Take Care...

Originally, I started writing this post back in February last year. I read about the sad death of a V Australia crew member in Phuket, after he fell from a hotel balcony during a room mix-up. However, a blogger glitch erased the post that I had worked on for hours and frustrated, I decided to continue it later. As often happens, other things took over and it was soon forgotten. Recently I found the half-draft in my archives & decided to finish the post to share with you.

The Phuket story got me thinking about how sometimes crew can take hotel safety for granted, and ways to make sure you stay safe in hotels.

For most flight attendants, spending time in hotels on layovers is common. We spend almost as much time in hotels as at home, if not more. Hotels become like a second home- especially if we layover in the same cities on a regular basis. We have our favourite rooms, make friends with the hotel staff and seek out the best places to eat and shop.

However, being away from home and often travelling solo has a darker side. Being in a strange city, around people you don't know and in unfamiliar locations can be dangerous to a flight attendant's personal safety in the wrong circumstances.

In 2010, an Australian flight attendant was killed when he fell from a hotel balcony/walkway while on a layover in Phuket. It appears he mixed up the room numbers and somehow, while trying to either find his room or gain entry to a room, fell from the balcony or walkway & fell five floors to his death.

I'm no stranger to odd hotel layouts- one hotel I used to stay at had an 'open plan' garden layout similar to the Phuket hotel where V Australia stayed. We'd frequently come back from a night out, tripping over plants or other things in the dark and losing our way between blocks of rooms.

Other hotels had complicated stairways, dimly lit walkways and were sometimes located in dodgy neighbourhoods if it couldn't be avoided.

Flight crew safety has recently been put in the spotlight again with concerns from Cathay Pacific flight attendants staying in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia reporting interference during layovers.

Here's a few things I do to make things that little bit safer in hotels.

Check It Out

On arriving, I always make a quick check of my room- inside the closet, the bathroom and under the bed. These are all known places for an assailant to hide until you've locked that door behind you. While checking, I'll close the door but not latch it until my check is complete, so I can open it quickly if needed.

I'll also have a quick look to see whether I have a balcony with a sliding door, a normal door or a window. It's important to know not only if your window locks, but if it opens enough for you to use if you can't get out of the door.

If the room is a joining one, I move something in front of the door- a chair, desk or other item which makes it difficult to open from the other room. At the very least, it'll make a noise to let me know someone is coming in.

Lock It Up

Most hotels I stay in have either a chain or one of those door limiters on it so that you can open the door without it being able to be forced open. If you don't have one of these chains, or are staying somewhere where you don't trust that staff don't access rooms, you can find plenty of door security gadgets online. I had one a few years ago which worked well, the plus points were that it was made of plastic so I could carry it in my hand luggage and it barely weighed a thing. Sadly, I can't recall the name of it or seem to find it online.

Of course if the fire department are trying to get in for whatever reason, it's not enough to completely stop them, for obvious reasons, but is enough to warn me that someone is coming in if they do. All-metal models might sound like a good idea, but remember in a fire situation that it may get too hot to handle & be difficult to remove without injury.

Stranger Danger

If someone knocks on your door saying they are from maintenance, you don't have to open the door. Hotels don't usually do any work at night (unless it's an emergency) and genuine hotel employees are happy for you to wait to call the front desk and verify that they DID send someone to your room. The same goes for room service or porters. If you don't feel right about it, check with the concierge or reception.

If I'm approaching my room and there's someone walking behind me, I wait until they've passed before I open my door. I've heard of crew members who have been followed into rooms and been robbed -or worse.

Just because you're inside a building, don't let your guard down. Again, it sounds paranoid, but would-be thieves take advantage of the sense of security a hotel gives people to get them when they least expect it. Especially as women, we can 'feel bad' that we'll offend someone by acting as though they're up to no good- would-be attackers can use this to their advantage. ALWAYS follow your intuition and remember- it's better to be thought rude than to have something happen to you.

Know Your Exits

As a flight attendant, this sort of goes without saying, but you'd be surprised just how many flight crews have no idea where the fire exits are. This goes for the fire fighting equipment as well. Check the plan on the back of your door, and make sure it's correct. When you go to the lobby for your night out, have a look on the way past where the fire stairs are and where you can grab a fire extinguishers. It's a bit of a silly habit picked up on the job, but I just can't help checking that a fire extinguisher is actually serviceable when I walk past one.

Speaking of safety equipment, I always think it's a good idea to carry a small torch in my bag. It's come in useful so many times that it's more than paid for itself. Mine is just a small LED job I got for less than $10 at a Kmart. The batteries last a long time and the light is much better than conventional globes. Some hotels supply a flashlight in the closet. One hotel in Asia I stayed at even had smoke hoods- I wasn't sure to be reassured that one was there if I needed it, or worried that they were there in the first place!

This is also where your earlier window check will help. Now you'll know if you can use your window to escape a fire as a last resort. How high is your room? Is there a balcony? Can you reach some other structure like the roof of the garage easily? At least you'll know this in advance, and it will only take you a few seconds to work this out when you're doing your room check.

Ring, Ring

In the article posted above, some of the Cathay Pacific crew reported receiving nonsense calls in their rooms, firstly from outside the hotel and then from other rooms.

Personally, unless I'm expecting another crew member to call my room, I don't pick up the phone. If it's an important schedule change or other work issue, there'll shortly be a note under the door. My supervisor and captain have the crew's numbers or can get them from crew scheduling if it's urgent. Also, my family will send me a text if they're going to call, or just call me on my cell. If you don't want roaming charges, you can always arrange to text them when you want them to call you.

It's also good to know how to contact various departments in the hotel. Know how to dial room-to-room. Check whether you have to dial an actual number, or just push a button to reach Reception or Hotel Security. This is especially good to know if you have to dial in the dark. If it's not noted on the phone, find out what the local police & fire numbers are. That way if your phone doesn't work you can at least try from your cell phone (make sure you know the dialling codes as well).

