Life at 35,000ft
How to survive Qatar’s world’s longest flight
What’s different about an ultralong-haul flight for crew compared with shorter flights?
One major difference is that, as a crew member working on the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight, we have multiple phases of the on-board customer experience to which we cater; it’s an evolving travel experience that goes beyond the typical “flight pattern” (take off, eat, watch a movie, rest, land).
Not only do we offer much more in terms of beverage and meal services (two full hot meals, snack boxes, warm sandwiches with ice cream and refreshments, etc), but we also focus a great deal on customisation based on each customer’s needs at any given stage of the flight.
While some of our customers sleep or enjoy our inflight entertainment system, others may want to have a long chat in the galley while drinking their third ( . . . fourth or fifth) cup of coffee.
As cabin crew, we recognise that we will be expected to respond to multiple phases (eating, resting, socialising, walking around, etc) for individuals or entire groups at any one time. Another difference is that our customers face challenges to their comfort on ultra-long-haul flights.
For our younger passengers, parents with infants, customers with disabilities, and customers who are not at their peak health, we put a great deal of attention and care into ensuring their safety, wellbeing, and comfort, so as to avoid any stressful situations and problems that may arise during a 17-hour flight, a length of time difficult for many individuals to stay in a flying tube at 35,000 feet.
Finally, ultra-long-haul flights require significant behind-the-scenes maintenance in order to keep the aircraft interior presentable and comfortable, including the constant cleaning and re-stocking of items in the on-board bathrooms, rearranging of carts and supplies for several services, general tidying up throughout the cabin and galleys, resetting IFE screens or controllers, waste collection and management, and com- municating with our colleagues during shift changes to maintain a smooth working environment.
How do crew work their shifts on the Auckland-Doha route?
About three hours into the flight, after the cabin crew have carried out the initial meal service (in premium and economy classes), one-half of the crew will go to the on-board crew rest area for their required rest period (roughly five hours). The other half will continue working and conducting various services, responding to customers’ individual requests, maintaining the cleanliness of the cabin, galleys and lavatories, and ensuring the general safety, comfort, and wellbeing of everyone on-board. After the first rest period, the two groups of cabin crew swap, and the second group will go for their rest. After both groups have gotten their rest, the entire crew will work together for about two or three more hours until the aircraft lands.
How will they run the service on the flight?
In business class, the cabin crew offers an ala carte service, giving customers the opportunity to eat whatever they would like from the business class menu at any time. In economy class, the crew serves the first main meal service followed immediately by hot beverages. Then, snack boxes and individual water bottles are distributed to each customer. Later in the flight, sweet and savoury snacks (warm sandwiches and cakes/muffins) are offered throughout the cabin, along with ice cream and hot/cold beverages.
Several hours later, “movie snacks” are offered. These often include chips, chocolates, and candy bars/granola bars. Then, a few hours before landing, the cabin crew serve another main meal with refreshments.
Best and worst things about ultra-long-haul for the crew?
Best:
Having extended quality time to interact with customers and fellow crew members. Sharing travel experiences and learning about others from all walks of life around the globe are truly remarkable benefits of my job.
Worst: Facing unpredictable challenges at 35,000 feet where your resources and space are limited. An example would be if I’m working on a completely full flight and several customers are experiencing upset stomachs (perhaps due to turbulence or inability to sleep) while we are attempting to distribute sandwiches and beverages. If half the crew onboard are resting, and all the bathrooms are occupied, with customers waiting outside, it can make for quite a stressful day at work.
How do the passengers cope?
I have noticed that on a number of ultra-long-haul flights, many of our customers appear to sleep rather well in our generously-sized economy seats on the Boeing 777-200LR, even on a full flight. Some will spend half the flight or more resting or sleeping in their seats. Fortunately, our customers can also pass the time by going through thousands of entertainment options on our inflight entertainment system. A number of our customers walk around and stretch in the cabin, take in the outside view, and chat with fellow customers and cabin crew in the galleys for hours.
What do crew do during their rest times?
During our rest times, we normally sleep in the crew rest area at the back of the aircraft (above the passenger cabin). We each have small private rest compartments where we may sleep on a fully flat mattress. If we cannot sleep, we often read or eat downstairs in the galley area.
What’s the crew rest area like?
The crew rest area on the Boeing 777 aircraft is a crew-only section above the Economy Class cabin. There is a small changing area, closet space, and a long single aisle with individual “bunks” (private rest compartments) on either side. Each bunk is equipped with a privacy curtain, lie-flat mattress, pillows, blankets, reading lights, air vent, and clothing hanger. There are no IFE screens, and to maintain cleanliness, food is not permitted in the rest area.
What’s your advice on coping with a very long flight?
I strongly recommend breaking these very long flights into segments, allowing for dedicated time to sleep, eat, walk around, converse with other customers and crew, and watch a few films or television episodes. It’s best to stay awake for the first few hours of the flight, which is the perfect time to enjoy the first meal service while taking in a movie or two on your personal IFE screen. Before nodding off, browse through a couple of travel articles in our Oryx Magazine and strike up a conversation with your onboard neighbours or cabin crew.
We always love to meet our customers, and interesting conversations help time fly by.
Getting to know the people around you provides a sense of trust, comfort, and wellbeing, and I believe this matters a great deal when you are travelling with the same individuals for more than 17 hours in a confined space. In order to maximise your sleep, be sure to use our amenity kits, which include socks, ear plugs, and eye mask, and always feel free to ask for an extra blanket or pillow.
In addition, you may want to have your own neck pillow, as I often find this works wonders for me when I travel as a passenger.
Furthermore, here are a few obvious but essential recommendations, especially for ultra-long-haul flights:
Stay hydrated with plenty of fluids (preferably water) as the aircraft air tends to be much drier than what we are accustomed to on ground; Get up and walk around often; Do small leg stretches in your seat hourly.
Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us at any time if there is anything you need that would make your journey more enjoyable and comfortable. When we say it, we truly mean it!
Nate Hovee has been a cabin crew member with Qatar Airways for two years and nine months. He works in the economy cabin and is also a service excellence coach.