The Wayward Wishlist
This has been the most mundane slab of annual leave ever – a total waste really – but it can’t be helped, so.. moving forward! I’m always at odds with myself about to what extent I should just not care, and then on the end end of it, how practical/sensible I’m supposed to me. Of course I want to be frivolous and spontaneous, but one really does get fed up with running out of money halfway through each month and reverting to peasant lifestyle until you finally get an text from the bank letting you know the pay is in. Phew! I see it as a necessary sacrifice, sometimes you have to drill it low-key to allow for other times to be.. high-key. 
I have Bangkok tomorrow – and a perfectly timed one at that (which can make an enormous difference). By the time we reach the hotel it should be about 9 on a Friday night. I have to do something! Here’s hoping it’s something out on the town, but if none of the crew are going out then at least Chatuchuk the next day.
Marylou, the Italian girl from my training batch (who left Etihad last year) has been telling me about the dance music festivals in Europe coming up that’s she’ll be going to. I could literally weep with excitement.. it’s those massive electronic music gatherings that I’ve been wanting to go to since forever, since before I was conceived in fact (really, uh-huh). Several of the huge commercialized ones are coming up next month – Nature One on 5th-7th Aug near FRA, and Creamfields on Aug 29-30, near MAN. I am near-delirious waiting for my roster now, and chiding myself for not finding out the dates sooner and requesting days off at the right time. I could book a flight in like 25 seconds and in 6 hours I would be at either of those places (at least the closest airport). So close and yet so far. I am going to manipulate the beejesus out of my August schedule and make something work for me. Marylou is going to Nature One, so that’s my priority for sure. And I’m still trying to make the Ibiza trip happen.
I detest the phrase.. but.. I have serious FOMO. I always have this feeling like time is running out. Odd. 
The Red Dress
In the last day or so news has popped up of NWA flight attendants complaining about Delta’s red dress, due to the fact that it’s produced only up to a size 18. It’s worth noting NWA’s flight attendants are represented by a union (whose blue dresses run up to size 22), whilst Delta’s are not. I feel somewhat obligated to be supporting the idea of unions, but laying it out as weight discrimination personally seems rather unwarranted and ridiculous.
Size 18 is pretty hefty, simple as that – the equivalent of UK size 20 or EU size 48! I’m all for equal opportunity, but at some point weight does restrict movement, which matters in the air. Jumpseats are only so wide anyway. For us, the UAE is entirely devoid of unions in all industries, but we get along just fine, although there a few points that make working in the region a less desirable long-term career (nil retirement package etc). I won’t go into how the lack of unions affects foreigners in other industries here though (construction workers, anyone??), that’s a whole other bag of worms, can of beans, whatever..
At some point there will be a representation election at which the combined workforce will decide whether it wants to be represented by a union or not. The two groups also must decide on how to integrate their seniority lists.
I’m much more interested in the merger of NWA and Delta anyway. Up until now I had a vague idea that NWA and Delta were in the midst of some kind of union, or that perhaps it had already happened, but aside from the probably codeshare we will have with AA later this year I have no contact with US-based airlines really, and therefore limited knowledge I guess. There’s a decent enough FAQ on Delta’s website explaining the basics – namely that the two airlines are aiming to integrate as seamlessly as they can over the next 12-18 months, and that basically Delta (as the bigger carrier which had 14,000 F/As) has already acquired NWA, and now it’s just a matter of absorbing NWA (which had 7,000 F/As). Cool.
“Red is a color that attracts attention and someone, somewhere has made a decision that they don’t want to attract attention to someone in a dress that’s larger than a size 18,” says Patricia Reller, vice chair of the Northwest flight attendants’ union’s grievance committee. “I’m very offended by it,” she adds.
Pfffffft, puh-leeease!
I’m curious why I haven’t seen the red dress out in the world yet though. There were Delta crew stay at the same hotel as us in Milan (there’s two free internet terminals in the lobby, one for them and one for us) and every single crew I saw was wearing navy.. a touch disappointing – I’d like to see it for myself.. because it looks lovely.. at least on a runway!
Codeshare with Etihad and AA
We have announced today (July 7) a proposed codeshare agreement with American Airlines, subject to regulatory approval by the US government.
