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| A Flight Attendant prepares for take off |
| A day in the life of a Flight Attendant Part 2 Reporting at the Airport |
What happens before a flight. A behind the scenes look at what a flight
attendant does before a plane takes off. What's it like to board passengers
attendant does before a plane takes off. What's it like to board passengers
| Reporting at the airport I like arriving at the airport early so that I can take my time to check in my luggage and head downstairs to my mail box (This can sometimes be a nice moment when you receive goodies, an offer to swap flights or even a note from an admirer!). After that, there can be many other stuff to do before the actual briefing starts. This is the time to submit medical certificates, leave request forms, go to the computers to check the load and the aircraft’s parking bay, etc. This is also a time to meet your fellow crew if you don’t already know them. New crew would take this opportunity to write down the crew’s names in their little notebook or diary. You sometimes meet friends or crew you’ve flown with recently and start chatting away and exchange work stories. A few minutes to briefing is when everyone starts to head into the briefing rooms. Here is the second round of handshakes if you haven’t done so outside. The supervisor thus makes a head-count and after he is satisfied that he has the correct crew complement, the briefing begins. Some crew are terrified of this part because several supervisors are known to “test” their crew’s work and product knowledge. I suppose it can be rather embarrassing if you are unable to answer the questions thrown at you. All aspects of the flight are covered here. The profile of the passengers, the service procedure, any irregularities or special VIP notification, the weather at destination, updated hotel information are shared and discussed. Work positions are allocated and everyone gives an input of his/her previous flight experience or shares a tip in general. Many times, the briefing gets carried away and we have to rush off to the aircraft. Depending on the load, ground preparation of aircraft can be time consuming. If you’re unlucky, the plane is parked at the end of the terminal which means miles or footwork! When you arrive at the gate, your carry-ons get a second screening and then you walk through the aerobridge and step into the all-too-familiar aircraft smell! |
© A love 2008