One of the things most people struggle with at the start of their cabin crew career, is the balance between work and life. For many of us it becomes more of a lifestyle choice than anything but crew also need to be flexible, organized and ready for anything. How do cabin crew adapt more easily?

Schedule

They understand the schedule! Cabin crew know that they may miss birthdays, Christmas and weddings and special family events. Unfortunately, it is part of the job and some people find that hard to accept. It does have its advantages though as sometimes, it is nice to be away with crew friends somewhere, especially if you are single.

Planning

Cabin crew normally get their schedule around 6 weeks in advance. It gives them time to work around things and plan any appointments or events. These may still change due to an unscheduled trip, aircraft technical problem or standby duty. If there is a special event coming up, they’ll book leave if available.

Family life

Family life can be a little more challenging although not impossible! If a crew member has young children, they may need to arrange childcare or school transport whilst away. A supportive and flexible family are an absolute must.

Thinking ahead

It’s a good idea to plan ahead. Cabin crew like to check that bills are paid in advance. They will catch up on necessary emails or any correspondence that needs to be dealt with. Cabin crew don’t want to have to worry when they are away on trips. They will schedule their chores for an off day and allow plenty of rest time, especially when working long-haul flights. Some crew may plan their shopping whilst down route or shop online in advance for their return home.

Self-care

Cabin crew have to look after themselves. Flying constantly does put extra pressure on the body and it is good to try and counteract that. It is important to get enough rest at home and down route. Crew do make use of the gym or swimming pool or the hotel spa, when down route. Or some prefer to just go for a walk around town and escape from the flight and hotel routine.

Eat well

Eating well and quite light is much better for digestion, which can be a problem when working long hours and irregular shifts. Crew meals are not always the nicest or healthiest food. Sometimes it is possible to bring your own food onboard, which helps you to feel healthier. Drinking water onboard and on the ground is absolutely essential for cabin crew health to rehydrate the body.

Sometimes the flying life can feel lonely, especially when you are away a lot. Some crew like to take home comforts with them to make a hotel room feel a little less bland. It could be something as simple as a room fragrance or a favorite snack. They call friends or family and stay in contact. Colleagues are mostly very supportive as they know how difficult it can be. Good crew friends will be friends for life as they understand the lifestyle, it never matters how long it’s been since you called them.

Always packed

To take more stress out of life, cabin crew keep a suitcase always packed and ready to go. This saves a lot of time and energy. Keeping a toiletry bag stocked with mini sizes and refilling them makes life a lot easier. Packing the same clothes (depending on the destination) for each trip is helpful. Once, the trip is done, it’s easy to just wash them and replace. Ready to go!

Asia is back – first direct flights from Oslo to Seoul since pandemic due to begin

For the first time since the pandemic, passenger flights between South Korean and Norway are due to begin. Every Thursday from May until August will see Air Premia operating direct between Oslo and Seoul.

“This is long hoped for and most gratifying. Asia has been a market we have truly hoped would return, especially given the potential for tourism as well as the significant export opportunities it represents for Norway,” says Ulv Elbirk, Director of Traffic Development for Asian and American routes.

Air Premia is a Korean airline start-up and will operate charter flights between Oslo Airport (OSL) and Seoul (ICN) every Thursday from 11 May until 17 August. Flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Passengers will initially be exclusively South Korean tourists.

Crucial to Norwegian businesses and tourism industry

The fact that South Korea will have direct flights to Oslo Airport for the first time since 2019 is a massive boost to the Norwegian tourism sector.

“South Korea is a market in which there are many people keen to visit Norway. This in turn generates real value for businesses in the form of accommodation, retail, restaurant visits and cultural experiences,” says Elbirk.

He also highlights that Norwegian exports will benefit from routes like this since Asia is a key market, especially for the Norwegian seafood sector.

“These aircraft will also be carrying Norwegian seafood bound for restaurants and retailers in Seoul. This is a critical and almost inexhaustible market for Norway,” Elbirk concludes.

23.3.2023 13:23:52

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Ever since Air India was reborn under the Tata Group umbrella, it has been one good news story after another for the venerable legacy carrier. It now seems that some major competitors from within the region are not happy with how well the airline is doing, raising their voices at this week’s CAPA conference in New Delhi.

Big enough to worry about now?

