Wrinkles
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The World's No#1 Magazine For Cabin Crew We bring you amazing content that will inform, educate and inspire you to be excellent in everything you do.
Transcript of Cabin Crew Excellence Magazine Issue #3 july 2015
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Issue #3 July 2015
MAGAZINE
4 SUMMER LIFE HACKS CABIN CREW CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
D e f i n e H a p p i n e s s ! Now Pursue It!
5 WAYS TO DRY YOUR
NAILS FAST!
QATAR AIRWAYSThe World's Best Airline - A Different Perspective
What Does Your Social Media Profile Say About You ?
6 Beauty Habits That Give Cabin Crew Wrinkles
6 Beauty Habits That Give Cabin Crew Wrinkles
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
A MESSAGE FROM MONICA & SIMONA
Forever bringing you amazing content that will inform, educate and inspire you to be excellent in everything you do!
The Cabin Crew Excellence E-Magazine is a fun and informative reflection of our incredible passion for the aviation industry. Within its pages, you will find everything you need to work hard, play harder, and be inspired to become a better version of yourself.
www.cabincrewexcellence.com | The World’s No#1 Magazine For Cabin Crew
OUR STORY
All Contents Within This Publication & The Website www.cabincrewexcellence.com Is Copy Right Protected & Owned by Cabin Crew Excellence Copy Right - Disclaimer - Terms Of Use
With the summer heat in full swing and being busy bees as we, cabin crew are, learning all the right ways to gain everlasting beauty, happiness and intelligence can be a bit overwhelming.
Because we feel you right down to the T, we thought you could use a magic wand and got to work to make sure this edition of your cabin crew e-magazine brings you all sorts of secret potions to get you exactly that and more.
Mind, body and soul is what we’re all about and we’re bringing you nourishment for them all… but only enough to last you one month.
06 4 Summer Life Hacks Cabin Crew Can’t Live Without
09 4 Types Of Crew You Don’t Want To Work With
12 Chill Out Lounge Dubai
14 Aircraft Toilets - The Solution All Women Have Been Waiting For!
17 Define Happiness! Now Pursue It!
29 5 Ways To Dry Your Nails Fast
20 Cabin Crew In Focus: Micaela
32 Qatar Airways The World's Best Airline - A Different Perspective
42 6 Beauty Habits That Give Cabin Crew Wrinkles
38 5 Myths About Cabin Crew
48 Hotel Room Work Outs
52 What Does Your Social Media Profile Say About You?
57 The Most Embarrassing Private Jet Flight Of All Times
62 A Blessing In The Sky
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
4 SUMMER LIFE HACKS CABIN CREW CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
The start of summer is here again and every year at the end of summer, don't you just feel you haven't really made the most of it?
Don't you wish you knew better, did more and prepared differently?
Don’t you wish those pesky flies and mosquitos just left you alone for more than 5 minutes so you can focus on your tan?
Or that your favourite distraction didn’t come in small doses?
Well here are some essential life hacks that every Cabin Crew needs to know to make the most out of summer and beat the “I wish I knew better” thoughts that creep in at season’s end.
Vitamin B Complex - Repels flies and mosquitos
It’s up for debate amongst the scientific community, some swear by it while others say it’s just an old myth. As it turns out, taking Vitamin B Complex pills helps to repel flies and mosquitos. It’s said that these little blood sucking airborne vampires dislike the smell and the taste, and if they see a highly charged Vitamin B fortified person vs a normal non Vitamin B fortified person, the supercharged person has a much higher chance of not being attacked. So this summer, we’re giving this hack a try while looking forward to working on our tan or enjoying evenings out by the lake without any insect distraction.
Airplane Mode On Your Phone Gives You Unlimited Lives in Candy & Soda Crush
Ok look, lets not be coy here - almost everybody plays or has played candy crush or soda crush. These guys make almost $1 million a day and the app is absolutely free so someone must be playing it. If you want to beat the life count that keeps you waiting for more, it’s quite simple. Set your phone onto airplane mode and you will have unlimited lives so you can twiddle your fingers aways at your heart ’s content! It’s a hangover’s best friend and a perfect way to stay busy while topping up your tan on the beach.
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Lemons, Oranges, Grapefruits - All Make You Feel Better
So us cabin crew are emotional people by nature, and there is nothing wrong with that! Studies show that with high levels of emotion come high levels of empathy, and high levels of empathy are the key trait to having excellent customer service skills.
They also reduce the levels of norepinephrine - the stress hormone, so that’s just an added benefit. The lemon aroma might be the most powerful of them all and it’s been shown that smelling it can increase mental stimulation, slowly bur surely.
In Conclusion: Life has its ups and downs and don’t cabin crew just know it! Sometimes we are flying high, enjoying wonderful layovers in amazing new cities, and other times we are beaten to a pulp with turnaround flights from hell. Overall you have nothing to lose, try adding some citrus to your daily diet. Have a grapefruit in the morning or squeeze some lemon or orange juice into a smoothie and you might just be a happier version of yourself.
So here is the theory: Lemons, oranges, and grapefruits aren’t just delicious and nutritious—the smell of the fruits can boost your body’s production of serotonin, that hormone that makes you feel happy.
Eating Pizza - Prevents Wrinkles & Sun Burn
What if I could prove to you that eating Pizza could slow down wrinkles and potentially reduce sunburn by 33%? I know - amazing right?! Well, errr, yes and no. Any reason to eat Pizza will be taken with open arms, however we have to come clean, it’s not the pizza that will slow down your ageing, but more the tomato paste that is the natural miracle cure.
