Emirates Airlines Service Training

They said that this was the best part of training;
I thought otherwise.

Firstly, I have no clue what on earth Vermouth is ..or Cognac.. or Beefeater..

Secondly, I'm no good with talking calmly to people whose heads I'd gladly smack with a tray without hesitation.

Glad to say it’s over.

We had to learn all about serving passengers, dealing with their requests and complaints, and explaining to them why they can’t smoke in the lavatory. Basically, we learn to pretend “slave and master” while exuding image of the latter.

In one of our many mock-up scenarios, I get to pretend to be a mother to a hideously frowning doll, which was supposed to be my precious baby. I was to observe the class one week ahead of us, how to deal with special passengers on board, and asses them on how they would treat me and my child during the flight.

“awww..cute baby.. would you need a bassinet? Would you like some baby food? Does your baby need milk?”

They could have won Oscars for their performance.

Yes -baby was happy, mother was happy- they pass.

For my final mock-up test, I was to deal with a mourning passenger whose husband just died and looking for some time away from the chaotic world that she has to deal with now... alone. Poor me running around the galley, figuring out where the hell was Al Maha resort and why I couldn’t go in the business class cabin to get magazines to show her the picture.

Good thing I passed everything though. Finally I get to graduate from training and leave the college behind. Surely I’ll miss the cafeteria. *sigh*

Emirates Airlines Medical Training

We just finished our Medical Response Training.

It was difficult to stop yawning and falling asleep when listening to the lectures. Some of the terms that were used were beyond my comprehension. Of course, it was very useful information – I just wish it could have been a little more lively and realistic. I would have loved to visit hospitals and respond to emergency situations where I could see blood everywhere. LOL.

Doing the mock up situations where we had to deal with passengers having different kind of illnesses was kind of lethargic in my expectation of the training. I was ready to cut some bones! See some fractures! Bury a dead guy! LOL. I sound insane.

It was fascinating though, how my confidence in assessing signs and symptoms of sicknesses increased tenfold in just a week. Now I know how to respond to passengers having angina, heart attack, diabetes, anaphylactic shocks, seizures, and such. I can also deliver a baby now, as we were also thought what to do in case of birth on board. I would love to put it to good use someday!

I’d also like to document the stupid thing I did in my practical exam. I was doing the CPR, when my thumb nail bent backwards, tearing up my nail bed, causing blood to pool around my cuticle. The pain was unbelievable. Then I started to rant why Emirates didn’t want us to have short nails. Others wondered why I was fussing about my nail so much when it was only a small wound. Gee, I wondered how they’d feel when they have their nails torn away from their fingers. You wouldn’t have noticed it, my blood had dried up around my finger, blending in with the fire red nail polish I had on. Argh!

Oh, before I forget, let me tell you about what happened before the medical training. We had to go through one day of security training where we had self defense class. The trainer was a former UAE national team coach. He thought different kind of martial arts, but he only thought us basic self defense- where we had to use pressure points to tackle down a disruptive passenger. LOL. Funny day.

But it’s all good now. Finished! Next week we’re starting with Service training.

Emirates Airlines Safety and Emergency Training

Beforehand, we were already informed on how intense the training would be because of the amount of knowledge we have to absorb in 2 weeks. It was true that we had so much to learn in a short amount of time, but I liked the intensity of it all. It kept my blood pumping and I enjoyed every minute of it. My class was wonderful and my trainers were absolutely divine. I never could have imagined anything better. We had to study basic aeronautics, and how to deal with any kind of emergencies, focusing on turbulence, decompression, and fire. We also had to study everything about the Boeing and Airbus fleet of Emirates, its interior & exterior equipments, its operations and procedures for safety and security. The data we had to remember by heart was overwhelming. We had examinations everyday and major ones at the end of each week. We had to pass everything or we don’t get our licenses to fly. And because studying everything by the book was difficult without any kind of visual stimulus, it was refreshing for me to experience “real emergencies” inside the flight simulators. I can’t put into words how much fun I had doing the drills and practical exams. It was like playing in an amusement park!
It was remarkable how the interior of the flight simulators resembled the real one. The “cabin” was even equipped with windows that were actually TV screens showing what was to be the outside condition of the aircraft. So when we had the take-off, I could really feel the push back, the taxi on the runway, and the stomach-churning climb of the plane. I looked out the window and the monitor showed the wing of the aircraft, with the runway getting smaller as we climbed to a higher altitude. It would also show if we were flying over the sea, the mountains, or even the desert. It was like being inside a real plane. Even when we had the pretend engine problem and emergency landing, I could see fire on the over wing engine through the “window”. I was thrilled. It was also inside this flight simulator that I experienced turbulences- the weak and strong ones; and what decompression was really like - how the cabin would look when all the oxygen masks drop down. While I was doing the service to the “pretend passengers”, this happened, and I was frantic to grab one as I wedged the cart and strapped myself to the nearest seat. But I think I had the most fun fighting the fire. I’d see fire inside the toilet, or the overhead stowage, and smoke would be coming out and filling the cabin. “I need back up!”, I’d scream as I run quickly towards the fire with the extinguisher on hand. I love putting out the fire. LOL The slide were we had to “evacuate” from was very steep. But I wasn’t going to show any sign of hesitation so I went on with it. I just held my breath and screamed all the way down. I did not like ditching (crash landing on water) at all. The water was extremely cold. They had to make it the same temperature as the ocean. It was like melted ice. I thought I was going to die of hypothermia! To think that I still had the strength to pull myself up the raft! I’m so glad it’s over. Phew! I had so much Fun with my SEP training. I know I’m going to miss my trainers very much! I wish I could repeat it.

