Cabin Crew R:

I started writing this blog post a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to share how happy I was, that things were gradually getting back to normal. In the meantime, the Omikron variant has arrived, and it looks like we might need to take a step backwards, before moving forward again. Though while we hold our breath, and hope for the best, I will share, what I originally wrote before we knew about Omikron, and after I returned to my airline job:

It is great to see that people have started flying again. Most of our flights are completely full, and the passengers seem almost ecstatic to be able to travel again. People buy a lot of drinks and snacks on board, much more than before the pandemic, and they are generally very polite and in a good mood, in spite of the restrictions that are still in force, and adds time and complexity to their trip.

My colleagues are also happy to be back, and it is interesting to catch up and hear how they have spent their time on the ground. During the pandemic, many of the pilots have been working as bus drivers, taxi drivers and garbage collectors, while many of my cabin crew colleagues have been working at Covid test centers and at the border police. While most of us have been missing our airline jobs, it has been somewhat reassuring to know, that the skills we have acquired from the airline industry have turned out to be valuable to employers in other industries too, and that the large majority of my laid-off or furloughed colleagues managed to find other employment quickly.

This week I am in Oslo, and this is the view from my room. I love the holiday month, and back home, I have Christmas decorations all over the place. I therefore thought I would bring a little bit of “julehygge” (Christmas spirit) with me on my layover, and if you have any layovers in December, I would recommend you to do the same. It makes the hotel room and thus the layover and the time spent away from your loved ones so much nicer. Dinner tonight? Probably Peppes. Norway’s famous (and very nice) pizza chain, and one of the only places open for food at the airport.

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My uniform is hanging untouched in the closet, my trolley is stowed away and my visa to China expires in three weeks. I have an almost empty roster for the rest of the month, and it does not look like things will be much different next month.

Read More about Quarantine life for cabin crew

Long flights, jet lag and dry cabin air can be hard on your skin, and special attention is required to keep the skin hydrated and healthy. Here is what works for me:

Read More about Cabin Crew Jessica: My must-have beauty products for long-haul flights

After flight school I got a job at an airline in Istanbul, where I worked for a year before I was offered another job in Antalya in the southern part of Turkey. In both Istanbul and Antalya, I was working for airlines that employed a lot of international pilots, and during my time in Turkey, I met new friends from all over Europe.

Read More about Turkish Breakfast at The Big Man – Good times in Antalya

Ever wondered how the cabin crew working on Christmas Eve celebrate Christmas on board? How is the food? Will there be Christmas decorations? And how about presents? We have asked Rikke to tell us what it is like for cabin crew to work on Christmas Eve:

Read More about How do cabin crew celebrate Christmas on board?

For most people, the holiday season provides an opportunity to spend quality time with near and dear ones, but for those of us working in the airline industry, December is one of the busiest months of the year, and the December roster is something most of us are looking forward to with a mix of fear and anticipation. Will we get to spend Christmas Eve with our families? Under a palm tree? Or at flight level 350 somewhere over Russia?

Read More about Merry Christmas from the flight deck

No, not me:) Except for maternity leave and a few years break to study, I have been working for SAS for almost 13 years, but on my last flight, we were celebrating Kyoko, and her 25th anniversary as a cabin crew. Kyoko is one of the Japanese cabin crew, and she is an amazing colleague and employee.

Read More about 25 years with SAS

Fall is here and I have been on a long haul flight to Washington. The last time I was in Washington was four years ago, and that was when I found out I was having Marta, my youngest daughter. Even though I have been to Washington many times, I have mostly spent the layovers by the pool, relaxing and reading. Though I have decided that my layovers from now on will be all about exploring and writing so I put on my sandals and went for a walk down Connecticut Avenue. I ended up in front of the White House and what an amazing place it is. Just think about how many presidents that have been living there.

At the airline I work for, “steward” is not a male air host, but the title of the person in charge of the galley. He or she usually has a background in hospitality and receives further education in food and beverages before obtaining the “steward” title.

Read More about A sweet surprise – Baked banana and chocolate in the galley

Something I find really fascinating is how we are often three different nationalities on the flights out of Copenhagen: Swedes, Danes and Norwegians. It does not take long before you understand all three languages, so on board we usually communicate in our own language.

Read More about The Scandinavian way