Other good numbers to know include your airline or company's security department. Crew scheduling can be a good help, but security is a better option in the event of something major going down. Crew who were caught up in the Mumbai terror attacks reported getting assistance from their airline security department when they couldn't get through to the police.

At the least, they can probably advise whether to stay put or leave in a security-type situation. Program these numbers into your phone: Scheduling, Security & your international help line if your company gives it. Every traveller should have an "ICE" (in case of emergency) contact in their phone.

Out on the Town

There's nothing wrong with a good night out on the town- it's a great way to relax and let off steam after a tiring flight, or to bond with your crew. Having said that, you should take some reasonable steps when heading out to ensure a safe night for all. Try to swap numbers with at least one other person in your group, if you don't already know them. This way if you get separated, or someone's phone gets stolen, you can still keep in touch. (Remember, you also wrote down the hotel's phone number, didn't you?)

Keep an eye on each other's drinks- especially if one of you goes off to dance. In some countries thieves work together to distract one member of the group while the other makes off with the valuables. Keep watch on bags and purses. Girls, if you're in a slightly dodgy area, make sure you visit the ladies' room together (This usually happens anyway!) ESPECIALLY if one of you suddenly feels unwell. You just never know what someone might have put in your drink, and you do NOT want her to be alone if that is the case!

Ideally, make sure everyone gets back to their rooms safely, especially in hotels that are dimly lit or have tricky layouts. This might sound sexist but I often ask one of the guys on the crew to walk me back if we're in a dodgy part of town or failing that, we girls make sure at a minimum, we're in pairs if not a group.

If you're heading out in a foreign city on your own, be sure to let someone know where you're going & when you expect to be back. This can be as simple as leaving a note on your bed- "Gone shopping in Mongkok, back by 1800". If you're not there for the crew pickup, at least that gives everyone an idea of where to start looking.


I don't mean to come across as paranoid, but it is a reality of the travelling life that we can face risks to our safety on the move. Implementing ways to keep yourself safe should be an important part of any traveller's routine.

We all go off on our trips not thinking that we might not come home. While having fun seeing the world and meeting new people, be sure to take care so that your family can welcome you home again, safely & soon.

Got a travel tip you think I'd like? Leave a comment, hop over to my Facebook page or send me a Tweet!

A Newsworthy Week in Aviation

It's been an interesting week in aviation.

First there was the Southwest decompression that occurred after the loss of a large part of the fuselage. The crew managed to land the plane safety at an air force base and by all passenger accounts both the pilots and flight attendants dealth with the situation in a textbook manner.



The incident has now sparked a massive inspection regime ordered by the manufacturer of Boeing 737 aircraft of a certain age and model type due to fears of further metal fatigue.

(I do disagree with the use of the term "sucked out" in the article; more accurately, people would be "pushed out" by the flow of departing air)

Then we had the dramatic landing of a United airlines flight after the pilots reported smoke in the cockpit. Eventually, air traffic controllers had to assist the aircraft by verbally guiding them to the airport, as the pilots could not see well enough to land. All passengers and crew onboard were evacuated after the aircraft made a safe (if somewhat hair-raising) landing back at New Orleans airport.

In a disturbing twist, the preliminary report into the crash of a UPS cargo plane in Dubai last year was published by the GCAA, aviation authority of the UAE. This flight also suffered issues with smoke in the cockpit & visibility of instruments. The report makes sobering reading, with a few key points being:

- Emergency oxygen systems were inadequate

- The captain was forced out of the cockpit to find alternative oxygen at a critical phase of flight

- An extremely short amount of time between the flight recorder noting the first 'fire event' in the forward main deck, and then three minutes later, a 'fire event' in the aft of the main deck cargo area. That is very rapid & sad to say probably an impossible situation for those pilots.

(You can read the full PDF file of the report here.)

Thankfully the United pilots had the advantage of daylight and the correct radio frequency to be able to communicate with air traffic control. The UPS crew could not tune to change frequency and thus had to rely on other aircraft in the area to relay messages.

The crash has also highlighted shortfalls in packing & shipping guidelines for lithium batteries, something which was of concern prior to the accident, and even moreso now. The abundance of these batteries for sale at online auction websites is no doubt adding to the problem, with many sellers totally unaware that some everyday goods are actually classified as hazardous for carriage by air.

Lastly, in an unexpected yet welcome development, investigators have uncovered further wreckage from Air France flight 447, which disappeared nearly two years ago amid speculaton and mystery as to the cause.



Hopefully this new development will finally yield the black boxes and the answers the aviation industry has been waiting for with bated breath. Once and for all we will know if it was the weather, the aircraft or something else entirely which led to the loss of the plane and all on board.

PHOTOS: SWA- AP/Ross D. Franklin, AF447- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Beating Language Barriers

No one in my section of the plane spoke a word of English. Their tour guide was clueless also. I stood there holding a meal tray, helpless, smiling stupidly and wondering how on earth I was going to serve meals to these fifty or so people. (FYI, I am *not* one of those crew who just puts a meal in front of someone without telling them what it is- you just NEVER know with food allergies these days)

My feeble attempts at sign language only drew laughs from these passengers, and I couldn't for the life of me remember anything other than "hello" in their language.

So how to communicate what the meal choice for this #flight was..?



Ok so it's crude but it worked!

A Great Hotel Service Experience

All too often, we only hear about the bad service our friends, or colleagues, received while travelling, dining or shopping. As someone who works in the service industry myself, I believe in giving credit where credit is due. I'll always try to at least thank/appreciate the person who gave me the good service. I do prefer to pass on my compliments in writing, as often this assists the employee in later career moves such as getting a promotion or salary raise. It also motivates the employee to keep on giving that great service, especially if they seldom get compliments.