Nah, I just wish I could stay with my entire class for as long as I could. They’ve become like a family to me. I really am having a great time here in Emirates. I don't have regrets yet.

Emirates Airlines Induction Week

Day 1

6:30 early morning, I was fidgeting in my seat as I waited for the shuttle to come pick us up. I sensed there weren’t much new trainees with me as my eyes wandered across the accommodation lobby, filtering the older batches from the newcomers. Everyone was in uniform, with their trolleys beside them. It was just this one girl wearing a corporate attire-just as I was- amidst the sea of Emirates ladies and gentlemen. As I came to know later, this girl who approached me was Thai. And she became the first friend I have in my accommodation.

Emirates Aviation College is beautiful. The exterior had this grand feeling, like being welcomed inside a prestigious university. The interior, however, is more reminiscent of a contemporary office building with a high ceiling lobby and mezzanine floors where the classrooms were located. I estimated around 50 people waiting around the reception area, were 3 of my Filipina friends also crowded. We were all brought down to the college basement, were we had to be immediately fitted into our uniforms. We were measured, given our company luggage, and tried on shoe sizes. We were then rushed into a classroom were we had orientation and some introductions.

We were divided into 3 group classes, or what we call Abinitio. I was separated from 2 of my Filipina friends, but It was good that Maylin was also in my abinitio. We had a first look of the college cafeteria, with a stunning view of Dubai and the city golf centre. And it was the first time we all got together as multi-cultural people in one abinitio, all 15 of us.

Day 2

I came to the college wearing complete uniform. I was delighted to wear the Emirates hat even though I wasn’t sure how to do it properly. Today was grooming day and we were taught how to care for our skin, do our make-up, our hair, our nails, and even posture and fitness. We were all taught how to become the perfect Emirates lady that is in the image of the public.

You could hear a pin drop in the room as we all positioned our hats. There weren’t much to say, but you would have been able to see the pride of the women radiating in there- all perfectly poised and polished, their famous Emirates hat commanding attention and projecting authority.

Day 3

As we made our way out into the public’s eye, on our way to the clinic building located elsewhere in Dubai, I felt euphoric to be with such a prestigious company. There we were, perfectly groomed in our uniform like we were taught, trotting down the halls of the building; people would come out of their offices just to see this new breed of Emirates ladies walk together. They were smiling, taking pictures, and even waving at us. I felt a little silly in all honesty. LOL.

Day 4

We were given a tour of what Emirates is really like as a company; the growth of Dubai, the vision of its leaders, their hopes and dreams of Emirates Airlines for the future. The more I came to know of the company, the more I understood my place in their vision. Of course this is just gibberish to some, but somehow I was glad to know that I’m part of it.

Day 5

We met our trainers today. A funny duo that turns boring lectures into lively discussions. We started with Basic aeronautics and went on with Safety and Emergency procedures.

Let the pain begin. LOL.

My Departure to Dubai

My flight to Dubai was quite amusing. It came to me as a shock when we left earlier than expected. Our aircraft started to taxi down the runway a little past after midnight. And I felt giddy more than ever.

A few hours before departure, I was clinging to Ben, trying to relish the last few minutes I had with him. He bought me some chocolate drinks - which I gulped down in mere seconds. I remembered, the last time we were in the departure area, I was holding back tears, wishing not to go. This time though, I felt different. I was more aware of my situation, of what I was embarking on. I was, in a way, more prepared than I could have ever been. This time, I wanted this to happen.

