#3

A senior cabin attendant going through the cabin to check it before landing. Asking a girl who`s sitting next to window to open the window. Girl answers : "Noo, what are you kidding?? My hair will be ruined then because of the wind!!!"

Senior had no comments.... :D

#2

A Passenger showing her ticket & completely seriously asking in a plane:
"Is this a standing place or sitting??"

#1

-Coffee, please!
-You`ll pay in lats or euros?
-Just black please!
-In lats or euros??
-Coffeee??
-Lats/Euros??
-Noo, noo just black!

Šodien satiku galvu.

Sen man nebija tā sanācis apsēsties un padomāt. Padomāt par dzīvi. Padomāt par apkārtējiem cilvēkiem. Padomāt par man īpaši mīļajiem cilvēkiem. Par to, kā tālāk plānot turmāko nākotni. Par sevi. Vienkārši sēdēt un domāt neko. Tā jau arī kādreiz vajag. Citādi vienmēr sēžu un domāju par to, kā ir pagājusi darba diena, kas ir darīts pareizi un nepareizi. Vienmēr domās par aviāciju. Tā kā pēdējā laikā lidojusi neesmu - nebija domu par gaisu. Un labi vien ka tā. Beidzot atlika laiks veltīt domas arī sev. Un jāsaka godīgi - patīkami. Tā vienkārši padomājot par atsevišķiem notikumiem, var pamanīt lietas, ko ikdienas steigā vispār pat neievērosi, bet kaut kur jau tas viss paliek. Ikdienas steigā kaut kur pačib tā mīlestība pret sevi, jo nav jau laika. Bet mīlēt sevi, kā esmu iemācījusies pēdējā gada laikā - ir svarīgi. Varbūt pat viena no svarīgākajām lietām. Ja gribas smieties - jāsmejas, ja gribas raudāt - jāraud, ja gribas kādu samiļot - jāsamīļo savs tuvais, ja gribas satikties ar draugiem - jāsatiekas, gribas palikt mājās un darīt neko - tad tā arī ir jādara - jāsēž mājās darot neko. Vai vienkārši jāsēž un jāpadomā. Patīkami ir sēdēt un nekur neskriet. Bez steigas. Bez stresa. Bez pārdzīvojumiem. Bez liekām asarām. Vispār bez asarām. Ir tik forši paņemt rokās telefonu un piezvanīt sen nedzirdētam draugam un vienkārši dzirdēt to balsi, kura lieka Tev smaidīt. Atcerēties kādu kopējo atmiņu. Pat, ja visi ir tik aizņemti, ka nesanāk tikties. Ir tik jauki, ja par Tevi kāds atcerās.

Jāsaka tā - pārsteigumu pilna diena. Pēc ilgstoša iekšējā tukšuma - tas sāk piepildīties. Pa drusciņai no visa. Jo ir lietas, kuras Tu atceries, cik ļoti Tev patīk darīt. Un ir cilvēki, kurus Tu atceries, Tev ļoti patīk dzirdēt. Tu atceries, cik ļoti Tu mīli dzīvot. Jo cik tad bieži mēs dzīvojam. Because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back. Un es savu prieciņu tā vienkārši atdot par niekiem negribu, jo nav jau daudz lietas dzīvē par kurām būtu jāskumst. Jo to, dzīvi, paši vien veidojam. Un ja veidojam tādu, ka ir jāskumst - paši vien esam vainīgi. Un paši uzstādam savas prioritātes, savus mērķus, kas mūs dara laimīgus. Kāpēc uzstādīt kaut ko tādu, kas Tevi tikai iedzen stresā un nedara laimīgu pat ne vienu mazu kripatiņu?

Really, nothing about flying :)

But still so nice!! :)

Wanted, to change the world.. :)

Smile!

Passenger: "With your smile you must get in to a lot of trouble!"
Cabin crew: "hmm... I would say i get out of a lot of trouble with my smile!" :)

everyone should see.. :)

a movie about flight attendants. One of my favourites I would say. Can get the feeling of flying. And in some way - i agree :)

Last week.

Wow, a busy week this has been. Flying all the time, one day off that i spent sleeping. Tired after flights.
Hadn't had flight like these for a long, long while. On each & every flight someone yelling at the crew members, someone feeling sick, someone again yelling, someone who doesn't fasten seat belts, someone who doesn't put they're luggage away, men who tell girl cabin crew to put his bag up in the locker, though flight attendant is not the one who should put any ones baggage anywhere. Especially if you are a man. A drunk one.

3 funny & sad at the same time categories of passengers on board.