On to my experience.

Once, when I spent a good deal of time in another city for work, I had packed a teddy bear in my luggage. (I know I'm not the only 'grown-up' to do this!) The teddy lived on top of the bed during the day while I was out and about or away working.

A few days into my stay, I came 'home' to find that Teddy had taken up residence on the couch, tv remote in hand. Odd, I didn't remember leaving him there!

The next evening, he was soundly tucked up under the covers, asleep.


The third day, sitting atop the (closed) toilet with a magazine in hand.

Clearly, someone in Housekeeping had a sense of humour!!

It really brightened my day to find out what teddy was up to next, he made full use of that room while I was gone, that's for sure! I don't know if it was just one employee, or several, but it was the best thing I've ever had done for me in a hotel. Needless to say I left them a nice tip, a note and some candy for their trouble. I hope they kept the note. My only regret is not forwarding a copy to their managers.

Have you ever had an awesome "above and beyond" service in a hotel, or other place? Leave a comment, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

(Photo: Google Images)

I'm Not a "Trolley Dolly"...

Hey all!

Well finally I can tell you that a few weeks back I participated in the PCDU podcast with Grant, Steve and two lovely ladies who also flew the skies as flight attendants.

The PCDU boys have just finished editing the episode and it's now live to download.

We discuss training, what it was like being an FA in the 70's and 80's and how things have changed for us since 9/11.


Check it out here! As the boys say, if you have ANY questions about the flight attendant career, the hiring process or just anything you've been curious to know about flight attendants, drop me a line!

Airport Don'ts

Getting through an airport is stressful at the best of times, and for crew members it can be no different. By the time we arrive at work (or are dropped off by the crew van) we literally have minutes to get to the gate, not to mention manage the maze that is airport security.

As a crewmember who is often in a rush, I've been able to observe some airport behaviours "Don'ts" which I thought I'd share with you. If you're guilty of any of these airport 'sins', then now is the time for change and to become a better citizen of the concourse :)

WALKING IN A LINE
Ok, we get it, you want to stay with your group. But there's no need to take up the whole concourse, blocking the way for anyone else who might want (or need) to pass by quickly. The biggest offenders of this particular 'Airport Ettiquette Infraction" seem to be families. Have a 'buddy system' if need be, so no one gets lost, but walking 6-abreast in a crowded departures hall is not good airport citizen behaviour. Walking in pairs in a large group is better than everyone walking side-by-side like a chorus line!

NOT PAYING ATTENTION
So there's a million things to distract you when you're in the airport- finding the right gate, making sure everyone you're travelling with made it through security, and so forth. But not paying attention to your surroundings can lead to disharmony in Departures. Hearing high heels coming up behind you at a fast pace? Probably a crewmember on a fast transit- make sure you keep to the side to allow them to pass. In an unfamiliar airport? Take time to know your gate number and check an airport map to see where you want to go. Another thing- watch what you're doing with your wheeled bags- I've seen many flight attendants have their shins taken out by inattentive people on the concourse and believe me, it's PAINFUL to work a 10-hour flight after being bashed in the legs or run over by a ten-ton carryon that someone is carelessly dragging behind them.

GIVE WAY
Think of the airport concourse like the road: if you're moving more slowly then everyone else, stick to one side so they can pass. Don't come to a dead stop suddenly without giving any warning- you're likely to cause a pile-up. If you're facing a conflict from on-coming people, the rule is: people without bags should give way to people WITH bags. It's harder to move quickly when you're pulling a bag, so if you are not dragging a bag, give way. In the case of two "baggaged" persons conflicting, the rule is generally larger has right of way. For example, the businessman with one light rollaboard gives way to the lady with 10 cases on a baggage cart.


KEEP LEFT (OR RIGHT)
As for the concourse, so for moving walkways, stairways and narrow areas. Stick to one side. Don't be the oblivious idiot blocking the escalator with a hundred fuming, late passengers and crew behind you. Observe where people stand on the moving walkway- most countries it will usually be the same as the way they drive. In Australia, it's the left, and faster-moving people overtake on the right. When passing, move aside as soon as you have passed if you're standing still, to allow those in a hurry to pass by you as well. In the UK, people generally stand on the right, even though they drive on the left (due to history of escalator development). Be sure to observe signs on moving walkways and don't take items on them that are prohibited.

DON'T BE A HOG
Use only the seats that you need in the gate area. If it's crowded, don't take 4 seats so you can sleep, but leave others standing. That's just rude, and they might be the person who puts their seat back in your face for 12 hours if you make them mad. If you must sleep, find an out of the way place. An acceptable time to use seats for sleeping is when you're delayed, and everyone is doing it- but be sure to check you're not depriving someone who needs a seat more than you, like the elderly or disabled. Remember, children are more adaptable and can sit on the floor. Children ideally should not deprive adults of seats, particularly adults carrying items or wanting to do work on computers. I was brought up this way, and I can assure you good travel karma will result. There's nothing to be gained by making your potential seatmates mad before the flight has even started!

