Japanese travel blogger wears SIA sarong kebaya onto flight to cabin crew's amusement, some netizens express concerns
PHOTO: Instagram/Travel.saya
PUBLISHED ONOctober 01, 2024 8:36 AMByAmierul RashidIt was supposed to be a regular day at work for a group of Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew.
However, they received a pleasant surprise when a passenger boarded their flight, seemingly fully dressed to work alongside them.
See, Instagram user Travel.saya had donned the iconic Singapore Airlines sarong kebaya for her flight from Jakarta’s Sukarno Hatta International Airport to Singapore’s Changi Airport.
She documented and posted multiple videos of the experience on her Instagram page on Sept 18, capturing the reactions of the SIA cabin crew on board.
And judging by the smiles from the crew, they were more than happy to see her wearing their uniform.
Two crew members couldn't help but break into a chuckle as they warmly greeted her and welcomed her on board the plane.
And as she walked down the cabin aisle towards her seat, Travel.saya had a second interaction with another "colleague" of hers.
This time, it was with a true blue Singapore Girl.
Clearly amused, the flight attendant made a comment on their matching outfits before she happily directed Travel.saya to her seat.
One can't help but wonder,too, if other travellers had to do a double take when they saw her taking her seat among other passengers on the flight.
In a separate Instagram post, Travel.saya could be seen having a blast as she posed for photos with some other cabin crew members.
And while credit goes to her for looking the part, to trained eyes, the fit of the kebaya and footwear were definitely non-standard.
In the comments sections of her videos, netizens praised Travel.saya for sharing such wholesome content.
"It's nice, it's cute and it suits you," remarked one Instagram user of her outfit.
Others described her video as "cuteness overload" and that the SIA uniform "looks so good" on her.
Not all, however, saw the situation in a positive light.
Some expressed uneasiness at having a passenger don the cabin crew uniform on board a flight.
One netizen wrote in Japanese: "It's not a bad thing but it will certainly be confusing when responding to an emergency."
A fellow Instagram user also felt that doing so was disrespectful to the crew members.
"They've earned their uniform by their effort, you really shouldn't do this.
"Moreover, this might also [be] confusing to other passengers. Don't do it again," they admonished.
Travel.saya responded to these concerns in her Instagram post last Saturday (Sept 28), after appearing to have spoken to SIA personnel at a tourism event which she attended in Tokyo.
"Singapore Airlines assured me that there is absolutely no problem boarding the plane dressed as one of their cabin crew," the caption wrote.
Iconic uniform
Unveiled in 1968, the sarong kebaya uniform continues to be seen as a hallmark of Singapore Airlines.
In fact, according to government agency site Roots, it has since become central to its branding, especially after the emergence of the Singapore Girl in the early 1970s.
The unmistakable batik print design has persisted over the decades and is seen in four colours — blue, red, brown, brown and green — which denotes the rank of the flight stewardess.
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amierul@asiaone.com