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#252006 by johnvscrew
17 Nov 2007, 02:33
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
ok heres my inbound report and i know alot of you will look with interest as we all know that the inbound night flight can sometimes be a little poor compared to the outbound.

my hotel room phone rang and i answered it was my wake up call now have an hour to get dressed and to reception, im normally getting ready anyway by the time it goes off love to be early its the virgo in me! got dressed checked my room (i've lost so many tioletries and t shirts by not doing this) then headed down to reception, paid my bill and checked out was going to change the last bits of money i had as you cant outside the country, but the que was too long, so i chatted to the rest of the crew and once we were all down we got onto the bus. drive to the airport seemed to be really long alot of us were tired i can never sleep in the afternoon before a night flight so just normally watch TV. ONce we got to the airport we went to the check in. This always feels really cheeky as the que of passengers was enormous, always is here. but we need to be on the plane before anyone else so i suppose we're justified. then through duty free, which wasn't very good here and onto the plane, which this time isn't ready! so we all go and sit in A zone (upper class) its the rules not just where we choose lol this is because the cleaners do this bit first so we can sit there out of the way while they get on with their jobs. the crew cart had been put in upper for us so we all had something to eat, was glad of it as the food here isn't very good no matter where you go. the FSM briefed us we had a full loads with 70 empty seats in Y. We had also been round tripped which mean we bring all the catering from the uk out on the plane for the return trip, it flies in the hold and is all frozen to keep it fresh. that means though that our catering would be pretty tight. also had a wheelchair passenger who would need assistance throughout the flight. We would also be swapping possitions (where we are working) this meant that i was now in galley 2 (under the stairs) and would be boarding cool i love boarding. The FSM also reminded us that we get most of our complaints from night flights and that passengers have all been on holiday and would be a little miserable and stressed to be going home. the plane seemed to take forever to be ready, but once it was we were off to our seats to do our checks.

Boarding was called and i went to the door and we greated our fist passenger, who was our passenger needing assistance he was pretty stressed and told us he had had a bad time in the airport, the special assistance guys had said they would take him to the loo but hadn't. so i got the onboard wheel chair and we set up to transfer him. the special assistance guys aren't great here they started to pull him and he wasn't ready, we then decided to intervene and with the FSM's help we were able to get our passenger into the wheelchair, i then pulled him round to the tiolets and with help onto the tiolet seat, i then waited outside, i had also puled all the curtains across, just to give him a little more privacy. when he was finished i got him back onto his chair and round to his seat in premium just next to the loo. then welcomed him onboard he told me that he had gone skiing one year and crashed into tree, broke his neck and has been paralysed down one side ever scince. wow! thankfully i had been able to calm him down and even got a smile from him. now back to boarding! within half an our we were ready to go, so down to the 3 doors and in my seat. i was now feeling quite tired and had 8 hours 30 to go!

after take off we did our usual headsets, amenity kits and landing cards, then drinks, drink took quite a while as we kept running out of stuff and had to get it from the other carts, the outbound flight must have been as busy as ours! after this onto the meal not too many specials, and the meals were the same as the outbounds why we cant get different food for the return is anyones guess! as we got nearer the middle we started to run out of stuff in the end i had the veg sheppards pie or spring rolls from premium. was ok for everyone though no one even mentioned anything i think as the food at this destination is a bit bad they were just glad to be eating something from the UK!! we also ran out of red wine that a first for me lol.

After the meal light out! and then we did duty free, this time the FSM offered and took my place they were ages! at least 2 hours and this time i offered them a drink lol! during the night i had a lady stop me when i was going through the cabin, she had eaten in the airport and was now felling very unwell, she was vomiting so i got her a big bottle of water, and some diarilite to keep her hydrated. she couldn't keep it down, but i told her to keep trying to drink the water, having little sips. To cover myself and the airline i filled out a form and took her temp which was fine. then i was asked by the girl doing premium downstairs if i would take my gentleman from boarding to the loo as i had helped him earlier, he would appreciate a familiar face. So off down the front and assisted him, also exchanged a few jokes. the flight was quite busy for a night flight but i managed to visit upper for a nice coffee from their machine, and a quick sit down, there would be no crew rest on this flight as we were too busy.