Having 3 new colleagues with me on board, I felt more confident and ready to take on Emirates. I tried to absorb the working conditions inside the cabin, and took note of the plane interior. And like a friend said, you could really feel the difference. This was after all, Emirates. Aside from the excellent entertainment system they had, the lighting was extremely soothing to the senses. It was a play of colours, changing dramatically from blue to green to yellow to orange to pink… and so on. The ceiling even sported tiny lights of varying sizes, trying to reflect the night sky outside. Only, the seats could have been a little bigger.

For real entertainment, the touch screen I had in front of me detailed a list of all the things I could do. WELCOME TO ICE, It said. ICE stood for Information, Communication, and Entertainment. I watched cartoons just to lighten my mood. Halfway though, I got sleepy and dozed off until they served snacks. The crew gave us a menu of what was available. I chose the cold selection which consisted of roast beef, cheddar cheese, chicken drumstick, creamy pasta salad (placed on buttered wholemeal bread) and garnished with black olive and tomato wedge. There was also a coconut and sago pudding with tapioca served with tea or coffee. The picture I took of this meal did not do it justice. It was yummy!

After dozing off again, I woke up to breakfast. I failed to take a picture because I was extremely groggy to even know where my camera was. LOL. I had fresh fruits and Daing na Bangus. The latter is a Filipino dish which is milkfish with lemon butter sauce served with garlic fried rice. For the sides, it also had eggplant, tomato wedge and longanisa sausage. For dessert, it was cinnamon raisin roll and a croissant served with butter and preserves. I decided to skip the coffee and had apple juice instead. Breakfast was heaven!

Just when we were about to land, a male cabin crew member approached us and confirmed if we were the newly hired flight attendants. He had this amused smile on his face like he was the first to know it. Maybe he was just as excited for us when he gave us pens and timetables.

Stepping out of the plane for the first time in Dubai, the cold air immediately stung my lungs and made me quiver. It was near dawn when we reached the terminal via a shuttle bus, and I thawed inside where it was toasty warm. Even while balancing with two carry-on luggage, I could have fallen asleep where I was standing if I allowed myself to.

As informed, we met with a marhaba, a lady greeter wearing yellow vests and gray skirts. We were then asked to wait for a few minutes for the other newly hired air hostesses to arrive. Not a moment too long, a strikingly beautiful blonde girl appeared, strutting in her killer boots with this lovely sleek ensemble. She was French, of course. We were then joined by four Thai girls who flew from Hong Kong.

We were directed to the Marhaba lounge were we met with an HR officer, who I assumed to be Kenyan. She asked for our documents and gave each of us manila envelopes. It dictated where our accommodations were and some information about the upcoming induction day.

It was unfortunate that I and my new friends were not going to live in the same building. I didn’t know Emirates had so many residential areas scattered around Dubai. My place was far from the others who were mostly dropped off at the city centre. However, I found my new place nice and clean. I have a Filipina housemate who I have to share the common rooms with, but we get to have our own bedroom and bathroom. She wasn’t there though when I arrived, and I have yet to meet her because she’s on a layover. It didn’t take very long for me to adapt to my new home. I’ve even taken a liking to my bedroom. I feel extremely comfortable in it as if I’ve had this kind of sanctuary before.

There were these packages waiting for me in my bedroom. It was a starter pack containing some kitchen utensils, bed linens, and cleaning materials. I also had this food pack which was really helpful. I was hungry, and I got to eat some before I unpacked my things.

Everything seemed to occur like that in a dream. Either I’m insensitive for not missing Manila already, or I’ve just very well accepted Dubai as my 2nd home.

Emirates Airlines Assessment

The first time I have heard of Emirates Airlines was through an online buddy. She's a cabin crew for this airline and her online journal was very inspiring. She traveled to so many places and was having the time of her life. And I thought, hey, I want that too.

Before, I have never really given any thought on becoming a flight attendant. I knew that it was just one of those typical childhood dream jobs. But as I aspired to travel the world so much, I knew that I just had to try.

Emirates is one of the most sought after airlines of many cabin crew. There were a lot of guides and news on becoming one. But the interview process was almost impossible to get through. Nevertheless, with dreams of making the world my home, I pursued.

