This is something "wannabees" do not consider enough when they "dream" about becoming cabin crew. Often during interviews, recruiters ask you "do you think you could get use to the lifestyle? Not seeing your friends, your family when you want, missing Xmas, birthdays, family holidays etc.?" ... and of course we all say YES because we want to wear that faaab uniform... yeah right!
True we work as a team and we smile, but that doesn't mean we are happy. We sometime feel like we are part of a big family, but we often miss on building our own due to the nature of our job. Most of the time we don't even work twice with the same person and ironically all we get to take home at the end of a trip is the crew food if we're un/lucky!
We look smart in our nice uniforms and we go to posh hotels and destinations... but back home, when the make-up is off and the bills are there to pay, we are simply humans... and often alone...
Not nice having to wake-up at 2am, when everybody just returned from parties and clubs, coz' we've got an early... it seems the world belongs to others
Despite all this, we like flying, we put our heart into this because we are dedicated in what we do, we enjoy caring for others and besides, we struggle to imagine ourselves in an office... the real world... the routine... we keep asking ourselves what life would be if we worked 9 to 5... would we be fulfilled? Could it be that we are scared of moving on? Does doing this job represent our weakness or our strenght after all?
I'm still trying to work this out... Thankfully I have solid beliefs (wisdom due to my old age I guess
) and a bunch of people who think I'm worth it... but I can imagine how hard it can be for others... Sometime we are just a staff number...
I seldom turned to colleagues to discuss my problems and address personal issues: it's difficult to make real friends amongst the crew coz' too many like to join "galley FM"... and honestly not many really care! Once you're off the aircraft and out of sight, you're gone! Ah yeah: you've got a drop file eventually... and a mobile number most will never call.
If you go clubbing on Tuesday night they're all out there at the bar, keen on telling the world "I'm cabin crew"... They play the role... they get pissed... what a life... I'm not going. (somehow I'm pretty sure it's the same both in Brisbane and Gatwick).
I tend to agree with some of the comments that have been made in this post: airlines are saving money on crew and cutting too many edges to obtain what they want. CREW CARE is a very important part of an airline and it is a department that should be PROTECTED as it is a right. Unfortunately managers of many airlines (especially the budget ones...) do not even know what I'm talking about.
How much is YOUR life worth? A phone call away or another expense cut away?
FJ