Australian Airlines

Hearing: Tinie Tempah Ft. Eric Turner - Written In The Stars

Australian Airlines!! Its long overdue but finally a post to introduce the airlines of my home country. Here is the unofficial list (for a complete list please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_of_Australia) which looks at the main players in the Aussie skies.

For all you Aussie wannabe cabin crew - good luck!

For non-Australian citizens or residents, please note that the majority of Australian airlines do not hire internationally and then base you in an Australian city as some airlines of the Middle East do.

Qantas - The Spirit of Australia

• Qantas Careers
• Qantas Flight Attendants
• QantasLink

Virgin Blue - V Australia - Pacific Blue

• Virgin Careers
• Career opportunities listing

Jetstar

• Jetstar Careers 
• Jetstar Cabin Crew

Tiger Airways

• Careers 

PPrune appears to be quite busy at the moment with Aussie airline threads. Check out some i have included below.

Virgin Atlantic (II)

Virgin Atlantic (I)

Virgin Blue

Qantas domestic

VP

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Oman Air

Hearing: Broken Strings - James Morrison

http://www.omanairblog.com/omanair/2009/10/oman-air-goes-for-the-balenciaga-look.html

Oman Air - This airline doesnt offer much by way of cabin crew information - strike that - it doesnt offer any information at all! Flicking over to their website today i noticed that if a job is posted in the vacancy section it will provide some decent details but there were no jobs advertised for Cabin Crew. Everything else on their website is general info.

The PPrune thread i found is not great but its better than nothing. Also in an effort to give you guys some kind of information i contacted one Oman Air cabin crew with some questions in the hopes that i'll be able to share this information. If i get an answer i'll be sure to post an update so keep your fingers crossed!

Oman Air Global Website

Oman Air Career page

Oman Air Job Vacancy

VP

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Additonal Emirates Blogs and Cabin Crew Links

Hearing:

Here are some additional Cabin Crew wannabe resources and forums i came across recently and some more Emirates Cabin Crew Blogs.

http://www.thirtythousandfeet.com/flightat.htm
http://wwww.cabincrew.com/ccnetwork/forum_topics.asp?FID=3
http://www.airlinecrew.net/


Emirates cabin crew blogs:

http://danielleindubai.blogspot.com/

http://getreadyfortakeofflis.blogspot.com/
http://twentysomethingflightattendant.blogspot.com/

VP

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Royal Jordanian

Hearing: Cars driving by, Merlin (my cat) purring next to me, leaves rustling in the wind.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I hope everyone has had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. I wish you all a wonderful & exciting 2011. For all you cabin crew wannabes...i hope that 2011 is the year you land your dream job in the skies.

With that in mind...Welcome to the first post of 2011 - Royal Jordanian!

http://www.rj.com/en/tabid/130/Default.aspx

Based in Amman, Jordan and launched in 1963 as "Alia" it was later renamed Royal Jordanian, its network spans 53 detinations world-wide and it is a member of the OneWorld Airline Alliance. For aviation uniform lovers check out their uniform gallery.

Royal Jordanian Global Website

Royal Jordanian Career Website 

Royal Jordanian Cabin Crew Info - Non-Jordanian (Female Only)

On to the basics...

Location: You will be based in  Amman

Age: 18-30 years

Height:158cm

Salary:

     - 1356 USD monthly base salary

     - 850 USD per month flying allowance (though the website doesnt say if this is an average or how it is calculated)

Healthcare: Medical care + life insurance provided by company

Travel Discounts:Annual airline tickets for you and your family (though they do no specify the terms and conditions)

To apply, all you need to do is send your CV/Resume and a full body photo to Cabincrew@rj.com

Unfortunately that is all the information i could find on their official website.

Some other links that may be useful include:

• PPrune Royal Jordanian thread
• CabinCrew.com Royal Jordanian thread

It has been very difficult finding any cabin crew blogs, i dont know if the crew are just too busy flying to keep a blog or if Royal Jordanian has a problem with it or if my searching skills are just that bad....please let me know if you have come across any!

VP

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Gulf Air

Hearing: I cant be tamed - Miley Cyrus (oh and my not so small kitten purring away...)

