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What It Takes To Be A First Class Flight Attendant For Emirates - YouTube
Channel: Business Insider
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Each year, more than
180,000 flights take off
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for Emirates airline, carrying
about 60 million passengers.
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And the people in charge of
all those travelers onboard?
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The 21,000 flight
attendants and pursers
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that make up
Emirates cabin crew.
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It's a pretty sweet gig.
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Free housing in Dubai,
discounted tickets,
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and getting paid to
travel the world.
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But with long hours
and busy schedules,
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the job is not always as
glamorous as you'd think.
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Here's what it's like
to be a flight attendant
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for Emirates.
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Siti Nurazlin: My
name is Siti Nurazlin,
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and I am a first-class crew
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working for Emirates.
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Narrator: Like the
200,000 applicants a year,
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Siti had to meet the
airline's qualifications.
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A minimum age
of 21 years old,
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a height of at least
5-foot-2,
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an arm reach of about
7 feet on tiptoes
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to reach those
overhead bins,
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fluency in English, at
least a high-school degree,
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and no visible tattoos
when in uniform.
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Just like every
other new hire,
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Siti started her
Emirates career
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at the bottom, in economy
on short-haul flights,
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and, through the years,
she's worked her way up
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to first class.
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Today, she crews an average
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of nine long-haul
flights a month.
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Her schedule changes
every week,
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but she's always on flights
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that last anywhere
from six to 16 hours.
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And for a lot of that
time, Siti is on her feet.
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She estimates
about 11 hours
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out of a 16-hour flight.
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Siti: The job could be quite
challenging physically,
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so we need to
maintain our physique
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and also be quite fit.
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Narrator: But, thankfully,
she's not in heels
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the whole time.
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Siti: We do change our
uniform after takeoff,
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so we get to put
on our flats,
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because the high heels
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wouldn't get really
comfortable
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in 16 hours.
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And we change
into our waistcoat.
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Narrator: Siti is also
required to look the part.
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Siti: Usually we keep
to a natural makeup.
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Like, eyeliner and
mascara usually is a must,
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and, you know, the Emirates
red lipstick definitely.
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Narrator: And just
like makeup,
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hairstyles, jewelry, and
nails are also pretty strict.
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As for jewelry,
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they can wear diamond
or pearl stud earrings,
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but no necklace.
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And their nails
have to be clean,
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with either a nude or red
polish or a French manicure.
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Now, these requirements are
for female flight attendants.
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Males have to be
clean-shaven
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and style their hair
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with minimal product.
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But there's an added
level of responsibility
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for first-class
attendants like Siti.
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For starters, she knows
who the regular fliers are
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and what they like.
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Siti: We do have information
on our customers.
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So, on every flight, we
will observe the preferences
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and the likes and
dislikes of the customers
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so we get to write it
down for future flights.
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For example, like,
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pajama size
or their preferred drinks,
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so the more someone
flies with Emirates,
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the more we can cater to
their personal preference.
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Narrator: She's
also required
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to have an expert
understanding
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of the entire
first-class menu.
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She knows options
for passengers
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with dietary restrictions,
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the perfect wine
pairing for dishes,
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and the tasting
notes of 60 cheeses.
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And since she's typically
serving
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international travelers,
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Siti is a master
at communicating
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across different
backgrounds,
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but she's not the only one.
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Like most of the cabin crew,
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Siti knows more
than one language.
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For her, it's English
and Malay.
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But there are over
60 languages spoken
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across Emirates cabin crew
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and a staff of
140 nationalities.
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Now, onboard, Siti's
duties are pretty standard.
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Do a safety check of the
plane
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before passengers board,
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provide food and drink
service during the flight,
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and go through the cabin
after everyone de-boards.
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But off the plane, the perks
of the job are substantial.
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Flight attendants
get a base pay
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depending on experience,
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with an hourly rate
stacked on top.
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Starting out, that equals
about $32,000 a year.
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Plus, they get free
housing in Dubai
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not far from the airport.
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They get 30 vacation days,
one free flight a year,
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and can nominate friends
and family
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for discounted tickets.
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Siti: The perks of this
job especially would be
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the concessionary tickets
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that we get,
and not just for me,
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but for my family
and friends as well.
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So I don't really have
to travel on my own
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or travel with just
my crew friends;
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I can travel with my friends
who are not flying as well.
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Narrator: For the veteran
and first-class
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flight attendants,
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they even get to staff
events like the US Open
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or make special
appearances.
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But the best part?
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Layovers in 161
cities worldwide
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with accommodations
and meals covered.
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Siti: The best part of my
job is traveling, definitely.
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I've been to over 100
destinations with Emirates.
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I have never,
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and I don't think
I would ever travel
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to all these exotic places
that we fly.
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