When I started this blog I promised myself I would only write if I had something to write about. This blog was not to end up another chore on my list but rather something to enjoy. After months and months I finally have something to share, in fact this is just one interesting story of many I have to share.
Down route in Phuket, four other crew members and myself decided to go for a late night swim. Two crew were sitting on the edge of the pool and two were standing in the water chatting to them. I had decided to lie on my back and float around the centre of the pool.
Just to set the scene, earlier in the evening at dinner one of the crew members who was now sitting on the edge of the pool had a cicada fly directly into his face. It spooked him as it was quite large and no-one saw it coming.
Lying on my back floating in the pool, I saw from the corner of my eye my four friends; arms flailing and screaming. My first thought was that another insect had spooked them but when I saw them get up and run and continuing to run, I realise the situation must be worse.
I stood up to be able to hear them and through the screams I heard, “Get out of the pool! Get out of the pool!”. My imagination ran away with me. I thought of lizards, then goannas (are there Goannas in Thailand?) then crocodiles ?!?! I swam in the direction they were running and once out of the pool I continued to run towards the others. The whole time I was yelling; “Why am I running?”
I couldn’t get much information from them as they were still jumping around screaming and laughing. Once they had settled I learned what had happened. One of the crew members in the water had felt something on her leg, assuming it was a leaf she attempted to wipe it off. When she felt the ‘leaf’ still stuck to her hand, she looked down to discover it wasn’t actually a leaf but a metre long black snake!!!
It must of got a fright as much as we did as is slithered to the edge of the pool, jumped out onto land (where the others were sitting) and slithered into the garden.
After the crew members explained to me what had happened I realised my imagination wasn’t far off. Well, except maybe the crocodile (?). And if you can imagine, they described my reaction to that of turrets! Ha!
By this time we were well and truly finished with the idea of a late night swim and headed straight back to our rooms. As we hopped into the lift we looked at ourselves and laughed. We looked like a pack of drowned rats. No-one had a chance to dry themselves, and everyone got dressed in a hurry! It was a sorry sight, but certainly a funny one!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Are you an ass?
" Imagine living your whole life not knowing you're an ass!?"
This is what a fellow crew member said to me on our way to L.A last week. What we were discussing was the likes of some passengers.
My parents always taught me to be polite and use manners; Please and Thankyou, that type of thing. Also, that first impressions last. So no matter who I am speaking to, I always make a conscious effort to be friendly and polite.
My first assumption of a business class passenger, was that they would be very snooty and self-obsessed. However, my first few visits to this cabin proved me wrong. Most of these passengers are the nicest, most care-free , warm and genuine people. They are also less demanding than I thought they would be. A private joke among crew is that the 'upgrades' are easy to spot as they can be the most demanding of the lot.
However every now and then you come across a guest that doesn't use their please an thankyou's, never returns a smile and is simply the definition of rude. And its this person my friend was referring to; Imagine spending your whole life not knowing you're an ass!?
I laughed when she said this, but then I thought about it a little longer. And yes, IMAGINE!? If you don't know you're a ass then maybe you are, or maybe I am? I am confident in saying most people would not think I'm an ass, but I'm sure they're has been instances when people have thought that of me. I'm sure some employees of certain phone companies could make this statement of me, maybe even the check out chick at the supermarket that day I was in a bad mood?
It's certainly something I need to remember when dealing with our guests. Maybe I did get lumped with having to serve an ass or maybe they're just having a bad day? I'll try not to be so quick to judge in the future. However if I'm the one having a bad day, I can't make any promises!
This is what a fellow crew member said to me on our way to L.A last week. What we were discussing was the likes of some passengers.
My parents always taught me to be polite and use manners; Please and Thankyou, that type of thing. Also, that first impressions last. So no matter who I am speaking to, I always make a conscious effort to be friendly and polite.
My first assumption of a business class passenger, was that they would be very snooty and self-obsessed. However, my first few visits to this cabin proved me wrong. Most of these passengers are the nicest, most care-free , warm and genuine people. They are also less demanding than I thought they would be. A private joke among crew is that the 'upgrades' are easy to spot as they can be the most demanding of the lot.