Gulf Air - "Guaranteed to make you smile"

image from http://www.link2portal.com/energy/company/64283/gulf_air

Gulf Air used to be a very large airline and very popular, it was almost as big as Emirates. With the launch and expansion of Etihad Airways however some of Gulf Airs  destinations were taken away and as a result the airline has shrunk significantly. Gulf Air is based in Bahrain a small island East of Saudi and North-west of Qatar. At present it appears that they are only hiring Bahraini nationals though in the past they have hired crew world-wide.

Gulf Air Website

Gulf Air Career Website
Gulf Air Flight Attendant Information

Gulf Air on Facebook

The information on this website is more scattered than other airline career sites but if you head to the FAQ page you'll be able to find the details. Also don't forget that they have the "Sky Nanny" positions available which other airlines we have covered so far do not.

Location: You will be based in Bahrain

Age: 20-30years

Accommodation: Company provided shared accommodation with 1-2 people.

Salary: Tax free salary, allowances and end-of-service benefits depending on length of employment (Unspecified)

Annual Leave: One free annual leave ticket per year

Healthcare: Company provided including dental

Travel Discounts: Available to you and certain family members travelling on Gulf Air and partner airlines
Training period: 8 weeks

I have also found the below details taken from the Gulf Airs Bahrani Nationals - Flight Attendant vacancy page (so please be aware that these may only apply to Bahraini Nationals applying)

Height: Min 5 feet 3 inches (1.58m) tall

Leave: 36 days

Status: Single with no children

Qualifications: University/College

I have had some difficulty finding cabin crew blogs or many forum sites but here is a list of sites/articles that i could find:

PPrune
Gulf Air Crew & Ground Staff (ex & current) Facebook page 

All-female Bahraini crew for Gulf Air (article)

Skytrax passenger reviews

If your a Gulf Air flight attendant and would like to share your blog, please contact me via email (see the about me page) or include your site by posting a comment.


VP

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Cheeky Air New Zealand ads

Hearing: (You make me) Smile - Uncle Kracker

Recently my manager at work brought to my attention some clever (albiet cheeky) Air New Zealand ads. Now this manager has travelled with several airlines and now refuses to travel with any airline other than Singapore and Emirates. But as a result of these ads he said, and i quote: "i am so going to fly with them next time just coz of those ads!"

The Air New Zealand adverts are 5 in total and promote the new seating and service for their new 777-300 aircrafts. Check them out for yourself at the Air New Zealand You Tube channel - my favs are Happy Hour and The Intimate Art of Touch (included below).

And no this post was not sponsored by Air New Zealand or anyone else...i really think they are clever and a bit naughty which is a refreshing change in advertising and from airlines who take themselves far too seriously.

VP

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Aviointeriors Skyrider

Hearing: I love the way you lie - Eminem Ft Rihanna


We interrupt the Airline Cabin Crew Career Information posts for some airline crazyness...

.....saddle seats with 23 inches of leg room...no im not joking.

To have a peek at this new development head on over to the Sydney Morning Herald gallery here.

These seats were designed by Aviointeriors, an Italian company that specialises in providing aircraft interior products.

http://www.aviointeriors.it/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=141:aviointeriors-launches-a-super-high-density-seat&Itemid=155

I can see Ryanair taking an interest in this new seating style...Ryanair has become infamous in the airline industry for its drastic measures to save money, at one point it was looking at charging for the use of onboard lavetories and selling tickets for standing room only. More recently they have caused a stir for claiming they were seeking approval to remove co-pilots from short-haul flights and instead train up cabin crew to assist (click here for guardian article). I know that even while people complain about cost cutting, they will still buy cheap airfares, air safety should always come first...no execeptions not even to save money.

I digress...after investing in the development of these seats, it will be interesting to see which airlines will be willing to fork out to have them installed on their aircraft! Low cost carriers? Airlines based in countries with large populations? Time will tell who the buyers will be and if passengers are willing to give them a go too.

Would you fly an airline with such seats? How long would you willing to be seated in them? Post a comment and let me know!


