Keep those questions coming!? My cabin crew friends and I would love to hear from you.? This list of FAAQS is not exhaustive and we continue to welcome all any queries via admin@pepperconn.com

I am just 2 cm short of the required height and I take a while to warm up to strangers, but I am still keen to be a stewardess as I love to travel.? Will I still be able to make the cut?

Two centimeters short?? Now that may pose a small problem.? Instead of helping the paxs to stow their bags, a height?challenged attendant may not be able to reach the compartment doors in the first place.? I know of a stewardess wannabe who missed the mark by just one centimeter, was given the red card despite doing a major stretch against the measuring tape.? Insider talk has it that every candidate must be able to stretch and touch the overhead compartment at 212cm.? On tip toes, of course.

Having said that, I don?t mean to be a wet blanket.? I can only advise based on what I have seen.? Don?t take my word for it.? Give it your best shot, by all means.? Perhaps the selection panel will spot other strengths that can make up for those ?shortfalls?. To tell the truth, I am not too at home with strangers myself.? The crux of the matter is how well you can overcome this.

What is the height and age requirement?

The girls have to be at least 1.58m.? Guys need another 7 cm to make the mark.? In this industry where youth is a bonus, any potential candidate above 18 is welcome.? The cut-off age for both is late twenties though the chances are in relative xx with age.?? The hiring market depends on demand and supply as well, thus even if you miss the requirement by a tad, I say go for it.? Perseverance pays off.? Remember the pint-sized bubbly host from Channel X who tried ten times before she was finally accepted by the airline?? She couldn?t close the compartment doors for sure but her never-say-die attitude certainly opened the door to her flying career.

When you say that a particular choice of main course is no longer available, do you really have none left?? Or if I threw enough of a tantrum, one will mysteriously find its way to me?

Now, what good does it do to lie about the availability of a dish?? After all, it?s just a meal.? In fact, the crew is allocated an equal ratio of meal choices which is meant for their own consumption after service. A tantrum from you actually translates to one less meal for us.? So now you get it?? We don?t make up stories just so we could land with mountains of untouched casseroles.? Each dish has been prepared with TLC from the mammoth kitchen, so sit back, relax and enjoy whatever that?s left.

Why are there so many pictures of you and dogs in the photo albums?

I love animals, big and small.? It came naturally to me as a young child who used to sneak stray kittens into the garden.? The tool for my modus operandi was a large cardboard box.? The success rate, zero.? Tearing and protesting, I was told to put things back where they came from.? Ever since, I did.? I placed animals right in my heart where they belong.? During station layovers, I came across countless pets, mainly man?s best buddies.? Whenever possible, I would capture a Kodak moment with these lovely furries.?? People might go? hey, you?re here to snap pictures of scenery and famous sites, not dogs.? You?re missing the forest for the trees!?? With my canine friends against the landscape, my hand tingling from stroking their fur, who needs anything more?

I hear that the airline crew members get plenty of privileges with their crew ID card.? I?m green with envy.

So am I, now that I had to return that privilege card back to the company.? My colleagues continue to enjoy hefty discounts at various waterholes, souvenir shops, pharmacies, restaurants and certain tourist sites.? Makeover studios have given us an attractive package.? We even enjoyed free passes to the Singapore Zoological Gardens in the past.? Our union keeps us in the loop whenever a promotion comes up via the designated website.?? Bursting with envy now?

Do flight crew put nasty stuff into mean passengers? drinks?

I?m not speaking on behalf of all airline staff.? A friend from another Asian airline once contributed his spit into the coffee of an obnoxious man.? He certainly got his order extra creamy.? Eeww?? Another served the irritating captain with a used cup, and it?s definitely not the latter?s!? As much as certain passengers antagonize my colleagues, I believe that their professionalism overrides the raw urge to add extra ?ingredients? into drinks and food.? But to be fair, don?t expect as to radiate warmth to those who berate us for no rhyme or reason.? Afterall, we are human too.

Any interesting food you?ve tasted overseas?

Frankly, I?m not adventurous when it comes to tasting strange-looking foods with stranger sounding names.? I?m the sort who would at best- sniff, pause and nibble before I shove my next morsel in.? Still, being the typical food-crazy Singaporean, the airline job provided the best opportunity for me to satiate my appetite for all things yummy and available- provided I know exactly what was going into my mouth.

I do recall a classy-looking Chinese restaurant in Shanghai which served up more than my group ordered.? The peachy-skinned waitress recommended a particular vegetable dish, after which a steward reminded her to wash the leaves thoroughly.? During then, I thought that was a strange request.? When the stirred-fried greens came, everyone dug in.? We all knew how deliciously different China agriculture produce is.