However every now and then you come across a guest that doesn't use their please an thankyou's, never returns a smile and is simply the definition of rude. And its this person my friend was referring to; Imagine spending your whole life not knowing you're an ass!?
I laughed when she said this, but then I thought about it a little longer. And yes, IMAGINE!? If you don't know you're a ass then maybe you are, or maybe I am? I am confident in saying most people would not think I'm an ass, but I'm sure they're has been instances when people have thought that of me. I'm sure some employees of certain phone companies could make this statement of me, maybe even the check out chick at the supermarket that day I was in a bad mood?
It's certainly something I need to remember when dealing with our guests. Maybe I did get lumped with having to serve an ass or maybe they're just having a bad day? I'll try not to be so quick to judge in the future. However if I'm the one having a bad day, I can't make any promises!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Not For The Feint Of Heart
I have been asked several times to write about this incident and today feels like a good day to do so (read: I finally have time!).
Our company flies to and from LA via Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. On this occasion we were flying to Brisbane and then onto Sydney as a passenger via Virgin Blue. There was about 10 of us taking the trip. As I was seated in ‘rows 13 and beyond’, my tired little self had to take the stairs to the tarmac and up the rear of the aircraft. On my journey my ankle did the dreaded wobble and I fell onto my hands and knees. Embarrassed, I did what anyone would do, laugh it off, get up, keep going,and don’t look back!
Once seated I looked down to find blood pouring out my knee, through my pantyhose and down my leg. Not a good look! I asked the cabin crew for some tissues and mopped myself up. It stung a little but I couldn’t care less. I was so tired, all I could think about was having a sleep and getting home. While my fellow crew laughed at me, I nodded off…
I woke to a light spray of a liquid on my face, thinking the drink cart had reached me and that someone had just opened a can of soft drink, I opened my eyes. Surprisingly no drink cart. I turned around to see if the drink cart was behind me, and what I saw felt like it happened in slow motion. The 10 of us were seated on aisle seats over the last 5 or 6 rows. When I looked at the crew and passengers all I saw was looks of shock and disgust, and in the middle of it all was a man attempting to get into the lavatory in a hurry. Eventually putting the pieces together I realised that this man had decided that his sick bag in the pocket in the seat in front of him would not suffice and that he would attempt to make it to the rear lav. He put his hand to his mouth while he projectile vomited down the cabin, managing to reach the window, floor, about 15 guests and believe it or not; the roof!!!
In our hypoxic state, we somehow found this funny, and lucky for us, we were not on the 8am departure with a bunch of guests on their way to work, so, amazingly the other guests managed to see the lighter side too.
Out of instinct we got up and grabbed some gloves and ISO wipes and started cleaning the aircraft and each other. It was on our clothes, on our seats, on our faces and as we scrambled around playing spot the vomit we heard, “Oh excuse me, you’ve ah, you’ve got a chunk in your hair!”. The poor lady had chunks of vomit in her hair, and one guy had to replace his shirt as his whole top was covered in spew! It was almost funny, but absolutely not at the same time. Still we found ourselves laughing in dis-belief.
Once we were all clean (as much as we could be, without stripping off and disinfecting ourselves), we sat down and got ready for landing. The next thing I see is ‘Mr Projectile down the aisle’ being escorted to a premium seat. I was in complete shock that 1) in response to him vomiting all over the passengers he got upgraded and that 2) he did not even apologise. I realise that when your sick, you do some strange things and its the perfect out for any behaviour, but a simple “I’m so sorry” goes along way. We would all understand!
Our company flies to and from LA via Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. On this occasion we were flying to Brisbane and then onto Sydney as a passenger via Virgin Blue. There was about 10 of us taking the trip. As I was seated in ‘rows 13 and beyond’, my tired little self had to take the stairs to the tarmac and up the rear of the aircraft. On my journey my ankle did the dreaded wobble and I fell onto my hands and knees. Embarrassed, I did what anyone would do, laugh it off, get up, keep going,and don’t look back!
