Steward saved S$250,000 in 6 years.

Alex the galley steward (lowest rank)and I decided to walk from Gloucester Hotel where we stayed in London to Earl's Court station to have breakfast. It was a 20 minute walk and the spring weather was pleasant with bright sunshine amid a cool 22 Celsius.
I was the one who had encouraged Alex to come out and have breakfast with me.I had promised I would treat him. The breakfast at Earl's Court was relatively cheap. A full English breakfast with free flow of coffee cost 5 pounds sterling (about S$11). We sat at the cafe from about 8am till 10am and that was when he revealed to me how he managed to saved $200,000 in his 6 years with SIA.

Flying into London from S'pore the day before,Alex asked,"boh tong have you ever saved $100k a year?" My answer was "never but have you Alex?",I asked. "Yes" Alex shot back "and it's pretty easy" he said.
I replied,"tell me how?" "Hmmm.. will tell you over a meal if you like" said Alex. That's when I promised him the breakfast treat at Earl's Court.

Over breakfast,Alex proudly told me he saved $3,000 of the $3,500 he earned every month. In one year it came up to about $36,000. If you add up the bonuses,he would have saved about $40,000 a year. Multiply that figure by 6 years, Alex saved $240,000 in his 6 year career with SIA. That meeting with me was about 6 years ago.So you can imagine,Alex must have easily saved half a million dollars by year 2008.

I was amazed by this young man ability to save so much money in a short span of time. But how did Alex do it?
Alex confessed he was a thrifty person. He rarely ate in restaurants,cafe etc. He usually brought with him cheap instant noodles,bread and canned food like sardine,baked beans etc.and cooked them in the hotel rooms. He would often stuffed his stomach with aircraft food just before the airplane landed so he did not have to spend any money on food during his first day at a station.
He did not spend much on clothes and during the breakfast with me that morning I noticed he was wearing his uniform pants.

When asked about spending money on women,his reply was " go Dutch with them if they wanna a f***, after all it is gonna be mutual fun". He did not believe in spending money on women. No wonder Alex was not married nor had a girl friend,I thought to myself.

I've also heard of stewardesses saving that kind of money but I've not heard from the horses' mouth.

Response to Japanese gals make best stewardesses

In the above post I talked about how good the Japanese gals were as stewardesses but there was one local stewardess who disagreed with me.Here was her response:

Hi there.

I do not agree that JSS make the best crew. Many of them may show great enthusiasm during training but it is because it is "expected" of them to be so. 

If you understand Japanese culture and social norms, "expectation of one's behaviour" is a biggie to them.

Many of my classmates, the JSS, only pretend to understand the trainers, pretend to flip through their dictionaries, but in actual fact, have no clue what the class is about. 

They rely on us to tutor them, and because they are polite to us, we willingly tutor them.

But once they start flying, they are usually lazy and display only their great pretence skills - busy acting busy.

It is a known fact amongst all cabin crew that foreign crew are generally lazier than local crew, and in alot of cases, foreign crew includes the malaysians as well.

In fact, the japanese and korean girls often make the top of the list as the laziest. Their work is often no good too. This would include service procedure and product/company knowledge and staying abreast of current affairs. 

I agree and stress that the japanese are an extremely polite, charming and cute bunch of people, and they are good at making people like them. But when it comes to work, when it comes to labelling them as the best SIA girl, I beg to differ. They may have been wonderful during your time, but that was a long, long time ago.

Is this a case of envy or sour grapes?

Complaint against SIA CC for smoking

There is a big complaint and debate in this forum about crew smoking in uniform. People don't understand that most if not all of SIA flights are stressful and when you get people like the complainant,crew's lives are thrown into a turmoil. Slightest things they complain.

Passengers are extremely demanding and complain about petty things. A few in the forum blamed SIA for the crew's behaviour. There is so much the management could do so don't blame them.

My advice for those who has nothing better to do than complain about petty things to buzz off! Why don't spend your energy on something more useful like how to beat the recession or create more jobs for S'poreans? These people have chicken backside mouth and complain and complain and add more misery to the crew who is already trying to cope with nasty passengers.

Magnanimity of our cabin crew.

