Issue #6 Sept 2015
MAGAZINE Cabin Crew In Focus: Maria If You’re A Purser, Be A Leader Not A Dictator
Top 10 Tips To Adopt A Healthy Cabin Crew Lifestyle &
Forget About Diets!
Cabin Crew Biases
7 Beauty Tips for when you're short on sleep
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Interview Makeup Dos and Don’tS
10 Buddhist Quotes We Should All Live By
A MESSAGE FROM MONICA & SIMONA It feels like just yesterday we were putting together the summer health and beauty tips and here we are today, donning our warm sweaters and bringing you a new magazine with a hot orange and cinnamon cup of tea. Time flies and so do we, remember? In this edition, we bring you the amazingly inspirational story of Maria, an ex-Emirates cabin crew who is dedicating her life to caring for the children in the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. We discuss cabin crew biases, such a current (still) issue within the community and hope to inspire you to embrace diversity and celebrate differences rather than label and judge. Moira brings us yet another useful insight into her journey to a healthy lifestyle while always on the go and we share so much more with you within the pages of your dedicated cabin crew magazine. As always, we hope you love reading it as much as we love writing it for you.
Forever bringing you amazing content that will inform, educate and inspire you to be excellent in everything you do! The Cabin Crew Excellence E-Magazine is a fun and informative reflection of our incredible passion for the aviation industry. Within its pages, you will find everything you need to work hard, play harder, and be inspired to become a better version of yourself.
www.cabincrewexcellence.com | The World’s No#1 Magazine For Cabin Crew All Content Within This Publication & The Website www.cabincrewexcellence.com Is Copy Right Protected & Owned by Cabin Crew Excellence Copy Right - Disclaimer - Terms Of Use
OUR STORY
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7 Beauty Tips For When You're Short On Sleep
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10 Buddhist Quotes We Should All Live By
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Cabin Crew In Focus: Maria
Interview Makeup Do’s And Dont’s
Top 10 Tips To Adopt A Healthy Cabin Crew Lifestyle
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If You’re A Purser, Be A Leader Not A Dictator
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Cabin Crew Biases
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7 Beauty Tips for when you're short on sleep I’m one of those people that has puffy eyes and dark circles even when I’m quite rested. If you couple that with being cabin crew - which means sleepless nights, extended periods spent in the dry cabin air, improper nutrition and hydration and a very hectic schedule, you’ll understand why discovering beauty hacks to help me conceal the imminent signs of tiredness has been a life long quest. So here are a few tips that have helped me keep the random and quite disheartening “You look so tired” remarks at bay.
1. Drink plenty of water! This must be the number one recommendation in any health and beauty tip article and rightfully so. If you want your body to look good, you need to help it feel good and starting from within is always the way to go. If you are doing long flights and getting caught up with the service, try to develop a routine that will remind you to drink water often enough. My usual habit was having a 2L bottle right by my jump seat where I could see it every time I headed to the galley. That used to help me drink often and also keep track of how much I drank during every flight.
2. Moisturise, especially if you have a long haul flight that stretches into the night. If
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you’re flying through the night apply a rich, hydrating night cream before your makeup; I personally swear by Decleor Aroma Night and it has never let me down so far. It comes in a little receptacle that you can carry in your handbag so you can re-apply immediately after removing your make up and preparing for your post-flight rest. That will keep your under eye area hydrated and prevent puffiness or make-up creasing between your fine lines.
3. Brighten up your eyes
with 3 easy steps: colour
corrector, foundation and illuminating concealer. After many years of applying concealer before foundation, I realised that my dark circles somehow surface a few hours into the flight. If you have the same problem and want to combat it, apply a colour corrector to neutralise the dark circles, followed by foundation and illuminating concealer. Apply the corrector only on the dark circles and the illuminating Buy Now >> concealer in a triangular shape (with the base of the triangle right under the eye and the tip pointing down towards the base of your nose) and blend it in perfectly for a more radiant look. My favourite products to use are Mac pro conceal and correct palette light, Mac studio sculpt foundation and Maybeline dream lumi touch.