Once seated I looked down to find blood pouring out my knee, through my pantyhose and down my leg. Not a good look! I asked the cabin crew for some tissues and mopped myself up. It stung a little but I couldn’t care less. I was so tired, all I could think about was having a sleep and getting home. While my fellow crew laughed at me, I nodded off…
I woke to a light spray of a liquid on my face, thinking the drink cart had reached me and that someone had just opened a can of soft drink, I opened my eyes. Surprisingly no drink cart. I turned around to see if the drink cart was behind me, and what I saw felt like it happened in slow motion. The 10 of us were seated on aisle seats over the last 5 or 6 rows. When I looked at the crew and passengers all I saw was looks of shock and disgust, and in the middle of it all was a man attempting to get into the lavatory in a hurry. Eventually putting the pieces together I realised that this man had decided that his sick bag in the pocket in the seat in front of him would not suffice and that he would attempt to make it to the rear lav. He put his hand to his mouth while he projectile vomited down the cabin, managing to reach the window, floor, about 15 guests and believe it or not; the roof!!!
In our hypoxic state, we somehow found this funny, and lucky for us, we were not on the 8am departure with a bunch of guests on their way to work, so, amazingly the other guests managed to see the lighter side too.
Out of instinct we got up and grabbed some gloves and ISO wipes and started cleaning the aircraft and each other. It was on our clothes, on our seats, on our faces and as we scrambled around playing spot the vomit we heard, “Oh excuse me, you’ve ah, you’ve got a chunk in your hair!”. The poor lady had chunks of vomit in her hair, and one guy had to replace his shirt as his whole top was covered in spew! It was almost funny, but absolutely not at the same time. Still we found ourselves laughing in dis-belief.
Once we were all clean (as much as we could be, without stripping off and disinfecting ourselves), we sat down and got ready for landing. The next thing I see is ‘Mr Projectile down the aisle’ being escorted to a premium seat. I was in complete shock that 1) in response to him vomiting all over the passengers he got upgraded and that 2) he did not even apologise. I realise that when your sick, you do some strange things and its the perfect out for any behaviour, but a simple “I’m so sorry” goes along way. We would all understand!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Take Care, Safe Travels and Happy Flying!
This post is necessary as it is one of the biggest events that have happened during my time with V Australia. However it is probably the hardest thing I have ever had to write about.
During a layover in Phuket one of our crew members was in a serious accident. He died from this serious accident. He was 25 years old and had had too much to drink.
Let's set the scene. You're young, single and living the dream job. You chaperone 366 guests across the pacific and for your efforts you are paid a salary and paid to stay overnight in an overseas destination. Here you are in a lush hotel with at least 13 other like minded people. All armed with money, plenty of free time and absolutely no responsibility.
Being young, most want to have a few drinks, go out for dinner and just have a good time. It's your time to relax, unwind and completely let go. There is no reason to get up in the morning; no alarms need to be set, no animals to feed, and no bins to take out. You are free to completely let go.
Unfortunately we do have responsibilities wherever we are in the world. And that is the responsibility to ourselves. We need to take care of ourselves and realise that we are not indestructible. We need to stay healthy, well rested and safe. Our friends and family can't always keep up with us. They don't always know where we are in the world. We may be young and free but as this sad passing teaches us, we are not indestructible and our lives can be cut short at the drop of a hat.
This unfortunate death of a flight attendant comes as a wake-up call for most of us. It's time to take a step back and take responsibility for our actions. Life is short and can be even shorter if we are not careful!
Grief is also an interesting subject here. Our company is a small one for an airline with only four hundred and something employee's. Almost everyone knows everyone. So this comes as a big shock for such a close knit group. Grief is so diverse, everyone seems to deal differently. Therefore Grieving as a group is very difficult. It's also a reason as to why this is hard to write about. My opinion on grief and death could be very different to another. It could also be taken the wrong way and cause friction which is the last thing anyone needs at such a sad time. For me, Its easier if I deal with my feelings within and privately.
This is a sad time for V Australia and the family involved. Its a very difficult time but it's important we learn from this. It's imperative we focus on the good that comes of it, the fun memories we had together, and the lessons we should take from this experience.
With more meaning than ever I say to my fellow crew; Take Care, Safe Travels and Happy Flying!
