To become an Air hostess is not just about a pretty face
My dad’s work made us fly a lot. As a little girl, I was bewitched by witnessing the charm of the air hostess. The way they dressed, talked, smiled, helped, managed the entire plane, everything about them fascinated me. I knew at that very moment, I wanted to become an air hostess when I grow up. A dream of a little girl. Just didn’t know what the execution was going to cost me.
JUSTIFYING MY NAME- SAPNA :
Soon, I understood that getting into aviation was not a piece of cake. It was about being perfect. Getting rejected was becoming common, and I started questioning myself. But I knew I wanted to do this. Being overweight was becoming a hindrance in my dream. I worked, worked, and worked upon myself. After 2 years of working towards the perfect body goal, there I was. Recruited by one of the best Indian aviation companies and I worked for 5 years there.
Unfortunately, the company got shut down due to some reasons, and it was a shock to the entire aviation industry. I got devastated. The efforts it took me to become an air hostess was tremendously hard work and now it felt like I had to start all over again. But very soon I got into an international airline and life was good again.
PARENTS HAD A TOUGH TIME :
My parents couldn’t stop admiring their little girl now responsible for the lives of so many people. My father wanted me to get into his business, my mother wanted me to become a doctor just like her. But the most fascinating thing about them is that they never forced their dreams on me. I had the freedom to have my own dreams and support to achieve them.
When we are flying too much, the body gets through a lot of things. We are jet-lagged all the time. In fact so much that I could sleep anytime and anywhere. All the while I was home, I would not leave my bed and blanket. This left my parents worrying that I was under bad influence. It was natural, a 19-year-old girl with so much financial independence and exposure to the world. But I made them understand and things are much better at home.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT A PRETTY FACE :
Everyone makes mistakes in their lives because that’s how you know life. You fall into the wrongs, but only the courageous get up. Similarly, like all the normal people in this world, I made mistakes too. I learned from it. This field of work has given me a lot more than anyone can ever think.
People think, to become an air hostess, all you need is a pretty face, a good walk, perfect height, and body. Before our actual flight attendant experience, we are drilled for 3 months. Severe alertness, manners, and dedication it takes is under the covers. Preparing us mentally and physically for what we are going to deal with. But everything is convergent in the real time. Every flight has new 300 people and 300 different stories we deal with.
THE PROS AND CONS :
Some experiences are good and the others give us nightmares. Probably the job of a flight attendant is not taken as a very serious or respectable job in our country. I failed to understand why. When 10 cabin crew members risk everything to keep the 300 passengers safe, how can it be a non-respected job or anything less than any other job?
Situations do get out of hand sometimes due to a lack of basic ethics. Female flight attendants are always provided with safety measures for those out-of-hand situations and we just pray we never have to use them. But there do come times when we are bound to use strict measures and it’s no less than a nightmare for us. We just wish there were more male flight attendants in the aviation industry. We could tackle things in a very different and better way.
FLYING HAS GIVEN ME WINGS :
From a shy little girl to now a woman responsible for others’ lives. Being an air hostess has given me so much confidence. I can now fly to any part of the world without the need of being accompanied by someone. Meeting new people, having the opportunity of living up to my full potential. Cannot imagine my path of life other than this.
I am a sweet, bubbly person who does not change with the uniform. I still am the same person which makes me approachable. My habit of smiling and addressing everyone with respect doesn’t stop even in my everyday life.
I have learned the fact that being nice doesn’t cost anything. Be honest and true to yourself. Every problem will find its own solution.