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4. Avoid applying powder under your eyes. Ok, this might contradict everything you’re reading online about setting your foundation and concealer to keep it on for longer. My practise demands a more often makeup check and occasional replenishment of the illuminating concealer, but at least the under eye area doesn't look dry and caked up. You can instead set your makeup with Smashbox photo Buy Now >> finish primer water.
5. Use a forgiving eye and brow liner. Black might look good and really emphasise your eyes, however a brown shade applied lightly on your brows, your lower and upper lashes and blended in with a smudge brush (for eyeliner) will have the same effect minus the obvious smears inevitable when using black liner.
6. Keep them cheeks rosy. The lighting in the aircraft cabin isn't the most complimenting and tends to make us look pale. Choose a baked pink or peach blush to keep your cheeks looking fresh and plump
7. Keep your lips nourished. Depending on your airline’s grooming standards, keep the tones fresh (e.g. Emirates red) and moisturise your lips often. My personal favourite products are Mac Ruby Woo and whenever I get the chance (especially when all passengers are asleep and there’s nobody around to appreciate my lipstick (or its lack thereof)), I keep my lips moisturised either with L’Occitane shea lip balm or Burt's Bees natural lip balm. Buy Now >>
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Maria A Remarkable Person
When we first heard Maria’s story and watched her TedTalk, our hearts sank and we felt humbled beyond words. She used to fly for Emirates and one of the major VIP airlines in the UAE but her life turned 180 degrees on a stopover in Bangladesh when she embarked with complete selflessness on a mission that governs her life until today. She is an award-winning Philanthropist, triple Guinness world record holder and the first Portuguese woman to summit the Everest!
Before reading Maria’s thoughts on her cabin crew journey, take a few moments to get to know her a little bit so you can understand just how wonderful she is.
Why cabin crew? At the time, I was looking for a better job and the job centre in the UK suggested I try for Emirates, they thought I had a chance because I spoke 3 languages fluently. For me this was a dream job, I loved travelling and the pay and conditions were really good. I honestly didn't think I would get in but I went through the application process and got the job. It was really exciting!!
How did the Emirates experience influence your life? It has had a huge influence on my life, it opened up a whole new world that I would never have imagined to see. Living in Dubai, seeing so many new places, good and bad places and of course eventually starting the foundation which Emirates helped me with a lot in the initial stages.
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What has been the biggest challenge in your cabin crew life so far? The job itself is tough, I think many underestimate how tough it is. I managed that ok. I think I enjoy hard work but when I started the foundation, spending all of my free-time and holidays in the slums of Dhaka, fundraising or collecting donations in Dubai, it took on a whole new dimension. Some of those long-haul flights were just exhausting and it reached a stage when I really had to start to look after my health to cope with it.
What about the biggest reward? After a while the travel become less rewarding (but still a nice perk). You get to meet a lot of interesting people on the flights, I don't mean celebs (although I've met a few) I mean just interesting people with interesting lives. That’s rewarding!
We know you have a special bond with Dhaka, in Bangladesh. Do you have another favourite destination? I think it’s quite common for cabin crew to enjoy going home for stopovers more than anywhere else. I've always enjoyed visiting the UK or Switzerland, where it feels like home to me because I have family in both countries.
You are a very strong, determined person. What keeps you motivated when the going gets tough? For me it is always the foundation, the kids and their smiles, I have to work hard to help them and if i don't help them, then probably nobody else will. But before i had the foundation I was motivated to work hard to improve my life, I came from a poor background and I have always been determined to have a better life, hard work was the only way I knew how.
What would you advise those aspiring to become cabin crew? I would recommend it to anybody, most people who are thinking about it are maybe thinking about it as a way to see the world, which is fine, but it gives you a lot more than that, it enriches your life in many ways. It may be a chance to experience living abroad, you'll meet a lot of interesting people and it can also turn into a good career if you enjoy the work, with good prospects in training, management etc. If you want to contribute and support Maria’s cause, you can do that by following this link to donate https://www.justgiving.com/maria-cristina/. Every little matters and what for you could mean one less coffee or one less dinner with friends, for Maria’s children it will mean the world.
