My daughter - The In Flight Manager

Monday, July 14, 2008

9:23:53 PM EST

She once danced and taught ballet; an attractive young lady, Cristina was visited (courted) by many eligible bachelors from exclusive villages in Manila, even after her teen years. Sometimes I would fantasize her being married to some executive, say a banker or even an entrepreneur and she would host grand tea parties at her plush residence in, say, a not too exclusive residence in Makati. Yes, a father's fantasy...

But Cristina knew what she wanted. And she found it - a career as flight attendant in a prestigious airline - Cathay Pacific Airways.

There have been many stories passed on through the years about these hard working individuals who have served in many airlines since air travel became a major means of travel

I must admit not many remarks, mostly by machistic men, were flattering especially from young men always yearning for some "fun."

Perhaps, I was among those uninformed young men who regarded these young ladies back in the immediate postwar years, as objects of pleasure.Indeed there have been some cases when the pilot-female attendant affairs were glamorized in stories thereby portraying these hardworking women in a very uncharitable light.

The very first time I met flight attendants was during the early fifties when the executive in charge of cabin attendcants of the first Asian flag carrier, Philippine Airlines, asked me to help in organizing a drama club which they called the CHEER CLUB, at the request of Mrs. Mercedes Rovira who was then the lady manager in charge of all cabin attendants .

majority of whom were young, pretty and eager Filipino women. At the time, many who applied for this kind of job were carefully screened and those who got in usually came from the middle income level with a college degree and proficient in spoken English.

However due to the prevailing feudalistic values in the early post war era in the Philippines, not many women from the upper middle class despite their desire never joined the applicants to the flight stewardess positions.

Because Manila society at the time regarded the work of flight attendants as merely "waitresses in the sky". But the fact is that they were that and more.

And the screening of applicants was strict and the training was even harder, but harder still were the rules they had to adhere to during their employment.

Years later, with more sense in me brought on by time and experience, I was enlightened and grew to regard these attendants with more respect and praise. I personally got to know the many little annoyances and challenges each of them faced day after day flight after flight - and even when they were off duty they still had many things to attend to about their own persons and relationships.

I now share this piece written by one of them. Yes, she is close to me and my heart. She is my daughter. Cristina.

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August 20 2004 was my 20th year with Cathay Pacific Airways. Believe me, it seems like it was only yesterday. Time does fly when one is flying around the world for a living. (Excuse the pun).

When I joined the Cathay Pacific Airways, a company established and based in Hongkong, in 1984 being a Flight Attendant (FA) was so much simpler. There were no fancy in flight entertainment systems to speak of apart from some music piped in to one's headset and some magazines from the racks. No real security problems existed before. We welcomed pax (passengers) on board, fed them in flight, then assisted them when they disembarked.

Twenty years a Flight Attendant's job is no longer as straightforward. FAs undergo additional training to deal with new safety and security measures. Extra security procedures are in place especially concerning airlines because of the dangerous times. Flight attendants have to be extra vigilant about their surroundings. We have to make sure our flight is safe, no unauthorized objects should be carried by persons on board. In flight service is no longer just about food and beverage. Entertainment must be in the cutting edge of the state of the art and individualized audio and video system. If some problems occurred with the entertainment systems, FAs need to troubleshoot as best they can or the passenger will be very unhappy. Sometimes,there are unruly passengers who cause trouble in flight. The FAs need to restrain and if need be, handcuff them. Unfortunately, as the opportunity to travel has become more affordable to many, more incidents of trouble in flight have been recorded. That makes an FA's job even more challenging.

But having said all that, I have always enjoyed my career as a Flight attendant. My job has taken me to different and exciting places in the world. I have met many interesting people in flight as well as on the ground. Because of this it has enriched my experience in life and has broaden my way of thinking. Because of the many years of service, I am now holding the position of In flight Service Manager and I continue to learn new things related to my work and life in general. I would recommend this job to anyone!

Cristina Joaquin Claudio

In Flight Manager

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS