Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Not to be outdone by Sunny Gale's comment...

 

Below is the reply to Sunny's comment. Each has his or her opinion but best is to let the readers decide.

I'm sorry Ive to disagree with Sunny too optimistic view of being CC.

That view is correct in SQ golden age before middle eastern airlines and budget carriers took away the SQ flair. Here's the points -

1) layover get short with CC spend most time in hotel room to rest and not able to go out and spend allowance because SG cost of living is expensive. They too are tired to walk around the areas as they get older.

2) CC skills are largely non-transferable in other work other than F&B and perhaps hotel.

3) CC on tenure have no choice but to lan lan till 60 plus years old and stuck in there especially when they have family.


In conclusion, the job is good for short time but doing the same airline CC routine over and over again and expecting different result like better pay and more leave for CC is what Einstein termed as insanity.

It will never happen as long SQ competition with other airlines is visible.

17 comments:

KayPoh aka busybody. said...


Anonymous Anonymous said...
Hi, Anonymous who posted on 14/9/22,

Sunny's view is not wrong, and yours is also correct. I am of the humble opinion that the scenarios facing the current CCs are also experienced elsewhere. Please allow me to cshare my views on your comments

1) layover get short with CC spend most time in hotel room to rest and not able to go out and spend allowance because SG cost of living is expensive. They too are tired to walk around the areas as they get older.

In life, and almost everywhere, we always hear people fondly recalling the "good old days...." Of course, the good old days of CCs were very enviable but, with time and prevailing conditions, one cannot wish for "the good old days" to into perpetuity.

2) CC skills are largely non-transferable in other work other than F&B and perhaps hotel.

There are also many occupations out one's skills and expertise are so narrowly geared and structured that switching profession/vocation is a near impossibility. For example, pilots, artists, musicians and many more. They will either have to be very versatile or moderate their expections in life.

3) CC on tenure have no choice but to lan lan till 60 plus years old and stuck in there especially when they have family.

This happens to almost everybody and not specific to CCs. Once you are old, marketability dropped. Even some professions are in high demand, for example, doctors, lawyers, bankers, age will also be a toll with passing years.

Above are my humble views and, in summarising, I would say both Sunny and Anonymous are not wrong. At the end of the day, it is up to each individual to make it good for himself/herself. There is this old saying, "if you are born poor, it is nobody's fault. But if you die poor, you may have to bear some blame because you did not put in enough effort"

KayPoh aka Busybody

Anonymous said...

Hi Kaypoh

Thanks for backing up my post to show BT and naysayers that current CC isn't what it used to be compared to BT time which was more than 20 years ago.

Things and times have change.

On point 2, you listed those occupation:

For pilot, pilot skills can be transferred to work for private jet companies or you can be a aviation lecturer in a public school.

For a artist/musicians, if one is hardworking and know the mass market, it can be sustainable past 60 years old like Uncle Raymond of Tiktok.

For doctor, you can set up private practice if you've capital and dont want to be bound by Govt/private hospital code of conduct.

For CC, hmmm, what can you do? Skills are largely non-transferable. They are bound by 5 year contract. If they don't get promoted after 15/20 years, the wont be renewed and had they've family, siao liao.

Serving passengers are what ground waiters do daily with low pay and long hours which BT despised.

BT and gang keep harping that CC are 'world-class' trained. If so, why they ended up as a taxi driver or other laborious job?

BT and gang glamorous CC job to unsuspecting youth that it'¥ easy job. They didn't think long term for the youth future.

BT and and gang should exercise restraint and be honest what the job entails.

Anonymous said...


Hi, Anonymous of 14/9, indeed, things have changed. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I was a CC wannabe many many years ago. Afte NS, together with 2 friends, we applied to be a CC. My other 2 friends got the job and I was rejected. During those days, I would listen, and envy, their overseas trips. I would listen with awe as to how they could visit Taj Mahal on a trip to New Delhi, enjoy a stay in London of 4 days coupled with stopover in Middle East. Even for Bangkok, they would stay one night, departing on an afternoon flight on a B747 and returning home next morning on a "baby" Airbus. The only complaint they had about the job, which was made in jest, was that they had to hold one pot of tea and one pot of coffee with their hands down the aisle serving the passengers. I am sure the veteran CCs here will remember the "good old days",