On Tuesday, Reuters reported growing pressure on the Indian government to grant more access to international carriers. Air India’s recent order for 470 new aircraft seems to have spooked some competitors, who sense they are missing out on opportunities to access the fast-growing Indian economy.

With Air India turning into a basket case in recent years its presence was not seen as much of a threat, but now it is part of the ambitious and well-funded Tata Group the game has changed significantly. To protect the cash-strapped national carrier through its loss-making years, the Indian government virtually froze-out foreign carriers and kept new market access to a minimum.

Looking at where Air India is heading under the watchful eye of the Tata Group and the airline’s CEO Campbell Wilson, it’s unsurprising that other airlines, particularly from the nearby Middle East, want to be part of India’s aviation transformation. According to Reuters, the massive aircraft order “rekindled” a debate over market access at the CAPA conference this week.

Some airlines wanting more flights to and from India include Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Kuwaiti airline Jazeera Airways. Vietnam and Indonesia are also clamoring for more flights to meet the demand coming for Indian traffic. The report quoted Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi as saying, “We are not getting enough share of the market,” adding that Dubai wants an extra 50,000 seats weekly on India routes.

As evidenced by Air India’s order, there has been a shortage of modern widebody capacity in the country for some time. This means that many Indian travelers use foreign carriers, such as Emirates and Turkish Airlines, for long-haul flights through Gulf hubs. The strong position of mega-hubs in Dubai and other gulf states has also been jolted by the aviation ambitions of Saudi Arabia, making access to the Indian market even more pressing for Middle Eastern carriers.

Although it seems that Emirates CEO Tim Clark is not fussed about it at all, with Reuters reporting he welcomed the launches and said there was enough room for everybody without traffic curbs. “There’s so much demand there that none of us will be able to deal with it if we allow unconstrained growth,” he added.

It’s not about keeping airlines happy

Now that India has found the right partner to flex its aviation muscles with, there is little appetite at the government level to open up the market to more foreign carriers. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government is not currently looking at easing curbs and that Indian airlines should order more big jets to meet demand without forcing passengers to change planes. He said:

“I think it’s about time that our carriers looked at the international market with greater focus. That’s what we are pushing the airlines to do and that process has already started.”

Photo: WeChitra | Shutterstock.

The unsaid message is that India wants to make its mark in global aviation and ensure it captures the value of outbound and inbound passenger growth. It is certainly not the first country to use air traffic rights to achieve that end, and it won’t be the last.

What do you think about the rise of Air India? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Reuters

• Air India

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AI/AIC

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1946

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Campbell Wilson

  Country:

  India

The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was exciting and had plenty of stories; from a Cinderella run by Mexico’s team to Japan’s incredible walk-off in the semifinals and triumph against the United States one day later, it was a tournament to remember. You may not know that the WBC helped Miami International Airport (MIA) make history this week.

The first Tokyo-Miami flight

This week, Japan Airlines operated the first-ever direct flight between Japan and Miami. Onboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registration JA869J, the 13-hour non-stop flight departed from Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND) on March 17. It carried more than 100 passengers, which included players and staff from the eventual champion Japan national baseball team and Major League Baseball employees. It arrived in Miami just before 3:00 at Concourse J.

Miami-Dade County officials welcomed the first-of-its-kind flight from Japan Airlines. The mayor of the county, Daniella Levine Cava, said in a statement,

“It was wonderful to welcome our first nonstop flight from Japan to Miami-Dade County and to see the Japan Airlines aircraft parked at MIA, basking in the Miami sunshine. The MIA team continues exploring the possibility of nonstop service from Japan and other Asian markets to Miami. While there are no imminent plans for direct Asia flights, I am thrilled that hosting the World Baseball Classic gave us a glimpse of what it would be like for our two regions to be connected by nonstop air service.”

Japan Airlines is not a first-timer in the US, though. The airline operates around 105 weekly flights to 11 destinations across the country. Its most important destination is Honolulu (HNL), where it operates 24 weekly services. Other key destinations are Los Angeles (17), San Francisco (14), and New York (12).

Two flights

Japan Airlines operated two round charter flights between Tokyo and Miami this week. The first service took place between March 17 and 18, while the second a couple of days later, between March 20 and 22, just in time for the WBC final, in which Japan’s team beat the US to take the crown.

Aware of the unique visit, Miami International authorities told avgeeks in the area to see Japan Airlines’ 787 depart on Tuesday 22 at around 10:30 am. “Get your cameras ready before this special charter flies off into the sunset,” they said in a tweet.