Under the arrangement, Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY’ code on a number of transatlantic services operated by the US carrier between Europe and the United States. In addition, we will codeshare on selected domestic services operated by American Airlines beyond New York and Chicago.
In turn, American Airlines will place its ‘AA’ code on services operated by Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and New York JFK, Chicago, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester and Milan.
The American Airlines domestic routes within the US covered by the new codeshare arrangement will initially include flights between New York JFK and Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco and Chicago to Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.
The transatlantic services include American Airlines flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Boston, Chicago and Miami; Dublin and Chicago; Frankfurt and Dallas Fort Worth; Manchester and Chicago; and Milan and New York JFK.
Subject to gaining US government regulatory approval, the start of the new codeshare agreement is expected to coincide with the launch by Etihad of its new service to Chicago at the beginning of September, 2009.
Cairo’s Downtown Makeover
A street in downtown Cairo, from my trip in Feb ‘09
The city has secured grant money to demolish some of the old store buildings on Commercial Street. The buildings have long been in a state of disrepair. Mayor Judson Childs says crumbling and collapsing structures are not only an eyesore, but a hazard to the public.
The city is still in the planning stages of which of those buildings will come down and when, but Mayor Childs says one thing’s for certain, Cairo’s downtown will be cleaned up.
“We’re looking for thing to resuscitate Cairo. Because Cairo is in a dying state and we want to give it a treatment here, to try to get something going,” Childs said.
The city has also attained grants to tear down some of the numerous dilapidated vacant homes throughout town. The mayor hopes by tearing down all those old buildings–Cairo can make way to re-build its business base and make strides toward progress.
When I visited Cairo in February this year I found the sidewalk traffic to be less hectic than expected. But maybe that’s because the majority of locals were hooning it up in dented hobo cars on roads without any lane markings.. I spent only a few days there so I can’t give much personal insight on the area, but I can totally imagine how wonderful the central district (where out hotel was) could be if it was to be made car-free. I’m not sure if a permanent ban would be viable, but scheduled off-limit times might really well.. A district of wide boulevards with a multitude of convival sheesha cafes, green rugs rolled out on to the footpath at prayer times, residential balconies overlooking the street, late night wanderings on well-lit paths…
Fund manager Beltone Financial plans to raise about $80 million to invest in property in Cairo’s historic but decaying downtown, the latest initiative to revive the fortunes of the city’s commercial centre.
The funds will more than double Beltone’s investments in central Cairo, and the move comes as a state firm, the Insurance Holding Co, the biggest downtown property owner, says it wants to pedestrianise many streets that are flanked by peeling neo-baroque and art deco buildings.
“I have been asked by the (Cairo) governor to give a vision to the board, and I am going to do that next month,” he said.
“If it is accepted, then we will go right away and finance the infrastructure for a pedestrian (district),” added Abdallah, whose holding company owns 70 of the buildings in the area.
The eclectic district of neo-baroque, neo-classical and art deco buildings was laid out by city planners commissioned from France in the 1860s, at the time the Suez Canal was being excavated and when Egypt was flush with cash from a cotton boom.
I’ll be looking out for this new draft plan for remaking Cairo’s downtown area within the upcoming months then!
Hangar
Got to see inside a hangar for the first time today! A house for aircrafts. Always wanted to go inside one. Some people might see it as essentially an enormous warehouse with some planes parked inside (well, yah) but that doesn’t make it any less awesome! Reminds me of how we used to scope out possible illegitimate party venues in school, like decrepit abandoned sheds etc. The ground was colorfully decorated with varying paint splotches..and what might have been bird poop (someone pointed out birds up in the roof framework). It’s a huge chaotic mess of equipment and machinery and I had no idea what any of it was for. Three planes were inside, in varying stages of repair or disrepair, all skeletal or stripped. Just marvellous! 
I badly wanted pictures, but it wasn’t allowed unfortunately.
It was a fun day – in a way disappointing that the training was only two days, because by the second day everyone is pretty much entirely comfortable with each other and goofing around, but then it’s all over. Good group dynamic, with a few very entertaining people. In this respect it’s more rewarding to be in the academy than on flights, because it’s mixed up (during operation I’m only really working with other FAs). I got 94% on the exam, but really, I was just happy to pass it! It’s bad enough to fail once, I don’t know how I would’ve reacted if it happened again!!