Here is the science: Scientists think an antioxidant, lycopene, which gives tomatoes their colour, can neutralise harmful molecules produced in skin exposed to the sun's ultra-violet rays. Damage inflicted by the free radical molecules on skin structures and DNA can lead to premature ageing and skin cancer. Previous research has shown that cooked tomatoes contain higher levels of lycopene than raw tomatoes while the tomato paste of the sort used to make pizza toppings is very rich in lycopene. Skin levels of pro-collagen, which helps the skin stay supple and youthful, were also boosted by the tomato diet.
In Conclusion: Now you can feel a little less guilty when you eat that next slice of pizza! You gotta work a bit harder to burn off the lovely doughy bread in the gym, but there is no price for looking beautiful, right? Better yet just eat a tomato or suck up some tomato paste….YUM! One thing to note though: too many tomatoes can lead to constipation and the last thing we want is to have it all held in for a few days, especially during the busy summer roster schedule.
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
When you have a wo rk i ng environment with individuals coming from so many different countries and walks of life, you are bound to encounter just as many personality types and when you’re locked together in a metal tube at 40,000 ft, you can only run so far from it all. In every set of crew you will have one (at least) that stands out for the “funniest” of reasons, but 4 in particular are the most challenging to work with.
The Complainer
No matter what you (and everybody else) do for this crew, she will always find a thing or two to complain about. From badmouthing the company and its policies to complaining about every single passenger request and task given to her, the pick up time it too early, the driver is too slow, the briefing is too long, the flight is too full, the management is too strict, the accommodation is too small, everything will forever be far from satisfying this cabin crew. Try to please them and you’ll always be a day late and a dollar short.
The Suck Up
At the extreme opposite to The Complainer, you have the crew type that agrees with everything the management decides and would go to any extent to get noticed and even upgraded for all the wrong reasons. It’s the type you gotta watch your back from since they are usually bent on reporting to the supervisor every little mistake you make or even making up stories about different crew and embellishing it to make themselves look good in front of the airline management. The good thing about working with this type is that they keep you on your toes and focused on always following procedures and avoiding shortcuts.
4 Types Of Crew You Don’t Want To Work With
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
The Lazy
This type is a relative of The Invisible Man. You see them during the briefing and only occasionally during the flight. They always seem to be doing a whole lot, keeping busy with stuff away from everybody else’s view while they are in fact doing nothing. They are good at delegating tasks to other crew or finding ways to avoid them under the pretext that she is doing something else. Doing nothing occupies the whole flight for these “busy” bees.
The Bossy
This might be the toughest to work with, so brace yourself for cons tan t respons ib i l i t i es assigned with an attitude. “Do this” and “do the other” are the most common phrases in this crew’s vocabulary and you will rarely hear her say thank you or show gratitude for a job well done. Don’t take it personally though, the attitude is generally stemming from frustrations outside of the work space that just shine through during the i n t e r a c t i o n w i t h w o r k colleagues, particularly those most junior in the airline.
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
The First Ice Lounge In The Middle East, boasting an amazing ice and light experience.
We Love Dubai! It’s one of our favourite cities and we recently visited a really fun attraction that is so unique, you would never expect to find it in the middle of the dessert.
Once you arrive you are given thermal clothing to keep yourself warm while in the minus six degrees ice sculpture gallery. The warming gear includes a hooded parka (a heavy jacket), woollen gloves, shoes and even socks. We were advised to spend a few minutes in a buffer zone area to get acclimatised, but like over-excited newbies we jumped right in, and boy was it cold!
Chill Out Lounge Dubai
Now be aware, tickets are not cheap, they will set you back 75 AED a pop, but we sure did love the experience and we think its worth the price. When you bare with the killer outside 45C heat all day long, little else feels better than jumping into a sub-zero environment for a fun filled 45 minutes with close friends.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
With your ticket, you get a complimentary hot drink like the well known tchai latte, coffee or hot chocolate to slowly sip on while enjoying the novelty of subzero temperatures with a very fun and unique interior design.
It is a technological innovation in refrigeration, lighting and architecture. From an architectural point of view, the Chillout Lounge is an interesting combination of ice, glass & steel. The diffused lighting changes its colours at certain intervals and it filters through crystal clear blocks of ice, filling them with low-lux hues of varying patterns, making the moment freeze in its ambience. All these elements have been intelligently composed to create one of the best ice lounges around.
If you’re feeling a little hungry, the lounge also serves an assortment of food and drinks such as hot soups, sandwiches and deserts or a variety of mocktails and confectionary.
Website: www.chilloutindubai.com/Location: Times Square Ctr - Sheikh Zayed Road - Al Qouz - Dubai - UAEOpening Times: 10am - MidnightPhone: +971 4 341 8121
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Because we, cabin crew, tend to spend most of our waking time on board the aircraft and hygiene is a huge factor to be considered, especially for us ladies, we thought we’d give you a sneak peak into the cleanliness of our working environment.
Get ready for a poop report cause this is going to get crappy fast.
As it turns out, the aircraft is one big germ nest, but the dirtiest spot of them all is the lavatory.
Dr. Charles Gerba is a microbiologist at the University of Arizona and a germ expert swabbing airplanes and other surfaces for decades. According to one of his many experiments, the toilet seat has over 7380 bacterias present at any point of time, about 10 times germier than found on most toilet seats in other public places (restaurants, train stations, etc.).
Gerba said only surfaces with less than 1,000 bacteria are considered somewhat clean, that’s pretty far off from our toilets’ status.
With hundreds of people using the toilets on any given flight, the result of Gerba’s studies is no surprise.
Wondering what are the most common bacteria we are exposed to?
Aircraft Toilets - The Solution All Women Have Been Waiting For!
