CFA Guidelines 101 – Where do I start
So you have just taken up an offer for a corporate flight attendant role, and excited to start your first ever trip. Before you get too excited, we will share some tips to get you started on your trip planning without feeling too jittery.
As a Corporate Flight Attendant, you need to be very organised and be able to work alone with little or no direction. Once you are advised on a trip or flight, this is where your planning process will start, and knowing and collecting as much details or information as possible is recommended. This will help you set up your flight and service more effectively and efficiently in a customer-oriented manner.
Start by building a picture of your trip, especially if you have more than one sector, or a return sector. Collect as much information as possible and consider all sectors when planning (including contingencies) at the start, and not when you arrive at the first stop. This will help you ensure that you are fully prepared for any circumstances, stay organised, and ensure a smooth trip for yourself, the crew and most importantly, your passengers.
Below are some key pointers to help you:
Aircraft
Understanding the aircraft that you will be operating on, and the galley equipment that it has will allow you to start your catering planning. For example, the size of the ovens and the space you have onboard for storage may affect how you will work with your caterer on the packaging, i.e. smaller packaging and trays for limited space. Or whether the aircraft have any chiller or fridge, if not, you will need to have cooling packs or some dry ice to keep certain foods chilled. Or if there is any microwave or coffee machines onboard for you to warm up food or beverages, or you may need to order hot water, tea and coffee and keep them in a vacuum flask.
Destination
Research the destination you are going to. This will help you plan out your catering, i.e. if you need to round trip any catering and pre-organize the catering to be put into cold storage at the destination which the handling agent can assist. Always ensure you stay in contact with the handling agent, so you could get your questions answered after you have done your research, i.e. recommended
caterers, delivery/collection of catering etc. You may sometimes need to consider arranging catering from a hotel or restaurant if not through a private jet caterer, and may need to plan ahead for extra foils, containers or cooling bags to collect the catering or perhaps arrange it directly through the private jet caterer, to have them collect, blast chill, re-package and deliver directly to the aircraft.
Return or further sectors
Consider the return sector or any other further sectors. Do you need extra amenities or beds? Are there any requested items that might not be available, and thus you need to prepare it beforehand or have an alternative? Always consider all sectors (including contingencies) when you are doing your planning at the start.
Departure time
Is it an overnight flight, will you need to load and make the beds before the flight or during the flight? The time of departure will also allow you to decide the type of service you will offer, and what will be the essential items for onboard service.
Length of Flight
Knowing how long each flight or sector is will also allow you to plan and organise your catering, i.e. do you have a long flight that allows you to prepare your service, or is it a short flight that you will need assistance from the caterer to pre-plate before the actual service?
Length of trip
After your first sector, knowing how much time you have on-ground before you leave for the next sector is also crucial towards your planning, i.e. limited time before the next sector or time difference etc. By now, you would have noticed that working with the handlers and the caterers closely is crucial throughout the planning.
Budget
The most important factor of all: what is your catering budget? This will allow you to decide if you may arrange your needs through a high-end private jet caterer or source for other options through supermarkets; hotels; and/or restaurants.
Customs and immigration
Understanding the various customs and immigration regulations is important, i.e. some countries may require the passenger cabins to be treated with insecticides prior to arrival, or commonly known as disinsection. Even ensuring that your passengers meet the requirements, i.e. having the required visas or filling up the proper arrival or entry cards etc. It is always good to familiarize yourself with the regulations and procedures for every destination throughout your trip.
Security
What about security issues you should be aware of at any destination?
Uplift / Handover
Always check the flight handover for any dry stores or uplift you may require for your trip/s. Most aircraft will carry a standard amount of items for a number of sectors. If you have more sectors, you may have to load extra items for your rotation.
Flight Crew
Who are you working with, is it a single-CFA operation or multi-CFA operation? What about your other crewmembers like your pilots? Is there any specifics that you will need to be aware of, or even understanding their preferences or working styles will
help you throughout your planning and execution. Always remember that the crew you are with will become your best partners throughout the trip.
Number of passengers
Understanding how many passengers you will have onboard is also crucial in this planning. This will help you to plan the amount of catering you will need to order and the supplies you will need to stock up the aircraft.
Religion
Understanding and respecting your passengers’ religion and adjusting to the cultural differences is crucial. It might affect your service or sometimes you might need to remove certain standard items from the aircraft.
Dietary
Do your passengers or crew have any dietary requirements? This may affect your menu planning or you may have to prepare more items before your first sector if items are not readily available at the next sector.
Medical
Have you been made aware of or advised of any medical conditions that you should be discreetly* aware of? Or are there any health warnings in place at your destination. Take the global pandemic as an example, different countries have different regulations and restrictions in place.
Requests
Are there any specific requests from the passengers? Most of the time, you may find yourself receiving requests such as collecting dry cleaning; organizing birthday cakes or surprises etc.
Children / Infants
Are you travelling with young passengers? What will be the extra amenities or onboard items they will need during their trip? Getting as much information as possible will help you stay prepared and plan the respective catering or type of service you will
deliver on board, especially if there are no specifics or details provided at the initial briefing.
Are you flying with pets? Dogs, especially on long flights will need to relieve themselves, so having travel pads, waste kits etc will be useful. Other points like catering; travel documents; tech stops; safety harness will also need to be considered.
Passenger Profiles
Are there passenger profiles? You might have flown with them before or your colleagues might have flown them, or the FBO staff may even know the passenger/s. Learning about their preferences and the service approach, i.e. how they may like the cabin to
be setup etc will be extremely helpful to your planning and execution.