During a layover in Phuket one of our crew members was in a serious accident. He died from this serious accident. He was 25 years old and had had too much to drink.
Let's set the scene. You're young, single and living the dream job. You chaperone 366 guests across the pacific and for your efforts you are paid a salary and paid to stay overnight in an overseas destination. Here you are in a lush hotel with at least 13 other like minded people. All armed with money, plenty of free time and absolutely no responsibility.
Being young, most want to have a few drinks, go out for dinner and just have a good time. It's your time to relax, unwind and completely let go. There is no reason to get up in the morning; no alarms need to be set, no animals to feed, and no bins to take out. You are free to completely let go.
Unfortunately we do have responsibilities wherever we are in the world. And that is the responsibility to ourselves. We need to take care of ourselves and realise that we are not indestructible. We need to stay healthy, well rested and safe. Our friends and family can't always keep up with us. They don't always know where we are in the world. We may be young and free but as this sad passing teaches us, we are not indestructible and our lives can be cut short at the drop of a hat.
This unfortunate death of a flight attendant comes as a wake-up call for most of us. It's time to take a step back and take responsibility for our actions. Life is short and can be even shorter if we are not careful!
Grief is also an interesting subject here. Our company is a small one for an airline with only four hundred and something employee's. Almost everyone knows everyone. So this comes as a big shock for such a close knit group. Grief is so diverse, everyone seems to deal differently. Therefore Grieving as a group is very difficult. It's also a reason as to why this is hard to write about. My opinion on grief and death could be very different to another. It could also be taken the wrong way and cause friction which is the last thing anyone needs at such a sad time. For me, Its easier if I deal with my feelings within and privately.
This is a sad time for V Australia and the family involved. Its a very difficult time but it's important we learn from this. It's imperative we focus on the good that comes of it, the fun memories we had together, and the lessons we should take from this experience.
With more meaning than ever I say to my fellow crew; Take Care, Safe Travels and Happy Flying!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Clear skies never make good pilots!
According to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia, severe turbulence is defined as; Large, abrupt changes in altitude and attitude, a large variation in indicated airspeed and the aircraft temporarily out of control. This is what we experienced landing into Sydney after a picking up a load of guests from Fiji.
Just before take-off from Fiji we were notified by our Flight Manager that if we didn't complete all our cabin securing checks in five minutes we would be stuck in Fiji, due to the weather in Sydney. I've never seen a cabin secured so quickly! We were on the runway as soon as the flight manager gave the all clear to the flight deck! The flight to Sydney was quite normal in terms of turbulence, and the skies were clear.
However, as we were preparing the cabin for landing, we were told to expect a "very rough landing" and to help keep the guests as calm as possible. I'd never had these instructions before and so I assumed our Flight Manager was exaggerating. Boy, was I in for a surprise!? Having only been flying for about a year I can safely say I have never ever experienced turbulence to that degree.
Out of nowhere the plane dropped and a few squeals of surprise were exerted. As I knew it was coming, I smiled and continued to hold my brace position and my review of the emergency procedures, as we are trained to do for every take-off and landing. The guests continued reading their books and hosting conversations. Then the turbulence continued and the plane dropped fast and far, and just as quickly as it fell, it rose, causing our guests to gag and literally turn pale!
The fear was in their eyes, as I watched most looked straight at me for an answer to their concern. I felt sorry for them, and so I swallowed my stomach that had just been forced into my throat and continued to smile, making eye contact with those that seemed most frightened. As a frequent traveler on planes you become immune to the pot holes and the sudden jerks in the air, but you would have to have had the best of stomachs to not react to what we experienced this day.
Just before take-off from Fiji we were notified by our Flight Manager that if we didn't complete all our cabin securing checks in five minutes we would be stuck in Fiji, due to the weather in Sydney. I've never seen a cabin secured so quickly! We were on the runway as soon as the flight manager gave the all clear to the flight deck! The flight to Sydney was quite normal in terms of turbulence, and the skies were clear.
However, as we were preparing the cabin for landing, we were told to expect a "very rough landing" and to help keep the guests as calm as possible. I'd never had these instructions before and so I assumed our Flight Manager was exaggerating. Boy, was I in for a surprise!? Having only been flying for about a year I can safely say I have never ever experienced turbulence to that degree.