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Here are a few tips to help you keep germs at bay…well as much as possible:
Don’t touch anything in the lavatory! Use a tissue to open and close the door or lift and lower the seat cover. Don’t seat on the toilet! Get your leg workout on and squat as high as possible. Or turn to this little Go Girl life-saver Carry your own intimate wipes to use instead of the toilet paper that sits in that germ-filled environment Wash your hands thoroughly AND use disinfectant solution immediately after leaving the lavatory
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (the dreaded MRSA) and E. Coli survive on common plane surfaces such as the armrest, plastic tray table, metal toilet button, window shade, seat pocket cloth, and toilet seat for extended periods of time. MRSA, a potentially deadly infection, can last for an entire week on material from the seat-back pocket while E. coli, which can lead to severe anaemia and kidney failure, is able to survive for four days on the armrest, toilet seat or lavatory door knob.
Ok so if you didn’t have a lavatory phobia before this article, you’re probably half way to developing one by this point.
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STAY SAFE & HAVE A GERM FREE FLIGHT
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Define Happiness! Now Pursue It!
Our vibration influences not only us but affects other people’s perception and our relationships with those around us and, most importantly, ourselves. That’s a fact!
One of the bigger challenges we’ve had so far has remained blocking negative energy out and maintaining our spirits and those of our crew teams as high as possible.
That’s not an easy task, especially when you consider the fact that misery loves company and one negative attitude quickly drags the entire team spirit down.
Throughout the years, we’ve come across countless individuals: either cabin crew, tourists met in our layovers or passengers coming from all walks of life.
It is a well-known fact that we all send out some sort of energy, a good or…not so good vibration that is subconsciously picked up by everybody we come in contact with.
All too often, we tend to get caught up in the thick of thin things and forget the reason why we chose to fly
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
1 Define “happiness”! Ultimately, this is everybody’s aim, right? Yet the concept is different for every person. What does a happy YOU look like? What would you have to know, see, feel or have to be happy? Find that out and plan to achieve it.
2 If you are unhappy with your job, CHANGE IT! Before you do that though, make sure you aren’t just being picky or finding reasons to be unhappy. If that’s the case, you would only be dealing with the result not the cause of your unhappiness and you will end up being just as unhappy in whatever job you might undertake next.
Remember why you wanted to fly in the first place, the excitement you felt when you got offered the job and started traveling around the world. If, along the way, you discovered it really isn’t where you want to be, move on!
3 Be culturally aware. We tend to get very frustrated with gestures or attitudes that are nothing more than cultural differences. Understanding the culture of the place you are in or people you interact with will spare you a great deal of emotional “grief”.
4 Don’t take anything personally! What people do or say, the way they behave or treat you has no bearing on who you are as a person or professional. Be kind and respectful with everybody and don’t let negative attitudes get to you or change your own attitude for the worse.
5 Take the time to live your own experience. This is especially important when you find yourself in a new job or environment. People will rush to tell you all about this job, this company or this country and, more often than not, it will be mostly negative.
Remember that we all voice subjective opinions based on our own experience of a place, a person or a job. You are your own person, with your personal expectations and ability to contribute and might see or feel things very different than everybody else around you.
6 Do an amazingly good job! However you might be feeling about your job, colleagues or the environment, it is important that you don’t fail in completing your tasks with utmost efficiency and professionalism.
At the end, our volitions are what we’re left with when all is said and done. If you slack because you are unhappy with one thing or another, your colleagues will have to work harder to compensate and that will not make you feel any better.
7 Stay positive! After all, it is only a matter of perspective. Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will eventually change.
8 Turn obstacles into challenges, face them head on and let them grow you
9 Expand your social circle
10 Never stop investing in yourself in your pursuit of what you envision to be “happiness”. Learn another language, pick up another skill or help somebody get better at something that will enrich their lives. Most importantly, make sure you do something, anything, that will bring you closer to your happiness every single day!
Remember that one day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching!
10 Things To Remember
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Cabin Crew In Focus: Micaela
Sometimes, it is hard to find a clear vision of the right path in life
I have been in that situation more than once so far. Many years ago, after several months of fruitless job hunting, I was in serious doubts about going on with the search of my dream job.
When I asked my father for advice, his calm but wise voice said something I still cherish: “You see, my child. At the end of the day, you need to put some food on the table and make a living. You are fortunate if you can do that by doing something that you love. So find out what your passion is and follow it”.
He considered himself lucky to do what he loved: as a former Flight Technician and Engineer for an Argentina-based airline, he passed his passion on to me without any effort.
After a long wait, when I received a call directly from Dubai, the words he said to me acquired their true meaning… A nice lady from Human Resources told me my application for a major airline from the Middle East was successful. I was being offered a job as a Cabin Crew!!
I hardly ever heard of the UAE before the Open Day. In an era where all the distances and boundaries are broken by technology, the possibility of getting geographically closer to other parts of the globe blew my mind nonetheless and I was so happy I hadn’t given up on my dream.
The first two months of preparation were intense, but interesting and useful at the same time.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
I marvelled at the other students ‘backgrounds: among my batch mates there were a Filipino TV Host, a Swedish who was a Japanese Teacher, a Nepalese beauty queen, a former Turkish soldier, a Graphic Designer, and the list went on. The diversity among my colleagues astonished me... I made new friends, learnt about their local food and traditions, and shared my own story with them. It was such a surprise to hear all kinds of English accents! With time, I started to acknowledge and embrace them and realised what really mattered when we worked together was finding common ground and understanding each other.
The graduation day was a m e m o r a b l e o n e . T h e company had reached its g r a d u a t e n u m b e r t e n thousand, and we were ready to become part of that huge “winged” civilian troop.
