1 month flying as Cabin Crew – What does it really look like?

So, where have I been this past month?

As usual, it was a busy month with lots of flying. There were a few repeat destinations, but to places that I’m always more than happy to go back to!

My first flight of the month was what we call a “multi-sector” – this is where we fly to a few destinations over the course of a few days.

This one took me to Bangkok, then Sydney, and then back to Bangkok again. It had been a while since I’d visited Thailand, so I was looking forward to my routine of amazing Thai food, and a relaxing massage!

Sampling the local cuisine

The first night we arrived there, a group of us set out to a small street food vendor serving up all sorts of delicious Thai dishes, and ordered up a feast. Some of my favourites are Pad Thai, morning glory, Pad See Ew and Pad Gra Pow.

You’ll come to realise that lots of my layovers focus on food – one of the best perks of the job is getting to try cuisines from all over the world!

After my massage the next day, it was time to fly on to Sydney. Having only been there the week before (and having done plenty of exploring on that trip!) I took it easy with a couple of workout classes, and a nice walk to The Grounds of Alexandria. This is a popular breakfast spot which is conveniently close to the airport.

Once again, it was time to head back to Bangkok for the last layover of the multi-sector, and I was looking forward to doing something different.

Biking in Bangkok

One of our crew suggested visiting Bang Kachao, an artificial island formed by a bend in the Chao Phraya river that runs through Bangkok. Here you can hire bikes and cycle through the greenery whilst escaping the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.

It’s very easy to get to – just a quick boat ride across the river, and there are plenty of bikes waiting to be hired for the bargain price of 60 Baht – less than £1,50!

We spent the day cycling along the paths, and stopping for more Thai food for lunch (of course!). A must-do if you’re looking for something a bit different in Bangkok!

Family and Friends

My next two flights of the month were to London Stansted. I’m now becoming a regular on this route, as it’s so close to home!

Funnily enough I joined Emirates to travel (and I would certainly say that I’ve made the most of the past 6 years of travelling!) but since flights to Stansted were launched it’s been really lovely to be able to just pop home and see my family on a layover.

I tend to take it easy on these trips, relaxing at home with my parents and maybe a trip into the nearest town for coffee. My best friend also happened to be home on one of the trips and I finally managed to catch up with her, which was so lovely.

After the halfway point in September it was time for my one turnaround of the month. The name pretty much explains these flights – we fly there, stay on the plane, board the next lot of passengers and then fly back to Dubai again.

This was a quick trip to Tehran, around 2 hours each way. Despite the short flight time, we still have to check in 2 hours early and have around 2 hours on ground there, so it ends up being quite a long day!

Back to Bangkok

Next up was another trip to Bangkok. When I placed my bids in August I put BKK as my last choice (we have 5 bids, with no guarantee that you will get them all though) and surprisingly, I ended up with three trips there.

I went back to the same spot for some more delicious street food, and couldn’t help but treat myself to another massage. After all, when you’re paying the equivalent of £15 for a 90 minute massage, it would be a shame not to!

First-time flying visit to Adelaide

Lastly, I jetted off to Adelaide. This was my last Emirates destination in Australia to tick off the list, and my first time visiting.

Unfortunately it was just a 24 hour layover, but I still tried to get out and explore a bit, despite the jet lag. We left Dubai in the middle of the night, and arrived in time for dinner in Adelaide.

For once, around 12 of the crew showed up, which is very rare, especially after a 13 hour flight! The next morning, I managed to squeeze in a quick workout class, before heading to a very cute café called Peter Rabbit.

Usually if it’s my first time to a place, I love to check out local spots on Instagram, and I had lots of recommendations for this place.

Exploring the city

After breakfast I wandered down Rundle Mall (which is the main shopping street in Adelaide) checked out a few of the shops and slowly made my way towards the botanical garden.

I had seen a picture of some beautiful wisteria, which doesn’t stay in bloom for too long, and it happened that I was there at the perfect time of year. I had a lovely walk around the botanical garden, found the pretty wisteria and sat and read my book for a while.

All in all a successful first trip to Adelaide!