All her thirty plus years as a cabin crew ground staff,Lin had seldom been nice or kind to the cabin crew. When approached for help,she would either try to avoid helping them or offered assistance reluctantly. Lin also treated us the CCEs in like manner.
As a younger staff back in the early eighties,Lin had applied to be a stewardess with SIA.Each time she would failed her interview because she simply did not have the cutting of an SIA gal. She did not have a likeable or pleasant face.
As a result,she was envious of the crew and the trainees.
Personally as her superior,I found her to be abrupt and untactful most of the times. Most of the crew and trainees dislike but tolerated her.
A few years ago Lin had a stroke which left her paralysed.She was medically boarded out as she was unable to function in the office.
Many of the crew took pity on her as she was the bread winner of the family. The crew and staff collected about $30,000 and gave Lin as a farewell gift. Till today,crew still visit Lin and give her flowers and pray for her recovery.

"Chicken a la carte"

For Boh Tong's post on senior crew in his days click here

Amazing young lady

Jessica Cox, 25, earned a license to fly airplanes on October 10, 2008. Jessica also has two black belts in Tae Kwan-Do, a college degree in Psychology, and a thriving career as a motivational speaker. What doesn't Jessica Cox have? Arms.A bilateral congenital limb deficiency doesn't stop Ms. Cox from achieving and surpassing her goals. From birth on, her feet became her hands. She can drive a car, type 25 words per minute, and fly an airplane using her feet, without any special adaptations. She is the first woman without arms to earn a license to fly.
"I highly encourage people with disabilities to consider flying," Cox said. "It helps reverse the stereotype that people with disabilities are powerless into the belief that they are powerful and capable of setting high goals and achieving them."
Jessica earned her Sport Pilot certificate after training with Able Flight, a North Carolina flight training company that specializes in helping people with disabilities learn to fly. Ms. Cox won an Able Flight scholarship and was able to train with instructor Parrish Traweek free of charge.

Fond memories of this SVP

His name was Captain Segar and he was our first SVP (formerly known as DIS or Director of Inflight Service)in cabin crew. He was with us from 1975 to 1977.
To many of us,he was the best SVP we had. Captain was a amicable and likeable chap. He got along well with his staff and many crew,in particular with us the CCEs (formerly known as Training Check Steward/Stewardess. We had strong backing from him and during his tenure with cabin crew, we won many awards for being the best cabin crew in the world.
During those days we worked hard but also played as hard. I can still recall the time when there was live telecast of the boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier in Manila in 1975, Capt. allowed us to bring a portable tv set to the office. We, together with our colleagues and our SVP watched the much talked about match during office hours. I can recall any other bosses who would allow such activity during office hour.
It was almost like a ritual where every morning before we start the training sessions, Capt and us,the check stewards and Edward Lim the training manager would be having our coffee right in his office.
After our coffee, Capt would asked us to summon a staff from the catering department to place our 4-digit bet.
There was an occasion when one of our colleagues tried to impress our big boss by dismissing himself from the morning coffee and wanted to start work as it was already 9am. He was jokingly chastised by captain and told,"..you don't start work till we finished our coffee and cigarette.." So by the time the session ended it would be around 9:30am.
We were invited by Capt on several occasions to his home for meals and drinks.
Capt passed away a couple of years back in Scotland of throat cancer. May his soul rest in peace.

Did boh tong say his SVPs were asses?

Boh Tong's analysis of cabin crew SVPs is at this blog

Latest news from HR department

Dear Employees,

Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown of economy, Management has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 40 years of age and above on early retirement. This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early).

Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to management to be eligible for the SHAFT scheme (Special Help After Forced Termination). Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW programme (Scheme Covering Retired Early Workers). A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as Management deems appropriate.

Only persons who have been RAPED can get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependents & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance). Consequently persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by Management.

Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Management has always prided itself on the amount of SHIT it gives employees. Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring this to the attention of your Supervisor. They have been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.

Sincerely,

The Management

What a load of rave and rant.

1.) Firstly if SIA stewardess have to clear up vomit and puke, then kindly please ask yourself who are the people who contributed to the vomit and puke? Aren't it customers like yourself?? And of course the stewardess would have to serve food, clean the toilets, as well as all things necessary. Then what? Ask the customers to take the food themselves, clean the toilet themselves ah? So you are implying that stewardess in budget airline very high class la, since they refuse to move a finger, don't serve food (if want please pay up first), they don't even bother to ask you what drink you want during the flight la.

2.) The "kebaya" issue is well publicized in the newspapers some months back. The jury is still out on this issue. But the fact is, SIA still making loads of money leh (record profits can). Last I heard their employees getting 6 months bonus leh. So does the kebaya issue really matter? People are still taking SIA whether we like it or not.