VP

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Etihad Airways

Hearing: Airplanes  - B.O.B ft Haley Williams

Next up - Etihad Airways! Similar to Emirates, this post is on everything Etihad Cabin Crew i could pull together. Just like Mel from Tampax Towers did in the Emirates post, feel free to add anything by posting a comment or contacting me!

image from http://careers.etihadairways.com/ehire/English/FAQs.aspx

Etihad Airways - It is the national carrier of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) - not Emirates as most people beleive. It is based in Abu Dhabi one of the other Emirates in the UAE.

Etihad Global Website

Etihad Career Website

Etihad Cabin Crew Website

Their Cabin Crew jobsite has been updated since i first started writing this post. It still has lots of information cabin crew wannabes want to know. Make sure you check out the FAQ section for Cabin Crew as there is valuable stuff there and also do a job search for "cabin crew" for some additional information. Be sure to refer to information on the Etihad website before listening to what anyone else says/what you hear elsewhere. I have summarised some of the information here to act as a quick reference but make sure visit the website too!

Location: You will be based in Abu Dhabi

Age: Minimum 21 years

Height: 162cm. You need to be able to reach 214cm without shoes

Salary: unspecified - tax free

Experience Required: 2 years customer service (part time for 2 years is accepted)

Other: Ability to swim at least 25m unaided in open water, without a flotation devic

Assessment Day Schedule (taken from the cabin crew job advert on their crew website - please note that you do need an invite to attend):

August 2010

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Milan, Italy- Cabin Crew Open Day on 5th August at Radisson Blu Milan, 0830 am- 1030 am*

Athens, Greece-  Cabin Crew Open Day on 3rd August at Crowne Plaza Hotel Athens City, 0830 am- 1030 am*

Barcelona, Spain

Dusseldorf, Germany

Dublin, Republic of Ireland

London, United Kingdom

September 2010

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Copenhagen, Denmark

Oslo, Norway

Warsaw, Poland

Helsinki, Finland

Paris, France

Brussels, Belgium

Budapest, Hungary

Bratislava, Slovakia

 * Please bring a copy of your updated CV, one passport sized photograph and copy of your passport details page.

Etihad forum threads (bear in mind some information here might be outdated):

PPrune

Cabin Crew

Some Etihad Cabin Crew Blogs:

Nikita - Once Upon A Dream

Around the Globe 

A lot of these blogs talk about the travel side of the job but there are some nuggets of information for the hungry wannabe (like i used to be) which gives a personal insight in to what it is really like to live in Abu Dhabi and work for Etihad.

If anyone comes across any other website that may be useful please let me know. In the meantime good luck to all those interested in applying for Etihad, i wish you well and email me if you want to share your experience!

VP

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Emirates

Hearing: Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

As promised here is a post on everything Emirates Cabin Crew i could pull together. Feel free to add anything by posting a comment or contacting me!

image from http://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/english/Careers_Overview/cabin_crew/default.aspx

Emirates Airlines - for those who dont know - is the most popular airline in the Middle-East and the one that most people want to join. Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, UAE (United Arab Emirates).

Emirates Global Website

Emirates Career Website 

Emirates Cabin Crew Jobsite

The Cabin Crew jobsite has a lot of information most applicants want to know, eg, minimum age, height 'restrictions', pay etc. I recommend you rely on that information first before any other source. I have summarised some of the information here to act as a quick reference but do have a look at the information provided on the website, even the FAQ page has additional info!

Location: You will be based in Dubai

Age: Minimum 21 years

Height: You need to be able to reach 212cm (standing with ur arms stretched above ur head)

Contract: 3 years non-binding with 6 months probationary period. It can be renewed for another 3 years

Accommodation: Company provided (which means free with no electricity/water/phone bills!!)

Salary: (in 3 parts)

     -  3915 dirhams (approx 1065 USD) tax free per month

     -  53.50 dirhams per hour paid between chocks off and chocks on

     -  meal allowance in the currency of the country of layover

Annual Leave: 30 days + one free annual leave ticket per year

Healthcare: Medical care + life insurance provided by company

Travel Discounts: Some available on joining, others after probationary period.

Emirates run a number of Global Open Days throughout the year in various locations, for details check out this page. There are currently several scheduled for April and May 2010. Global Open Days are usually very busy. Bring your resume and photos and most importantly you need a lot of patience. The day serves mainly as an introduction to the company and there is time later to submit your resume and say a quick hello to the recruiters.