TURN IT DOWN
Watch your video, listen to your music, play that video game by all means. But for the love of all that is holy, please, PLEASE use earphones. All of Gate 22D does NOT necessarily want to know what songs are on your 'Making Out' list, and bear in mind just because it's YOUR laptop or iPod, not all movies are suitable for watching in public places. (Tip: Leave these at home, because the FAs WILL tell you off if you try watch them on the plane) The earphone rule also applies for parents letting kiddies watch portable DVD players. 4 hours of Dora the Explorer is enough to make any crewmember consider cracking that exit open... ;)

MIND YOUR PEES AND QUEUES
There's toilets in almost every departure lounge. Use them. The last thing crew want is to have you do the mother of all dumps right before takeoff, thus gassing them out for a minimum of twenty minutes when the lavatory onboard is located next to the crew seats. When you're waiting four hours, it is not acceptable to ask the crew if you can pee during boarding- that's what airport toilets are for. Queue in an orderly manner. Be sure not to queue across other gates, walkways or the fronts of shops. If you must, join the queue at a right angle to encourage others to queue behind you, avoiding blocking access past the queue to others. Don't be gate lice (or as I like to call them, "seagulls") Just because there's an agent at the gate, doesn't mean boarding is starting. There might be preboard passengers or a technical issue, so jumping up as soon as a door opens and crowding right in there isn't going to help you. You've got 10 hours to enjoy that tiny aircraft seat; use the time to go buy a magazine- or better yet- a last restroom stop before boarding :)

DO UNTO OTHERS
Above all, treat others as you would like to be treated yourself! Consideration goes a long way in the airport, and believe me, airline staff notice and your behaviour might just be the difference between Middle-Seat Hell and Upgrade Heaven!

Hope these tips have been useful to you and will help you navigate the airport a little better next time. Have a great trip!

A Doggone Issue... Use of Detector Dogs & The Travelling Public

Airport security has been in the news a LOT lately. Firstly, there was the failed attempted bombing of NWA Flight 253 on Christmas Day, by a guy who's come to be known as the "Pantsbomber".

Then we had the at-first amusing but then plain scary "TSA-fail" saga which dragged Flying With Fish's Steve & Elliot.Org's Chris into the spotlight after the Department of Homeland Security issued them with subpoenas for posting copies of a TSA-issued security directive on their blogs. The motivation of their postings? To clear up confusion for travellers in the midst of some truly confusing and strange new 'rules' brought about after "Pantsbomber" failed at his mission.

What has followed has ranged from tightening of security procedures at some airports, to what can only be described as 'knee-jerk reactions' at others. In the renewed debate about what is 'acceptable' in security matters, the use of detector dogs seems to have hit a nerve with some, as mentioned by Bobby from Up, Up And A Gay.


The use of detector dogs has been a regular occurence in Australian airports for quite some years. (First in the late 60's in fact). Both Customs and Quarantine use the dogs throughout Australian airports for passenger screening. Dogs are used to detect such items as drugs, prohibited food items and explosives. The breeds used are generally Beagles for Quarantine, and labradors/retrievers for Customs.

More threatening dogs such as German Shepherds tend to be reserved for the defence forces, police or Customs enforcement work (i.e. outside airports when apprehension of suspects may be needed)

There's a really great show on tv here, which is very popular with the public, called Border Security. It has been a great PR exercise for the agencies featured, not only because it reassures the public about what goes on in airports and what to expect wwhen travelling, but also because it can act as a deterrent to those who think smuggling illegal items into or out of Australia would be easy.

Australia has some of the toughest Quarantine & Customs laws in the world, and rightly so, because thus far the country has remained relatively free of pests and diseases that plague the rest of the world.


Dogs are also used for explosives detection, but for obvious reasons I'm not going to go into too much detail about them. Suffice to say they are there and they are at work.

As the officer says on tv, if you have nothing on you, you have nothing to worry about. I regularly encounter both Customs and Quarantine dogs in the course of my travels. They are always very friendly, the handlers generally leave you alone and don't engage in conversation unless something is found, and the dog will usually move on after a brief "sniff" if there's nothing of interest. I'd hardly call the procedure "Invasive", and dogs don't sniff your private areas like some think they do. Here's two great clips from Border Security which show just how these dogs go about their daily business. As you can see with the Frenchman, the dog sits in front of him and never actually touches him when 'sniffing'.

Dog reacts to passenger, prompting secondary searching, but nothing is found, so no worries for her!

In my opinion, anything which adds an extra layer of security protection to air travel is a good thing, and as you can see, when handled correctly, dogs are a great tool in the fight against illegal activity in airports. If you're travelling through an airport, and are approached by a dog- stay calm, let it sniff you, leave your bag alone if it's on the ground, and don't touch the dog. If you need to do anything else, the handler will tell you.

The training Australian dogs receive is so good, that other countries are even asking for dogs to be trained for their own operations, and have been assisted by the Queen herself!


If you have any questions on airport security, or travelling to/in Australia, just leave a comment below.

PHOTO CREDITS:
Puppies: The Age.com.au
Airport Lines: PerthAirport.com.au
Handler & Dog: Customs.gov.au

Ask the FA: Changing Seats Onboard- Is It OK?

Q) On an international flight, what are the rules about changing seats? I have seen some people run for empty seats as soon as the plane door has closed, stretch out over three and be asleep before the plane has left the ground (may have been my children). Is this okay? Leonie

A) Dear Leonie, Long-haul flights can be such a drag, can't they? One of the most tempting sights to see on a crowded flight is a row of empty seats - a whole row! Changing seats is usually fine, but there are ways to go about it.

If your flight is really empty, it's better to keep your assigned seat until after take-off. Some airlines might even make an announcement asking passengers to do this. On a very empty flight, lots of passengers moving around can affect the balance of the aircraft, and while it likely won't fall out of the sky, it can make a difference to the pilots' information like fuel and takeoff speeds. They like to know just where everyone is sitting for takeoff, so if your flight is quite deserted, wait until after take-off before you move.

'But someone else might beat me to those seats!', you're thinking. They might! But the smart traveller will use personal items (like books, blankets or a small, non-valuable bag) to mark those seats as 'taken'. I'd only suggest this if lots of people are circling and eyeing off those seats, though. And it's always nice (not to mention polite) to ask the crew if it's ok if you 'save' seats for later. That way you can keep your seat for take-off, but still have some space after the seatbelt sign is switched off. Of course, be sure to only reserve seats you acctually need, and consider that others might also want a bit of space.

