Ex SQ Guy wrote:Hi guys (and girls as well),
Being a cabin crew (CC) is not really that glamorous. It's a lot of hard work.
I was a cabin crew (CC) with SQ before and maybe I can share something to those aspiring CCs..
Going to the interview is a start for all CCs. What differentiates an eventual CC from the norm is the attitude and your determination to be one. The interviewers can sense your honesty and sincerity. They know who makes a CC the moment a person steps into the room.
So, during the interview, don't be plastic. YOu can be plastic after your sign your contract. It's ok to be ignorant abt flying but not without common sense. It's alright to see you don't know or unsure abt certain things. The interviewers do not care abt your knowlege abt flying.
During training, you are expected to do a lot of reading. And you will be very very stressed! So be mentally and physically prepared. You will be given many notes and textbooks. There will also be a lot of tests. I'm not sure abt Qatar Airlines but for SQ, the average is abt one test per week.
What you learn will be roughly 1)Inflight Service 2) Safety and Security 3) First Aid 4) Technicality of the airline e.g. codes, aircraft types. 5) passengers handling
There will be a lot of practical demonstrations. Those who are shy will stand to lose. Also, you must be able to grasp ideas and new knowlege very fast. The tests will require CCs to pass with high grades. The passing criteria is usually ard 80%.
Also, you will be trained for different types of aircrafts. That means for eg, when finished training for B777 aircraft, you need to start all over again to be trained for 747 megatop or airbus 380 etc... So must remember the dif aircraft types because everything is very different.
If you fail and test, you are allowed only one resit and if you fail again.. I think Qatar will ask you to leave and you must pay the bond ... (if it's the same like SQ)
In the training phase, hard work, determination and loads of guts are required. ( I enjoyed my safety training very much but it can be very very physically taxing. And jumping into the cold water for ditching is scary..hahaha)
Then after the hard and dry training.. you get the very much anticipated Supernumerary Flights (SNYs).. You will go for short trips .. maybe a 2 or 3 day pattern .. to let you get accustomed to working on board and exp life outside the country, and you get accessed ... work hard during this phase.. take any shit as it comes and you will be safe. trust me.
After that it will be graduation... Yeah!!
You will be on probation for half a year. (Most airlines practised this duration) and you must finish the bond of 2 years to 3 years. If you quit beforehand, you have to pay money. For my case, I paid abt $5000 SIN dollars because I broke my bond to go for my studies. That amt is considered little because I have only 8 more months to the end of my bond. (I finished 1 and 1/4 years)
The actual flying.. Hmm...as agreed by my friends who are in major airlines like emirates, SQ, Cathay Pacific, British Air and United Air, I can say.. many crew are nice ppl.. or rather most crew.. but there will always be some or a handful who are very very disgusting! They are rude, uncouth, loves bitching and may be quite physical and use vulgarities.
One thing to note.. as young CCs, you can complain or write in to the office whoever bullies you or ill-treated you on flight. You have your rights to do so. Don't let the seniors or your leading crew threaten or push you down. If you go by black and white based on what you learn from the school and you have a great attitude and is courteous, you will be safe. The office will always return justice.
On board you will help passengers carry luggages, prepare meals for them (a lot of technical knowlege in heating meals too!), clean the cabin plus toilets, take care of all passengers' needs.. including vomits, children, turbulences, loads of heavy manual work, and little rest (bad esp if it's a long flight) plus many many more.. you will exp them in time to come. Everything is abt teamwork and also independence. (But nothing beats the bitchy colleagues.. haha... )
During flying, always ensure u check whatever u need to know abt that flight. Always read the CC newsletter or check the CC web for updates. You will get checks by your leading and even the office. If you fail, you will get written in...which is irreversible and bad for promotion.
In summary, a CC not only must posses the inner qualities (external , sperficial ones are now rather secondary), he/she must be able to adapt to different ppl and environment. Always remember, don't join in the crowd to "bitch" or "zap" juniors.. Who knows.. the junior may one day be your superior? I have seen many cases of once-your-junior becoming he leading or even office executives.. (office executives are higher in rank than cabin crew). So, be humble and friendly, know what you are doing inflight and adopt the "I don't want to care too much" attitude and you will be very very safe...
One more advice : Only trust yourself.
Alright... have fun being a cabin crew...
