Juud
27th Dec 2006, 14:18
In view of the season, a special Christmas boarding tape is stowed in the IFE video position. Between dec 15 and 31st, the special tape is to be played during boarding. Do not play the Christmas tape on ME or Gulf routes; play the standard tape instead.
The Emirates are full of Christmas trees; this was obviously thought up by some desk idiot :rolleyes:
So with all FAs at their boarding stations & wearing Santa hats, Jingle Bells merrily blaring from the speakers and snowy skating scenes on the monitors, I signal the station manager that boarding can start.
guys, pax´re on their way, they don’t wanna be here any more than we do, so let’s make an extra effort in the cheerful & welcoming department please!
Despite the commercial razzmatazz, Dubai International Airport at 11PM on Christmas eve is not a jolly place really.
One after another the tired drawn faces of the pax trundling down the gate light up when they see our silly red hats with fake white braids. At the cheery welcome words, surprised smiles creep out. A lighthearted mood spreads through the waiting queue, people start to chat and joke.
The German businessman and the elderly Bedouin couple, the large Pakistani family and the Korean sailors, the 4 Arab brothers; all of them wish us big smiley Merry Christmasses as they step aboard.
And suddenly our 777 isn’t just an impersonal means of mass-transportion.
That elusive Christmas spirit is right there and the whole crew feels it.
It´s magic.
About half our pax are Americans. On their way home from Bagdad. Big guys boarding in small groups. Crewcuts and booming voices.
A slow southern drawl, filled with wonder, cuts through the hubbub…..
“Y’all look so beautiful and you smell so good, I could just stand here all night and feel like I’ve gone to heaven"
By the look on her face, I can tell that the other FA also has an instant lump in her throat. To this man, for now, we´re not just a bunch of faceless girls who´ll serve him a mediocre airline dinner on a red-eye flight.
To him we´re clearly something very different. A vision he´s perhaps been dreaming of these past 6 months. Well groomed women in trim skirts, with long-lashed eyes and bright red lips, in high heels, smelling of French perfume and smiling at him. Smiling him right back into normal life & flying him home.
Welcome aboard Sir, and a very Merry Christmas to you too!
The Emirates are full of Christmas trees; this was obviously thought up by some desk idiot :rolleyes:
So with all FAs at their boarding stations & wearing Santa hats, Jingle Bells merrily blaring from the speakers and snowy skating scenes on the monitors, I signal the station manager that boarding can start.
guys, pax´re on their way, they don’t wanna be here any more than we do, so let’s make an extra effort in the cheerful & welcoming department please!
Despite the commercial razzmatazz, Dubai International Airport at 11PM on Christmas eve is not a jolly place really.
One after another the tired drawn faces of the pax trundling down the gate light up when they see our silly red hats with fake white braids. At the cheery welcome words, surprised smiles creep out. A lighthearted mood spreads through the waiting queue, people start to chat and joke.
The German businessman and the elderly Bedouin couple, the large Pakistani family and the Korean sailors, the 4 Arab brothers; all of them wish us big smiley Merry Christmasses as they step aboard.
And suddenly our 777 isn’t just an impersonal means of mass-transportion.
That elusive Christmas spirit is right there and the whole crew feels it.
It´s magic.
About half our pax are Americans. On their way home from Bagdad. Big guys boarding in small groups. Crewcuts and booming voices.
A slow southern drawl, filled with wonder, cuts through the hubbub…..
“Y’all look so beautiful and you smell so good, I could just stand here all night and feel like I’ve gone to heaven"
By the look on her face, I can tell that the other FA also has an instant lump in her throat. To this man, for now, we´re not just a bunch of faceless girls who´ll serve him a mediocre airline dinner on a red-eye flight.
To him we´re clearly something very different. A vision he´s perhaps been dreaming of these past 6 months. Well groomed women in trim skirts, with long-lashed eyes and bright red lips, in high heels, smelling of French perfume and smiling at him. Smiling him right back into normal life & flying him home.
Welcome aboard Sir, and a very Merry Christmas to you too!