Are We Just Ticking Off Boxes

On Sunday, 11 November 2012, an Emirates A380 EK413 bound to Dubai experienced an inflight engine failure after take off and had to return to Sydney. Engine failures happen, what is interesting was what the passengers said about the cabin crew's reaction, they "panicked more than the passengers" (Click here for full story). Similarly I witnessed "Almost An Emergency" in March 2011 on board a BA flight, the cabin crews reaction was not very comforting. I know, two events hardly make a trend, but we have seen crews stressed to the point of a melt down.

Aircraft are getting bigger and more technologically sophisticated, passengers are so connected they are reluctant to switch off their mobiles and the responsibilities of cabin crew increased to include more security procedures.  Keeping all this in mind, are we training cabin crews effectively or are we just ticking off boxes? to get on with it.

More importantly, how are we qualifying the Senior Cabin Crews, the Cabin Directors or Pursers. These are senior staff that have to manage teams of around 18 cabin crews give or take a few on ultra range flights of 14+ hours.  Are they being trained to effectively manage a large team dealing with 300 to 500 passengers over a long period of time with minimal involvement from the flight crew, especially post 9/11, in a technologically sophisticated environment. Have curricula and training techniques evolved sufficiently to provide the Seniors with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage emergencies and their staff in emergencies.

Personally, I am not so sure that enough attention is paid to skills like conflict resolution, management of large teams and time management when it comes to Senior Cabin Crew training. Airline management still do not fully understand the role or the complexity of the jobs that are performed by cabin crew.

It All Started With A Scarf

Airline mergers are not about airline assets, routes, aircraft and business cases, they are about people from different cultures trying to cope and this can be traumatic. To date US Airways did not integrate the flying staff or aircraft since the 2004/2005 merger of US Airways and America West.

The Sister and Brotherhood of  the Traveling Scarves and Ties, sounds like something out of The Lord of The Rings. Well it isn't, it is probably the only grass root, social media driven attempt at integrating two workforces in a post merger environment. This was never a scientific experiment just an FA reaching out to her colleagues.

Kathe Hull a UA FA had the idea to bring the FAs of the merged UA and CO together, after all the merger is there to stay.

“We are sharing bases and so many other things, yet we know so little about each other. I thought this might be a fun way to break the ice,” said JFK-based Flight Attendant Kathe Hull. Inspired by the book and movie "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” she came up with the idea of exchanging scarves and ties, along with a few kind words, among flight attendants.

Well, so it started aided by THE FLYING PINTO , Sara Pinto Keagle. Sara a Continental FA, is no stranger to social media, in addition to her blog she started with others The Crew Lounge which provided a unique insight into an FA life and career reaching out to FAs as far afield as Dubai.

Well, it seems to work, it has spread throughout the airline network and one look at the page shows the enthusiasm, energy of the FAs and the buzz this has created.

The idea has the blessings and backing of Senior Management and the iconic Gordon Bethune

Gordon Bethune
Great positive initiave to make working together a good place to work and a sucessful place in the market. Good for you. i am proud of the people that will make this the best airline ever with this type of approach and attitude. gordon

the FAs at United has proven that when all is said and done it is all about people and how they relate to each other.

 It all started with a scarf, according to Kathe Hull 

First Responders

One thing all Cabin Attendants, Cabin Crew and/or Flight Attendants in the world share, is airline management and passengers lack of real understanding of their job functions.

The job has evolved during the years, and world events added to the workload. 9/11 brought additional security responsibilities and functions. Probably, technology is responsible for the greatest amount of aggravation in the cabin; our personal devotion and attachment to our personal mobiles and smart devices surpasses our care for our safety or the safety of others.

Cabin Attendants, Cabin Crew and/or Flight Attendants have functions that go beyond service, which everybody seems to think is "what it is all about". Certainly they are the face and the image of the airline.
Basically, they are your first responders, cable operator, meals on wheels and social services all bundled up in one. They are supposed to take care of all:
- medical emergencies,
- fires on board,
- unruly passengers and security issues,
- listen to incessant complaints and demands
- resolve all IFE and connectivity issues and
- deliver food and beverages.


All of the above with a smile.


A little appreciation will go a long way

Flying American

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous 2010

This last week has been weird and exciting. For the first time in 20 years I have decided to fly with a USA Legacy carrier on an international flight (Last time was 1990 from JFK to LAX with TWA).

I flew American Airlines (AA) from Dubai to Detroit.

