In truth, talking about aviation in general; with all the hard stories that takes place around the industry people simply forget the fun, the relationships, the beauty of air travel in general that can be shared mid-air.

Many a time, that critical element that gives aviation its general air of superiority among other transport systems, is forgotten and so also are those that make the experience worthwhile with warm smiles welcoming you on-board and a ‘sad- to- see- you- go’ smile as you depart.

In-flight is one of the major mystique around the air travel and so different airlines tend to design, define and redefine what they want to do to make the passenger comfortable and yearning to come back for more.

Comfort and Crew was able to catch up with the Head of Cabin Crew of Dana Air and he explained to us how they do their best in making passengers the king from the minute they step on-board a flight till the last person disembarks.

Dana Air's In-flight service
Dana Air’s In-flight service
Explaining various scenarios, it is a given that actually handling people is not as easy as one looks at it and being professional and loving at what you do makes everything worthwhile and as everyone can attest, it is the cockpit crew’s job to fly you from point A to Point B safely but it is the Cabin Crew’s job to ensure that you have a pleasant experience getting from one point to the other.

Welcoming: As the crew OF Dana welcomes you into the aircraft with those broad smiles and the sound of Michael Buble’s remix to Frank Sinatra’s original ‘Come Fly with Me’ the atmosphere has already been set as said crew ushers each passengers to their seats.

Engagement: Once the flight takes off and the captain announces the altitude, the Dana Crew with a beautiful, reassuring smile and ‘happy- to- help’ attitude, walks through the cabin to see if any passenger is having any issue and see ways to solve it as fast as possible,so the passenger can relax and enjoy our award winning in-flight service” said Udo.

Uncomfortable/Scared : There are instances where the passenger he/ she is a first time flyer, is he/she scared of heights or has had some not too pleasant experience before? An approachable and friendly disposition would make it easier for the passenger to converse. Conversing in turn would help calm the guest and take his/her mind of the supposed problem.

Unwell – Also according to the airline, depending on the nature of the ailment the crew reassure the guest and help them understand that the crew is adequately trained to handle and care for guest who might have taken ill in-flight by providing first aid treatment and care. The crew is always poised to spring to action if the situation calls for it.

Newspapers and magazines are provided to help such guest relax better. The crew periodically checks on such guest to see how they are doing and continuously reassures them. It might also require closing the window blinds, reclining the seats, adjusting the air vents, offering ear plugs depending on the nature of the situation…

According to the airline Head of Crew, Innocent Udoh,” We at Dana Air consistently deliver an outstanding standard of customer service and maintain this standard throughout the flight. This, we achieve by always being visible in the cabin to answer any question from our guests.”

Handling passengers during turbulence:

Now this is not an easy task but it is worthy of note that turbulence is a disturbance in the smooth flow of air which can be caused by adverse weather, certain types of cloud formation or by passage of a large aircraft through the air. It can occur from take-off stage through to the approach and landing and can vary from a slight buffering to violent changes in altitude and airspeed.

During turbulence, the flight crew makes announcement giving detailed explanation of the situation to guests, requesting guests to return to their seats and then switches on the fasten seat-belt signs.

“Cabin crew walk around the cabin to check on the guest, ensuring compliance with fasten seatbelt sign. With wide, genuine and reassuring smiles we give explanation to the guest so that they understand what is really happening and that it is nothing serious but that it would pass. We also explain that the flight crew are very experienced and committed to the safety and comfort of our guests and answer their questions.“

Periodic and reassuring announcements are made to guests depending on the duration of the turbulence and we keep the smiles to also help our passengers relax better.

“We treat everyone as an individual, which includes displaying respect for customers from every walk of life. We believe Team work and good communication are essential to a happy crew which equals happy customers who want to come back and fly time and time again with us. We are enthusiastic about what we do and we combine our service on-board with a good sense of self-presentation. “

“Our Cabin Crew encounter different situations whilst working on board the aircraft and are excellent team players with the ability to work on their own initiative using quick thinking and organizational skills,”Udo said.

It’s one thing to do a job simply because you are paid to but it is another thing to be committed and do that job out of passion born from desire itself to do the job.

The cabin crew takes care of you from the start of a flight to finish, so when next you walk by any crew on your way out of an aircraft accord them the same gesture of the warm smile they give to you because as you and I know they truly deserve it.

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