The real-life scenario of a cabin with hundreds of passengers was different to the mock ups we had attended just a few days ago… But, with time, I learnt to be quick and to multitask in that fast-paced environment. From creating a toy with some coasters, a pen, a straw, and a tape - which helped us entertain the little ones while their parents needed the toilet- to refreshing ourselves with a cup of Ice mocha coffee, or celebrating a birthday among the crew with a dessert someone had just made in the oven… There were endless opportunities to increase our creativity on board and so many ways to make a person feel truly welcomed…
There were unique stories about crew who have done something special to the passengers, and some of them were even praised for it…. And there were examples of colleagues being considerate, not only with customers, but among each other. If you think that I am way too optimistic about the way people tend to behave, just give it try. All you need is start with tiny steps with those people who surround you. A smile, a nice joke, a small gesture between each other, could make wonders!!!
When kindness becomes a full time job, it definitely enriches your life in every way.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
The busy flight schedule across multiple time zones was another new situation to cope with. I had a few techniques that helped me greatly: I used to prepare a small mate cocido (a herbal infusion well known back home), with some cookie and a fruit… So, by the time we needed to prepare for boarding I was high in sugar, and with some extra energy. Other things that made me smile were listening to my favourite tunes whenever possible, walking down the creek or looking for local gardens to visit during layovers. That was my very own recipe to stay as healthy, positive and fit as possible.
A huge amount of motivation came from every trip! On the same month, if the roster fairies decided to sprinkle some of their magic upon my schedule, I would go to my favourite places and explore them for a few hours. I might sit for breakfast in Nairobi and get to enjoy the unique taste of some Kenyan coffee. By the following week, I would chose to visit some exposition at the British Natural Museum of History in London.
I could look for some pizza a taglio in Rome, and try afterwards a delicious Moroccan tea in Casablanca. I could go for a swim in the turquoise sea of Port Louis, and then give a farewell to such a peculiar month, on a crowded street in Bangkok.
Some destinations might be more popular than others… but that depends on each person´s interests, and how a layover is seized. The possibilities are endless: sightseeing, food, sports, cultural events, shopping, nightlife … For me, it was simple: I just felt privileged for being in such places, so I used to prepare in advance, collect tips and read reviews about my next destination. That helped me make the most of the stories behind each city. Plus, I learnt so many things that were not in books: the traditions of an Indian arranged marriage, the delicacies of the Asian green sweet called pandang, the busy, yet jolly, atmosphere of a Christmas Market in Frankfurt, the explosion of colours and flavours of Seychelles, the unique melody of a bossa nova played in the street of Rio de Janeiro, full of saudade.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Living so far away from your beloved ones will feel lonely sometimes. I was blessed to meet a wonderful bunch of people whom I laughed during happy times and sobbed during the sad ones with… each of them gave me wisdom, hope, joy, and lessons to be learnt! They came from Mexico, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Thailand, Canada, Singapore, Serbia, and even from my own country, just to mention a few. Their presence meant a lot to me. I am truly grateful for their friendship, and all of them will always have a special place in my heart.
When you are a Cabin Crew, the weeks turn into months and the months, into years and, as in every life cycle, my journey there was about to end - I needed to take a new path. The decision was not easy, since I would leave behind a job that had given me so much!
Looking for comfort once again, I asked my mother for advice, and she told me -with her natural confidence-: “You see, my child. What you have done so far is great. You should be very proud of yourself, as we all are. And if it is time to go home, don’t be sad… there will be new goals to be set, and you will not be alone. So, welcome home!”
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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I have been away from home for years. Perhaps you should know why those words really moved me. Some years ago, when I was expected to travel to the UAE, due to different illnesses both my grandfather and my father passed away… I was devastated!
My family encouraged me to pursue my dreams and not give up.
With my heart broken, I promised myself to make them proud… Although it was tough to leave, I definitely did the right thing. My family followed my trips and adventures and they were happy with my happiness.
This taught me that even from such a difficult experience, it was still possible to overcome grief, and that gives us strength and empowers us to aim for new dreams.
So, if you are wondering if is worth to become a cabin crew, I would definitely say a big YES!!! The journey is amazing and if you are friendly, tolerant and curious, it will give you lots of moments to treasure. Follow your passion, remain focused, and you will reach the stars!
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
The World's Best Airline - A Different Perspective
The award has stirred up a great deal of controversy among the cabin crew community, with many rushing to highlight the airline’s internal policies regarding the lifestyle of Qatar Airways-employed cabin crew.
The controversy isn't new, considering a number of international publications also had articles on the subject, mainly publishing stories told by ex-crew about the different restrictions and regulations imposed by the airline.
As with everything else, there are always two sides to every story and the perspectives are often completely different, depending on who, what, why or where.
According to Skytrax, Qatar Airways is officially 2015’s Best Airline In The World. Wether you agree or disagree is up for debate, however it can not be argued that Qatar Airways is definitely among the world’s most prestigious airlines.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Right, now that we established that, it is important to understand that these restrictions haven't always been there. In time however, the mistakes of some crew prompted rules that had to be applied to everybody - “One for all and all for one” is the rule of thumb.
When you run a reputable business with tens of thousands of employees around the world and the entire globe watching your progress, how else do you maintain structure, consistency and extremely high standards for your clientele if not through imposing a number of expectations from your employees?..
You have to also note that every crew joining the airline receives a contract and has a 6 month probation period, meaning enough time and information to asses whether the environment is right for them or not.
Even the happiest employees (in any profession or organisation) will tell you that there is no perfect workplace and whenever you find yourself in a new environment, everybody will rush to tell you everything about this company, country or manager and it will, most often than not, be all negative.
As with any other job, there are a number of policies that crew need to observe - so what’s the big deal? Doesn’t that apply to every country, every organisation, every community, even every household?.. And when you visit that country or household, become part of that organisation or community do you not have to be respectful of those cultures?
