A student job above the clouds? It exists!

Working in a metal cylinder?

During the weekends, we take off into the sky! Hi, I am student at the PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and today I'll take you behind the scenes of my student job on an airplane.

When I put on my uniform, adrenaline rushes through my veins. But what does a day in the life of a 20-year-old flight attendant above the clouds look like, and what can go wrong? Are you ready to fly with me to Morocco?

3:15 AM, the alarm rings

Once I step out of my car in the parking lot, I can already hear the roaring engines of the metal birds. I walk through the crew entrance at the airport towards the security gates, where I meet my colleagues for today.

OO-MAX

Before I board the Boeing 737 with registration OO-MAX, I quickly review my prepared notes for the flight. We're flying to Marrakesh, flight time 3 hours and 15 minutes, 8 babies, 189 passengers, 3 dogs, 2 wheelchairs, and so on...

Today, we work with 4 cabin crew members and 2 pilots in the cockpit. First, we conduct a pre-flight briefing, where we assign positions, discuss safety questions, go over potential hazards and risks... From now on, "time is money." I perform my pre-departure checks and confirm them to the purser. Not long after, we hear "BOARDING" through the intercom.

Seat 5A and 28C get faces

Everyone takes their positions and the first passengers start boarding. About 100 times, I say "bonjour, bienvenue", a few times "welkom aan boord", and occasionally "welcome aboard."

I provide an extra seatbelt and life jacket for every baby, give an awareness briefing to the passengers seated next to the emergency exits on the wings, help put a few more bags in the overhead compartments and we're almost ready for departure.

Ready for take-off

Once everyone is finally seated, we perform a safety demonstration. Of course, at that moment, no one is on their phone and everyone pays close attention (#NOT). Then, we arm the doors, check whether the passengers have fastened their seat belts and finally I take my crew seat. I declare my cabin zone secure and we're ready for departure.

During the flight, we perform a food and drink service, pass through with duty-free items, complete the necessary paperwork and before you realize, it's already time to prepare for landing.

"Farewell, have a great vacation!" VS "Welcome aboard!"

Once on the ground, we unload the aircraft, and in less than an hour, it's filled again with 189 new passengers. Seats 5A and 28C get faces once more. Ready for departure again.

Like a well-oiled machine, every colleague knows exactly what to do at what time. And before you know it, you're back in Belgium, making notes for the next flight.

These facts, I'll never forget:

• When the toilets were unserviceable and we had to fly for another 3 hours with a full plane.
  
  
• When a passenger threatened to send a complaint email because he believed I deliberately stepped on his toe.
  
  
• When I had to take a cigarette from a passenger's hand.
  
  
• When a woman lay down in the aisle because she had cramps in her leg just before we taxied onto the runway.
  
  
• When I had to play dad to entertain a crying toddler.
  
  
• When I had to play referee for two 'grown-up' adults arguing over who could use the armrest.

Conclusion:

Every flight is a new adventure that I face with pleasure. As a flight attendant, you're a chef, a firefighter, a nurse, a police officer, and an entertainer. So, it's a challenging job that even intrigues students.

By: Rico Valkenborgh | October 26, 2023