If in doubt, it's always best to ask your crew, as different airlines and even countries have different rules. Another factor to consider is if you have ordered special meals. If you do move, be sure to let the crew know as soon as possible, so they can record your new seat number next to your ordered meal. Sometimes we crew have those seats in mind to move people to for various reasons, for example, separated families, a bereaved person who needs some space, or other such circumstances. We do appreciate passengers doing the polite thing, and asking, because we hate to send you back to 'middle seat' hell! So by all means, if you see empty seats, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Just a note- if travelling with kids, remember that they'll need to be sitting upright again for landing, and ALWAYS put a seatbelt on them when they're asleep. Happy travels, and enjoy the extra space!

(NOTE: Due to new extra security measures introduced on certain flights over the past few days, I would advise asking the crew at all times before moving around in the aircraft, to avoid any misunderstandings or breaking of new rules. As always, if in doubt- ask!)

While we're on the subject of changing seats, I'd like to hear about your experiences. Have you had a good or bad response to wanting to change seats? Do you have a 'sure-fire' way to snag that plum seat before everyone else? Tell me about your flights!

Next time: Questions about special-order meals

(Photo: Ryan Lemos on Flickr)

Coffee Capers

As a flight attendant, I've poured my fair share of tea and coffee. This in itself lends to some interesting observations about both passengers and crew.

1) If you say "tea?" they ask for coffee. If you say "Coffee?", they inevitably ask for tea. Whatever it is that you are NOT carrying, is what you will be asked for.

2) One can go the entire cabin without actually speaking the words 'tea' and 'coffee', but merely miming them, because most people are wearing headphones anyway. No-one has ever noticed! :)

3) If you are sitting in the aisle seat, and are not having coffee/tea, please lean back so that we may pass the hot beverage to the person in the window without risk of dropping it on you! The same goes for when working on laptops- please do not hold your cup over the laptop because I'll just have to ask you to move it anyway while I pour.

4) When I bring the extra milk that you asked for, please don't then tell me you also want more sugar. As much as I love exercise, I really don't want to make thirty extra trips on a short flight. If you must, ask the next person for it & we will love you more... ;)

5) The fuller your cup, the more turbulence there will be.

6) if you want to have ten cups of coffee, by all means do so but it's probably not a good idea on a 40min flight... hehe... especially when trolleys are out and you can't get to the bathroom very easily.

Ok I know that was a quick post, so while you're here go say hi to Tam, a really cool blogger from Qatar Airways. She has a great blog with lots of interesting posts about training and layovers.

Mini RV

Haven't had much time for posting lately, and again I'm heading out the door to fly, so in the meantime here's some pics of my 'mini RV'- the one I use for leisure trips of a couple of days, or training days for work.


It's very mini RV, it fits under the seat in front on the smallest planes, even turboprop 50-seaters. It has a nice long handle, so is comfortable to pull along, and 2 good-sized pockets on the front. My EeePC fits nicely in the main compartment with my clothes, and there's also expandable panels for that extra shopping room!



This was for a 2 day trip to visit family. In my RV I managed to fit:

One day dress (floral pattern you can see on top)
Pair black dress pants
Pair black high heels
Underwear & scarf
Toiletry bag
Adaptors/chargers etc
2 t-shirts
Contact lens solution bottle
Jewellery pouch
(Among other things inc a magazine and so forth)

Of course this packing differs from work trips, because I need more outfit changes on holiday. But as you can see, if you fold smartly, you can fit things in. Everyone has their own system, you find what works for you.

My RV waiting on a train platform, ready for an adventure! :)



PS- Many thanks to John from Adelaide Airport, of course you can let the team know I <3 ADL!!! :D

TT is Off the Hook!

That's TT as in me, not Tiger Airways, by the way. (I was TT way before they even existed in Australia!)

Well if you have read my Tiger Airways trip report, you may recall I had a little run-in with the staff regarding taking pictures on the tarmac. It wasn't so much being told I couldn't take pictures that was the problem, but that the staff member concerned tried to fob me off by saying it wasn't a Tiger policy, but an airport one.

Boy, she picked the wrong person to use that line on. Thing is, I used to WORK for that airport, and there was never any policy in place at that time, which she tried to tell me had been a policy since 2006. (Wrong).

Anyway, just to clarify and make sure nothing had changed since then, I got in touch with the airport authority. I was referred to their security operations manager. I had a nice chat with him regarding this little exchange. (EDIT: For clarity, the airport concerned is Perth)

The outcome was that taking 'holiday pics', or photos for personal use (i.e. not to sell) is ABSOLUTELY 100% FINE according to airport rules. The only time it's not allowed is if you want to do a commercial photo shoot, in which case you just need prior permission & access agreements. In his words, taking a photo of the plane you are boarding is not a crime, it is not forbidden, and it is most certainly NOT against airport policy. So really, Tiger staff were wrong to say that the 'no photo' rule came from the airport. As the security operations manager said, if it were against airport policy, they would have signs saying so, as they do with the 'No Mobile Phones' sign at the gates.

So Tiger, please tell your staff to stop giving out incorrect information to your passengers. You can tell us not to take photos on your planes (if you really want that crappy publicity on your hands) but you can't say no to us taking our holiday pics on the tarmac!

PHOTO: Zimbio.co

EDIT: Tiger Airways responds that Melbourne Airport advise them tarmac photos are not allowed. Perhaps in the interests of clear information, Tiger should add this to their website, as currently there is no information aside from mobile phones. Interestingly, there's a Facebook group for Tiger staff and at least one photo in thhere is taken on the tarmac at what looks to be Melbourne airport. So, either it's a security breach, or it isn't...

Anyway, I'll always do what staff ask me on board flights, but in Perth at least, I'll happily snap my pics thanks very much!

Working...

I have no idea how, but even with being on vacation, I'm suddenly swamped with things to do! I suppose it might have something to do with my picking up a work trip for the extra money, so I now have 3 less days to get everything done.