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10 Buddhist Quotes We Should All Live By If we’re being brutally honest, the cabin crew profession tends to be lonely, tiring and quite frustrating at times and the only thing that has helped us pull through for so many years and make the most of our journey so far has been consistent self-motivation. Sounds pretty basic, right? Well it isn’t as easy as it might seem. If you work for one of the major airlines in the Middle East, you know how present the airline badmouthing, the crew gossip and constant reporting of your silly mistakes by your colleagues to your managers are. What is also true is the fact that many cabin crew flying for one of these airlines are extremely happy with their job, airline and overall lifestyle. How do you think they do it? You have two options: mix with the crowd and find yourself in the same bath of self-inflicted unhappiness or choose to rise above it all and make the most of your aviation experience. We believe it’s a matter of choice and although you can’t change what everybody else does or says, you can choose how or if you let other people’s words or actions influence your feelings and thought process. Our recommendation is… Maintain your self-drive and never forget what this opportunity meant for you when you were first offered the job! Don't let your mind and spirit get intoxicated by the negativity around, rather keep them nourished and positive through consistent investment in your self-development and growth.
1. As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life. 2. Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. 3. If you find no one to support you on the spiritual path, walk alone. There is no companionship with the immature. 4. The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. 5. The mind is everything; what you think you become. 6. The greatest quality is seeking to serve others. 7. The greatest effort is not concerned with results. 8. Should you find a wise critic to point out your faults, follow him as you would a guide to hidden treasure. 9. Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. 10.There are only 2 mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way and not starting. 15 www.cabincrewexcellence.com
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Interview Makeup Dos and Don’ts Interview preparation is key! - how many times have you heard us say this? Yes, I know, many times and that’s because nowadays the competition is so high, the interview has become a life-changing exam. And like any important exam, it requires detailed preparation to make sure you are ahead of the other candidates. Another thing that we’ve repeated quite a lot and holds true is that airlines invest millions in building and maintaining their image and cabin crew are global ambassadors of that image. So looking good is important and, for the ladies (and some gents :D) that implicitly means makeup. You probably already know that the major airlines in the Middle East provide their cabin crew with extensive grooming training and detailed makeup lessons, along health and beauty tips for when they start flying. But before making it to that class you need to pass your interview. So here are a few points to keep in mind when planning your interview day makeup. The most important Do of the list has got to be WEAR MAKEUP! We know you are beautiful even without it, but makeup is compulsory with the uniform so the interview is the best time to start applying it. The minimum products to use according to general grooming standards are: foundation, mascara, blush and lipstick/lip gloss. Less is more. Remain classy and aim to look awake and fresh. Choose pastel colours instead of darker, dramatic tones. Match the airline colour scheme. We always recommend mirroring the cabin crew style and makeup is no exception from that recommendation. You will notice that the colours used by their cabin crew are shades of red, pink or brown (for Qatar and Emirates) and pink or purple (for Etihad). Think “long day ahead”. You know you’re likely going to be there for at least 8 hours (especially during Assessment Days), so keep that in mind when applying your makeup. You can either use long lasting products (prolonged wear foundation, water proof mascara, stay-on lipstick) or keep your makeup kit handy so you can replenish whenever possible to make sure you look just as fresh at 8 pm as you did at 10 am. Don’t overdo it. It might be that a smokey eye makeup style looks amazing on you and really emphasises your eyes. Some recruiters might even find it artistic and skilful of you however most will find it exaggerated and could interpret it as your inability to “look the part”. 17 www.cabincrewexcellence.com
Don’t “load” your face with makeup. Don't get trigger happy when it comes to the amount of makeup products you apply. Most often, girls tend to apply too much foundation and set it with a heavy powder, making the whole face look like a cake frosting - hence the common term caked up face/makeup. The last thing you want is to look like you are wearing a whole new mask on top of your face.
