Having worked her way from economy
to first class during an eight-year stint with Emirates, it’s safe to
say flight attendant Amber Vidler has seen and heard it all.
The
35-year-old from Terrigal, NSW, had previously been working in a sports
management company but had always wanted to live in cosmopolitan Dubai
and explore the world, so she snapped up the chance to become a cabin
crew member.
Now, she travels all over while ensuring first class
passengers are happy. She talks to news.com.au about what the job is
really like, and busts some rumours including who’s the most demanding
flyer.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES WORKING BETWEEN ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS?
“The
main difference across the three classes is the amount of passengers
and how we conduct the in-flight service. As there are more passengers
in economy and business class, it can be very busy. We need to begin our
service soon after takeoff to ensure we get through everyone. I find
working in the first class cabin is surprisingly a lot calmer and more
relaxed, as there are fewer customers.
“I currently work on the
B777 aircraft and on average, there are between eight and 14 passengers
in the first class cabin, while in business class there can be up to 42
passengers and up to 386 passengers in economy. While on our superjumbo
A380 there are 14 first class seats, 76 business class seats and up to
427 economy seats.
“The main difference from a service perspective
in first class is ‘dine on demand’, which allows passengers on flights
over four hours and 40 minutes, to choose when they would like to be
served their meals.”
Review: What it’s really like to fly in Emirates first class
FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, ARE PASSENGERS IN FIRST CLASS MORE DEMANDING?
“Contrary
to what people may believe, first class passengers aren’t overly
demanding. In fact, most would rather sleep during the flight, and not
be disturbed.”
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON AND UNUSUAL REQUESTS YOU’VE RECEIVED?
“In
first class they love their caviar! They also like their beds to be
made for them. In business and economy, the common requests are for
particular drinks when flying to a certain destination. This might be as
a result of the nationality of those travelling but here are some of
the common ones:
• On flights to England: gin and tonic.
• On flights to Russia: tomato juice.
• On flights to China: hot water.
• On flights to India: whiskey.
“There
aren’t too many unusual requests but one I thought was strange was a
serving of caviar with all the condiments but without the actual caviar!
Oh and a cup of coffee with black tea added.”
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES?
“Every
time I come to work I meet so many people, both customers and other
cabin crew. The conversations, advice and stories I’ve shared with so
many different nationalities and cultures have been priceless.
“We
sometimes get high profile passengers on our flights, however, we only
find out who they are during our pre-flight briefing. One of my more
memorable flights was when we had the whole Arsenal Football Club fly
with us from the UK to Singapore. It was kept secret as there were no
other passengers, just the players, team management and everyone else
involved with the club. It was interesting to see how many people are
involved behind the scenes for a football team.
“They were all
very polite and professional, I just wish I knew more of their names as
I’m not a big fan of football! Like any other high profile passengers,
we weren’t allowed to take photos. I also had the pleasure of having
Angelina Jolie Pitt on my flight from Islamabad to Dubai several years
ago. We were all star struck to meet her and she was lovely.”
WHAT IT TAKES TO WORK IN BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS
All
Emirates cabin crew start off in economy class to begin their careers
and are required to participate in further training to proceed to
business and first class. At present, Emirates employs more than 20,000
cabin crew members who have all trained at the Emirates Aviation College
Cabin Crew Training Centre.
The training includes a combination
of both theoretical and practical components, with the latter taking
place in full motion simulators of all aircraft types. For a new cabin
crew member, the training takes place over seven weeks on all Emirates
aircraft: A330/A340, 777 and A380. The course covers all aspects of a
crew member’s role, including:
• Evacuation, and safety and emergency procedures
• Group medical training
• Cabin service training
• Image and uniform
• Duty free sales
After
seven weeks, a new recruit is ready to commence their career as an
Emirates cabin crew member in economy class. After 12-18 months, they
will be eligible to advance on to business class and after a further 12
months, they can train to become a first class cabin crew.
To be
promoted to each class requires five days’ intensive training, during
which the crew member learns the new product, cabin layout, customer
expectations, as well as the techniques of creating a fine dining
in-flight experience.
It doesn’t stop at first class either as
cabin crew can then apply to be promoted to senior flight steward/ess,
and finally purser, which is the highest position a cabin crew member
can obtain.
The purser has usually been a senior flight steward/ess for
one to two years and is responsible for managing staff in all three
cabins and liaising directly with the captain.
It takes a minimum
of six months of ‘on-the-job’ training, and you need to complete a
portfolio of tasks and courses in order to be promoted to the position.
Emirates
also has a multinational cabin crew, which currently has members from
over 130 countries speaking more than 60 languages.