Somewhere in there, I have on my list of things to do Part 2 of my Singapore Airlines trip report, as I know there are a few of you waiting for it. Also coming up over the next week, I'll be making a trip report on Tiger Airways (Australia), so we shall see if it really is like their tv show, Airways!

Trip Report- Flying the Skies With Singapore's A380 (Part 1)

Finally I'm in the mood to make a blog post, and seeing as my main theme of my blog is aviation, I thought I'd start with writing about what it was like to fly on the Airbus A380- giant of the sky.

Airline: Singapore Airlines (SQ)
Route: SIN-LHR (London Heathrow)
Aircraft: Airbus A388 (A380-800)



Before joining this flight, I had another sector with SQ from my home town to Singapore Changi Airport. Transit time was approximately 6 hours.

So many flights... and only about 3 or 4 hours out of the day!

On the flight up I traded watching tv for legroom, as the exit row at door R3 was unoccupied due to broken IFE. I asked one of the crew if I could sit there, and they were at first concerned I should know the tv's didn't work. When I assured them I was fine with it, they let me sit there, so I had the two seats to myself.

Strangely enough, I ended up receiving a special meal, even though I am neither Hindu or vegetarian, it ended up being tasty enough.

As a bonus, I got my meal before anyone else. If you tend to be hungry on flights, I recommend ordering a SM so you get to eat early. You will sit with your tray a bit longer too, though.

During my transit, I mostly looked around at the shops in the Terminal 3 transit mall. It certainly is a very traveller-friendly airport.

They had recharging stations for all possible gadgets (except USB for digital cameras, boo) a butterfly garden, free massage chairs and lots of other cool stuff.


Flowers in the butterfly house

Some really pretty butterflies, they were everywhere & there were lots of fake flowers with nectar pots in the middle to feed them.




The only thing lacking for an airplane nerd like me was a proper observation deck. The windows were big but didn't afford a view of the entire landing runway. I still got some good pics though.

SQ Boeing 777


QF A380

After lots of waiting around, we were finally ushered into the new boarding lounge which included gates for the A380.


While there, I tried to get a pic of my SavvyNavigator bag tag. Sadly the cool ones got corrupted on my camera card so this is the best of the remaining shots.
(Yes that is the A380 engines you can see in the background)

Our crew assembling to board the plane. I counted about 23 all up, that's a big crew!


After being welcomed on board & settling in, hot towels were passed out before take off which was a nice change. After departure we were given the amenity kits. Oddly, they had no eye shades, which I thought was really strange. Just some airplane socks & a small toothbrush. Of course I souvenired them for later, maybe I'll use them for a give-away later on.


As this is quite a big post, I'll write the rest of this one in the next day or two.

In Transit.... and I Laviated!

Hello blog people!

I'm currently cooling my heels waiting for my next flight in Changi Airport, Singapore. While I've travelled here in my FA life many a time, it's the first time I've a) been a passenger and b) had so much time to look around. Visiting Terminal 3 is also a first. While it's new and shiny, and has heaps of cool stuff like free baggage trolleys, koi fish ponds, a butterfly house & free foot massagers, most of the shops are too ritzy to buy anything from.

So far my airport purchases include an inflatable pillow (regular shaped ones made my neck hurt on last flight), a Kinder Bueno bar and a br/unch of spaghetti with a glass of OJ. The restaurant has free internet for patrons, and although I bought a meal I'm definitely getting a vibe of 'hurry up'from the staff. Too bad, 10 bucks should get me at least an hour of surfing :P And it's not even busy!

Flight here was pretty good. I was surprised by a couple of things. Got given an amenity kit, which actually contained only socks and a toothbrush (not even eye shades on a red-eye flight!). Good thing I BYO all that stuff!

The other thing I found unusual is that on SQ, the seatbelt sign coming on doesn't actually seem to mean anything. It came on 3 times during the flight for turbulence, and while the usual PA was made, the FAs continued to walk around doing work. I figured maybe it just applied to the passengers, but then quite a few got up to use the bathroom or rummage in their overhead bags, and went unchallenged by the crew!

Ok, I'm still getting looks, so I better cut this short. Next flight up is on the mammoth beast of the skies, the mighty A380. Let's see if it lives up to the hype!

PS- I laviated!!!! :D

PPS- Singapore Girls are even cuter in person. All so pretty. In-charge of economy seemed a tad grumpy though, maybe she was just in a rush and not grumpy?

A Manner of Flight

On a recent flight, there was one passenger who stood out above the rest. Sure, he was quite attractive, but that's not why I noticed him. He smiled at us & said hello on boarding (to all the FAs he passed, not just the ones at the door). He stowed his laptop bag under the seat in front, instead of taking up bin space, he was dressed nicely in a shirt & business pants and above all he said please and thank you. Whenever he wanted something from us, instead of pressing the call button, he'd make eye contact as I came down the aisle, and would smile at me, raising his hand slightly to get my attention, then make his request. Always for something he needed and never in a hurry or wondering why we might be taking a little while to make up his order.

Now these things may not seem like much, but to a flight attendant they are everything.
Imagine how flights would be if every person on board was courteous & considerate of others.

Now you don't need to dress like a millionaire, but being neat & clean certainly helps a lot. No one wants to sit next to sasquatch, who smells like they've been camping with bears & skunks for a week. Picking your nails at ANY time is not acceptable, for ANY reason! And please keep your feet off the armrest of the person in front. They paid for that seat, not you. And if you do put your feet there, and choose to ignore us, then prepare to be bumped into constantly when we can't see you in a dark cabin. Sorry, we did warn you...

Now back to the point of my post. The passenger I noticed was unfailingly polite to the crew, and at first I just thought he was a well-mannered person. Then he handed back his meal tray- it was perfect. Like it hadn't been touched, but without the food on it. You may recall my post about tray stackers. If you've read that, you'll understand why at this moment I began to suspect that he was in fact a non-reving airline staff member.