As I had also mentioned in my post, you were also correct in your views of CC lifestyle and beyond. My response to your comments was not to correct your views, but to share what others in various professions might face. In this aspect, unfortunately, time is our common "enemy" when it comes to retaining a job (especially in the golden years). I agree with you that, "For pilot, pilot skills can be transferred to work for private jet companies or you can be a aviation lecturer in a public school". Just to also share - I know of someone who used to be a B747 Captain with SQ. When SQ stopped using B747, he went to Korean Air as they were still using it. I understand his experience with Korean Air was so different. In SQ, he was treated like a well, and small mistakes were often overlooked. Over at Korean Air, make one small mistake and hell breaks loose. More so, when you are an expatriate and, sometimes, tolerance level was low because of age. We all know how a family member of Korean Air's member treated an IFM whilst the aircraft was taxiing for takeoff. What I am trying to say is, there are openings to everybody in their golden years and one has to make the most of it. We also have to remember that openings for seniors might be a little difficult to come by for various reasons (such as limited opportunities, costs, specific knowledge/experiece, etc)

In short, all of us are aware of different experiences and there is no right or wrong to the expressed views. Which brings to another of my view of how we see things in life. We Asians usually say, "it is fated" in what we do and the outcome. For Westerners, they would say, "being at the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time.

Sorry for being too long-winded.


KayPoh aka BusyBody.

Anonymous said...

There are nothing to lose out or envy,when Kaypoh did not get into CC then.I joined when MSA just split into SIA.It was a new entity,being first to London non stop.Many water have passed under the bridge then,the SQ 6 tragedy in,Twn,the murder in the closet in LA hotel,and many other,include the Stars that led to the great retrenchment.Nevertheless,the individual who thought they were the sole reasons for their ranks and success,and big bucks and high livestyle,some illegal,including the sole gs who was incarcerated for Rolex,the other who escape back to Sin while Korea,Japan then back home.Some were held in Kathmandu,Bombay etc,which ended their airline career prematurely,not forgetting the "bicycle" case in Gloucester hotel.Good and bad,worse things happened typical the next nextflick,just like squid game.It won't go away,it will arise gain in some obscure blog or memoir ,fictionalised or otherwise,without being forgotten in some mind,unless there are demand for it.Its like the history of the fall of Singapore known by some experienced by bloomers,standing tall as the chopstick next to the Padang.Any request for rehash of the past ?

Anonymous said...

After decades, flying is still seen as an activity for the wealthy.
The media has played a large part to encourage that perception.
It is also the fastest way to get from A to B. And wealthy people fly using
private planes, clearing immigration, customs out of public view.
This add to the idea of exclusivity.

Young people have no prior knowledge of work. Any type of work.
They do not know about labour regulations, employment contracts and
how manpower needs are tools to get a product out for sale.

They ( especially girls ) see flying as, glamourous, unique and this appeals
to the basic human need for attention ( Males seek other ways for attention ).

For many, it is difficult to see beyond this. Its all about "me".

Another point is the illusion of monetary gains.
It is true that if one has a diploma, GCE O/A levels and even a tertiary degree, one can earn more within a year compared to being employed in a non flying job.

But beyond the 3rd year, that initial gain will be lost, and future prospects very different.

In 3 years, a non-flying job will probably pay the same or more with the added advantage of acquiring usefull,current and employable skills.

In 3 years, a flight attendant will have acquired better motor skills in handling a meal cart, better poise in holding a tray with many items and bunning her hair.

Perhaps also, how to respond to a pax who is upset about the cabin temperature or dysfunctional video entertainment. An advanced level skill for a flight attendant may be to refer all these issues to her superior, while appearing weak, soft and violated. ( only on Asian airlines, other airline crew will just ignore the pax or even tell them off )

There will always be people,who are contented to stay in frontline service jobs. They may have the attributes of servitude, friendliness, and not too concerned about fame & fortune. These people exist.
Sourcing people from the surrounding region like Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia is inevitable. But lets not be fooled. They want to work here because the foreign exchange favours them.
Yet, they cannot escape the politics, culture of an organisation which may affect those attributes. The business can change, and policies too.

And if that happens, will these people stay?