As expected, the assessment was intense and stressful. I had to go through 4 eliminations before finally getting an invite for a final interview. I was nervous, and my heart was beating my chest so hard, I felt nauseous. The final interview took place in a different venue, the day after the assessment. I wasn’t really confident at that time, but I was determined to show the airline representatives that I was extremely nice, sweet, and professional. My hands were shaking, my knees were knocking against each other, but my voice was strong and yet gentle. I was careful with my words, and I gave them my most sincere answers. I started weak, but eventually I learned to put grace and confidence in everything I said. To leave an impression, I finally closed the interview saying, “I know that Emirates will surpass my expectations, I just hope that you’d give me the opportunity to exceed yours as well. “ We ended the interview with handshakes and friendly smiles.

Either I get an acceptance call, or a rejection e-mail. The long wait was agonizing. But I prayed. I prayed so hard I knew the stars could hear me echo. echo. echo…

I was lying on my bed 2 weeks after my final interview. I was sad and troubled. I was searching for a brighter side if the result don’t go well. Just when I called out, “Jesus, you know my heart’s desire.” my phone rang!

“This is Ms. Sofala?”

“yes..”

“This is from Emirates HR management. I am calling to tell you that we have accepted your application and that you can proceed with your medicals. You will receive an e-mail from us in a few hours with the details and forms that you’d need.”

*shock*

“..oh and also, your date of joining is on January 25, 2008. After you’ve completed your medicals, we would call you again to confirm this date.”

“Okay, thank you so much.”

“Your welcome. We hope to see you soon. Goodbye.”

*shock*

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I was so happy! I knew He could hear me! I felt warm and fuzzy inside knowing that He had planned all these- everything I’ve gone through- He planned it all. My frustrations, my fears, my failures- it all was part of His plan. I was stronger, wiser, and more confident with this next chapter in my life. And it’s as if I could almost hear him say,

“Here is where you belong, my child.”

Emirates Airlines: Ipams Pre-Screening

It was a long time of punching in my personal information at Emirates’ Website before finally completing the online application form, which started out my journey to becoming Emirates Cabin Crew.

After a few days, I received an SMS message inviting me to attend a pre-screening for Emirates.

PRE-SCREENING
This is the first stage of the elimination process. Pre-screenings are primarily done by the airline’s agency. In my case, the agency handling Emirates Airlines in my country is IPAMS.

>Wearing my best corporate attire, my hair tied back, and my court-heeled shoes trotting along the entry gateway, I grasped my envelope containing all the things they needed - and some additional documents they might ask for. Inside Ipams office were a number of green seats reminiscent of an airport waiting area. I headed for the first desk person I saw and handed out my documents.

“Please take a seat, we will call you out in a moment.”

Around me were some people staring at their shoes or at the ceiling – the same aspiring hopefuls such as I was. I smiled weakly towards them and they nervously nodded in acknowledgment of my attempt for some sort of ally. But silence filled the room as one by one got called.

Then, it was my turn. I was made to enter a tiny room with two chairs facing each other and some type of measuring contraption by the wall beside the door. The recruiter had a nice face and a small frame, but her voice and stare were so cold it made my lips quiver into an awkward grin. I was sitting directly in front of her as she started to scrutinize every flaw I had. I never felt so mortal in my life! This was the part where they eliminate you base on the impact you can make- the total package. This was the GROOMING ASSESSMENT.

“You have a pimple.”

“It will be gone in 3 days”, I blurted out. I always had this tiny bump somewhere whenever it was my “time” of the month, but it usually disappears in a day or two.

“Your teeth are a bit discolored”

Okay, so I don’t have chiclet-white teeth but they’re white for goodness sake! I don’t even know why this woman was complaining. My nostrils flared a little as I restrained myself from saying it was calcium! What I managed to say was,

“That’s easy to whiten, if you insist that I must”

“Please stand up, take out your blazer, and hold out you hands….ok…now raise your skirt high up please……ok……”

HAH! You’ll never find a scar on me you witch! Fortunately, because my mom always watched over me when I was little, I have never had a scar of any kind on me. I always had nice elbows and knees; and my hands and feet are slender and smooth like my dad's.

“Now, please try to reach this line up here...just above the door… “

Emirates require that you reach a minimum of 212cm… which was no problem for me. It was necessary that you could reach emergency equipments stored on board the aircraft.

“Ok, please wait outside. We’ll call out for you again for your pre-screening interview.”

An hour or so, I got called in again by this guy with my resume in his hand. He had the usual questions though, nothing out of the blue or anything weird.

I gave short but precise answers. I didn’t want the interview to take too long. I felt that the more I kept things to myself, the fewer mistakes I could make.

