When the first commercial flights began, a name had to be found for the women who served passengers on board. Their task at that time was limited to being in-flight waitresses, hence the choice of the term ‘stewardess’, traditionally used for the queen’s valets. Over time its functions evolved. In addition, men also began to join and, although the Academy of Language dictionary accepts the term steward and flight attendant, the profession adopted a new neutral name: flight attendant or, as they are called in aviation slang, passenger cabin crew (TCP). They also varied or, rather, expanded their functions until they became key figures in guaranteeing the well-being and safety of all those on board.
After finishing high school, Alina Stasyshyna decided to become a pastry chef. But for this young woman of Ukrainian origin, alert, a good conversationalist and with an innate people skills, spending all day among ovens and doughs did not quite suit her. Quite the opposite of flying. “It seemed like the ideal profession to look for myself at that age when you don’t really know what you want… and in the end I got hooked. I am passionate about being in front of the public, I enjoy every boarding, every disembarkation and every flight. In this job, no two days are the same,” explains this young woman, a flight attendant at Vueling since 2016.
His position involves managing the team on the day’s flights. “I coordinate all the TCPs that are on the same flight, I supervise the distribution of functions and I make sure that there is no task or position within the plane that is left unattended. In addition, I am the connection point between the cabin crew and the pilots,” he explains.
While the passengers wait to board, Stasyshyna and her crew carefully check that everything is correct in the cabin. “Welcoming them with a smile and a ‘good morning’ is important, but also answering their questions about their flight connections, where to pick up their suitcases… or, simply, if they don’t feel well. We are there to accompany, calm and provide first aid if necessary,” she says.
Their position is key at all times for the proper functioning of the flight operation and they are prepared to intervene: from accompanying those people who are not used to flying and feel uneasy, to knowing how to act in the event of a panic attack or childbirth, and even in exceptional cases such as, for example, a fire being detected on board. “They are very protocolized procedures. Every year we pass practical and theoretical exams to update our knowledge,” highlights Stasyshyna.
In this sense, in order to work as a TCP, it is necessary to obtain certification and pass the specific tests of each company. Likewise, once they begin their career, they receive specific training: from first aid to courses to identify cases of abuse or human trafficking. This helps them detect when a passenger needs a helping hand to calm down because he is afraid of flying. Or when he is suffering a stroke. They can even detect anomalous behavior that hides criminal attitudes. “A child looking scared with an adult who won’t let him talk could be a case of human trafficking,” she says. If there is the slightest suspicion, the commander is notified and, if there is sufficient evidence, the police are contacted to intercept him during disembarkation.
Stasyshyna also highlights special flights such as the one she experienced last September when she accompanied a group of volunteer firefighters who were traveling to Morocco to help in rescue efforts after the earthquake that the country suffered. And in these types of situations, Vueling makes its operations available to NGOs and institutions to collaborate in the transfer of materials and personnel to assist in emergency tasks.
“The flight to Marrakech was in the afternoon and throughout its duration they were planning the trips and analyzing needs to act once we arrived at the destination. Two rescue dogs were also traveling with them. Knowing that they had to go directly to the scene of the disaster, we wanted to have something special and we offered them dinner so that they could at least gain strength,’ he recalls. On this occasion, the flight also transported 450 kg of medical material and for rescue tasks. She was also on board the return flight, the one that brought those evacuated by the earthquake back to Spain. An experience that she remembers with special affection because of the emotion she saw in the passengers. “They arrived still shocked and nervous about what had happened, but when they got on the plane and sat in their seats you saw how they calmed down, as if to say we’re home,” she says.
Seen from the outside, the routine of a flight attendant is curious. Each day they may be in two or three different cities, depending on the duration of the flights they operate and, in addition, their co-workers vary from day to day. Vueling has about 2,800 TCPs, which the company assigns to each rotation (that is, to all the flights that the same plane makes throughout the day) according to the needs of each flight. “You know what destinations you are going to fly to each day and at what times, but not with whom. You discover that when you arrive at the signing room in the morning,” says Sara Valle, flight attendant. “After almost eight years at Vueling, I continue to meet colleagues I have never met before. But I see it as something positive, because it allows me to meet a lot of people,” she adds.
Like many of his colleagues, he came to this job because he liked to travel, had a way with people, and spoke English without problems. Their routine is a little different from that of a traditional office, since as a TCP they work five days in a row and rest three… I’m on call just in case, or days off, in which they can schedule flights for you or not.” The hardest thing, he acknowledges, is sometimes getting up early when they have to operate the first flights in the morning, but, despite this, he recognizes that it is a job that is engaging. In this sense, he remembers special moments that he has experienced on a plane. In his case, being able to accompany families returning from Paris after visiting Disneyland on the flight in an action with ‘Make a Wish’. This Foundation works to fulfill the dreams of children who suffer from serious illnesses, and Vueling makes its flights available to take children to those destinations that allow them to fulfill them.
For all this, Valle would not change his job for any other. “What other job allows you to do different things every day, travel and meet new people? “I wouldn’t change this for anything!” He exclaims as he heads towards the ‘jardinera’ (that’s what the buses that move along the airport runways are called). In the background, an Airbus 320 waiting.