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
1. Misery loves company! - you heard it many times and you know it is 100% true. Say one thing negative and the attitude will spread like wildfire through an entire team of crew. One thing we’ve learned from toxic environments is that if we have nothing good or constructive to say about something, it is best to say nothing at all. When crew complain to each other about whatever, there is nothing constructive in that. The only thing you achieve is spread animosity and bad mood, so why join in on something that brings nothing good to anybody?
2. Give first, ask later! - being selected to work for an airline is the starting point of your career. If you are consistent, dedicated, know the rules of the game and pick your battles right, the effort will eventually pay back. In organisations the size of Qatar Airways, it might take longer to reap what you’ve sown and it will surely not be in the form of a golden statue on prime real estate, but every experience will teach you valuable lessons and you will end up wiser, “wealthier” at the end of it all.
3. The grass isn't greener on the other side! - spend long enough with crew from other airlines in the region or the world and you will understand they have their own griefs and they too think their problems are the biggest or they deserve more, better from their airline. So the grass is truly not greener on the other side, it is greener where you water and nourish it!
4. It’s all a matter of perspective! - cabin crew come from all walks of life and just as many different backgrounds. What is restrictive for some, might be acceptable for others, what some might find difficult to understand can be a walk in the park for others and so on. We are easily influenced by people’s experiences and opinions of a place or a person. On that note, we would always encourage our colleagues or team members to give themselves time to live their own experiences and build their own perspective of things rather than judge and decide based on other people’s perspectives.
That being said, here are a few things we learned during our days as Qatar Airways crew:
The list can go on, but you get the drift.
We were very happy to sit the other day with a couple of existing QA cabin crew and hear of the many positive changes happening nowadays in the airline. Qatar Airways itself is changing its perspective and (hopefully) the crew will do the same.
You will be trained by skilled instructors, you will discover the world is full of wonderful people and cultures and you will gain discipline, structure and the ability to adapt to any challenge and environment.
Positive attitudes and blue skies, everybody!
For those of you looking to apply for a cabin crew job with Qatar Airways we say Go For It!
PREPARE FOR YOUR QATAR AIRWAYS INTERVIEW SUCCESS
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
What If You Had…Every Tool You Need To Impress The Recruiters &
Become A Cabin Crew With A Major Airline ?
You DON’T Need A Classroom You DON’T Need Opinions
You DON’T Need Luck
YOU NEED RESULTS
Chose Your Tools & Finally Prepare For Success
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
5 Myths About Cabin CrewJet setting around the world, enjoying long inflight chit chats over coffee with the other stunningly beautiful gals, getting spoiled by a different lover in every destination, shopping in Paris or New York and traveling for free to any country in the world pretty much sums up the life of an international cabin crew. Ummm… NOT!!
The profession has changed significantly in the more recent years and many of these concepts are far from applying (or having applied…ever!) to our every day job. Here are 5 myths about cabin crew…..
1. All Crew must be young and gorgeousWell age is a factor for many airlines nowadays, but cabin crew aren't all tall and slender, with perfect wavy hair and a blinding hollywood smile. Airlines are now looking for the whole package, and the concept of “beauty” is more relative than ever. It’s all about the attitude, your charisma, knowledge and ability to deliver the airline’s promise to its passengers.
If the crew is “lucky” enough to get bumped off multiple flights, count in the hotel room pricing and now our tickets are more expensive than passengers’, not to mention the hassle of going back and forth to/from the airport. Nowadays, cabin crew have all sorts of apps (l ike iddeals.com and many more) helping you figure out the passenger load and chances to get on a flight way in advance. That’s a luxury we didn't have a few short years back.
2. Cabin Crew travel for freeOk… yes and no. We travel for cheap, but far from free and our tickets are not confirmed. What that means is that we pay for airport taxes and whatever other taxes regular passengers have included in their full fare. But we also have to wait until everybody checks in and board our flight IF there is an empty seat left.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
You have to remember that cabin crew meet hundreds of passengers in any given day, that equals hundreds of bags they would have to store. You’ve only got your own, so the math is simple. Next time you fly, be a sport and store your own luggage so cabin crew can tend to those who could REALLY use the hand (like elderly passengers, unaccompanied minors, etc.).
3. Cabin Crew must put your luggage in the overhead binActually, we aren't obligated to do that. If you somehow had the strength to carry it down the stairs of your house, haul it into your car and out of it at the airport and drag it through customs, security screens and up the stairs of the aircraft (or through the air bridge), surely you can muster a final umph to store it on board.
4. The layover is one big partyI don’t know how it was a few decades ago when flights weren't as frequent, but nowadays the tendency of most airlines is to have layovers only long enough to make it legal for the crew to operate the return sector. If we’re lucky, we get to stay 36 or 72 hrs in a layover and that’s enough to rest and squeeze in some sightseeing and local shopping before we get back to bed to rest for the next sector. One thing that worked well for us was doing more and more shopping online, especially in the most recent years. That kept enough time for us to do other things during our lay overs.
5. Cabin Crew are glorified waitresses If you still believe this, you haven't seen or even heard of how tough and complex the cabin crew training is or the gazillion of situations when cabin crew actually saved lives, inflight and on the ground.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 201540
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Sleeping on your belly/face If you have the habit of sleeping on your belly or side, you also have the habit of waking up with pillow lines on your face. Now how long does it take for those lines to go away? You brush your teeth, shower, make coffee, wear your uniform, put your make up on and are ready to face your passengers yet your pillow lines are still visible ever so slightly. Believe it or not, sleeping on your belly and getting those pillow lines given by the bed sheet creases affects your face skin and, in time, will help those fine lines get deeper and permanent. To avoid it, use satin bedsheets or sleep on your back. Satin is much silkier and slips off without creasing up.
6 Beauty Habits That Give Cabin Crew WrinklesMany of our daily habits can contribute to ageing our skin faster without us even being aware of it. Here are a few points to keep in mind to help your skin stay wrinkle-free for more years to come.