If you are completely new at this and don’t know what’s best to use, here is a range of the products we’ve used and loved throughout the years and which you might want to consider. Foundation Drugstore: Revlon Photo Ready, L’Oreal True Match Brand: Mac Pro Longwear, Diorskin Eclat Satin Mascara Drugstore: L’Oreal Voluminous Superstar, L’Oreal Telescopic Brand: Dior Black Out, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Lipstick Drugstore: Maybelline SuperStay, L’Oreal Colour Caresse (suitable for Saudia Airlines, Oman Air, Fly Dubai) Brand: Mac Ruby Woo (suitable for Qatar, Emirates, Fly Dubai), Mac Vogue En Violet (suitable for Etihad) Blush Drugstore: NYX Statement Red (suitable for all airlines), Milani Luminoso (suitable for all airlines) Brand: Mac Mineralize Love Thing (suitable for Qatar, Emirates, Fly Dubai), Mac Mineralize Warm Soul (suitable for Saudia Airlines, Oman Air, Gulf Air) Eye Shadow Drugstore: Bourjois Trio Nude (suitable for all airlines), Maybelline Colour Plush Silk (3 lighter colours suitable for all airlines) Brand: Urban Decay Naked Palette (lighter colour suitable for all airlines), Urban Decay Naked Basic Paletter (suitable for all airlines)
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Top 10 Tips To Adopt A Healthy Cabin Crew Lifestyle & Forget About Diets! The blood type diet, the Atkins diet, the Dukan diet, the cabbage soup diet, the ketogenic diet, the “eat only liquids” diet... I’ve tried them all. None of them ever worked! The longest I could go on a strict diet for was 5 days. Diets are not for me! They make me suffer and feel guilty about my cravings. It took me a while to admit it. I’m wiser now, happier, healthier and stronger. I’ll never again have the body or metabolism I had when I was 18 and that’s ok! I have evolved. I am a fine young lady with an aspiring career in aviation!
I’d like to share with you all I know about adopting a healthy lifestyle that brings endless benefits. It took a long time to get all the info. Cabin crew have very busy schedules, but I came up with a simple, straightforward guide to help you take your first steps towards a healthier lifestyle and a happier you. This article points out the top 10 tips that you need to adopt in order to eat healthy, maintain a balanced diet and lose the extra kilos. I will focus on food and drinks, but you must know that along with it, you should exercise regularly, meditate, relax and learn some deep breathing techniques. You can write these tips on post its and use them as affirmations, stick them around the house or read them from time to time in order to keep you motivated.
1. Water, water, water! Keep hydrated at all times and anywhere you go. The first thing you should do when you wake up is to have a cup of warm water with lemon. This flushes out toxins, hydrates your organs and starts your metabolism. As cabin crew, we are always on the run so no lemon slices in hotel rooms or time to prepare it every morning. So, my tip for you: in the evening, put a glass/small bottle of water by the bed and have it when you get up. At work, write your name on a big water of bottle and a plastic glass and keep drinking it aiming for 2 litres a day.
2. Never skip breakfast. I remember the days when I’d wake up at 4AM for a flight and I’d have breakfast at 10AM, after finishing the service on board. That means 6 hours without eating. My stomach wasn’t happy, especially if I would down a couple of coffees in the meantime, just to keep me going. Totally unhealthy, plus it makes you crave all the wrong things, high in fats and sugar because you feel the urge to compensate. The solution would be to prepare a small snack in the evening. A piece of fruit or a granola bar, a turkey sandwich that you can keep in the fridge and have ready in the morning. Make it a goal to find 10 minutes to eat before leaving home.
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3. Fry no more. Avoid fast food and fried food. I know it’s tasty, but it’s bad for you. Learn a few easy and delicious recipes that include grilled, baked or boiled food. You will find this type of food in any restaurant menu, so no excuses. Have a fried chicken once in a while, but accompany it with steamed rice or vegetables or a salad. Find a balance between taste buds’ pleasure and overall wellbeing.
4. Avoid cocktails. They look fabulous, they taste delicious and you enjoy watching the bartender mix up your concoction. But did you know cocktails are calorie bombs? They mix various alcohols, soft drinks, syrups and sugar. Our body transforms all this sugar in fat and becomes tired and dehydrated. Next time you go out, have a glass of wine, beer or champagne. And stick to your option for the rest of the evening - much less damage and no hangover. I know a lot of people don’t fancy wine or beer and champagne is rarely sold by the glass, so second option could be the spirit you like, plain, on the rocks or with soda water. Cultivate your taste and find what works for you.
