Airline CEO worked a shift as a flight attendant and was ‘amazed’ by how ‘challenging’ it was
Topics: News
Stewart Perrie
Featured Image Credit: LinkedIn/Jens Ritter.
Topics: News
Being a flight attendant might seem like an incredible job.
You get to travel the world, see amazing places, not be confined to an office and desk...the list goes on.
However, those long-haul flights where you're binging movie after movie or knocked out asleep, there's loads of staff who are working around the clock to attend to your every need.
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To see just how hard cabin crew work during any given flight, an airline CEO decided to chuck on the uniform and dive into the trenches.
Jens Ritter is the boss of Lufthansa and he revealed on LinkedIn his experience of working as a flight attendant.
He wrote: "Sometimes, you need to change perspectives in order to gain new insights!
"This week, I accompanied our Lufthansa Airlines flight crew heading to Riyadh and Bahrain as 'additional crew member'. What a ride!
"I have been working for the Lufthansa Group for many years.
"But I have never had the opportunity to work as part of the cabin crew. And honestly, that was so interesting and also challenging!
"I was amazed by how much there is to organize, especially, if something doesn’t go as planned – for example the meals offered on the menu cards were not exactly the meals loaded on board."
There are loads of things that can happen when you're 33,000 feet above sea level and have hundreds of passengers with different wants and needs.
Ritter added: "It was so interesting to address the guests’ wishes individually, to deal with the different energy everyone has.
"I used to fly as a pilot and so I thought I knew about the challenges a flight during the night entails.
"But to be present and attentive and charming – when the biological clock just tells you to sleep – was something entirely different.
"The crew was terrific and welcomed me into their team right away. With their support, I was able to give a hand in business class on the way to Riyadh. Back to Frankfurt, during the night, I took care of our guests in economy class. And honestly: I enjoyed every moment!"
"I was astonished how much I learned in these few hours. Deciding things in the office will be different after really feeling the decisions on board."
He thanked the crew for letting him step into the shoes of a flight attendant for a few journeys so he could see what it was like on the ground...or air, so to speak.
Ritter said the experience has taught him that a lot of work needs to be done to improve standards.
"The aviation industry suffers from lack of staff, broken supply chains, lack of aircraft and many other problems," he said in a comment.
"If we fix this – their job would be a lot easier. On the other hand I think that everyone likes working if they feel being seen and appreciated and psychologically safe. This is something else I am trying hard to improve!"