The life of Emirates' high-flying cabin crew

They are the living, breathing face of an airline — the people on board who make a flight work. Cabin crew are responsible not only for serving meals and not only for safety but also can very much direct the atmosphere on board a flight. And the flight crew on Emirates’ A380 are the cream of the crop. Travel Editor Stephen Scourfield asks Richard Livingston, a senior flight steward from New Zealand, and Tiffany Ellison, a stewardess from Australia, about their life in the air.

Did you always think of being cabin crew? Did you have other plans before you become a cabin crew member?

Tiffany: Initially, no I did not think of becoming cabin crew. I was completing the last year of my double degree at university and working for a marketing company. After university, I always wanted to take a couple years off to travel. I applied for Emirates and thankfully passed the interviews and here I am now, loving it two years on.

Richard: I never intended on becoming a cabin crew member. Before becoming a cabin crew, I was a chef for eight years.

Did your family expect you to live such an international life?

Tiffany: I’m very close to my family and when I told them that I had gotten this job, they were sad. But they were also not surprised as I have been dreaming about travelling. I have always been interested in learning about different cultures and trying new foods from around the world, which I am now able to do through my adventure with Emirates.

Richard: It was hard to contemplate both for my family and friends the amount of travel I would be doing. But I now have two sisters in London and a brother who goes between France and Melbourne so it has been a real blessing to be able to see them so often.

Emirates cabin crew member Tiffany Ellison

Could you please give me examples of the things you have learnt through cabin crew training?

Richard: I have learnt to adapt and survive in a multicultural environment and broadened my understanding of different nationalities customs, traditions and beliefs.

Tiffany: Cabin crew training is not only challenging but also very thorough. I think this is necessary as we need this pressure to prepare us for situations that may arise on board. Not only do the trainers have strong backgrounds, but our training facility comprises mock aircraft across Emirates’ fleet types and cabins. This helps cabin crew to be familiarised with the aircraft in a true-to-life environment, while they practise serving different types of meals and responding to service requests from customers. There are so many things as cabin crew that we learn, for example dealing with emergency situations. In this job I have also learned so much about the world. This job has allowed me to fulfil my desire to explore and try new delicious cuisines and learn about different cultures. It has also broadened my view about the world and makes me so grateful for the quality of life I had in Australia which many others around the world don’t have.

There is usually a vast array of nationalities in the “family” of cabin crew on any flight — has mixing with such an international cast changed or developed your thinking?

Richard: One thing that being crew has taught me is to never be quick to judge a person as you can’t fully understand the things people have been through and the walks of life that they have led to bring them to that point.

Tiffany: I love the fact that every flight we are working with a large variety of nationalities. It can be challenging at times with cultural differences and language barriers but often we must be empathetic and understanding. I try to learn a few words from each country and use them on board when I fly with crew and passengers. Useful phrases definitely come in handy and customers really appreciate it when you’re willing to learn their language. Most often we are not working with people we know so sometimes it can be an ice breaker. Working with such an international cast has definitely changed my way of thinking and increased my knowledge of many different nationalities. Just working a flight alone you are able to learn a lot about that nationality. I’m very observant and love to learn new things all the time; I often ask a lot of questions about their country and places to see so I am able to have knowledge before I go there.

You spend a lot of time travelling the world with other cabin crew. Do you develop friendships?

Richard: While it is always easier to surround myself with the same language-speakers, being a crew puts me in a unique position of being cast into a foreign environment with other people from different cultures. The one thing that binds us is our love for travel and customer service, and the fact that we’re far away from our family and friends. After nine years in Dubai there are not many countries I go to these days without having a friend or colleague to meet up with whom I have met in my career with Emirates.

Tiffany: Each flight we are mostly flying with people we have never flown before so it is sometimes daunting going to the briefing room not knowing who will be sitting there. It is also exciting because you have no idea who you will end up going out on the layover with. Many of the crew whom I’ve met on my flights are still keeping in touch with me and some I can say will be lifelong friends. The benefit from having this job with so many different nationalities is that I have friends now from all around the world whom I can stay with and meet up with. It allows me to dig deeper into different cultures and habits of nationalities, getting the tour from locals.

How do you “walk the line” between professionalism, friendliness, fun, authority?

Tiffany: I think it is important for us to be approachable and courteous in this industry as we are working with a wide variety of nationalities so we all have different ways of doing things. I think being courteous and having manners is a great sign of respect which is essential when working with our colleagues to maintain and harmonious environment. We can still have fun on board and learn about each other in a professional manner as we still need to show respect to seniors and others.

Richard: Walking the line of professionalism, friendliness, fun and authority can often be very hard. I am a firm believer in having fun while working as I feel customers notice this but not to the extent of jeopardising my position as a leader and ambassador for Emirates.

How do you feel about working on board the A380?

Richard: I feel privileged to be part of the team that flies the A380. It is known as Emirates’ flagship aircraft and is constantly pushing the boundaries in terms of in-flight luxuries.

Tiffany: The A380 is such a luxurious, spacious plane and as a passenger there is so much added comfort that comes with the size of the plane and its modern facilities, which means it is a popular aircraft to travel on. However, this can mean a bit more work for cabin crew as the cabin is bigger than other aircraft. Passengers will also often ask to have a look around the aircraft, and get more information about the plane, as well as take lots of photos. The A380 on Emirates is very luxurious and I like how the upper deck is separated and primarily for premium passengers. With modern facilities such as the shower spa and the on-board lounge, this aircraft has definitely brought back glamour to the sky. I love speaking about the features of this aircraft with passengers as we have so much to offer.

A quick memory test — tell me the first “best moments on a flight” you can think of.

Richard: I was flying on a flight from Dubai to London. We had a gentleman on board who was returning for the birth of his son. During the flight his wife messaged him from ground as she was going into labour. He was returning from work commitments and it looked like he was going to miss the birth. We were able to use the wi-fi on-board to facilitate a Skype conversation between him and his wife and for him to meet his son for the first time. We then offered a glass of Dom Perignon to toast the birth of his son at 38,000 feet! We recorded the event using the on-board camera and all the crew members signed a congratulatory card.

Tiffany: The best moments I have on a flight is when I meet friendly customers who like to tell me about their life and tell me stories of where they have been or have travelled to. More often they are giving me advice of places to visit at a destination and vice versa. Not only can you learn from other crew but also from our customers.

You stopover in a lot of cities. Which one would you go back to, to spend more time?

Richard: Being from a culinary background anywhere with good food is a must for me. I would love to go back to Italy and spend some time travelling throughout.

Tiffany: Italy is definitely one of my favourite destinations. Not only because of the fashion but because every corner you turn there is something beautiful to see. It is so different from home, there is so much history and I love all the architecture of all the old buildings. I love dining at restaurants in Rome near the Spanish Steps or the Trevi Fountain.