knowledge

air cabin crew

The work

Air cabin crew, also known as flight attendants, are responsible for the care and safety of air passengers during flights.
Before a flight they are briefed on the flight and schedule, and informed if any passengers have special requirements. They also check the aircraft to ensure it is clean and tidy, that sufficient supplies are available, and that emergency equipment is in place and in working order.
Before take-off they greet passengers, direct them to their seats, ensure luggage is safely stowed away and demonstrate emergency equipment and procedures.
During a flight they assist passengers as necessary, and may make announcements on behalf of the pilot. They serve food and drinks and sell duty free goods.
In emergency situations cabin crew reassure passengers and ensure that they follow safety procedures and instructions and use safety equipment correctly. They may have to deal with emergencies such as cabin fires, or give first aid to passengers.
At the end of the flight, cabin crew ensure passengers disembark safely. They then complete paperwork, which includes a written flight report recording any unusual incidents, customs and immigration documentation, and accounts of food and drink orders and duty free sales.

Hours and Environment

Hours of work can vary, and include weekends, nights and public holidays. The amount of time spent away from home may change from job to job. Delays and cancellations could mean hours are disrupted.
The work can be demanding and strenuous - cabin crew spend a lot of time on their feet and work in confined spaces. Bad weather can make flying conditions uncomfortable or even dangerous.
Air cabin crew wear uniform, and are expected to be smart and well-groomed.

Skills and Interests

As a member of an air cabin crew, you should:

be tactful but assertive, with the ability to deal with difficult situations politely but firmly
have a clear speaking voice
enjoy team work
be calm under pressure and in emergencies
be confident, friendly and good with people
be sensitive and reassuring towards people who are anxious or upset
be able to work quickly and efficiently
be confident with money, including foreign currency.

Entry

You will need a good standard of education, usually to GCSE or the equivalent, but entry requirements vary between airlines, so you should check with them.
Some airlines ask for 4-5 GCSEs at A-C grades, or the equivalent, including English.

You should be fluent in English. The ability to converse in another modern language is desirable, and is a requirement of some airlines.
Air cabin crew must be physicall fit, with normal colour vision and good eyesight.Height requirements vary between airlines, and weight must be in proportion to height. You will need the ability to swim at least 25 metres. It is essential to be smart and well-groomed, and visible tattoos or body piercings are not usually permitted.
Previous experience in customer service is desirable, and nursing, or hotel and catering experience may be particularly useful.
Minimum age of entry is between 18 and 21. The maximum age varies between airlines, however, many have a compulsory retirement age of 50 or 55.
A valid passport permitting unrestricted world travel is necessary.
There are two main nationally recognised qualifications which enable those who want to work as air cabin crew to develop the skills needed to enter employment. They are the Edexcel BTEC Certificate in Preparation for Air Cabin Crew Service and the EMTA Awards Ltd (EAL) Certificate in Air Cabin Crewing.

Training

Airlines provide their own training programme for new entrants. This usually lasts for four to six weeks. Areas studied include: security, safety and emergency procedures, first aid, customs and immigration regulations, customer relations and passenger care, currency exchange, galley management, food preparation and service, and personal grooming. Some airlines have introductory distance learning courses, which can be taken before starting basic training.
Following basic training most airlines have a probationary period of three to six months, during which performance is monitored by trainers or senior crew. Air cabin crew have to pass regular examinations to test their knowledge of safety and emergency procedures, and ensure official first aid requirements are met.

Opportunities

Competition for places with airlines is very intense. Air cabin crew are usually required to live near the airport where they are based. They could be based overseas as international cabin crew with EGYPTAIR.
Experienced staff may gain promotion to senior cabin crew. It may also be possible to transfer to ground-based employment with an airline.

Inflight Consultancy Services

Today's airline customers have higher expectations of excellent onboard customer service than ever before. This presents an enormous challenge to Cabin Crew managers, Cabin Crew instructors and Inflight product designers.

Nevertheless, it is the primary objective of every airline to offer unparalleled on-board customer service from the moment the customers board the aircraft until they disembark at their destination.

Inflight Service Departments must ensure that their Cabin Crew members are not only well trained, but highly motivated, knowledgeable and able to meet their customers' needs. They do so by offering professional and consistent on-board customer service and product delivery.

IATA Inflight Service Staff have a wealth of knowledge on Inflight Service issues. They will work with Cabin Crew managers, Cabin Crew trainers and Inflight product designers to offer professional advice on a range of topics, including:

Meeting Quality Standards (AHM804)
Measuring performance of service suppliers (catering, inflight entertainment, etc).
Scheduling of Cabin Crew, (incl. Cabin Crew complements)
Cabin Crew Duties and Responsibilities
On Board Customer Service Training
Cabin Crew Management and Welfare
Production of Cabin Crew Manuals and Cabin Crew Procedures. (designed to meet AHM804 Standards)

AIRLINE CABIN CREW PREPARATION COURSE

Course Profile
This course is offered on a part-time basis and includes a number of elements:
Airline Welcome – A specific Customer Care, Service Skills & Resolving ‘problem situations’ programme for Air Cabin Crew and Customer Service Agents, designed to explore, improve and utilise key customer service skills in an airline environment.
Airline Interview Techniques – designed to help you prepare for the interview and review your performance in an airline interview environment.
Open Learning Study and Research Techniques for Air Cabin Crew – designed to help you in your assessments during the course and the assessment day. The units studied include: Study Skills and Time Management; Introduction to Air Cabin Crew Service Standards (Oral); Introduction to Air Cabin Crew Service Standards (Written); Introduction to Air Cabin Crew – Effective Service Standards.
The course is lead by a professionally qualified member of Cabin Crew with a major international airline and certificated by Open College of the North West (ONCW), a QCA National Awarding Body. The College offers this programme in conjunction with JARE Airline Training Partnership.