3.) I think the only time you see SIA stewardess is onboard their aircraft right?? Do you know any SIA girls personally? Do you know friends who knows them personally? Have you been to Zouk Velvet Underground on Thursday nights? If your answers to the above are "no", then I suggest you reserve your judgement. I'm not saying all SIA girls are super chio bus, but a lot of them look better without their SIA girl make up. Looks is subjective and so is figure. Some men prefer girls with large eyes, long legs, long/short hair, large/small breasts. By the way, do you know SIA employs native Indians, Koreans and Japanese as their foreign stewardess? So if your point about other asian girls having hourglass figures is correct, then SIA do have girls with hourglass figures.

4.) Friend, I have also taken other airlines before. And do u know how old their stewardess sometimes can be?? Some are even old enough to be my mother lah! And would you rather a middle aged lady come smile at you and ask you "Fish or chicken sir?". No Thank you! I'll stick to the relatively younger stewardess in SIA! At least SIA girls are slimmer and hips not so big. Those "ah-mahs" in other airlines sometimes their hips are so big their hips bang into your elbows when you are sitting on an aisle seat la! ouch!

5.) Errr.. did you just give us a bad link? The link you provided is Skytrax awards for year 2005 friend. If I recall correctly, I think now already year 2007 liao leh.. And besides you think Skytrax is the only airline award in the world meh? How come that day I just saw an SIA advertisement in Straits Times indicating all the awards they've won leh? Some of them are from reputable magazines some more leh...

6.) Friend, next time if you don't want stewardess to meddle with your matters on board so much, I suggest you take budget airline la. Best thing is, they won't even bother disturbing you. You die of thirst they probably will be none the wiser also. Besides you also complain SIA so expensive right? So budget airline is win-win for you. Toilet overflowing with shit and urine also stewardess will not clean for you. You ask stewardess to serve food, they Ignore you ah! See their stewardess so Atas (High class). Best thing is, don't need to pay so much for airfare also! HAHA

Above taken from Stomp

Does Bermuda Traingle exist?

In my opinion, the Bermuda Triangle, like the Loch Ness Monster, is only a myth. Yes, I know many people, including those who love mysteries, would not agree with me. Well, the Triangle, located somewhere between Bermuda, Miami and San Juan in the Caribbean, is no more a dangerous part of the ocean than any other.

True, there were some planes and ships lost within or in the vicinity of the Triangle, and for sure, human beings, for what they are, would just love to attribute accidents to some causes, whether real or imagined. Yes, the Bermuda Triangle is also partly a paranormal pursuit of some that believe in the involvement of ghosts, demons or angels. Hence, the mysteries of the Triangle have flourished since the time of Christopher Columbus.

Remember, in the month of September 2005 where there were a series of air crashes, some theories were floating around that they were related or even explained through some supernatural intervention!

What theories have been raised to support the mysteries so far? Well, things like methane gas being released from the ocean floor; unexplained magnetic disturbances; some severe electrostatic charge affecting the human central nervous system and causing the pilot to lose consciousness are some of them. For example, there was the case of a private pilot flying in a single-engine airplane on a night solo cross-country flight, whilst under radar with Jacksonville approach, crashed into the sea somewhere around the area. Of course, the speculation was - the Bermuda Triangle factor! In reality, the NTSB attributed the probable cause to spatial disorientation - the main cause of accidents of a pilot who lacks experience in instrument flying. (He only had one hour solo night flying experience and the rest of his instrument flying times were under dual instruction. It was also a dark night with no visible horizon.) Spatial disorientation was also the cause of the JFK Junior crash – further away to the North of the Triangle. Had it been nearer, one would imagine what the speculation would be.

Do pilots still try to avoid this area? If they do, I believe they have to be those who are still obsessed with the Triangle mysteries. In reality, I see no reason why any pilots would avoid this Triangle if they have to fly through it.

In fact, from the Jeppesen Navigation Enroute Charts for pilots, there are five Airways that crisscross the Triangle. Of these, two (Airways B646, A637) connect air traffic from all over Florida to Bermuda. One from Nassau, Bahamas (Airways A555) links to San Juan and two more (Airways L435, L375) pass overhead the Triangle towards the African Continent. If the dangers of the Bermuda Triangle were true, the airspace above it would have been declared by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) as a prohibited airspace to enhance air safety!

What about stories of strong magnetic field there? Well, magnetic field exists all over the Globe at varying strength. Hence, pilots need to be aware of the variations in different part of the world when navigating in the air.

