Come fly with me
Jan 30 2010 by Karen Wilson, The Journal
AS Jet2.com announces its taking on new cabin crew in Newcastle, KAREN WILSON spent the day with staff to discover the reality behind the glamorous image.
Other perks include free flights for staff and their family, although it’s often last minute and dependent on the percentage of passengers.
"I’ve seen places that I would never have gone to for a holiday," says Nicola. "Like Tel Aviv and Poland."
As we board the aircraft with Captain Peter Terry who has over 30 years’ experience and First Officer Magnolia Kanavva, the crew busy themselves with pre-flight safety checks, stocking up the food and drink and sorting out the duty free.
It’s a short flight, at just under an hour, with lots of high winds resulting in a bumpy landing. Afterwards Captain Terry admits he came very close to diverting the aircraft, which could’ve resulted in some very irate passengers – another downside of the job.
With only half an hour before the aircraft returns to Newcastle, it’s nice to see the pilots mucking in during changeover, helping to clear rubbish and straighten the seats.
During the clean-up Kate finds a mobile phone and alerts lost property in the terminal. "There’s always one left behind," she laughs.
The flight back is much noisier with a group of Irish stags and a 40th birthday party – but it’s all good-natured banter and maybe a little cheeky flirting with the staff.
"Where’s the best bars in Newcastle?" one asks. "Are you coming with us?"
It’s something the cabin crew are used to – although some passengers can get out of hand.
"In four years I’ve only had maybe three rowdy passengers," says Nicola. "You just deal with them."
Adds Claire: "If you speak to them in a nice manner they’re usually all right."
It’s been a turbulent few years for the airline industry and Jet2.com is one of the few airlines recruiting at the moment. Soaring oil prices, holidaymakers tightening their belts and paltry exchange rates have all taken their toll. And several airlines have gone under, including most recently Scottish budget operation flyglobespan. But the latest figures for Jet2.com’s parent company Dart Group plc show turnover has remained steady at £272.7m (compared to £272.8m for 2008). So how have they bucked the trend?
Marketing manager Jonathan Allcock says they’ve achieved this through special offers to stimulate sales such as flights from £9.99 and by adding destinations beyond the Eurozone such as Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt.
They’re also saving money by asking new entrants to pay £600 for the five-week training course at Craven College Aviation Academy, North Yorkshire. Those who pass the selection interview and successfully complete the course will be offered a job for the Summer 2010 season.
Aside from the basic requirements such as having four good GCSEs (including English and Maths) and being over 5ft 2ins, Kate, Claire and Nicola all agree that patience, good customer service and flexibility are key qualities for the job.
"People don’t realise how much hard work it is," says Kate. "They just think you serve a few drinks and that’s it."
And the glamorous aspect? "Once you get into the job you know for a fact it’s not," says Kate.
To apply for a job as cabin crew, go to www.jet2.com/jobs or call the Aviation Academy on 0113 3910919.