Cabin Crew Support

Delivering outstanding customer service consistently

Working as a member of our Cabin Crew is not so much a job as a way of life. In many ways it's a privileged life, with opportunities to visit places and experience cultures that are beyond most people's reach.

Whatever we say, we'll never convince some people that working in Cabin Crew isn't all about jetting around the world and staying in exotic hotels. The truth is, it's about delivering outstanding customer service in all conditions. At its most fundamental level, we are responsible for passenger safety in the cabin. Beyond that, crews share a common goal - to see EGYPTAIR customers walk away at the end of a flight contented.

We're not about to deny that the job has its glamorous elements. The work's exciting, the social life can be great fun, and wherever our crew travel they are always well looked after. However, it can also be an exhausting and disorientating lifestyle that places tough demands on family and social commitments.

It's certainly not for anyone who craves routine. A key element of our Cabin Crew strategy is that crew are expected to be totally flexible as to where they are based and which routes they fly. It can be difficult to plan ahead, and you'll find yourself working with a different team almost every time you report for duty.

The day begins with the crew briefing, where the team meet up, often for the first time, and the Cabin Services Director (CSD) goes over the flight. Crew are assigned to cabins, and any modifications to the aircraft or schedule are discussed before everyone boards the bus to take them to the aircraft.

From then on it's non-stop action. Going over safety procedures, checking equipment in the cabin, making sure there are enough meals on board the list goes on. By now the passengers are beginning to board. On a short flight there are a huge number of tasks that have to be completed within tight timescales, from safety demonstrations to meals and duty free. On longer sectors other challenges, like restless children or jetlag, will test your ability to handle the pressure.

Approximately 200 Cabin Crew work for EGYPTAIR. The vast majority are based at CAIRO INTERNATIONA IRBORT.

Cabin Management Services

Cabin Management Services provides even more. We offer instruction in ground-based support for your flight operation, including efficient aircraft cabin service procedures, aircraft stocking recommendations and stockroom organization techniques.

Cabin Crew Services

Who is the course for?
This course provides an excellent opportunity for persons wishing to pursue a career as cabin crew, and will prepare you for entry for airline industry training.

What is the course about
The course will provide successful candidates with new skills and knowledge acquired by module based assessments as follows:
The qualification consists of 4 mandatory units:

- Airline operations
- Air cabin crew working environment
- People skills and sales
- Health, safety, security and hygiene

Do I need qualifications
There are no formal entry requirements just an appropriate level of education. Entry will be subject to interview. Candidates will be interviewed and receive a skills assessment to assess their suitability for the course.

Will I need anything else?
No

How long is the course & how often will I attend
The course is offered as a 1 year programme and attendance is required 1 evening per week.

How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed by a range of methods. One unit is externally assessed.

What opportunities will this lead to?
On successfully completing this course, you can apply to work as cabin crew for a recognised airline company, or continue your education with a BTEC First Diploma or National Diploma in Travel and Tourism.

Air cabin crew

Job Description

Air cabin crew are responsible for the safety, welfare, comfort and care of passengers on an aircraft. They meet and

greet the passengers as they board the aircraft and attend to customers' needs during the journey in order to ensure a

smooth and satisfactory flight for all concerned. Passenger safety in the cabin is the most fundamental responsibility of

air cabin crew and pre and post flight checks are an important part of the job. They are also expected to deliver

outstanding customer service by being friendly, enthusiastic, well turned out and courteous at all times.

Typical Work Activities

This is not a job for anyone who needs routine – air cabin crew need to be flexible and can encounter all sorts of

situations whilst carrying out their duties. They need to be quick thinkers especially when handling emergencies or

difficult passengers. Typical activities include:

• attending pre-flight briefing meetings, usually with the cabin services director, to go over the flight details. Crews

are then assigned cabins and any modifications to the aircraft or schedule are discussed;

• going over safety procedures, checking the cabin and ensuring that there are enough meals and refreshments on

board;

• meeting and greeting passengers as they board and helping them to their designated seats;

• demonstrating safety procedures and checking all passenger seat belts are secure prior to take-off and that all

hand luggage is securely stored away;

• serving meals and refreshments to passengers, paying particular attention to identify those with special dietary

needs;

• assisting parents with small children and babies to heat bottles of milk or prepare baby food, helping them with

children who are disturbed by cabin pressure or who become restless during the flight;

• reassuring passengers who may be nervous of flying;

• selling and controlling stocks of duty free goods, advising customers of any allowance restrictions in force at their

destination;

• administering first aid and dealing with any emergencies which arise.