1. "Hey, i don't have where to put my bag!" (when standing in the back of the plan) "Put these bags of other passengers somewhere else, so that i could put my bag here?!"
Then i always go like this, if I know there`s a free space in the front "In the front there are free lockers, could you please take you're bag there & put it in the locker there."
"But this is my seat, what means that for my suitcase should be place in MY locker!" (haha.. oh, right! Like one locker wouldn't be for 6 passengers.. or sometimes even more)
After 3 sec of thinking can always explain to that passenger "Well, yes, but you see, this is a locker for hand baggage, that's made for 6 passengers in one row. Made to put there your little purse and coat not all the big suitcase. For suitcases there is made the cargo compartment. So please take you're bag to front or we will have to take your bag to cargo compartment (that we usually don't do, cause that always causes delays) "
"But what if someone steals it from there? Who will take the responsibility?!?!" (that's one of the silliest things I've heard.. like we would be carrying just criminals & they would have gold in those bags.. haha.. like someone needs them!!!)

.. yea.. right.. Even if customer is always right, still have to listen what we say.


Then those moms who don't want to fasten they're infants (a child under 2 years).

"Please fasten with seat belt you're baby, were going for landing" we always say then.
"Oh, but she is sleeping/ crying/ is not listening/ cant sit normally/ nervous/ hungry etc., etc., etc. Don't want to bother her/ wake her up. have to calm her down (bla bla bla)"
"Fasten your baby please, we won`t be landing this plane until shes sitting fastened on your knees. It`s for your baby's safety."
.............
"Not listening to me/ I cant do it/ have to calm her down" (like i would care.. its you`re baby, so take care of it.. Has to be fastened.. not like actually i would care, if it would be up to me all the passengers could dance in the cabin for landing, but i care, to evacuate everyone alive from that birdie if it crashes badly. Besides its a lot easyer to evacuate everyone if we don't have to look for that baby through all the cabin, cause he has flown somewhere away from that mom that hadn't fastened him. Or in bad turbulence, that u might expect when flying Fokker's. A bit & the baby can easily hit the ceiling)
(while I'm telling that I'm standing there in that bad turbulence unfastened somewhere in the cabin risking my life & my head to hit the ceiling) " (Explaining why & what for.) Fasten her now & keep her fastened until the seat belt sign is off, then its safe to unfasten. " (ehh.. yes.. like those moms would listen.. they always think they know whats better.. they just probably don't know what might happen if something goes wrong in that landing.. or just don't care)



& then, of course, there are those who are never happy. "U work too slow, u missed out row, u didn't look at me the way i wanted, u gave me too much coins in change, the coffee is too cold, the tea is too hot, why don't i have meal?!, why is the flight so long?!, why isn't captain saying anything? when are we going to land (this always goes when captain is saying something on the mic.. mmmhm, nice, u listen very goood...), i don't want to put my bag up, ill keep it in my lap (saying that when sitting on emergency exit.. yes.. right.. ha... dream on! Then probably u`ll change your seat sooner than keep that bag down there!) " & so on & on & on.. :D but these i actually find funny :D can see how far can humans mind go.. i mean.. i don't even sometimes understand where they get all those ideas to ask for.

During boarding showing boarding pass & asking "I`m sorry, is this sitting or standing place?" & looking at you very serious. Ah, what it takes from us not to die from laugh :D

Another lonely evening in Riga.

Was just doing my own things & resting from flights while driving around when decided to go close to Daugava cause the sunset was so close. Ah, got a little bit of the happy feeling. So nice to see the ice going, spring coming, some sun & stand there - when its a lot warmer then the last few months. :)

CRM

Training.

Today was recurrent training of CRM (Crew resource management) well.. good that we have those recurrents time after time, always good to remind yourself some things that u might forget or just to remind yourself what u should improve in your communication skills.

Personality.

After days like these it always makes me wonder about human personality factor. U know, you're own personality plays a big role in a job like ours. U have to know how to work with others, how to deal with them & accept those weird things that every each & one of us have. Sometimes its hard, a lot more times - quite easy. But wow, how many weird people u can meet. Seriously! It none of those jobs that I've been working never has been so many people. I guess its good. 34 nationalities that u have to get along with in our company. I would say - perfect. So many great things that u can find out :D

Have to be flexible.
Have to be a personality.



What makes people happy.

You live you're life & always think that the big things in you're life can make you happy. Never actually realizing that the small things that u experience through all day long are the greatest ones. Like hearing birds singing in an early spring. Or seeing others smiling (especially here in Latvia) when dark winter has passed & everyone seems to change they're masks from angry to happy. Or just getting to sit in a classroom reminding ure self how it was - to study. Aah, so nice to do something different but flying. Every now & then of course :)

p.s. My cat is driving me crazy!!!! Could send her away with the next flight to Dubai!!

Latvian songs.

Brianstorm.

Latvian classics. For those who loves planes. "Where is my plane!?!?"




Something with a theme of flying. Sounds nice.

3.45 in the morning

Labrīt tauta saka pilots Tims!!!

Another week starts. 3.45 goes the alarm off & after 25 min in bed a fight with the sleep monster, that tries to keep me asleep has been won (though twice have slept just a bit too long... well ok.. once enough long so that the flight had another crew member instead of me. The other time that was the fastest ever getting to the airport. Woke up & in 40 min was already in the plane. Made it a bit before passengers came on board. Nope, not good.).

