Let's think positive!
 

Well girls and guys we do have a tendency to complain a lot about the pax. Let the steam off. He said that, she did this.

How about for once we talk about the ones that have made our day nicer, put a smile on our face, made us think that it's for people like that, that we are doing this job.

I bet everyone has a little story. Share it with the others.

I'm not sure if this fit's the bill, but....

On a flight to BGI i had a pax in first who's last living relative had died so she'd sold her houses and estates, cashed in all her savings and bought a place out there, she never thought she'd fly again and she'd probably never leave the island, i spent more or less the whole 9 hours talking to her and when she got off she was so nice that for a brief second i was almost emotional.

Sometimes we are such a pivotal part in peoples lives that it really does remind me why when i get off that stinking flying caravan that in 3 days time i'll get back on it.

Here's mine:

last week I operated a flight from FRA to BAH and was sick. I had temperature, ear infection and generally felt bad but didn't want to stay in FRA. But there was a gay couple from Finland in economy, who were really lovely. They asked me if everything was ok and told me how sorry they felt for me. They continued telling me how nice, beautiful and professional I was for the rest of the flight. That really made my day. I always appreciate when the pax are polite, can say please and thank you and don't treat us like we're their maids or something..

Well that's a great start!!!

My little moments are those when kids have come over after a flight to give me hug. People telling how a great flight it was.

On one occasion we had this businessman from States. We were three different nationalities on board and he spoke with each of us in our languages. A truly amazing man, and at the end he offered me a bottle of some fantastic hungarian wine.

On other occasion i had this swedish woman going out on vacations who was terribly scared of flying, i spent quite a lot of time talking to her. She got off very happy. I had her on her flight back home as well, and when she saw me greeting the pax, she hugged me and told me how much talking with me has helped her through her long houl flights and how happy she was to see me again.

Here's one I'll never forget,

About maybe 12 years ago, I did a MIA, on the way home we had a gentleman from Cuba(I believe), he was visiting his daughter in London who he hadn't seen for a few years, she'd just had a baby. We spent ages chatting, or trying to. He didn't speak much english, but it was more than I spoke of any other language!! He took a photo of me handing him his meal tray.!! Big thankyous and goodbyes at the end, really lovely..

Anyway, couple of weeks later, I do another MIA, (I know, lucky me!!), on the way out, guess who walks on? Yep, the same gent. He was hugging me like a long lost friend. It was quite emotional. Then he produced the photograph he'd taken of me 2 weeks previously!! He let me keep it and I've still got it...

At the end of the day, we are in the service industry, and it is these small beautiful moments when we really connect with the people we serve that makes aaaaaaaaaallllllll the difference.

This was certainly the most humbling moment i've had with the slf.

We we're operating a flight to Cagliari.

Early last year we took a special request from the gate staff to keep a row of seats at the back of the a/c. Its not something we at EasyJet do so its a rare request. We blindly obliged and kept a row.

Well up the steps came this stunning woman still in her bridal gown and groom. The instant i saw the groom it was obvious that he was seriously not well. Both beeming from ear to ear settled into their seats, and the special request for them to sit together in their own row did not go unnoticed. They thanked time and time again for being allowed on the plane first.

As we pushed back there we're tears in both their eyes as they sat together looking out the window. Once we where airbourne we asked if they would like anything and thus a chat with the newlyweds began.

The couple where from Poland and had just got married last minute that day. The groom had been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year but his condition had taken a turn for the worst. Their family had organised the wedding and honeymoon to Cagliari in record time. It ment that the couple didn't have time to change and straight after the wedding in full atire flew straight from poland to conect to our flight, and now here they where.

They were such a lovely couple who for a moment on that flight seemed that their problems where miles away.

It was a truely humbling experience, the hope in their eyes and the sheer determination for them to enjoy the last moments he might have together moved all of the crew. It changes you when you get to see life in a different perspective, the things that are really important.............


......then as typical on the return flight you get the idiot who throws his toys out of the pram because you only have slimline tonic and no lemon for his G&T!

True love....
 

In my earlier years as cabin crew during passenger boarding I noticed an elderly couple in an emotional embrace in the departure lounge. The gentlemen was departing on my flight and the couple were clearly upset at the fact that they were parting each other for an unknown length of time.

Even from a distance I could notice the tears that had welled up in each others eyes then streaming down their cheeks. You couldn't help but think that this was a difficult time for them. Their emotion was electric and I could not help thinking that they were farewelling for a significant period, if not permanently.

As each boarding stage was called, they would briefly seperate and he would step away from her and gesture a wave. After taking a few small steps away from each other they would turn back and in another instance of love held each other wrapped in each others arms.

It was certainly a deeply touching moment, holding my attention for so long, so different to other occassions at a departure lounge. Their circumstance certainly had an effect on me as I had to disguise a tear that appeared after he had finally boarded the aircraft. I think it was their age that made it so different although I had seen it repeated so many previous occassions.

Once onboard myself, it was difficult not to ask the gentlemen if there was anything I could do for him and if he was okay out of sincere concern. He mentioned that he and his wife had been married for over 50 years and that this was the first time ever they had spent time away from each other in all those years.

When I asked when he was returning, he replied that he was only leaving for 2 nights.

I hope that I will be as fortunate to experience the same deep loving as this couple were living.

I had quite a bad medical once and we ended up diverting back into BRS although half an hour into the flight to ALC. The entire crew had already done an EDI and by the time the poor chap was looked after (and the galley was cleaned up) the company got in touch with us saying it's either us going over hours or the flight needed to be canceled. The entire crew agreed to continue with their very long duty. During the whole process the pax were great.
Once landed in ALC I (I had only been a SCCM for about three weeks or so.) noticed a woman in a row towards the front staying in her seat, obviously waiting for everybody else to get off. When she finally got up she said to me that she just wanted to say thanks to all of us to do this duty, her daughter was very ill with cancer in Bristol, and if she would have had to go back and say good-bye again after already doing it once it would have been unbearable to her.
I couldn't even talk, it touched me so deeply.
I was so glad that we had all agreed to do the duty. The entire crew ended up receiving a company award but for me THAT was the best reward I could have ever received. I still get emotional hen I think/talk about it now and it's about a year ago now.
It's those moments that makes it worthwhile working with people.