Later on I checked the manifest, and sure enough, he was a deadheading captain on holidays. It's kind of sad to note that many of the polite passengers these days are actually deadheading crew or staff on company business. Of course, there are many fare-paying passengers who behave like this too, but it seems to me they are becoming rarer and rarer.

FlyingWithFish asked me if the following YouTube video has any truth to it.


While these things might work on some, the following stood out.

* "You'll need charm & chivalry"
* Dress in clean & neat clothes
* Smile & offer a sincere 'hello'
* Be polite- say please & thank you

Er- aren't these all things we as decent human beings should be doing anyway????

About the only things true about that video are the references to 200-pound carry-on luggage, and the instruction not to press the call button "unless you're choking to death"- too funny!

In other cool news, I've been interviewed by none other than our famous Flying Pinto! You can read my 'Creww Briefing' with her by clicking here.

When "Being Helpful" Really Isn't

Sitting at the desk in my hotel room, listening to the baby in the room next door cry. It's not so much the crying that's the problem, but the fact that whenever I turn up the tv to drown out the noise, the baby cries even more. The walls in this joint are too darn thin! I mean I'm trying to watch a tv show at regular volume, for goodness' sake! I shouldn't be able to hear the baby as though it's in the bathroom. (Hang on, is there a baby in the bathroom? Nope- just checked, in case)

The tv show in question was one I just happened upon by chance, called 'Drop Dead Diva'. Basically, hot shallow girl dies & gets reincarnated into the body of a mousy lawyer. Hilarity ensues. Well, I didn't think it was that bad, so given that I remember to watch regular tv next week, and not just cable, I'll watch it again. Just to see what happens.

I was getting a bit hungry by the time the show ended, so I headed to a nearby convenience store to get some supplies. This is proving kind of hard as at the moment I'm on a diet- of sorts. No eating carbs after 8pm. Which is harder than it sounds. Given that I've never really been on a diet in my life, it's proving to need willpower. Out of the multitude of choices there I settled on the least evil of spicy capsicum dip (2g of carbs per 100g) and celery sticks. I don't think celery has carbs, but even if it does, I'm sure I read somewhere that you use up more energy eating it than you get out of it, anyway.

Okay. So, first leg of the trip went pretty well. Crew were nice, which is always good. One of them slightly crazy, but in a good way. She was really funny. Even had a show & tell of her tattoo in the rear galley! I was in charge of the emergency exits for this flight. I had all seats full, so I did the briefing. Then the final passenger to board tells me that someone is sitting in his seat. It's in the exit row. I check all of the boarding passes, just to make sure that no-one got past 3 card checks onto the wrong flight. (Don't laugh, it has happened once or twice!)

Turns out a guy sitting in the exit row is meant to be in a different row. Since his friend is in the row in front, he thought they were sitting behind each other, and misread his boarding card. Happens a lot on this type of aircraft as the seat rows kind of sit above the seat backs, so heaps of people confuse row 13 for row 12. The guy sitting in the wrong seat is actually a well-known football player. Normally they love the exit seats for the extra leg room. But, he didn't get that seat, the other guy did, and he wanted his allocated seat. Fair enough. So I had to eexplain why he needed to move, and he seemed okay. Later, I thanked him for being understanding, and he said no worries. He then said he thought I might have brought him a meal from business class to make up for it. Make up for what, I thought. Seeing as there was no mistake on my part, there was nothing to make up for! If he had wanted an exit seat, he should have booked it. The other guy had every right to ask me to move him. Pffft, so funny!

The service went fine, aside from one or two things. One guy, who seemed to think he needed his beer quicker than anyone else, and wanted seconds before we had even finished serving the rest of the cabin, and a guy in a family of tray stackers. My fellow FAs shudder here, because they know what this means.

For my non-airline-savvy readers, let me explain. When passengers travel in a group, and they finish the meal, sometimes they think they will be nice & helpful and stack everything up in a pile, like at home when you take dishes from the dining table. That's all well & good, except it isn't actually helpful to us. When we pass out trays, they come from inside the meal cart (or trolley) which contains racks, kind of like inside the oven. Each 'slot' in the cart has room for one row of trays (whether that's 2 or 3 or 4).

On your tray, you have a meal, the cutlery, a cup and maybe a snack or other dessert item.

Each utensil, cup & dish is a specific shape & height to fit into the tray itself & also into the trolley, without disturbing the trays above and below it.

When people stack trays, what they tend to do is this: remove everything from the trays, and stack each tray on top of the other. Then, place all the dishes in a pile, the cups in a pile, and so on, putting these piles on top of the stack of trays, creating a nice little mountain of airline-logoed plastic. Often, a scrumpled napkin serves as a crown to this epic masterpiece.


Unfortunately, this stack of traydom doesn't fit in the trolley, and everything has to go back in the way it came out. There's usually no extra room anywhere. So what must happen? FA collecting trays must first take one empty tray & place it in the trolley, then place one set of utensils on that tray, and repeat, until all trays are back in original, yet empty, order inside the trolley. Add to this process a quick flight, full aircraft, and a 70% loading of 'stackers' out of the passengers on board, and you might begin to understand why your FA looks slightly grumpy when you hand her your little Mt Everest of stacked trays after dinner. We know you're trying to be helpful, but really you're not, you just create more mess for us to clean up. We know it's our job, but it makes it that much easier if you try to return everything how it was given to you. We expecially love this when it comes to blankets (folded on the seat is great), and if you cross your own seatbelt, well, you've just made crew friends for life! I can always pick a non-revving airline staff member- they're the one who leaves the seat pocket neat, with safety card facing out, and their seatbelt crossed when they leave! (Don't get me started on military charters- pure flight attendant bliss! It's tidy-airplane heaven! =)

Anyway, back to the dad. He had finished creating this masterpiece, but as is often the case, it was unevenly stacked. Just as we were about to reach his row to collect the trays, it crashed down around the place, sending cups and bread crumbs all over. Immediately he blamed my colleague for knocking it over. I felt like saying I saw it fall before we even got there, but you know, customer is always right, blah blah blah. It was so funny, colleague's face was hilarious. She was making faces as she couldn't be seen! I had to try clean it up without laughing. She said sorry to me, for having to pick it all up, but Mr Stacker thought she was apologising to him, and told her that so she should. The cheek...