A lot of weird thoughts come in to mind when up that early. Kinda brain would work other way, like something else than it does usually on a normal day at a normal time. Remembering stuff & making plans like Napoleon. Fun in a way, if u don't forget them during first flights, then u can actually realize them later. Have to have time to dream sometime, if not enough time to sleep & dream together :)

THE Crew Buss

Since my car is at the service for a technical reason, had to use what our company offers - a bus that picks u up for early mornings. So arranged that yesterday. They called me in the evening & the conversation was kinda like this -

"Is the bus stop or some other corner (saying actually which one) is better to pick u up?"
"Bus stop would be perfect" i said.
"ok, 5.20 we`ll be there"

So, went out of home a bit earlier, so that wouldn't be late. U know, first time on THE buss, an adventure & something new. Have to be earlier to see what happens. So I'm there on the stop waiting... 5 min.. 10 min.. 13 min.. & at 5.33 the bus drivers calls with a question "so r u going to work today or not?!"

Which i reply "I would, if someone would pick me up"
"I'm at the corner, where r u?"
"what corner?? we arranged the bus stop... .."
".... what bus stop?!?" was the bus drivers reaction.

In the end he found me & i got luckily to work. Well, I just guess that's the way how the things here go. & even if ure sure u were right & understood everything correctly, they make u feel guilty that u wasn't there where they were waiting for u. Eh, whatever.

The world is how u make it.

Eh Whatever. Now it is eh whatever. If it would have been a situation like that i would be upset with a situation like that, with the misunderstanding. Now its just whatever. Everyone learns from they're mistakes. So next time if they don't make sure what happens, I will.

I remember my first flight. It was to Athens. First flight ever as a cabin crew. New to everything. Trying ure best, but so unsure. It was full plane on both ways. And on the way back to Riga most of our meals from Buy on Board were finished. A lot of angry & hungry passengers & impatient & tired crew. Keeping pointing on everything that's done wrong. Ah, what a bad feeling that was. Cried on that flight back home as never before when someone else had seen. When come to think of it now - nothing of what should be that upset. But back there - a trainee cabin crew, that none of the hungry passengers seem to be hearing, or maybe that they just didn't care (though usually passengers are very nice & understanding). Some bad jokes from crew side & the day is ruined. Nothing worse could be if a bad joke comes about what uve done there when ure already on nerves. Now - pff.. let it be :) Even if food finished - its not me who ate it all. I know ure hungry. I am too. But here, i can give u this form to write to our customers relations department. They ll try to fix it for the next flight. Nothing personal. Nothing bad. Everyone has they re bad days.

I love my work!


Broken plane.

Had to fly double flights today. Well.. Flew one, for the other one plane broke. So I got day off after the first flight & the broken-planes-flight-passengers-&-crew got to wait for the plane to be fixed or another available arrive. On days like this, when u rather be at home doing absolutely nothing than working hard all day its nice. too nice. I wish for a vacation of 3 months. I would find what to do. But by that time i would have started missing flying soooo baad.. :)

P.s. In a lot of hotels when u set up wake-up call for example at 3.20 in the morning, in stead of "Good morning" the wake up call wakes u up with "Good evening" .. nice to wake up when u know that someone else is just going to sleep :D

a Song

Decided that sharing music, that on my opinion would fit perfectly for todays song would be a great idea.

So here it is. Song of 21.03.2010.

Airline staff privilege

Benefit.

One of the greatest benefits of working for an airline is Id traveling (of course, u have to mention all the colleagues, passengers u get to meet, different people in different countries, airport stuff, problem solving & adventures). U have the opportunity to see the world.


Of course, if time permits. What does not happen very often because of the schedules (cause we`re always somewhere away). As Lenin (a Russian revolutionary and communist politician) used to say "Учиться, учиться и еще раз учиться" ("Learn, learn & once more learn"), if you rephrase it u could get a saying for crews - work, work & once more work. What actually is not the worst thing, since if u haven't been at work for a few days u always start missing it. Always. If haven't been working too much for the last half year. Otherwise - always :)

Traveling.

So, how it happened, how not - went to Rome, Italy for a trip of four days. Just had to leave the awfully long winter in Latvia. The rain, the snow, the -17 to +4, all the angry people everyone. Had to get away. So changed all the ice & wind for some sun & no ice/snow at all.


Went to a place where its +5 up to +18. Green grass, sun, warm, spring. Aah, what a great feeling to be there after a winter like this. We were lucky. Before we got there & on the day when we were leaving it was cloudy & a bit worse weather. Luckily chosen dates. I guess made our little trip so enjoyable.

Joining Bloggers all over the world!

So Finaly, when time has past, been looking how other bloggers do they`re blogs decided to make my own one.
Planing on a little introduction on a cabin crews life in Riga. How we fly & what to do on time off :) Could be helpful for those who are still thinking of joining cabin crews all over the world. Or not. Anyway - a way how to put all negative & positive out for me.

p.s. Life is great!