survived my lagos experience

what a bizarre but fun trip.

the flight was half full going there.... the passengers are pretty demanding... bordering on greedy.. 2 of this, half the time i think they just ask for stuff because its something they can have. i even had one guy kind of offering me his daughter. weird.

arriving at the airport... we have to be escorted from the baggage hall, out of the airport, to a waiting set of mini vans. luckily as the locals all hanging around the airport looked like they were scary and ready to jump us. the mini vans are escorted to the hotel where we stay, by 2 police vans with flashing lights. sitting int he van, staring out into the darkness.. wondering if this was indeed a dangerous place.

the hotel... lagos sheraton.. is basic at best. room that i got was nice and modern, butt hats only because several airlines have pumped money into the hotel.. some crew got old crappy, and dirty rooms... so i was very lucky.

we are not allowed to leave the hotel. hmm.. nice place they sent us too.. so we just get to lay by the pool or stay in the hotel bar. several air crews stay there.. KLM, Lufthansa, BA.. etc.

imagine our shock to all see the drama unfolding on the runway at heathrow. those poor flight attendants.... we were all imagining how knackered and tired they would have been, after a long trip from beijing. by the time you land back into london you are so tired and exhausted and almost delirious. but after al the rigorous training we have, it just goes to show it all just kicks in. i hope this does bring new respect for flight attendants in this country. i have never in all my years fo travelling as a passenger, see travellers take the piss so much with virgin crew. i have never seen a flight on any other airline where the call bells just do not stop and the demands made on crew. im not sure if its a american/british thing, but certainly flights from Australia and asia are never like this.

was shocked to actually see faeces on the aerobridge. not sure if iti was human or dog or what.. but dogs would not be allowed in the terminal so one can only imagine it was human

anyway..the flight home was full, but i was asked to work up in the premium economy cabin, which was quiet. i was working with the seniors in the front galley, and even got to man the upper class bar at one stage, so i got the sense of what it was like up there. however, every time i walked down into the back galley, it was like walking thru chaos.. passengers wanting so much, like they were tryingt o get everything they could off us before the plane landed.. however.. they all got off satisfied and happy, which ultimately is the end goal.. thats whats is important really, so we just bear with it.

took me 4 hours from the time we landed until i got home.. which meant i got home at about 9pm... a long day.

i look back at my days of training, and having to work 8 hours training with 2 hours travel time on each end, when i had to go interstate..and think back to how tired i was. well.. this is like that, only, multiply by 2, imagine spending 2 hours getting to and from work.. then spending 8-12 hours on your feet, constantly moving, constantly thinking, add into the mix jetlag and ever changing time zones, eating snacks if..and that's a big if... you have time to, usually you eat whatever crap is left over on board, from either the crew food, which is pretty bad, or leftover passenger meals..which are ok, if you only had to eat it once.. but when its 2-3 times a week... hmmm.. and even then you usually only get5-10 mins to scoff as much of it into your mouth as possible, while standing in the galley.. so you tend to eat the snacks and junk on board because you can shove it in your mouth and hurriedly chew it on your way back up the aisle to answer the 100th call bell..

my biggest annoyance so far has been when a passenger in the front row of economy presses the bell... so i have to walk the entire length of the cabin, he orders and drink... i walk all the way back, make the drink.. walk all the way back to his seat.. and deliver it, walk all the way back to the galley.. only to have the bell go off again, and the guy next to him wants to order the same drink. i literally wanted to go make one and pour it over him... but hey.. we also end up with the patience of saints.