Turbulence Ahead: The Untold Challenges of a Career in Aviation and flying in the Middle East!

It has been a little more than a year since I quit my job as a flight attendant in the Middle East to come back and join an Indian airline as a pilot. And this week more than any other, I’ve spent hours reminiscing my life in the Middle East.

When I was 22 and I first moved to Doha, Qatar, I couldn’t believe my luck. I had managed to secure a dream job, filled with glamour and glitz. A job that pays you to travel the world, tax-free income, a fully furnished apartment, and numerous benefits at airports. All this felt somewhat like a dream. And I wouldn’t deny it was a dream job. However, a lot goes on behind the scenes, in between flights!

Even though, I doubt knowing the ugly side of aviation would have deterred me from saying yes, it would’ve been nice to know what challenges I will face as a cabin crew in the Middle East.

So here goes nothing… some really serious, some hilarious challenges of a Flight Attendant.

Turbulence on flights..

• Before I became a flight attendant, I loved babies and toddlers. Lo and behold, the terrifying effects of a pressurized cabin on babies. They get louder, crankier, and moodier at 35000 feet. But you haven’t had the “rite of passage” as a cabin crew until you’ve been handed a poop-soaked diaper IN YOUR HAND for disposal.

•  As a flight attendant, the worst thing you can do is think your passengers know what you know. NO, DO NOT make that mistake! If you think it’s “understood” that the life jacket is not for keepsakes, YOU’RE WRONG. If you think they know that the call bell makes the nastiest noise in the galley if you press it continuously, again YOU’RE WRONG. And lastly, if you think that flush button is visible to everyone like it is to you, YOU’RE BEING NAÏVE. Bottom line, if something can be communicated, no matter how trivial, do it because it will save you time, effort, and toilet rolls!

• People react strangely to unlimited drinks. So what? Adults should be responsible for their own alcohol consumption, right? At a local bar or a hotel, that is not your responsibility. Well, as a flight attendant, it kind of is your responsibility.  So if you are a people pleaser who hates to say no, get ready to get some serious practice in this.

• Crew Rests are extremely cold and dry. On a flight with in-flight rest, you probably stay up contemplating if you should drink water and if you do, you’ll end up making multiple visits to the loo. And the most hilarious part is, if you do end up going down in your pajamas, passengers who recognize you, STILL end up asking for things.

• Part of being the face of the airline means taking the fall for a certain ground staff or baggage handler or the airline website which is so slow. My tip: Smile and tell them you’d personally raise this issue with the airline.

• All flights have a fixed catering i.e we are given a fixed number of chicken, beef and veggie meals which need to be equally divided among all service carts. The hilariousness of a situation where you have run out of chicken meals and offer a veggie meal to a passenger, who then says “oh no, I am allergic to veggie meals” and you stand there dumbstruck.

Turbulence on layovers..

• If you are someone who loves routine more than life, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise. If you have been working for a domestic airline before, maybe you are more prepared than a complete newbie. But nothing can prepare you for a 14-hour flight to JFK with a 12-hour layover. Your definition of day and night changes completely. So, if you are someone who can sleep anytime, anywhere, and at any time, did job is tailor-made for you!

• Constantly flying across time zones, will leave you sleepless and helpless on most layovers. You cannot fall asleep when you should be sleeping (when you’re tucked into the bed in your hotel room) and cannot keep your eyes open when you should be alert (on your jumpseat while landing)

• The Sophie’s Choice of every crew member in the world- To sleep or to go out? Part of the reason why you take this career path is to explore the world. But you’ll find yourself stuck in the battle between exploring a new city or exploring every corner on your hotel bed.

• You might also end up in a situation where you didn’t get a chance to eat in the flight so you think to yourself “I’ll order in after landing.” Now if you land post midnight and the kitchen is closed… You’re sleeping empty stomach, darling.

• The first 10 minutes in the hotel room is spent contemplating whether to shower and clean up first or just go to bed in your uniform.

Turbulence in social life..

• The most heart-breaking aspect of this job is being unavailable on holidays and festivals and weekends. You’re going to give Diwali a miss and fly on your birthdays. But that’s not always a bad thing.

• As if you do not have enough problems at work already, you can’t meet your best buds on your off days… because more often than not, they’re flying on those days! But waiting for that monthly roster only so you compare and align your offs to meet, sure is fun!

• If you can’t make time to meet friends, needless to say, relationships also become tricky. But, the flipside of this is that you see each other less so every minute spent with your special someone becomes valuable.

And then, there are days that make all the turbulence SOOO WORTH IT !

• A sweet little note from a passenger (who is a stranger to you) saying you made their day.

• A set of fellow crew members celebrating your birthday at 35000 ft.

• Meeting those long-distance friends on requested layovers.

• Getting the best groceries, skincare, and appliances from all over the world.

• A fridge full of magnets (even better if you have a flatmate who is collecting too)

• Performing first aid and saving the day.

• Left-over business-class food.

• Being a citizen of the world.

• FREEEEE tickets !