Over - Exfoliating That habit robs your skin of its natural oils, makes it red and can even cause skin irritations. Over time, it leaves your skin highly dehydrated which speeds up the ageing process. To keep your skin healthy and clean, exfoliate once a week for normal skin or twice a week for oily skin, making sure you use gentle motions and avoid scrubbing it too harshly.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Not Removing Your MakeUp Before You Go To Bed
Sun Bathing & Tanning
Working Out With A Face Full Of MakeUp
Well there’s no surprise here. Sun exposure, especially in the Middle East or at peak hours (11am to 3 pm), doesn't do our skin good. From extreme dryness to different skin cancers, the UV rays are among your complexion’s worst enemy. Go to the beach early in the morning or simply stay in the shade when the heat gets really hard to bare. If you just want to relax during your days off in-between flights but still work on your tan, you might wanna give St Tropez Tan a try and save your skin a few extra wrinkles.
When you start sweating and are still wearing your make-up, your foundation and all the impurities collected from the air throughout the day get pushed into your pores as sweat is wiped away. Over time, your skin will loose its glow and youth. As if that wasn't bad enough, sweat is salty. That adds even more to the problem, possibly irritating your skin and creating those annoying under-grounders.
Rapid Weight Fluctuations are also among wrinkle causes as skin looses elasticity and tends to become saggy when you drop too many pounds in a short span of time. If you are on a weight loss program, make sure your diet is integrated with a sound fitness program so your skin (and muscles) tones up as you slim down. Avoid yo-yo diets (so common among us, cabin crew) and instead change your eating habits while also working out. That will give you a steady, safe weight loss and will help you keep the weight off for longer.
Too tired after flight? How many times have you reached your hotel room so drained, you caught yourself weighing wether to remove your uniform or your makeup or just go to sleep as you are and do it all when you wake up? If you’ve been there (or will be at some point in the future), we hope you choose to remove your makeup every time and instead just go to bed in your uniform.
Sleeping with your makeup on allows all the impurities and dust gathered from the air to clog your pores and speed up the ageing process. Push through the exhaustion for 5 extra minutes, enough to remove your makeup, clean your skin with a mild cleanser and apply your moisturiser - your skin will breathe through the night and will look fresh again when you wake up.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
HOTEL ROOM WORKOUTWith summer officially on our aircraft step ;) it’s time to show off that beach body!! The extensive travel we, cabin crew, do and the amount of time we spend recovering after the flight can leave us finding excuses to not look after our bodies.
At 39,000ft we are meant to look beautiful, be glamorous and deliver service with a smile and as the saying goes - “When You Look Good - You Feel Good”
Although we are always on the go and we spend days on end in hotel rooms, staying in shape & feeling happy inside our skin is a MUST!
Whether you’re on the road, trapped in a hotel room or simply pressed for time between hang-outs with the crew and shopping trips, this quick and effective do-anywhere session (only 16 odd minutes and doesn’t require a single piece of equipment) will fit perfectly into even the most aggressive schedules.
The magic is in the movement “Stack"
Do move 1 for 30 seconds; rest for 30 secondsDo moves 1 and 2 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 seconds
Do moves 1, 2 and 3 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 secondsDo moves 1, 2, 3 and 4 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 seconds
Do moves 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 secondsDo moves 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 seconds
Then repeat the stack one more time.
Video Courtesy of: http://q.equinox.com/
GREATNESS IS IN EVERYONE
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
What Does Your Social Media Profile Say About You ?
We all like to have fun, be silly and entertain our friends and family members following us on the different social media platforms…but hold up! Ok, let’s start over. Have you ever heard of personal branding?
A while ago, only companies were preoccupied with their image and maintaining a positive perception of their brand, but this concept is now stretching to individual profiles, even if you are not famous.
In the nowadays’ digital era, personal branding is a concept that applies to every single one of us. Our digital footprint spreads wider than we think and it builds a very comprehensive profile that often speaks volumes about the kind of persons (and professionals) we are.
Posing with pouty lips or flexed muscles, “checking in” often at the trendiest night club in town or sharing those pictures of the
As it turns out, more and more employers (40% of companies, according to a 2014 study conducted by CareerBuilder) turn to social media to check the profile of those applying for a job in their company, so what your public profile says about you could make or break your chances at getting that much-wanted job you just applied for.
If you think your profile is private because you tweaked your settings in all the right ways, we suggest that you still think twice before you tweet, post or pin. Companies spend millions on softwares that collect all sorts of data about us and use it for marketing purposes and for general profiling.
So what type of information can a possible employer gather from your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram?
Well, depending on your photos, groups you “hang out” in and opinions published as comments to different posts, your profile could be telling a very detailed story about you.
super fun beer pong games you play with your friends, thinking it’s making you look cool as hell? Well, does it really?..
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
1. Are you a discreet person or rather one that brags about everything to everyone all the time?
2. Do you pay attention to details and are you very thorough (there are no spelling mistakes in your profile or postings, your profile is 100% complete with relevant information, etc.) or are you careless and with a very messy profile (particularly on business networking websites like LinkedIn)?
3. Are you very aggressive to things you don't agree with (other people’s opinions, etc.) and can quickly become rude (insulting people’s personal choices or points of view) or can you easily agree and disagree in a very mature, respectful manner?
4. Are you easily influenced by trends (be honest, have you changed your profile picture to the rainbow cover in support of same sex marriage? ;) ) or do you remain neutral (not to be understood as indifferent or careless) to the many different inequalities?
Fancy a self-check? Ok… Pick your style
You see, in just a few clicks and using things you said or did (and posted), a future employer can understand whether you are the right professional for their organisation or can fit within their team and environment.
