7 things you might not know all SQ girls can do

All cabin crew have to go through a basic wine knowledge course during training so that they can learn about the wine served on-board.

Crew need to know how to read wine labels to know what wine is available on the flight and be able to describe and recommend the different types of wine to passengers accordingly.

They must also be familiar with food and wine pairings if passengers ask for wine recommendations to go along with their meal.

2. THEY CAN OPERATE ON MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT

You might think that all planes look and work the same but there are actually different types of aircraft in an airline company’s aircraft fleet that service different routes.

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Cabin crew have to go through training for a specific aircraft type before they can be qualified to work on that aircraft.

They learn things such as aircraft features, passenger seat features and cabin and galley configurations.

They also have to go for regular refresher courses and pass the course to ensure that their aircraft knowledge is up-to-date in order to continue operating on each aircraft type.

3. THEY KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH DEATH ON A PLANE

Cabin crew must be prepared for any situation on-board and this means dealing with death too.

This might be a rare occurrence, but death does occur, especially in cases when frail and elderly passengers are on long flights.

Although rare, all cabin crew needs to know what to do when it happens and handle it accordingly without causing panic or being in a state of panic themselves.

4. THEY CAN PUT OUT A FIRE

One of the worst things that can happen on an aircraft is a fire.

Even a small fire can turn into a deadly disaster because the aircraft is an enclosed space.

All cabin crew are trained in fire-saving procedures and can operate fire extinguishers to minimise any damage.

5. THEY CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES

All cabin crew go through basic self-defense training in order to deal with unruly passengers who may pose a danger to themselves and others, as they have the responsibility to ensure the safety of passengers and themselves.

Crew are trained to protect themselves from physical attacks and know how to restrain any aggressive persons with the restraint kit on-board if they are unable to calm the person down successfully.

6. THEY KNOW HOW TO ASSIST PEOPLE WITH REDUCED MOBILITY AND DISABILITIES

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Most of us might not be sure of how to give the appropriate assistance to someone with disabilities but cabin crew are trained to help passengers with different physical disabilities such as those with vision or hearing impairment, and people with emotional disabilities such as those with depression and anxiety.

They are also frequently required to assist passengers in wheelchairs to get in and out of their seats.

The cabin crew aims to make them feel as comfortable as possible on the flight by showing sensitivity and tactfulness while anticipating their specific needs.

7. THEY CAN GIVE BASIC FIRST-AID

If anyone meets with an accident or falls sick on-board, cabin crew are able to give basic treatment to alleviate the symptoms before they seek further help on ground.

They are trained to treat a range of issues that require medical attention such as common problems like airsickness and earache, traumatic injuries such as bleeding, burns or sprains, and life-saving techniques such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and saving someone who is choking.

They also need to be prepared to assist in medical emergencies such as someone suffering from a stroke and even emergency child-birth.

This article was first published in CLEO Singapore.