Global Assessment Days on the other hand are by appointment only and you need to submit your resume beforehand. For that schedule click here.

Emirates forum threads (bear in mind some information here might be outdated):

PPrune

Vogue

Some Emirates Cabin Crew Blogs:

Airboy

Melisa - The Emirates Chapter

Lisa's Cabin Crew Blog

Tampax Towers
Life as i know it
Going for it
TobyTime
Pink Poodle
Dstar Duubai
Carine in the Sandpit
The Flying Kiwi
Aerobatics Ash
Shaun Wykes
Flying High
Flying at 35,00 feet
Danielles cabin crew blog

Maicon Soares An Emirates wannabe blog!

A lot of these blogs talk about the travel side of the job but there are some nuggets of information for the hungry wannabe (like i used to be) which gives a personal insight in to what it is really like to live in Dubai and work for Emirates.

If anyone comes across any other website that may be useful please let me know. In the meantime good luck to all those interested in applying for Emirates, i wish you well and email me if you want to share your experience!

VP

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Thailand trip updates

Hearing: I gotta feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Its high time i posted about my trip to Thailand dont you think?

I think i'll break my posts up according to the main places i visited though otherwise it will be a marathon post! Be warned, they will be photo intense!! So starting with Bangkok - Ayutthaya - Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon - Phuket - Phang Nanga Bay. Hmm and i think i'll make a seperate post about the local carriers too. I think our carriers in Australia can learn a thing or two.

Overall it was a brilliant trip. The moment i set foot in Bangkok i felt like id arrived home...Hmmm i'm sure ive said that somewhere before and im sorry if im repeating myself. Can i just say Thai Airways are just lovely to fly with! I have this habit now of always watching what the flight attendants do in regards to safety demos and service and comparing with my old airline or other airlines ive flown with. Needless to say that from a service point of view they were very sweet and wonderful.

Hmm looks like this post is already turning into a post about carriers...well why not? I flew with Thai Airways from Sydney to Bangkok return. Learn to love online check in people!! I picked myself a window seat before leaving home, and skipped the long que when i arrived at the airport, the look on peoples faces...they must have thought i was que-jumping! Anyway i digress...From Bangkok to Chiang Mai i flew Air Asia. Chiang Mai to Phuket was the "we fly smiles" Nok Air and Phuket to Bangkok was One-Two-Go (operated by Orient Thai). All were wonderful as low cost carriers go. And beleive it or not, you dont have to pay for everything, they offered free drinks (non-alcholoic of course) and peanuts/savoury snacks. Well done i say! It just that little bit extra that is really appreciated. You wont get that on Virgin Blue or Jetstar here! And they were so, so cheap!

Being an ex-flight attendant im also in the habit of reading the safety card each time i get on a new aircraft. I came across one on Nok Air that was really brilliant and different. They used cartoon anime to illustrate the safety card. It really got my attention and gave me a laugh too - the drawings were too cute! See for yourself!

A handy thing to know about these carriers if you are going to use them are the airports they fly in/out of. Air Asia operates to Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport but Nok Air and One-Two-Go operate out of Bangkoks Don Muang Airport. I think Don Muang is a bit closer to the city than Suvarnabhumi and it was the main airport for all international and local carriers till Suvarnabhumi was finished. Im not sure but i beleive it was a military airport before its commercial use and now most of it has closed down now save for those two low cost carriers operating out of it.

On to uniforms!

Nok Air - Canary Yellow! But somehow i like it. Googling "Nok Air Uniforms" i found a cool blog all about flight attendants that i'll be adding to my links. Click here for the post with a photo of Nok Air flight attendants in their uniform. I also found this photo which just looks fantastic.

Air Asia - Red with a white shirt, very attention getting and it looks great. You can see it on the splash page of the airlines website.

One-Two-Go - Navy suit and white shirt with coloured stripes around the neck, pics here and here.

I have to say (if you havent figured it out already) im partal to Nok Air. Its a refreshing fun airline, the colors are bright, the staff friendly, service good, cheap fares, even the planes they fly are colourfully painted with the nose painted with a beak to make it look like a bird! Look at this one.

Ok so on to the next posts. I'll try and make a post a week at the least so stay tuned!

VP

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