So what now? Do we keep all our profiles boring, plain and straight up rigid only to appear professional, appropriate, politically correct?..
No, of course not. But exercising a little bit of wisdom hasn't killed anybody and, in the long run, it will serve you better than a bunch of silly pictures or angry, thoughtless comments you slapped on your profile or somebody else’s.
When it’s out there on the web, it can hardly ever be taken back!
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
1. Clean up your “closet”. Are you happy and comfortable with everything you see in your profile? If there’s any photo or posting that you’d feel embarrassed to “share” with a future boss, take it down.
2. Avoid childish user names. “Sexy Angel”, “Mr. Muscle” or other similar pseudos are cool and fun in your teenage years. Once you’ve reached the age of reason, that becomes immature and will discredit you in seconds.
3. Be courteous to everybody, all the time. You catch more bees with honey, right? Practice that online as you do offline; even if your real identity isn't completely disclosed, it will still reflect into your reality sooner or later.
4. Avoid spelling mistakes and keep your profile consistent.
When it’s out there on the web, it can never be taken back !!
So here’s a few points you might want to keep in mind when “branding” yourself
That isn't to say that you can’t still be yourself and play, just be smart when building your brand, it will serve you well for the future, we promise!
Here is a short video taken from the ellen Show that shows why even the most unlikely of people can get stung via their social profiles
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
The Most Embarrassing Private Jet Flight Of All Time
Before a company goes public, the highest level executives embark on a multi-city tour with their investment bankers to drum up support for the upcoming IPO. This trip is called a roadshow and since the group will typically visit dozens of cities on a tight schedule, a private jet is the preferred means of transportation. During a roadshow, it's not unusual to visit two or three cities in a single day so work starts at the crack of dawn. That doesn't mean the group goes to bed early. Every night, the bankers treat their clients to a wild night out in whatever town they are in, complete with thousand dollar dinners and endless alcohol. No matter how hard the group parties the night before, the private jet will lift them off to their next destination very early the next morning. Just for a minute, pretend you're an investment banker traveling with some very important clients on one of these roadshows.
Now imagine that you spent the previous night drinking way beyond your limit only to be startled out of bed by a piercing 6:30 am wake up call
In an attempt to get your head and body feeling remotely human again, you scarf down some waffles, eggs, bacon and at least two glasses of coffee at the hotel's breakfast buffet before jumping on the shuttle to the private airport. Within a few minutes of arriving at the airport, your entire group is seated and the plane begins to taxi down the runway. At this point you might feel a bit of relief as the morning's blur subsides. All you have to do is sit back and relax for the one hour flight to the next city.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
There's just one problem. In your rush to get out of the hotel, down to breakfast and onto the plane you forgot to do one very crucial thing. Go to the bathroom. And I'm not talking about peeing. You have a stomach full of dinner, desert, drinks, eggs, waffles and coffee churning around your lower intestine at 30,000 feet. But that's not the worst part. True horror sets in when you realise you're not on a spacious 20 person G5 with couches, beds, lay-z boys and a fully tucked away private bathroom. No, on this day you are traveling on a six-person puddle jumper sitting shoulder to shoulder with your clients and co-workers. But wait, somehow the story gets even worse…
I hunker down and try and focus on other things. What feels like an hour, but probably isn't more than twenty minutes, passes. We then enter what turns out to be pretty violent turbulence. With each bounce, I have to fight my body, trying not to shit my pants. "Thirty minutes to landing, maybe forty five" I try and tell myself, each jostle a gamble I can't afford to lose. I signal to [the flight attendant] and she heads toward me.
"Excuse me, where is the bathroom, because I don't see a door?" I ask while still devoting considerable energy to fighting off what starts to feel like someone shook a seltzer bottle and shoved it up my ass. She looks at me, bemused, and says, "Well, we don't really have one per se." She continues, "Technically, we have one, but it's really just for emergencies. Don't worry, we're landing shortly anyway.” "I'm pretty sure this qualifies as an emergency," I manage to mutter through my grimace. I can see the fear in her face as she points nervously to the back seat. The turbulence outside is matched only by the cyclone that is ravaging my bowels.
She points to the back of the plane and says, "There. The toilet is there." For a brief instant, relief passes over my face. She continues, "If you pull away the leather cushion from that seat, it's under there. There's a small privacy screen that pulls up around it, but that's it." At this point, I was committed. She had just lit the dynamite and the mine shaft was set to blow.
I turn to look where she is pointing and I get the urge to cry. I do cry, but my face is so tightly clenched it makes no difference. The "toilet" seat is occupied by the CFO, i.e. our fucking client. Our fucking female fucking client!
Just over halfway through the flight, all the coffee in my stomach feels like it's percolating its way down into my lower intestine.
Up to this point, nobody has observed my struggle or my exchange with the flight attendant. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." That's all I can say as I limp toward her like Quasimodo impersonating a penguin, and begin my explanation. Of course, as soon as my competitors see me talking to the CFO, they all perk up to find out what the hell I'm doing. Given my jovial nature and fun-loving attitude thus far on the roadshow, almost everybody thinks I'm joking. She, however, knows right away that I am anything but and jumps up, moving quickly to where I had been sitting.
I now had to remove the seat top – no easy task when you can barely stand upright, are getting tossed around like a hoodrat at a block party, and are fighting against a gastrointestinal Mt. Vesuvius.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
I manage to peel back the leather seat top to find a rather luxurious looking commode, with a nice cherry or walnut frame. It had obviously never been used, ever. Why this moment of clarity came to me, I do not know. Perhaps it was the realisation that I was going to take this toilet's virginity with a fury and savagery tha t was an abomina t ion to i t s de l ica te craftsmanship and quality. I imagined some poor Italian carpenter weeping over the violently soiled remains of his once beautiful creation.