The moral of the story? Hand back thy tray as thou would like thy tray handed back to you!

Believe it or not, there's even a Facebook group dedicated to the FA peeve of stacked trays!

A Few Little Snaps & Tweaks...

Just a few snaps to share from various other flights, nothing too controversial, only things I found interesting out of the window. Mainly clouds, as some of you will know these are my favourite! Always different...


(Kind of just... gross...)


Thiis one was really pretty, flying away from the rising sun =)

I have made a few small tweaks to the blog, namely adding a few new blogs to the Airline Alliance, and fixing some out-of-date links to point to the new addresses for other blogs. I have also made a couple of posts to the Galley Curtain blog, so make sure if you're on the F&F list that you check it out if you haven't already. Have a cool slideshow of travels in there as well as some work gossip! =D



I'm currently on a few days of home reserve (yuck!) but at least it means I can get all those jobs like washing uniforms & vacuuming done. I also am updating my manuals for SEP next month, as well as doing to some research for a little idea that I am having. More on that later. Now, it's back to work for me!

May Is Flying Doctor Month

Here's one for all the Aussies, but I'm sure many of you in other countries will find it interesting as well. This May is Flying Doctor Month, and specifically today is Flying Doctor Day, where they have volunteers collecting funds on behalf of this very worthy organisation.

In a country like Australia, with such vast distances between many people and medical facilities, a service such as the RFDS is vital. In many cases it can be the difference between life & death for patients. The Royal Flying Doctor Service was started by the Rev. John Flynn, as a way of providing a 'mantle of safety' to those living and working in remote areas.



In my previous airline life, I met & worked with many people involved with, or connected to, the RFDS. They had so many amazing stories, it made me want to do what I could to help out. I find it amazing that in this day and age, that our government doesn't see it necessary to fully fund this service, instead making them rely on public donations to cover their equipment & renewing the rather expensive aircraft fleet. The modifications to carry stretechers alone cost a heck of a lot of money, not to mention havving the aircraft structure & engiones modified to carry the extra weight.

Here's a mission as told by one of the RFDS Doctors:

It was a quiet Monday morning in the office, what a sentence! The billy was being boiled for smoko when the telephone rang. A stockman from a station out on the Diamantina was mustering on his horse in the Diamantina Channels when the horse tripped and fell and rolled on the stockman. As it got up, it kicked him in the back. The man was instantly paralysed. Fortunately on that occasion there was another ringer with him and he was able to summons help.

A vehicle with a HF Radio in it was despatched to the scene who then reported back to the station the stockman's condition and the station staff then contacted myself.

Communicating directly with the people at the scene by HF Radio in the vehicle, I made a mental assessment of his condition. My orders were to leave him absolutely as they found him and not move anything. Provide some shade for him and keep him nil by mouth. Pain relief was offered by injection which is always an emotive issue in those not trained to give injections. However, I was able to talk them through it again with the aid of HF Radio.

Our team was summonsed and we departed Charleville for the station.

On arrival out there we off loaded the necessary emergency equipment from our aeroplane into the station ute and drove to the homestead to take stock of the situation. We were told that the location of the accident was some two and a half hours driving away from the homestead over very rough Diamantina Channels. Fortunately a small two seater mustering helicopter caught my eye, but I was told there was no room for any equipment in the helicopter. Helen (the nurse who also happens to be Dr Balmain's wife) agreed to come on out to the scene in the ute with the equipment on board whilst I took a handful of diagnostic equipment in the helicopter and flew more rapidly out to the scene with a view to having the patient assessed by the time the ute arrived.

When I finally arrived at the scene and working only with the contents of one small bag, I was able to assess him and plan a course of action appropriately. We had a 49 year old man with quadriplegia, unable to move any limbs at all because of his spinal injury.

At that stage there was nothing I could do except wait until the utility arrived with our equipment in it some two and a bit hours later.

On arrival of the equipment, working in the heat, the dust and the flies we transferred the patient, very gently from the ground onto the spinal mattress. The trip over the Diamantina channels back to the station obviously took a lot longer than the outward trip for fear of causing further damage to his spine. Back at the station various tubes, pipes, masks and bags were placed appropriately and massive doses of the appropriate steroid were given intravenously.

Contact was then made with the spinal injuries unit of a major Brisbane Hospital, who agreed to accept him and he was loaded on board the aircraft with the remainder of our equipment and we took off firstly for Charleville to refuel and then on to Brisbane.

Last light had overtaken us even before we had left the station, and it was approaching midnight by the time we landed in Brisbane. We were met at Brisbane airport by an ambulance for the next leg of our trip to the hospital.

This man is now back in full time employment on the station and the comments I got from the specialists in Brisbane were that his recovery was as much as anything else due to the fact that he had the early intervention with the drugs, and also because of the mode of movement and transport.

I believe there would have been no other medical service in the world that could have offered this injured stockman the treatment he required as quickly as he did, in an area as isolated as it was by an organisation such as the RFDS.

The whole procedure had taken about fourteen hours but the final result proved worthwhile.



As they say, if you're living in or visiting Australia, you never know when you might need the Flying Doctor.

You can help keep them flying by clicking here.

Picture: Pilatus PC-13 (c) 2008 Jon Davison