Contained in the rigorous 14-week flight attendant coaching at one of many world's top-ranked airways

Though I could also be certainly one of TPG's resort journalists, I nonetheless contemplate myself an avgeek and recognize the in-flight service of yesteryear — even when I’ve come throughout a time when a bag of mini pretzels was served throughout a flight. Was thought of a luxurious.

Chateaubriand in Pan Am first-class positioned shredded, TWA napkins on the aspect of the seat in order that the emblem was all the time on the passenger aspect: These are the issues I assumed belonged to the times of air journey.

This actually appears to be the case everytime you fly from Boston to New York Metropolis, and there isn't sufficient time to drink a cup of water — even in first-class.

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However after a couple of days on the Singapore Airways Coaching Middle on the opposite aspect of the world, in addition to the close by catering facility at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), I'm completely satisfied to report that the golden age of journey is alive and effectively. Nonetheless, loads of coaching and preparation is required to make sure that this airline, thought of among the best on this planet, lives as much as its excessive repute.

What do you’ll want to do to turn out to be a Singapore Airways flight attendant?

Singapore Airways had 133 graduating courses of 20-person flight attendant coaching teams in 2023 – probably the most than any yr within the firm's historical past. The rigorous 14-week coaching – one of many longest within the business – combines communication expertise, product data and security coaching.

By comparability, coaching at US airways takes about half the time. It focuses totally on security and fewer on the complexities of flight service.

What to know: The final word information to new Singapore suites

Aspiring Singapore Airways flight attendants begin with 5 weeks of coaching targeted on service and product data. Each coaching batch begins with communication and interpersonal expertise. These are numerous “Good morning!” It’s clear in. and “Hey!” Within the hallway of the coaching heart I used to be greeted by a smiling future flight attendant.

On my 18-hour flights to and from Singapore, robust communication expertise coaching was evident in each flight attendant working the business-class cabin; All of them welcomed me by identify and maintained pleasant dialog all through the world's longest flight. Trainees are assessed on these expertise as they start their journey to work 38,000 ft within the sky.

Whereas a few of us could also be uninterested in the thought of ​​miles of small speak on a mere 45-minute flight to Washington, DC, there's a motive why Singapore Airways flight attendants can keep it up a dialog for over 18 hours. Except communication expertise are perfected, trainees can’t proceed to the subsequent stage of coaching.

If you happen to're excited about making use of for a job right here, it is perhaps a good suggestion to try Dale Carnegie's “The Artwork of Public Talking” to be sure you're ready for what's to return.

From there, trainees work in varied mock-ups of every sort of plane in Singapore Airways' fleet. This consists of all the things from studying about service and mattress making in Singapore suites on the Airbus A380 to working meal service in financial system on an Airbus A350 mock-up.

All courses of service – all the things from first-class suites to long-haul and regional enterprise class to financial system class – are modeled on these mock-up plane. To study the workings of premium cabins, Singapore Airways flight attendants are required to work in financial system class for a yr earlier than coaching on the business-class product. The instructors informed me through the tour that getting a first-class flight attendant job relied on getting promoted from business-class service.

In the course of the service and product data coaching portion of the method, trainees are additionally studying the right option to decide one thing up from the ground within the cabin (by leaning on the ground moderately than simply bending over and grabbing it) and easy methods to stroll down a flight of stairs on the A380. In addition they pattern the meals, to allow them to supply recommendation on all the things from wine pairings with caviar to favourite meals and desserts.

Safety Coaching at Singapore Airways

After 5 weeks of service and product data coaching, every batch of trainees strikes on to a one-month security coaching.

All pilots and cabin crew of Singapore Airways and Scoot (a low-cost airline and a subsidiary of Singapore Airways) use the security coaching facility. This group security coaching academy is the place these staff members go for regulatory coaching, specialised coaching, and coaching in security and emergency procedures.

The plane cabin mock-up within the coaching facility allows cabin crew to endure on-the-door coaching; They discover ways to open a door and deploy an emergency slide in an emergency, whether or not it's a water touchdown or an evacuation on land. The coaching facility options door coach cabin mock-ups for each sort of plane, from Scoot's upcoming Embraer 190-E2 fleet to the A380 used at Singapore Airways.

The centerpiece of a coaching room was emergency slide coaching for the Boeing 777 and A380. Pilots and cabin crew should endure emergency slide coaching and should bounce down slides to turn out to be conversant in the process. Day-after-day 40 to 50 trainees go downstairs. Crew useful resource administration coaching allows pilots and cabin crew to understand how they may work collectively in an emergency.

Throughout our go to, cabin crew trainees underwent smoke rescue coaching and water evacuation coaching in a separate space with a pool to simulate a water touchdown, which requires deploying life rafts.

'Singapore Woman'

Throughout a tour of the coaching amenities, Singapore Airways representatives burdened the significance of well being and wellness for cabin crew. Whereas disappointing service could seem cliché for American vacationers, so can the airline's physique mass index chart.

The airline has a most BMI of twenty-two for feminine cabin crew and 25 for male cabin crew.

Feminine cabin crew – lengthy often called the “Singapore Woman” in advertising campaigns – put on sarong kebaya. Male cabin crew put on blue fits. Completely different colours on the kabaya and go well with tie point out seniority, starting from blue for flight attendants to purple for inflight managers.

Whereas cabin crew are eligible for a brand new uniform yearly, firm representatives stated BMI charts apply. Weight loss program is essential; Airline representatives stated that whereas a weight achieve of 4 to six kilos could also be OK, a weight achieve of 20 kilos just isn’t acceptable.

To Western audiences this may occasionally appear out of contact with actuality, and it was clear that this strategy was ruffling some feathers of different journalists on the tour. Moreover, all the idea of Singapore Woman and its emphasis on the significance of physique form for kebaya has come below appreciable criticism through the years as being sexist.

Whether or not you like or criticize her public-facing picture, the Singapore Woman is virtually a nationwide identification.

Through the years, the Singapore Straits Instances newspaper has defended the Singapore Woman as an emblem of high quality within the airline; It stated eradicating the picture can be like taking Mickey Mouse away from Disney World.

It could be a fastidiously cultivated picture at Singapore Airways, however 14 weeks of coaching reveals that there’s additionally loads of talent, experience and care behind the well-groomed look within the cabin.

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