?Err?what?s that white thing in the sauce?? I poked at it with the communal spoon.? The steward peered closely and declared, ?They didn?t wash the veggies! The worms are still there!?? True enough, there were enough to fill a day?s protein!? A stewardess who had eaten quite a fair amount looked ready to puke.? Well, with the extra ingredients thrown in, no wonder their veggies taste so good.

What are the consequences when you miss a flight?

The company prides itself on its service and punctuality.? It?s of no surprise that late-comers or those who miss reporting for flights are dealt with promptly.? A warning letter will be issued once the department receives a detailed explanation.? If the reason for the lapse is unacceptable, demerit points may be given.? During my second year, I misread the roster.? On the day I was to report for Melbourne, I was enjoying family time at home when the control officer called.? He barked into the mouthpiece, jolting me out of a state of contentment.

?Flight Attendant Chew, where are you??! (Come to think of it, he called my residence, so where else could I be?) ?Do you know that your reporting time is now?!?? Anyway, to cut the story short, Bro rushed me to the airport and I juggled makeup and hairspray along the speedy ride.? Thankfully, I arrived in time to perform my pre-boarding duties.? The department believed that I had made a genuine mistake and I got off with a letter.? From that incident onwards, I made sure to check and double confirm my flight schedules.

What if you are 30 minutes away from reporting time and the cab is nowhere in sight?

Every other crew member has had this experience of running late for flight.? The common reaction would be to panic and dial the call-a-cab line for the twentieth time.? In fact, the only number one should be actively calling at first sign of trouble is the control line.? Two reasons:

One:? if you think that you might not be able to clock in on the dot, control centre must be the first to know.? Not your mum, boyfriend or whoever has little control over the present dire situation as such.? Control centre needs to alert a standby crew such you not turn up by a certain time.? If you are already in deep shit, spare a thought for others.? Flights have departed minus crew and they have to suffer for your mistake.

Two:? If you update control centre on your whereabouts, chances are they would wait for you rather than activate another crew.? So, keep them informed and eyes peeled on the traffic.

What does the stewardess do with the comment form I wrote and sealed?

When a passenger asks for a comment form, the observant crew is able to gauge the possible outcome of the comment.? Is it a hearty compliment or dreaded complaint?? I?ve had junior stewardesses coming to me without a clue though.? A small chat with the passenger and polite enquiry into the nature of the request usually reveals.? It is the best opportunity to arrest any unpleasant encounters that would prompt the penning of angry words.? Likewise, the ideal time to show appreciation for the bouquets.

The form is sealed and handed over to the nearest crew member, collated with the rest in the galley and submitted to the supervisor at the end of the flight.? The relevant department attends to necessary follow-up.? At times, curious crew would hold it up against the light in an attempt to make out certain key words.? ?Great service?,?No.1?, fly again? are the usual words that would make us pump our fists in the air and go ?yes!?? It feels great to know that our efforts have been worth it.

The announcement over the PA today sounds excellent. Do you select the stewardesses for that?? Why haven?t I heard any from the stewards?

All leading crew go through a rigorous voice training to improve on their announcement.? A special coach provides guidance on pronunciation and intonation in the training centre where we listen to our recorded speech attempts.? After which, we are graded, namely 1,2 and 3.

Without practice, there will be little improvement.? Thus, there is no discrimination where selection of announcement-making crew is concerned.? Though I must say that those weaker in this area have treated passengers to an unbearable rendition of the stipulated text, prompting them to stifle their laughter.?? We do have male crew making announcements, though relatively less than the girls.? I gather that a girl?s voice is generally more soothing on the ears and mind.

Is it true that they select those in the mid-range?? My friends went for the interview and they gave feedback that the pretty and ugly girls were kicked out after the first round.

I?ve heard this ridiculous reasoning that beautiful candidates are not considered because they can easily find enticing jobs elsewhere and therefore, are not committed to a long stretch of service in the airline.

If fairies and trolls are given the automatic boot, then why bother with the stringent interview rounds?? Interviewers are better off with an online poll of potential candidates, instead of making everyone group themselves into tens and slowly diminishing that number to a mere two or three at the actual face-to-face interview.

Your friends may have seen the better ?looking ones leave in disappointment, but I am very sure the reason lies not in their appearance.?? Anxiety?? Poor communicative skills?? Lack of enthusiasm?? The reason may not seem apparent to outsiders, but the panel has a seasoned eye for the right people to pick.