Above article was contributed by Captain Lim

Crew promotions and salary

Any crew would want to be promoted to a higher rank in the company.Very few are contented to be just a junior flight steward or stewardess (FS or FSS).
In SQ one can go up from being a stewardess/steward to a leading stewardess/steward (LSs or LS) then to be a chief(CS or CSS) and an inflight supervisor(IFS or IFSs).From IFS one could be a CTS or check training supervisor or inflight auditor (dual function).The difference in pay( Basic)between a FSS and an IFSs could be anywhere between $1,500 to $2,000 a month. The total difference in terms of allowances,basic,bonuses etc could average $3,000 to $4,000 a month.In other words, an IFSs could take home about $7,000 and a FSS $3,500 per month. So which idiot would not want to be promoted?

A graduate cabin crew executive with a 2nd upper honours starts with about $3,500. An "O" level  fss/fs starts with with the same salary (inclusive of all sorts of allowances). No wonder so many wanna join SQ as a cabin crew.

To go up to the first level of promotion from a fss/fs to lss/ls it would take about 5 years. There were times when there was a severe shortage of cabin crew and coupled with rapid expansion, it took about 3 years to be promoted to lss/ls. In the early 1970s,a crew serving 3 to 6 months had been promoted. I remember a steward by the name of C. Heng and B.T.Ho were promoted to ls rank before even being confirmed in their position as a fs.

There were crew at other period were not promoted to ls even after working for 10 years. This case happened to guys more often than girls.

For a cabin crew to reach the position of an IFS,it would take about 15 years.

Nowadays,there is almost zero chance of any crew holding an "O" level education can make it to the CCE rank. This position is for 2nd upper and higher only. Although a CCE starts with a $3,500 salary ( per month)their prospects of being a manager  is good. A junior manager probably gets a salary of around $7,000 to $10,000. A senior manager gets around $12,000 depending on length of service and the number of merit increaments they obtained each year. SVP would score anything from $20,000 to $40,000 a month. 

PS: the above salary figures are from my own assessment and may not be necessarily accurate. Managers and more senior staff salaries are kept confidential. 

Please note .....

Please note any irrelevant comment will be deleted or not be allowed to be posted here. Why should I let some suckers come here and post all kind of comments about other people who doesn't even know this blog exist. Sorry chums if you think I am not being democratic then buzzzzzz off!!!

My apology for .....

My apology for removing my last 2 postings. I have been pressured to delete them because of legal implication.
Don't worry there will be more interesting posts coming out so stay tune to this blog.

Managers who earned my respect

Can only think of a few managers with whom I enjoyed working for. These bosses are decisive and supportive. They didn't worry too much about their svps and dare to make decision without much consultation. Many times,they were being screwed for that. Nevertheless their decisions to discipline or take corrective measures etc had earned much respect and admiration from people like us. Here,I would like to name 2 managers who were admirable and they were the late Mr. Cyril Teo and Mr. Edward Lim whom I believed left SQ and joined Emirates Airlines in the 1980s.
Later after the polls have closed I would give my opinion on the svps we had worked under. Good or bad,I will be honest with my views.

Bosses I dreaded working for.

Having good bosses or seniors is an important aspect of working life.It either kills your motivation to work harder or makes you look forward to going to work everyday.
I will touch on the former first i.e. having bad bosses.
Over a long period of time working for SQ,I have worked under more lousy bosses than good ones.
The managers were the worst lot. Most were back-boneless creatures who would sucked up to their svps or seniors. They were indecisive and adopted the "don't rock the boat" attitude. Working under such bosses was very discomforting,demotivating and frustrating.
Just to illustrate what do I mean was a case whereby one of my colleagues, a trainer CCE was shouted at and scolded by a TRAINEE stewardess in the presence of the whole class was told by his training manager to give the rude trainee a second chance. The CCE recommended the girl be sacked.
Another case was a TRAINEE steward who defied and challenged the trainer to sack him was let off the hook by the training manager. Fortunately for the division,svp Thoeng overruled and sacked that gangster-like trainee.
The main reason for not wanting to dismissed those rude and arrogant trainees was "too much admin work would be involved and have to answer to many questions etc..."
Crew who had strong link with the union were also let off the hook even though they had committed serious offences ....reason? want to maintain good relations with the union. Other crew were sacked and some was even referred to the police eg. chief steward Jimmy Woon's case. Worst still would be those who openly opposed the union.
Well well,I hope the current managers and senior staff aren't like those during my time.
Want more?