I feel hyped about aviation today.. it’s really such a great industry. Once my letter expires I really want to apply for promotional crew, I want to dig deeper into the workings of the company you know?! The longer you’ve been with the airlines the more interesting it is, I say! I think also, the more I information I comprehend the happier it makes me. No one wants to feel like they’re scraping by in life knowing only the basics, huh?!
Hangars make me cheery. And so is true of storytellers. Why wasn’t I provided with a grandpa who told wondrous tales in his armchair anyway, who passed the trait to me so that I too could draw intimate crowds of people with my spoken word?
Strength or Lack Thereof
Today was spent lolling, recovering from a woozy post-shot state, and getting someone to come and clean the apartment. Waiting for Secret Diary of a Call Girl to start. TV is weak, but ohsogood! There, I admit it! Highlight of my night, totally. Love the humour, the glamour, the sex. The ho fantasy is always fun, tehe. But in particular it’s the anonymity factor the show portrays, that you can only get from big-city living.
I really miss it!
Speaking of whores. Night out last night. Basel kept buying shots for the table, I had four in probably as many minutes. So that’s my explanation. Instead of crashing out as usual he was just down there somehow, all of a sudden. I think I feel bad that I don’t feel bad. Have to ask myself, am I possibly becoming a little too free-flowing. Morally bankrupt is too harsh a phrase, but I identify with the word ‘flimsy’ well. I ought to move to Europe, she’d be glorious, no? The Middle East has his thumbs on my temples; wrists pinned behind my back. Regional personification, there it is.
I made my treadmill goal, 10kmin one hour, so you can’t accuse me of being a complete underachiever. I have inspirations! 
But really, I love the feeling of really pelting it out. Running is the ultimate feel-good. Well, one of a few 
The last thing in the world I feel like doing is re-training, which is what I have first thing tomorrow and the day after. Then..an entire week off, more annual leave. Super time surplus, which is an odd thing to note, because it’s already, unbelievably, over halfway through the year and it’s kind of like..New Year was here and then I skip around a corner and poof-bang-pop.. there’s July.
Anyway. Haven’t heard from a certain someone, probably won’t ever again. Yawn, does he realize what fucking cliche he’s being by not calling me? Really, it’s entirely laughable in its predictability. He’s just not that into me.
Another Ibiza trip was brought to my attention last night. I’m so game for it, especially because it’s all organized and fully going ahead. And there were lots of particular, ah, key words points that very much piqued my interest. And of course, the general idea of clubbing and hotels and huge houses and big groups of people and drugs and Spain and so on! All I have to do is get myself there. And hey, I can do that! The last few days I’ve really felt like I don’t just need a vacation, but I need.. a body swap or something. I’m exhausting myself with the same drone-tone thoughts swimming in my head every day. It’s just so, incredibly, tedious.
Escapism has always been my forté. Luckily enough, it also happens to be my profession
Bidding
New feature on our AIMS system. Roster is the top box, and the available trips in the box below (which change continually). Neato, right!
Open flight bidding came up as a new trip trades option a few days ago. I was hoping something like this would happen! A far as I’m aware most other airlines have some sort of bidding option, maybe depending on seniority.. I think that’s how it works. In one way it’s not ideal as it’s just one more thing I’m going to be checking incessantly, especially as there are always changes and new flights becoming available. So exciting! We could swap before but it can be kind of tedious to sift through the Facebook groups trying to find a match for what you’re looking for.
The only downside to bidding is that you can only take flights on the days you have AVLBs (available). But it makes sense, if there weren’t restrictions the whole system would probably collapse with 3000 crew swapping their entire rosters.. And actually, I’m not sure why the use the term “bidding” at all. There’s no scurry for the best flights or any kind of auction or competition, you just see what’s available and then if you’re legal to do the flight you can accept the trip immediately. I love the control it gives you for your own schedule! I have accepted a BKK trip so far and I plan on many more in the future, woooo!
**
Got a better treadmill time this afternoon – 9.35km in an hour. Not much of a record-breaker, but it still lifted my spirits a little after being fed up with being at home, not going out this whole week, bit lonely at home with Nour not here I guess. Cairo was a dull trip, everyone spoke in Arabic and French the whole time basically. Lame.