Bear in mind that both male & female crew are under 5 year contracts.
The employer has the option of not renewing.. for whatever reason.

Well, with commitments, and aging, they do not have many alternatives. They have none that is viable.

This brings us to the next topic of who are the people still flying,( after 10 years and beyond) and how do they describe their situation?
Stable?... better than employed elsewhere?

Your future, you decide.

SUNNY GALE said...

Ah, getting interesting and better thought out content/comments coming in which will be beneficial to those visiting the blog, especially the CC wannabes.
The technicality of a CC job now is working on 5 yrs contract basis and subject to extension. This takes away the job security that the crew are concerned with.
Third World concept from a first world airline. Sad.

Anonymous said...

This type of contract,I would never want to join at all.Predatory,especially if injury on board,only entiltled to c class,courtesy of Ah Kong Must common injury,heaving the kitchen sink of poi pollol onto overhead bin.Thank goodness,now limited to 25 kg hand luggage.Now Low Cost airlines available,why bother to be virtual slave on board,toilet cleaner etc,or future job on retirement plan.Yup,the Romance of it over,just like the Queen is dead,Long live the King.Doubt can resume flight to Mockba,via Ukraine,unless its a one way ticket.Every travel plan must write one's will also,especially war,er special ops exclusion clause courtesy of Putin,the greatest man on earth now.Actually since its a special ops,its not a war,so payout possible under the policy ?Just asking for a friend.

Anonymous said...

Hi, all. I suppose we can go on and on about the scenarios relating to the past, present and future for the various professions and it would be difficult to address them all. In my humble opinion, I am of the view that we have to acknowledge 2 points, namely:-

1. Times have changed, resulting in a different lifestyle for everybody;
2. Further to the above, how we are looking at it and fitting in.

On S/No.1, the pace of living was slower than what it is today. For most of us (except for those born with a golden spoon), we finished our education, get a job and keep it for as long as well could. In short, we want a secured job to last a lifetime. Go to any government departments/statutory boards and you will see many working there for their entire life - some were only clerical staff. I also know of some SQ CCs who spent their entire working life with SQ/ And yet they were able to raise a family, send their children for tertiary education before retiring. Life was so much simpler and there was no tendency to compare and be better than everyone else. The word "kia-su" was never in their vocabulary at those times. Today, its totally different. We want to do things beyond good, beyond best etc., hence, the emergence of the term "kia-su". And this is at all level. On S/No.2, as to how we looked at the prevailing situation and fitting in, I recalled the final year of our schoold days. Even whilst preparing for the last examination, we were all worried about not getting a job, and were anxious to start work when we leave school, Nowadays, after their final examinations, the youngsters will tell you they want to take a break, and then start looking for a job that would suit their expectations. Nothing wrong with that as we have since become more affluent when compared to the early days when we were hungry for a job. Which now brings me to how we fit into our jobs. Again, there will no end to the discussion over the pros and cons of the various professions (CC included). We live in a world of people with difficult mentality, capability, intellect and expectations with each job requiring the right people to fill in. If everybody wants to take up glamourous jobs, who will do the menial ones? Every parents will want their children to be doctors, lawyers, enginners etc. But there are some whose children become labourers, waiters, cleaners, undertakers, etc. This is how the world it is. It was like this, still like this and will be like this in the future. So my suggestion is, whilst it does expand our knowledge of the surroundings, we have to accept it for what they are. Criticising them for making the wrong choice is not going to help for what's done. We just look at it and take it as a lesson learnt.

My views and I stand correct.

KayPoh aka BusyBody

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous who commented that "there was nothing to lose out or envy, when I did not get into CC then". Well, I was disappointed at that point in time, but have moved on and surivived the working world until I retired recently, happily. But I am still in constant touch with my 2 friends who were accepted by SQ and made it to CS. One was offered the golden handshake during the SARS period whilst the other retired.

On your other comment that you joined SQ after the MSA split and SQ, as a new entity, was the first to fly to London non-stop. Were you referring to Concorde? I remembered the caption then was "Have breakfast in Singapore and Lunch in London".

KayPoh aka BusyBody

Anonymous said...

