Perks of the job
January 2nd 2007 03:57
One of my new year’s resolutions is to be more positive = complain less. I thought it appropriate then, to discuss the things I appreciated about being a hostie. I wouldn’t, couldn’t, have stuck out the job for all those years without there being some pretty damn good perks.
Essentially hosties paid to travel. The salary didn’t make me a millionairess but it sure was great having a disposable income. Free accommodation is included- and it’s in a hotel. Prior to becoming a hostie, my holiday budget only allowed for stays at hoStels. And on top of that, the airline provides meal allowances for layovers (most of it going towards retail therapy as opposed to meals).
Cheap tickets can be obtained for travel on your own airline, as well as other major carriers, for yourself and immediate family members. These days I balk at the cost of full priced airfares.
Hosties find themselves in different countries/continents within a matter of days, all the time. This was absolutely surreal.
Flying regulations allow hosties to get more days off than people with regular jobs. While I spent most days off recovering from jetlag/ hideous flights, I used the opportunity to go on mini-breaks too. And if I wanted to take trips to favourite work destinations, I could get discounted accommodation at crew hotels.
Who doesn’t love a discount? Hosties get plenty. Discounts are not limited to room service, hotel amenities and restaurants. Hosties are much-valued customers of businesses in the vicinity of the crew hotel, and are offered discounts on treatments like colonic irrigation, varicose vein removal, teeth whitening, botox injections and plastic surgery.
In Bangkok, a hostie can enter a shop selling poorly made imitation brand-name goods visited by ordinary customers, flash an aircrew ID card and exchange a knowing glance with the shopkeeper. The hostie is led out of the shop, down a dirty alleyway, up a dark and dingy staircase, atop of which awaits the ‘secret’ warehouse, allowing the ‘privileged’ guest access to the ‘best quality’ fakes at ‘special’ prices. Well I guess this wasn’t so much a perk for me as I’m not into buying fakes, but I got a good laugh from the overly dramatic experience of it all.
I appreciated how aircrew’s suitcases emerge from the luggage carousel first. In most destinations someone from the airport takes the suitcases off the luggage belt and line them up neatly. Aircrew have their own immigration lane.
Whenever I travelled to Oz as a uniformed crewmember, apart from one occasion where my suitcase was thoroughly searched, the customs people were friendly and easygoing.
Whenever I came home on leave or days off as a passenger, I was always treated nicely by our (male) customs officers who read “flight attendant” listed under “occupation” on my customs form. They were very chatty and eager to know what airline I worked for, and what places I had visited recently. I could see other passengers being hassled and having their luggage ransacked. Perhaps it was pure coincidence.
The opportunity to travel extensively, to work with and serve people of many nationalities, enriched my knowledge and appreciation of different cultures.
Oh, and being away from Oz for so long, each time I returned I learnt to look upon home with renewed appreciation. There truly is no place like home, and this sentiment, strangely enough, was a great thing about being a jetsetter.
Essentially hosties paid to travel. The salary didn’t make me a millionairess but it sure was great having a disposable income. Free accommodation is included- and it’s in a hotel. Prior to becoming a hostie, my holiday budget only allowed for stays at hoStels. And on top of that, the airline provides meal allowances for layovers (most of it going towards retail therapy as opposed to meals).
Cheap tickets can be obtained for travel on your own airline, as well as other major carriers, for yourself and immediate family members. These days I balk at the cost of full priced airfares.
Hosties find themselves in different countries/continents within a matter of days, all the time. This was absolutely surreal.
Flying regulations allow hosties to get more days off than people with regular jobs. While I spent most days off recovering from jetlag/ hideous flights, I used the opportunity to go on mini-breaks too. And if I wanted to take trips to favourite work destinations, I could get discounted accommodation at crew hotels.
Who doesn’t love a discount? Hosties get plenty. Discounts are not limited to room service, hotel amenities and restaurants. Hosties are much-valued customers of businesses in the vicinity of the crew hotel, and are offered discounts on treatments like colonic irrigation, varicose vein removal, teeth whitening, botox injections and plastic surgery.
In Bangkok, a hostie can enter a shop selling poorly made imitation brand-name goods visited by ordinary customers, flash an aircrew ID card and exchange a knowing glance with the shopkeeper. The hostie is led out of the shop, down a dirty alleyway, up a dark and dingy staircase, atop of which awaits the ‘secret’ warehouse, allowing the ‘privileged’ guest access to the ‘best quality’ fakes at ‘special’ prices. Well I guess this wasn’t so much a perk for me as I’m not into buying fakes, but I got a good laugh from the overly dramatic experience of it all.
I appreciated how aircrew’s suitcases emerge from the luggage carousel first. In most destinations someone from the airport takes the suitcases off the luggage belt and line them up neatly. Aircrew have their own immigration lane.
Whenever I travelled to Oz as a uniformed crewmember, apart from one occasion where my suitcase was thoroughly searched, the customs people were friendly and easygoing.
Whenever I came home on leave or days off as a passenger, I was always treated nicely by our (male) customs officers who read “flight attendant” listed under “occupation” on my customs form. They were very chatty and eager to know what airline I worked for, and what places I had visited recently. I could see other passengers being hassled and having their luggage ransacked. Perhaps it was pure coincidence.
The opportunity to travel extensively, to work with and serve people of many nationalities, enriched my knowledge and appreciation of different cultures.
Oh, and being away from Oz for so long, each time I returned I learnt to look upon home with renewed appreciation. There truly is no place like home, and this sentiment, strangely enough, was a great thing about being a jetsetter.
| 233 |
| Vote |
Comment by Bhumika
Political Minds
Comment by Judy
Ex-Hostie
Comment by Deorre
Stress Alive
Man Lessons
It does seem like it has many perks.
Comment by Kb
Comment by gordman