Well, the first flight was DXB to LHR a code share with their One World Partner British Airways (BA), I suppose we all know about their Flight Attendants' call for a strike over the Christmas/New Year season and the ensuing drama. I fly with BA several times a year, but that was different. The crew were very professional, courteous, poker face, fake smiles and cool, well more like cold, lucky it was a night flight and I slept.

Then came AA, now I am used to American Eagle Flights between Chicago and Detroit, commuter aircraft, very short and very informal. AA at LHR were friendly, my boarding passes issued and sent on my way to their Admiral's Club. I liked their lounge in LHR the layout was nice, much better than BA's T5 lounges. The one in Chicago was great but other than a voucher for a free bottle of water everything else is chargeable.

Now AA must have a great profiling software for additional security screening. In the last 8 months I got profiled twice for extra screening, I suppose a Jordanian, residing in the USA traveling back and forth to Dubai does raise some concerns to somebody in AA, so you get a bunch of SSSS typed on your boarding pass. In Detroit the TSA made sure I understood that it was "my airline requested extra screening", in LHR the security personnel told me SSSS was for special, I actually laughed. I don't mind it.

I love travelling in B777, it is a great aircraft and the Business seat on AA is so complicated, they have a video clip on how to use it, pretty cool. The entertainment system is not as extensive as BA's just a few movies, but I loved their Audio especially the Classical Music.

The food was not bad, imaginative and tasty (Chicken on a bed of couscous with tomato sauce, not bad for a Legacy Airline) and the chocolate ice cream was divine, I was impressed.

The crew was professional and aloof. The Purser told us not to leave our designated zones, congregate around toilets and not to approach the galleys and she meant it. WOW.... very clinical almost surgical, of course the Captain's announcement to us that if we see something unusual, it is probably unusual and tell your FA.

All in all, it was a great Atlantic crossing, surprisingly

The World's Favorite Airline

The World's Favorite Airline, who else but British Airways and it is still my favorite airline.

That was true when it was an innovative and efficient airline and lead the industry in setting standards.

Now that tough times have hit, it is fraying at the edges and really getting tattered. I fly with BA home to Detroit from Dubai at least 3 times a year, and I like the multi stops flight because it breaks up a long flight in manageable 7 hours segments. I enjoy the lounge in T5 its naturally well lighted, comfortable and wi-fi connected.

However, off late things have changed at BA.

• I still pay the same price for my tickets I did the previous 2 years and the surcharge is the same as when fuel prices were double ($145 a barrel).
• The staff are still courteous but are a little distracted, abrupt and indifferent.
• The cabin Crew smile but you rarely see them going through the cabin except during the service. All you hear is chatting and laughter in the galley
• Equipment has been downgraded from B777 (my favorite airplane) to squeaky B767.
• Automatic upgrades to Business are a thing of the past, I dare not ask for one because all I got was an abrupt no or quoted a price and no you can not use your miles.
• The food service quality and quantity has deteriorated a little

True to its legacy roots and to stem losses, BA turns and starts putting restrictions on bags for economy. The darlings (First and Business) of the airline having abandoned it, the economy class passenger is the one that feels the pain.

What happened to the innovative management approach that made The World's Favorite Airline or is that a Good Times management style only, come on BA you can do better

Tattered or not BA is still my favorite airline and worthy of my support.

Angels in the Sky

Summer holidays are almost over and by now most of us have flown and came back home. We also swapped our horror and war stories of how terrible the service on board the aircraft was or said our few kind words about how helpful the Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant(s) were.

Well, have you ever wondered why are these young (or in some cases not so young) women and men on board the flight. For most of us, they are here to do the service, and be there for our every little request. Try again, these are highly trained people, they spend five weeks doing initial training in Safety and Security Procedures, First Aid and Fire Fighting among other subject and then have periodic training to stay current.

Their main purpose in life is to make sure that the passengers remain safe and secured and finally well served with a smile.

So next time you travel don't bring on board carry on luggage that weighs more than your checked baggage and expect them to lift it for you (there is a reason why not, if one hurts their back and have to be offloaded passengers may have to be offloaded to stay within the rule of 50 passengers per Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant);

or sneak to the toilet for a cigarette and set smoke alarms or God forbid start a fire;

or horse around and be unruly (trust me they will restrain you)

Try to make their life a little easier and they will do their best to keep you safe and secure and mostly happy.

They are your Angels in the Sky.