5. Eat before going shopping or going out. If you go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, prepare to see temptations everywhere. You will end up having a high calorie treat and fill up your cart with things you don’t even need - bad for your health, bad for your budget. The trick is to have a snack before. You’ll tell me: “I don’t have anything in the house, that’s why I’m going shopping!” But I’m sure you do have something. Milk and oatmeal, a granola bar, dry fruits, rye crackers with canned tuna...You’re a cabin crew! You definitely have a shelf of emergency long life food. Now would the time to eat some!
6. Stock up.
If you have a lot of healthy options around, you’ll most likely eat a better diet. The word diet
describes a lifestyle actually, not a weight loss program. Stock up your fridge, freezer and kitchen cupboards with fibres, whole grains, lean meat and fresh produce. It’s so difficult to have fresh fruits and veggies around if the roster is busy, so make sure you maintain a big supply of long life snacks: fibre crackers, muesli, dry fruits, raw nuts, canned food, frozen meat, etc. Remember, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it! Discover the things you actually enjoy, otherwise you will end up throwing out food and make that call to the shawarma place downstairs.
7. Manners are important:
at home, on board the aircraft, in a restaurant or at your friend’s place. Sit
down, eat slowly, chew properly, use a plate and cutlery. If you are so busy during the flight that you cannot enjoy a full meal, then skip it! Rather than shoving down a 3-course meal in 5 minutes, have a coffee and a piece of bread instead. This will tame your hunger and give you some fuel to continue working. Otherwise, you will not only overeat, but stress your digestive system with a bombastic mix. You will feel bloated, satiated and drained of energy. If you want to take this advice to the next level, pack some healthy snacks from home: celery sticks, carrots, walnuts, fruit, yogurt, cereal bar etc. And this takes us straight to the next top tip. 21 www.cabincrewexcellence.com
8. Always carry around. This is maybe the most important tip. I can’t stress it out enough, it saved me in a lot of situations and the possibilities are endless. You can have a snack in the taxi on the way to the supermarket, during the flight when you have a break, when you go biking or walking with your friends in the park. My friends and I go to the cinema or make a movie night in with a full tray of carrots, peppers, celery sticks, cucumbers and the 3 home made dips: hummus, guacamole and Greek yogurt. So yum and so super healthy!
9. Skip snacks if you are not hungry. Nutritionists recommend that we eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. But we’re not ordinary people, we’re cabin crew! So that’s hard to follow if it’s not your day off. In order to adapt, you should get to know your body. If you’re not hungry, skip snacks and just have a cup of tea, your stomach will enjoy a little break.
10. Less sugar, fat, carbs, salt. There are so many education programs and campaigns about these 4 things and that is because people usually overdo it. We need all of them, but today’s busy lifestyle and lack of time to cook have thrown us in a vicious circle. We feel tired so we go for a salty, fatty, sugary, high carb snack to give us an energy kick, yet after a short while we feel tired again. It looks like no way out, but actually there is: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains or nuts are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and “good” omega fats that keep us healthier and full of vitality.
Don’t forget to indulge once in a while. Have a treat on a special occasion: a piece of cake on someone’s birthday, some French-fries on vacation... Just don’t let these occasions become habits. Make smart choices and enjoy a little!
Written by MOIRA TOMESCU A passionate cabin crew with a lot of hobbies and a curious mind.
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If You’re A Purser, Be A Leader Not A Dictator I still remember how, when I started flying 12 years ago, I believed my flights will depend on the type of passengers I will have on any given day. If they’re gonna be moody and demanding, every hour will feel like 10. If they’re gonna be quiet and pleasant, it’s gonna be a walk in the park. Ok so I was a bit naive at first but I soon discovered the one thing that makes or breaks the flight is the crew team itself. When you have a positive, helpful bunch around, the most complicated passengers have very little chance at turning your flight into a complete nightmare. An even more important role is plaid by the team leader - the Purser, because he/she is the one that sets the tone (for the most part) for the team dynamic. A Purser that’s overly (and unjustifiably) tough, unapproachable and has a rather dictatorial demeanour will get very little support or appreciation from the team and the overall mood can turn pretty grim from the first moments of the pre-flight briefing. At the opposite side a positive, supporting Purser will stimulate the crew to contribute their best efforts to the team mission and will end up achieving a much happier, successful flight, for both crew and passengers alike. After all, a happy workforce is an efficient workforce, right?