Out of nowhere the plane dropped and a few squeals of surprise were exerted. As I knew it was coming, I smiled and continued to hold my brace position and my review of the emergency procedures, as we are trained to do for every take-off and landing. The guests continued reading their books and hosting conversations. Then the turbulence continued and the plane dropped fast and far, and just as quickly as it fell, it rose, causing our guests to gag and literally turn pale!
The fear was in their eyes, as I watched most looked straight at me for an answer to their concern. I felt sorry for them, and so I swallowed my stomach that had just been forced into my throat and continued to smile, making eye contact with those that seemed most frightened. As a frequent traveler on planes you become immune to the pot holes and the sudden jerks in the air, but you would have to have had the best of stomachs to not react to what we experienced this day.
The plane continued to climb suddenly and fall rapidly like a roller coaster for a good five minutes. Guests had their heads in their partners laps, their eyes closed, their hands tight on the arm rests. Some laughed, some vomited, some screamed, and some cried. Our baby B777-300ER, less than 10 months old groaned as it was thrown about. Seat belts were pulled tighter and mumbles of concern were spreading throughout the cabin.
As there were two spare seats in the flight deck due to the short flight, two of our crew were buckled up with the Captain and First Officer to experience the landing through the Pilot's eyes. I thought of them as we weaved through pockets of air, jealous of what they would learn. I would love to see what would be involved when trying to control the plane during such turbulence and to watch how the pilots cope with their workload under that pressure. I was told by these lucky crew members later that the captain swore and that the atmosphere was intense.
The swinging motions continued until we had almost reached the runway, then the plane rocked from left to right threatening to smack its 30 metre long wings onto the ground. The captain sped up and landed relatively smooth and I watched everyone let out a sigh of relief as they fishtailed down the runway.
As the guests were disembarking I was handing out sick bags and bottles of water to those in need. One guests asked me if it was actually 'bad' turbulence, as he wanted to be sure his fears were warranted. I assured him that yes, that was unusual for turbulence.
Upon reflection, it certainly was a learning curve as well as an adrenalin rush for the crew. I personally, learnt two things;
1. I don't vomit as easily as I thought I did/would.
and
2. A smile goes a long way.
:-)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Please be careful when entering the terminal; as manners and brains do fall out!
I always hear fellow colleagues moan about how passengers loose their minds as they walk in the airport terminal, but hadn't really experienced the brunt of it until today. We flew Melbourne to Los Angeles departing at 1pm instead of 11:45am. There were huge delays due to the recent terror attack in America on Christmas Day. I'd also heard that MEL-LAX was as bad as a Brisbane to LA flight but on steroids; meaning passengers are trigger happy with the call bell and eat like they are waiting for us to fall out of the sky and be stranded in a slide raft for weeks- times ten. I didn't believe it though, being a ex-melbournite, I thought we had more class. But, they were right!
Just after the lunch service, we experienced some turbulence. The Captain put the fasten seat belt sign on. At this point we had queue's at the toilets. My job was then to tell everyone that they would have to sit back down, fasten their seat belt and hold it a little while longer. This is always such a horrible thing to say to people but seeing that 99% of people waiting for the loo's are adults you would think that this would be not an impossible task however horrible.
During boarding I was approached by a gentleman in my area;
Passenger: "Excuse me? Do the headsets work?"
Me: "Yes, they do." (slightly puzzled)
Passenger: "Then can we turn this off now!!!" (pointing to the speaker above him playing our boarding music)
Me: "Unfortunately Sir, Our boarding music doesn't get switched off until after take-off." (Smile)
OK, so not all of us are excited about travel, being on a plane, the atmosphere of liberty and its endless possibilities, some people travel for work, some travel for funerals, not all people are going on holidays. This is something this gentleman subtly reminded me. Note to self, this passenger is not in a good mood today.