“Indeed. Alright then, expect my e-mail before the assessment. It would contain the venue and the list of what you need to bring.”

HAH! There!

ASSESSMENT DAY
A few weeks passed, I was parking my car in front of this old building with its painted white wall chipping in all places. But there were crowds buzzing about, making their way into this cramped entrance room. Everywhere, you’d see dads, stage moms, boyfriends, girlfriends, cheering for their loved ones who were about to enter the enormous room- where only the invited candidates were allowed inside. As I made my way through, alone, I felt my morale deflate. Every now and then, I would feel some eyes of proud moms on me – apparently sneering, thinking that their daughters were more qualified than I was. It bothered me actually. But nevertheless, I knew, this was not a competition amongst the candidates. This was an assessment. You’ll fail not because the other candidates are more qualified than you are, but because the airline representatives did not see that you possess the skills they were looking for in potential flight attendants.

I smiled to myself. This- whatever it might lead to- I will try to enjoy.

We were given numbers. Since it was alphabetical by surname, I was candidate number 14. LOL. Much like a beauty pageant huh?

We were divided into groups. And we were then asked to form into circles.

This is the 1st Group Dynamics and my 2nd elimination process. The recruiters would be going around outside my group circle-like vultures- observing, taking notes, and keeping silent as they watch each and every one perform. We were given set of questions that we must answer one by one in turns.

It took a while before we could finish everyone in the group. Then we had another activity where we had to discuss a certain topic and do some short presentation.

After all the activities, we were made to wait for their decision. One by one, we were called out by our numbers and were given this folded piece of paper. My number and the emirates logo were the only prints visible. The result was hidden in the fold.

You know how it feels like when you don’t want to dive in the pool, expecting the water to be cold beyond your threshold? That’s how it felt like for me... but I wanted to get it done with. So I held my breath…

“Thank you for your interest..blah blah…”
I remember thinking to myself, ok get over it, what to do now?
"…..Congratulations, you’ve made it to the next process…."
Huh?! Can someone read this for me? I don’t think I’ve read it right.

There were some commotions… a lot of crying and giddy giggles... some had violent comments...

This was Emirates. It could do this to you.

Those who made it were asked to come again inside. This time we were only around 20% of the original candidates who were taking the written exam. It was easy – I had to focus on the essay because I knew it would have a huge bearing on the result. We had to go through the same process of elimination again.

Our last group dynamics required us to do some decision making. We had to be divided into 2 groups of hopefuls again, well, what’s left of us anyway.

It was difficult going through all the activities. It was intense and all the time I felt the weight of the stares as I made my point in some of the discussions. But I tried my best not to let my anxiety affect my judgments.

As the Emirates staff entered their private discussion room to decide the final candidates who would move on to the final interview, most of us became restless. We were so near yet so far. When they came out it was so quiet the “thud thud” of their shoes as they positioned themselves in front were echoing all over the cavernous room. What started early and bright ended in a sullen sunset. We were all weary and almost close to giving up from all the mental hurdles we had to go through. Even my “natural” smile turned into a nasty grin as I forced myself to bear a few more minutes of butt-sizzling torture.

They made a short speech, acknowledging everyone who attended the assessment, and asking those who won’t make it to try again next time. We did the small paper thingy elimination again. And what was left of us was given a pack. This pack contained some forms and lists. The first page was yellow and it had a gold Emirates logo embossed on it.

“Wow,” I said “I don’t know what this is for, but it looks mighty important.” LOL

Everyone finally managed to let out hearty laughs as they scanned some of its pages. The staff finally told us that they were invitation for a final interview which would be held in a different venue 2 days from then. It also contained a bunch of forms that we needed to fill out and bring with us.

The Emirates staff, finally free of their “intimidation tactics”, were quite warm and friendly after all. They were laughing with us, making jokes and smiling from ear to ear.

FINAL INTERVIEW

It was quicker than I anticipated. I was in a small room with only one emirates staff asking me some questions about my work history and future plans. It only lasted half an hour and I was already done with my one-on-one final interview.

It was 2 weeks after the final interview that I received their call that I passed it. And that I can move on with my medicals.

PRE-JOINING FORMALITIES

It was really scary, to go through medical. The e-mail that was sent to me by Emirates had a lot of medical forms that I needed to accomplish. It took me 2 weeks to finish everything. I even had to have one of my wisdom tooth extracted because it might cause some problems in the future. But now I’m glad that I’m done with it. Hopefully I will get to leave for Dubai with a fellow candidate I was with.