The rest of the flight went ok we served breakfast, cereal, fruit, and juice. the light went up and a few red eyed passengers had actually managed to sleep. personally i never sleep on a plane and i get a little bed! after breakfast we prepared for landing, by now my feet were hurting and i was absolutly knackered! apparently there had been a few short tempers in the rear galley but i hadn't seen them and always try to stay out of it lol its just what happens when your tired, and i think some crew struggle at night in the small galleys. but im sure there wasn't anything that the passengers saw, hope not anyway! the seatbelt sign came on and i was glad we were landing.

once down we were into a parking slot dead quick and everyone got off, i folowed the last passenger down the aisle to assist my gentleman into the chair, he was really pleased to see his own electric chair on the airbridge, as it meant he could travel through the terminal easily. i said my goodbyes to him and he thanked very much for helping him. kind of makes the flight more worthwhile, does that make scense? oh my poorly lady was still ill so sent her off with some sick bags [:$] (at least she didn't have far to get home) all in all a busy night but quite a good flight.

was sooooo glad to get home and have a propper cup of tea and a sleep.[;)]
#426087 by slinky09
17 Nov 2007, 09:07
Thanks again John - I think we are all beginning to appreciate that you have long days, quite some hassle and yet maintain a cheery positive outlook. Great for you!
#426096 by HighFlyer
17 Nov 2007, 11:54
Thanks John. Your enthusiasm for your job really comes through, and its great to highlight the small but really vital aspects of your job, such as helping the chap in the wheelchair. I am sure you really made a huge difference to his flight. Kudos to you, and i really hope that I get to fly with you at some point [y]

Thanks,
Sarah
#426109 by goanmad
17 Nov 2007, 16:17
Your TR's are getting better and better, keep them coming please? (Sounds like a school report!!)[^]

Awake all night and still dealing with us old moaners! You guy's have my respect.[oo]

Thanks again[y][^][oo]
#426110 by DMetters-Bone
17 Nov 2007, 16:55
Thanks for a great TR, it is really good to hear a crew report and it really hits home how hard you guys work, especially when you didn't get any crew rest.

DMB
#426112 by n/a
17 Nov 2007, 17:23
John V. Screw -- I am so amazed by your attitude, your spirit...I think I might be falling in love. You single?

GJ

PS -- Great TR! Thanks for posting!
#426115 by thejohn
17 Nov 2007, 17:49
another couple of good TRs thanks john, and one day we hope to be on one of your trips but we would never know unless we get a mention!!!!!
#426130 by buns
17 Nov 2007, 20:32
John

Thanks for sharing your experience with us

The FSM also reminded us that we get most of our complaints from night flights and that passengers have all been on holiday and would be a little miserable and stressed to be going home.


It is easy to forget that our own attitude as passengers can sometimes influence our perception of service. Being lumpy before even boarding can only end up with not enjoying the flight back home

At least you did not have far to get back home

Thanks once again

buns
#426139 by Bill S
17 Nov 2007, 22:17
Another great report John.
I am sure that these do help pax to understand better the situation for CC - that will help us understand when things appear to go wrong - and that actually eases the situation.

Improves the flight for all of us on board.

Wish a few more CC joined in!

Hope someday to be on your flight - and wish we could make a Heroes nomination!
#426146 by mike-smashing
17 Nov 2007, 22:59
Thanks for the report. Interesting to hear that the catering was round-tripped, and just changed over with the supplies in the hold, though as you say, why they can't offer different food even round tripping the catering is beyond me.

I recently did a trip to Vienna with Austrian Airlines, and it seemed that most of the Y food was round tripped from VIE. I asked one of the crew if this was the case, and she said that except for the first LHR-VIE flight in the morning (the aircraft which nightstopped at LHR), which is catered with breakfast at LHR, and some Business class food items, all the food on LON-VIE is round tripped from the VIE end - is different in either direction, and changes regularly so that regular pax don't see the same thing over and over again.

The fact that the food is round tripped ex-UK because the food is generally bad at the downline destination begs the question why people go on holiday there in the first place! Though maybe good food is higher in my selection criteria for a holiday than most!

Mike
#426345 by johnvscrew
20 Nov 2007, 19:23
hey guys many thanx for all the encouragement will keep em coming though with 5 - 6 trips a month you may get fed up of me LOL!

I think with regards to food in Cuba it may be better at some of the hotels in valedero though a visit to cuba is certainly something i think should be on everyones list. Havana is a very amazing place and i think the arcutecture, cars, music, sun and beaches kind of make up for it, and as long as your carefull the food is ok but never great.
#426355 by ChuckC
20 Nov 2007, 20:32
John, you are ever so generous to take the time necessary to remember all these details and then write them out. Thank you. Your comments give us civilians some perspective on the job of flight attendant. Those of us who fly often probably empathize the most; your job is not an easy one by any stretch of the imagination.

Thank you again for your contribution to V-Flyer.

Chuck-
Virgin Atlantic

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