One GS left to study law in London.I still got cert of inaugural London/Sin.We had a fabulous time in DXB,BAH,to London,a 15 days trip.Ah,those memories,thanks to SQ.its a good co,but some Karen's and Kelly,think they own the Airline,till retrenchment,or sick ,due to got to their head.Especially memorable the Pm flight,Jackie Chan,Jackie,and Russian Dancer on upper deck,also PM On Indonesian summit.Memories are made of those.

SUNNY GALE said...

Wow, getting very good comment with good logic coming into Boh Tong blog. Keep it up. This will get people to keep visiting the blog to read the interesting comments coming in.
It can result in an addiction to want to check out the blog daily, lol, haha.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Anonymous of 15/9, the GS who went on to study law at London (when the Lon/Sin route was via Middle East) would be in his 60s by now. At that time, the Lon/Sin route was very popular. After a brief stayover at DXB/BAH, day-off on arrival into London. The following day was an off-day followed by another standby day. Depart London next day on a night flight, which means there were 3 clear days in London. Nowadays, after a long and tiring non-stop flight, 2 days in London at most and a non-stop flight back home.

In short, you had seen better days.

KayPoh aka BusyBody

Anonymous said...

Hi Kaypoh

You did a excellent job than BT in explaining the CC true job nature in objective manner.

BT, Sunnygale and gang are not interested in youth future prospects. Rather, they are biased for image as if being one is of a holy right.

Hope this serve a reminder to all being CC is only for short time and not for lifetime.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Anonymous of 17/9, thank you for your kind words, but I hasten to add that my intention was not, and never, to undermine nor discredit the version of BT, Sunnygale and gang.

Please let me explain - BT, Sunnygale and gang were CCs, and some of them could'v spent their entire working life in SQ. Naturally, they would be "biased for image", rightly or wrongly, because they were proud of their job and enjoyed their work. We have to remember that, back in 70s/80s, there weren't many MNCs, big corporations around and landing a CC's job in SQ was enviable. In most cases, once one get a steady job, they stayed. As I mentioned earlier, times have changed and people looked at their jobs differently. The younger generation has a lower tolerance for hardship (in Hokkien, it is known as "Buay Chiak Khor") which probably explains the high level of disatisfaction in many jobs For example, when a CC make a mistake, and is yelled at by a Senior Chief Steward in the early days, most will quietly and obediently rectify it. In present day, the CC will reply, "you can tell me nicely, but don't have it to raise your voice".

As to your reminder to all CCs that the job is for short time, and not for lifetime, well, to be honest, don't think this generation will be like the one before them in terms of job loyalty. They hear of better benefits and perks, they skip because opportunities are aplenty.

My humble views and I stand corrected.

KahPoh aka Busybody

Anonymous said...

Hi Kaypoh

Thanks for the prompt reply.

This is what I like about your well insightful post.

I hope BT blog typing can be more objective and not skewed like you did.

Thanks and good day

Anonymous said...

Hi, thanks for your kind words. Sometimes, I am also a bit biased. Afterall, nobody's perfect and we all should be ourtight comfortable when engaged in any exchange of views.

Have a good week ahead. Cheers

KayPoh aka BusyBody

Anonymous said...


Fyi,the G/S who left to study Law in London should know himself its named Wong.Another notable ex who were in CC include station inspector in jurong,who got finance by Ah Long san.Thats history,and another who left later got a PHD.The point is those who left,got pull factors,better prospect and achieve their dreams.Those who stayed,were really cmi in civilian life,nor the allowance/ifs too attractive,its like jumping off the back of a tiger.Unfortunately,those life rejects,with their predatory instincts got recognise as talents,and got pull or push into AM,morping into Sexcy and more.Another include Ellen Vandalback who move into Station Mangler,who when the flight delayed,was teeing off in the golf club.Got sacked,tried opening a fine dine restaurant in orchard,and close soon after.Scoot to Vancouver to cool off,then back here,because its too cold,asking for forgiveness in the church in central singapore.There were many other players,their rank got into their,including one who appraise one gs as zero in all boxs.He was sacked,last seen in church in the east,seeking penance,working ,helping in the service of the church,a fitting refuge lije Les Miserabe,local version.You want more ?Its not a place,a dreamjob for some,maybe they met their better half,or hellish like Ukraine,your life hanging on a thread,depending on the appraisal by the mini god on board.