If that's not bad enough, I have one more major problem. The privacy screen stops right around shoulder level. I am sitting there, a disembodied head, in the back of the plane, on a bucking bronco for a toilet, all while looking my colleagues, competitors, and clients directly in the eyes. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" briefly comes to mind.
I literally could reach out with my left hand and rest it on the shoulder of the person adjacent to me. It was virtually impossible for him, or any of the others, and by others I mean high profile business partners and clients, to avert their eyes. They squirm and try not to look, inclined to do their best to carry on and pretend as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, that they weren't sharing a stall with some guy crapping his intestines out. Releasing smelly, sweaty, shame at 100 feet per second.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry" is all the ashamed disembodied head can say…over and over again. Not that it mattered.
The lament lasted only a second as I was quickly back to concentrating on the tiny muscle that stood between me and molten hot lava.I reach down and pull up the privacy screens, with only seconds to spare before I erupt. It's an alka-seltzer bomb, nothing but air and liquid spraying out in all directions – a Jackson Pollock masterpiece. The pressure is now reversed. I feel like I'm going to have a stroke, I push so hard to end the relief, the tormented sublime relief.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." My apologies do nothing to drown out the heinous noises that seem to carry on and reverberate throughout the small cabin indefinitely
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
A True Story of Inflight ChildbirthThis is the amazing story of a Qatar Airways flight that experienced inflight childbirth, truly a once in a lifetime moment!
We tracked the crew team that operated this flight and got a first hand relay of events from one of the crew who accepted to talk to Cabin Crew Excellence and share the thrill of the experience.
Blessing In The Sky
Joy is a young flier and a very special kind of person. She is generous and loves to help make other people happy, or at least comfortable, which is why she joined the hospitality industry as cabin crew for one of the leading airlines of the world.
Here Is The Exclusive Interview With The Lead Cabin Crew Who Delivered & Named The Baby Boy
When did you start flying and why did you choose this profession?
I’ve always wanted to fly and when Qatar Airways came to recruit in my home country, applying was the natural thing to do so I can pursue my dream. I was lucky to be selected and started flying a little more than 2 years ago.
You had a (most probably) once in a lifetime experience of having one of the passengers give birth during your flight. Tell us how it happened.
Our flight had left Miami, heading to Doha, and I was in the middle section of the aircraft with some of my colleagues when the mother-to-be approached us to say she was having severe abdominal pain. We looked at her and it was obvious she was in labor as she had started bleeding through her clothes.
What was your first reaction to the situation?
Honestly? Shock!! All those hours spent learning First Aid procedures I had always thought: “Inflight childbirth?? It will NEVER happen on my flight”.
Now here I am, our pregnant passenger in full labor and my childbirth training is all coming back to me.
We immediately made a public announcement for a medical doctor or nurse; it is part of our standard procedure.
At the same time, we started collecting the necessary first aid kits with childbirth-specific equipment. Some of the crew brought blankets and clean hot towels and we prepared a comfortable (as much as possible), clean area to assist the birth.
We were very lucky to have two medical practitioners (although not gynaecologists) and one certified nurse on board, plus one of our most senior cabin crew was an ex-nurse and had reasonable experience with deliveries.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
What was the reaction of the other passengers to the situation?
Nobody was really aware of what was going on, most passengers were sleeping at the time. We briefly told the few who asked that one of the passengers requires basic medical assistance to avoid any possible congestion.
The birth took place in the middle galley of the aircraft and the crew made sure to close all the curtains and dealt with the entire situation very discreetly to allow the mother privacy and not cause any concern to other passengers.
How was the mother doing all this time?
She was very worried at start, but we laid her down and made her comfortable. We kept reassuring her and she slowly calmed down.
The labor was, fortunately, quite short. We were approximately 3 hours into the flight, over the Atlantic Ocean, and the Captain decided to divert and return to the Eastern-most point of the USA - Gander, Canada, which meant a 1.5-hour flight until the nearest airport.
By the time we landed into Canada the baby was already born, cleaned and named.
Had you ever seen a live childbirth before?
Never!! And let me tell you, it is an absolute blessing to witness and be actively involved in such an experience, especially in an unusual environment like the aircraft.
I am proud to say I was among the first ones to see the baby boy AND I got to be the one to name the baby as well. I told the mother he looked like a David and was honoured to learn she chose to keep the name I suggested, along with the name Pande, an Indonesian name chosen by the baby’s father and that will appear in his Indonesian passport.
Was this your first emergency diversion?
Yes, and hopefully the last. The ground stop was about 5 hour long although reasonably painless.
The mother and baby were both well when the Canadian paramedics came on board to assist with their debarkation and we had to say good-bye to both.
They were taken to the James Payton Memorial Hospital in Gander and, despite the blizzard outside, were looked after with warmth and care.
We asked the mother for her contact details to check on the baby later on so we are now in touch with them and know that Pande is doing great and they are already back home, in Indonesia.
Are you planning to keep in touch with David’s mother?
Absolutely! I look forward to my next flights to Indonesia.
I would definitely love to visit the family and was happy to find out the mother shares my thoughts. I love children and would like nothing more than to get to see him grow and bring him gifts whenever I reach Indonesia.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
Would you like to share any thoughts with existing or aspiring cabin crew around the world?
I believe one important thing to remember in our profession is the reasons why we are doing this. The financial aspect of it is an important benefit for us all, but the most important is the opportunity to make a difference in somebody’s life every single day.
My wish for everybody out there is to remain current in their knowledge of safety and first aid. At 40.000 feet, all we (and our passengers) have is each other to count on and you can never know when you might be involved in a situation like this when you need to think on your feet and rely on your knowledge and your colleague’s support.
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
www.cabincrewexcellence.comIssue #3 July 2015
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