According to data from ch-aviation, Japan Airlines has a fleet of 195 aircraft. The Japanese carrier operates 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliner 9s. JA969J, in particular, is a 5.78-year-old bird with the capacity to carry 195 passengers in a three-class configuration (116 standard economy seats, 35 premium economy seats, and 44 open business suites). Japan Airlines offers three different layouts on its 787-9 fleet. The other two have more seats (203 and 239).

Before operating the two charter services to Miami, this 787-9 Dreamliner was seen on flights from Tokyo Haneda to Asian destinations such as Singapore (SIN), Taipei (TSA), and Bangkok (BKK), according to data from FlightRadar24.com.

Have you ever been onboard Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet? How was the experience? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: ch-aviation, FlightRadar24.com.

Sun ‘n Fun and aviation job website JSfirm.com are continuing a partnership with the 10th annual Sun ‘n Fun career fair. The event has been expanded to five days, from Tuesday March 28 to Saturday April 1, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

“Expanding the Career Fair that takes place during SUN ‘n FUN was a common request from participating companies and job seekers alike,” JSfirm.com Executive Director Abbey Hutter said. “Since 2014 it has grown from a one-day event to a three-day event, now we are up to 5 days this year!”

Companies like Cirrus Aircraft, Frontier Airlines, the FAA, VistaJet and Republic Airlines are among the many exhibitors that will be at the fair.

“The stage is set for next week,” said Richele Floyd, Scholarship Director for the Aerospace Center for Excellence. “We always look forward to having hiring companies onsite. The networking capability truly is limitless even outside of show hours.” She continued, “Our partnership, year after year with JSfirm.com has continued to grow and we are thrilled to have a new 5-year agreement in place – it just made sense.”

Avelo’s first commercial flight was on April 21st, 2021. Two years and five bases later, the carrier – the USA’s 13th largest domestic operator – has revealed that Kalispell is joining its network. It comes a week after Memphis, Manchester, and Rochester were added. As of March 22nd, the carrier expects to serve 41 airports across the US this summer (Newport News ends in April and is excluded).

Kalispell is coming

Avelo has added Burbank to Kalispell, a route primarily designed for visiting Glacier National Park, about 25 miles (40 km) away. Hardly surprisingly, it is the first time that the 996-mile (1,604 km) airport pair has been served.

Beginning on May 22nd, it will operate on Mondays and Fridays, great for long weekends. It is scheduled as follows, with all times local (note that the first roundtrip has a slightly different schedule):

• Burbank to Kalispell: XP145, 15:45-19:20
• Kalispell to Burbank: XP146, 20:00-21:50

Click here for Burbank-Kalispell flights.

One of Avelo’s early routes was Burbank to Bozeman, about 88 miles (142 km) from the world-famous Yellowstone National Park. It operated between June and September 2021. According to the US DOT, it carried 6,164 passengers and had a seat load factor of just 43.5%. Let’s hope Kalispell is different.

Four airlines from Greater LA

Last year, about 3,000 roundtrip passengers flew between Burbank and Kalispell; they transited on the way, mainly in Salt Lake City and Seattle. It had a strong average one-way base fare of about $335 one-way (excluding taxes, ancillaries, and any fuel surcharge).

Of course, many passengers would have been leaked to Los Angeles, which had non-stop flights by three carriers in 2022: Alaska, Allegiant, and United. It was down from an eyebrow-raising five airlines in 2021 when American and Delta also operated. Carriers keenly sought outdoor leisure markets during the pandemic using freed-up aircraft.

Click here for Los Angeles-Kalispell flights.

In summer 2023, Avelo is one of four carriers between Greater LA and Kalispell. There are 13 weekly departures in the first week of August: United (daily, CRJ-700); Alaska (twice-weekly, E175); Allegiant (twice-weekly, A320); and Avelo (twice-weekly, 737-700).

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That makes 41 airports – for now

Excluding Newport News, which will exit Avelo’s network in mid-April, the carrier plans to serve 41 airports nationwide this summer, as shown below. Of course, this is a snapshot as of March 22nd; others may be announced soon.

Avelo’s top five airports by departing seats this summer are shown below. Tweed New Haven opened as a base on November 3rd, 2021, and has five stationed Boeing 737s and 15 routes. They include Greenville, South Carolina, which launches on June 22nd.

Which airport would you like Avelo to add next? Let us know in the comments.