So my next encounter with this pleasant passenger is having to tell him that he has to be seated no matter how 'busting' he is. He steps right into my personal space, nice and close to my face and says " Take me to 1st class for the toilet then, otherwise I will piss in my seat!". Having already spoken to him earlier and noted he was not in a good mood, I chose not to rile him up and warned him that he had been advised of the danger of entering the toilet when the captain has put the fasten seat belt sign on and that anything he should do now is at his own risk. My Cabin Leader overheard and put his head around the corner and told him kindly that unfortunately he would have to sit in his seat.
A lady overheard and decided to play the same desperado routine and insist she must go as she "could feel her period coming on". Please people, grow up! I understand you need to go to the toilet and that you were in a queue waiting patiently for your turn, but unfortunately I care more about your safety than that of your bladder and do not particularly like being threatened with leakages of menstruation blood and urine!!!
What happens to people when they walk in an airport?! It really is another world! I have just finished reading "Up in The Air" by Water Kirn. Its a story about a man reaching his one-millionth frequent flyer mile and his experiences in 'airworld' as he calls it. Its left me wondering, considering I travel for a profession, am I a key player in airworld or just a spectator???
Just after the lunch service, we experienced some turbulence. The Captain put the fasten seat belt sign on. At this point we had queue's at the toilets. My job was then to tell everyone that they would have to sit back down, fasten their seat belt and hold it a little while longer. This is always such a horrible thing to say to people but seeing that 99% of people waiting for the loo's are adults you would think that this would be not an impossible task however horrible.
During boarding I was approached by a gentleman in my area;
Passenger: "Excuse me? Do the headsets work?"
Me: "Yes, they do." (slightly puzzled)
Passenger: "Then can we turn this off now!!!" (pointing to the speaker above him playing our boarding music)
Me: "Unfortunately Sir, Our boarding music doesn't get switched off until after take-off." (Smile)
OK, so not all of us are excited about travel, being on a plane, the atmosphere of liberty and its endless possibilities, some people travel for work, some travel for funerals, not all people are going on holidays. This is something this gentleman subtly reminded me. Note to self, this passenger is not in a good mood today.
So my next encounter with this pleasant passenger is having to tell him that he has to be seated no matter how 'busting' he is. He steps right into my personal space, nice and close to my face and says " Take me to 1st class for the toilet then, otherwise I will piss in my seat!". Having already spoken to him earlier and noted he was not in a good mood, I chose not to rile him up and warned him that he had been advised of the danger of entering the toilet when the captain has put the fasten seat belt sign on and that anything he should do now is at his own risk. My Cabin Leader overheard and put his head around the corner and told him kindly that unfortunately he would have to sit in his seat.
A lady overheard and decided to play the same desperado routine and insist she must go as she "could feel her period coming on". Please people, grow up! I understand you need to go to the toilet and that you were in a queue waiting patiently for your turn, but unfortunately I care more about your safety than that of your bladder and do not particularly like being threatened with leakages of menstruation blood and urine!!!
What happens to people when they walk in an airport?! It really is another world! I have just finished reading "Up in The Air" by Water Kirn. Its a story about a man reaching his one-millionth frequent flyer mile and his experiences in 'airworld' as he calls it. Its left me wondering, considering I travel for a profession, am I a key player in airworld or just a spectator???
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A Sooky Sicky Moment
It's alwasy the way, isn't it?! When you look forward to something and count down to something exciting in your life, murphy's law comes and bites you in the ass. I remember when I was young, always getting sick the day before a fun school excursion, or school holidays, etc. It's so not fair! I'm supposed to be doing my first trip to Phuket on Thursday but Doc has told me I'm not going anywhere! :( I was really looking forward to Phuket as I've never been to Thailand before! Doc was kind enough to allow me to go to training on Wednesday though- just no flying! Which also means I had to cancel my hair appointment on Saturday too as driving to Melbourne is not an option.
I know, I know! One day I will be sick of Phuket but just let me have my winge!
Meanwhile it's dvd's on the couch and Senega and Ammonia for me! How does that song go again? "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down". Hmmm, that depends, how big is the spoon?
I know, I know! One day I will be sick of Phuket but just let me have my winge!
Meanwhile it's dvd's on the couch and Senega and Ammonia for me! How does that song go again? "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down". Hmmm, that depends, how big is the spoon?
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