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“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” - John Quincy Adams Through the years, I’ve seen many different leadership styles and have identified a few points that embody the perfect Purser and are conducive to the most positive, efficient team dynamic. So if you are a Purser or soon training to become one, here are just a few points you might want to remember:
1. Know your craft! How else are you going to offer support and guidance to your team members if they know the company procedures, product and mission better than you do?.. 2. Your level of dedication and commitment to the flight will earn you the crews’ respect and support. Leading by example is the best way to inspire and motivate your crew team. If you can’t be bothered to put in 100% effort, don’t expect the crew to pick up your slack and still follow your lead with respect and admiration. 3. It’s ok to be firm and assertive, but never rude. However hard your day might be or how silly you think a crew or a situation is, you can’t afford to lose your calm and composure and turn rude, subjective or aggressive. 4. Every member of your team has something valuable to contribute. It is your responsibility to get to know and understand your crew so you can identify their key strengths and employ those strengths towards the team success. 5. You’ll attract more bees with honey When you are positive and appreciative, everybody will strive to rise to your expectations. You can delegate responsibilities, give corrective feedback if necessary or refer your crew back to manuals for further learning. When you do it with maturity, positivity and genuine caring, there is no limit to the appreciation you will earn from your team members. It is also important to give praise whenever it is due and tell your crew how much you appreciate them and their efforts. 6. Remain impartial, whatever the situation Sometimes it’s easier said than done, especially if you happen to have a crew conflict blowing out on your watch. You need to listen to both points of view expressed by the crew involved in the conflict without allowing the very common “He said, she said” type of circumstances or giving into your preference for one of the 2 crew.
That being said, you won’t always make everybody happy and not every crew in your team will like or appreciate you however amazing you might be as a leader. But it is your duty nonetheless to remain positive, professional and objective and maintain balance between productivity and playfulness, while also inspiring your team members to follow your lead. The rest is up to them…
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Cabin Crew Biases If you are a cabin crew with one of the major airlines in the Middle East or any international airline around the world, you have surely come to be familiar with certain stereotypes formed within the community. Nothing wrong with that, we can all notice and are fully aware of general differences in behaviours, clothing, gestures or preferences and can easily identify which ones are spread through an entire community or people belonging to the same nationality. We observe stereotypes among passengers and even among our fellow crew members and sometimes tease or mock each other about many of these points. If you’ve been flying long enough you’ve surely come across some or all of these stereotypes:
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Indians wiggle their heads English passengers drink a lot of tea Filipinos are known to like karaoke Russian passengers don't speak English Arabs (particularly on specific routes) don't like to be seated next to opposite sex strangers Egyptian passengers ask for a lot of Panadol Italians are loud Chinese drink hot water with green tea leaves after every meal
And these are just a few of the most obvious ones‌
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Knowing the stereotypes can be very useful in allowing you to prepare better for a flight. Understanding the head gestures of an indian passenger, having plenty of brewed tea at the end of your meal service, having a language speaker on flights where English is a challenge, knowing to carry a handful of Panadol on certain flights or knowing how to approach passengers to ask for a change of seats favour can all help you plan ahead while also enabling you to serve your passengers better. The problems with stereotypes comes when they turn into biases and we are no longer treating all our passengers with equal respect and fairness and without prejudice or judgement. A stereotype is a generally preconceived idea while the bias is your personal preference, a like or dislike that interferes with your ability to remain impartial, objective.
If you think a German is meticulous or white men can’t jump, that’s a stereotype. But if you hire a German for a job that has an equally qualified Asian applicant because you think Germans are smarter, you are biased in your choice of the best applicant. In a customer-focused industry, our ability as cabin crew to remain objective, fair and non judgmental towards our passengers coming from all walks of life is essential. It is our responsibility to identify and acknowledge our biases and educate ourselves towards consistent kindness and fairness every single day. Remember that everybody has a story worth listening to and fights battles you know nothing about. It isn't our place to make differences and treat people better or worse based on our personal biases or the common stereotypes. That would be downright wrong! Be equally kind and considerate to everybody you meet, whether crew, ground staff or passengers.
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