My World As A Flight Attendant

IOE on 200 with Ms. Kerry I had my Initial Operating Experience (IOE) on aircraft 200 on June 25, 2014 in Des Moines, Iowa. It was a nerve-racking experience, but thank God I had passed.  The IOE was a key to gauge our knowledge and skills if we are capable to start flying. I knew I had prepared for it, and I knew I was ready.  The month of training with extensive studying and stress has been paid off.  Captain Richard was our pilot on our 200 aircraft, and Ms. Kerry was my instructor.  Both of them were nice and they made me feel relaxed. Capt. Richard took these photos and told me that someday I would look back to these photos and would be glad that I have them. He was right! I am thanking Capt. Richard for taking these photos. It has been 2 years now . . . .  I have survived the training and the IOE.  I am enjoying and grateful for this job! ...

Ooops, I got the wrong room. A good coffee is a required item for me in the morning to keep me going.  Before taking a shower, I need to have a sip of coffee, as much as possible. One early morning at 4:30 AM in Knoxville, TN, I decided to get my coffee at the lobby instead of making my own coffee in the room.  I decided not to bring my key and left my room open. Coming back, I opened this room and saw a luggage and a pants neatly folded on the floor. I was surprised and closed the door right away.  I obviously went to a wrong floor, but the room number was quite similar. I blame my morning status quo of not being fully awake yet and forgot to remember my room number.  I was glad that there was no 'big old guy' who yelled at me just because I opened a wrong room and invaded his privacy. My lesson learned: Bring the key with me all the time.  This is one funny anecdote that is nice to share and remember.

It was in May 2014 when we graduated and earned our wings. Just like most of us say, time flies fast.  It is the time of the year again for Inflight Recurrent Training. The first one for me was nerve-racking. But this time, I think of it as a normal challenge.  To refresh what we have learned and to learn something new are good ways to perform well on our craft, and be prepared for any emergency that can possibly happen. This job can be routine but it can also be challenging every day. The occurrence of peculiar circumstances including emergencies is unexpected.  I always say that in this industry, every day is different.  Every flight or every trip can be different. On some days you have fun, and on some days you have all sorts of challenges, from the passengers to weather, aircraft and crew issues.  Our class of 28 is now down to half.  Some are no longer wit...

Back in the old days, a Flight Attendant job was described as glamorous.  Is it still glamorous? If you wear your uniform flawlessly and walk with your luggage with poise (it doesn't matter which airline you work for) people will look at you and think that you are glamorous.  If you travel constantly to beautiful places, spend a weekend in Europe and in Asia to unwind or to shop, or travel spontaneously just to meet a friend somewhere, these perks make the job glamorous. Safety and security are two primary responsibilities of a Flight Attendant. Customer Service, including serving food and drinks, and to create a great experience for the passengers are secondary. Cleaning up some mess is a menial responsibility that we are oblige to do when there is a need.  This could be the unglamorous part to some Flight Attendants.  But I believe that someone who loves this job w...

I remember back in my embassy days, we celebrate a day when we bring our kids to the office, to show them what we do at work. I've brought Mary & Joshua one time when they were younger. I had to work a 5 day trip on Christmas week in December 2015. Because Mary would be alone on Christmas, we decided that she travels with me. Fortunately, she got a seat on our flights. It was a Christmas eve in Rochester, NY and a Christmas day in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We couldn't do anything fun than to stay in the hotel. Nevertheless, it was a Christmas time we spent together, with a great crew as well. Mary got to see how I do my job. I am proud of it.  Those were memorable flights and a Christmas day together!

The airport is one interesting place where you can see different personalities and characters in all walks of life.  At Raleigh Durham, NC in March 2015, we met Santa and his wife waiting for their flight.  I didn't hesitate to approach them and asked if Shannel and I can take photo with them. And they gladly did. His shirt that says "I Fly Delta but not on Christmas Day" is epic.  He was having fun playing Santa, so we took part of his experience. Meeting people with different personalities and characters is a routine on this job.  Some people are nice, some are not, some are funny, witty and weird,  some are just indifferent. You name them.  As a Flight Attendant, I need to have flexible character to deal with all sorts of people or character. I need to have the patience to deal with the hard ones. I need to be grateful for those who are nice.  I need to have enthusiasm to deal with the ...

One of the things I love about this job is that I meet nice people from different backgrounds. Her name is Elhm, she's from Saudi Arabia travelling with her husband and son. She's studying English in the US and aspires to be a Social Worker in her country.  She asked me to write something on her journal that will motivate her. So I did, without any hesitation. This is what I wrote: It's our pleasure to have you and your family on our flight from Detroit to JFK on December 2, 2015. It is very impressive to know that you came to the US to study English in order to fulfill your dream in becoming a social worker.  I wish you the best in attaining your dream, and may you be successful with your career.  I can see you as a successful social worker in the near future. Good luck and more power. We hope that you enjoyed your flight with us. It was very nice meeting you, and thank you for letting me do this. - - - end of my message - - - We neve...

I was honored to have the American flag on board our flight on October 31, 2015.  To acknowledge and honor the Veterans on board is something that I love to do.  On our flight from Atlanta, it was not a Veteran but the wife of a Veteran and the American flag representing her husband who just passed away.  She obviously came from the burial and returning home with this flag.  I didn't want to miss this opportunity of a photo with her, on this rare event.  It was indeed my great honor and privilege. Thank you for your service, Sir!

I love small, nice and quiet airports. I must say that this is one of my favorite airport photos taken in October 2015.  It was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I was wearing my pink scarf. The world is big and wonderful but this photo makes the world small. It's my goal to travel the world as much as I can, to seek adventure, to explore, to enjoy, to learn, and be grateful for this blessing!

This 4-day trip in April 2015 is a memorable trip.  We were in Detroit waiting to deadhead somewhere.  I went to Wendy's to buy a salad with just my wallet.  I always say that I don't like holding my wallet without my bag, as I have a tendency to leave my wallet somewhere.  And that's what happened! I didn't realize that I lost my wallet until the following day that we were about to leave for Montreal from LGA.  I tried to recall what I did and where I went, to trace where I could have left my wallet. My recollection was I went to Wendy's and probably left it on the counter when I was signing the receipt. Before heading to Montreal, I called crew scheduling to check if I can travel without my greencard. They told me that I can, as long as I have my passport. I was a little uncertain, but because I checked with Crew Scheduling, I thought I was safe to travel. I told the officer in Montreal airport that I los...