As a member of the cabin crew, you’re not just responsible for ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers during flights; you also serve as cultural ambassadors, bridging diverse backgrounds and customs. In the dynamic world of aviation, international flights bring together passengers from all corners of the globe, each with their own unique cultural norms and etiquette.

To navigate this multicultural landscape with grace and professionalism, here are some essential etiquette tips for international cabin crew:

Cultural Awareness: The first step in fostering cultural sensitivity is to educate yourself about the customs, traditions, and etiquette norms of the destinations you’ll be travelling to. Take the time to learn about the cultural dos and don’ts, such as appropriate greetings, gestures, and forms of address. Being knowledgeable about different cultures demonstrates respect and appreciation for your passengers’ backgrounds.

Adaptability: Flexibility is key when it comes to interacting with passengers from diverse cultural backgrounds. Be prepared to adapt your communication style, body language, and service approach to accommodate the preferences of different nationalities. Whether it’s addressing passengers in their native language, adjusting meal options to cater to dietary restrictions, or understanding non-verbal cues, adaptability is essential for providing exceptional service.

Respect for Personal Space: While some cultures may value personal space and privacy, others may have more relaxed boundaries. As cabin crew, it’s important to be mindful of cultural differences in personal space and respect passengers’ comfort levels. Always approach passengers with courtesy and discretion, maintaining a professional demeanour while ensuring their needs are met.

Sensitivity to Religious Practices: Religion plays a significant role in many cultures, influencing dietary restrictions, dress codes, and daily rituals. As an international cabin crew, it’s essential to be sensitive to passengers’ religious practices and accommodate their needs accordingly. This may include providing special meals that adhere to religious dietary guidelines, offering prayer facilities onboard, or respecting modesty preferences when interacting with passengers.

Non-verbal Communication: In multicultural environments, non-verbal communication can speak volumes. Pay attention to your body language, facial expressions, and gestures to convey warmth, respect, and professionalism. Keep in mind that certain gestures or expressions may be interpreted differently across cultures, so strive to maintain a neutral and inclusive demeanour at all times.

Handling Cultural Misunderstandings: Despite your best efforts, cultural misunderstandings may still occur. In such situations, remain calm, patient, and empathetic in your response. Apologize for any unintended offence and seek to rectify the situation with sensitivity and professionalism. Use these instances as learning opportunities to further enhance your cultural competence and adaptability.

Celebrating Diversity: Embrace the diversity of your passengers as a source of strength and enrichment. Celebrate cultural holidays and festivals onboard, showcase traditional cuisines, and foster an inclusive environment where passengers from all backgrounds feel valued and respected. By embracing diversity, you contribute to creating a welcoming and harmonious atmosphere onboard. In conclusion, as an international cabin crew member, mastering cultural etiquette is essential for providing exceptional service and fostering positive interactions with passengers from diverse backgrounds. By cultivating cultural awareness, adaptability, respect, and sensitivity, you can navigate cultural differences with grace and professionalism, ensuring that every passenger feels welcomed and valued throughout their journey. As you embark on your next flight, remember that cultural diversity is not just a challenge to overcome but an opportunity to connect and unite people from around the world.

The post Navigating Cultures with Grace: Essential Etiquette Tips for International Cabin Crew appeared first on CTA Blog.

The training at CTA is a mix of theory and practical classes. The curriculum is a nice blend of skills essential to succeed in a career, viz Communication, Grooming, Emotional Intelligence and Digital skills and domain knowledge of Cabin Crew operations, Ground services and 5-star hotel operations.  Students also get the advantage of up-skilling via curate courses via Udemy Business and extracurricular activities via Wings Club, which is the social and cultural activities platform for students.

However, we felt an internship could really help our students sharpen their skills and make them stand out in a competitive environment.  This also ensures that they can improve their employability factor. While it’s true that airlines do not necessarily ask for an internship as an eligibility criteria, what is also true is that they would be more interested in a candidate who has an internship experience before he/she appears for an interview.  So a candidate with internship experience, even if it is for 3 months, would certainly be carrying an edge over candidates fresh out of their classes at their institutes.

A 3-month internship is a mandatory part of our course curriculum. After having spent 9 months at the academy, our students head to 5-star hotels to learn and deliver hospitality the way it is done at the highest level. Airlines do not provide such internships, due to security concerns. However, for us, as a serious training academy, we wanted our students to be in the real environment of hospitality delivery, to serve real guests, to gain and sharpen new skills, to get exposure to the real world and then use the experience to gain an advantage, be it in airline interviews, hotels or any other sector where hospitality is the key.

We arrange internships for our students in 5-star hotels, not just in Kolkata but in other major cities of India as well. The selection of course is interview-based, but our training ensures that all our students get a placement for internship across major 5-star hotel brands, be it  Oberoi, Taj, ITC, Novotel, JW Marriott, Hyatt, Leela, Westin etc where they learn and develop best practices as far as guest service is concerned. Also, while interning, the students can establish critical networking connections as well which could be useful for them in future.

The internship therefore equips them with a much better understanding of hospitality and this fact is appreciated by the airline companies as well when they are recruiting Cabin Crew and Customer service professionals for ground services. Also, in most cases, the hotel itself offers employment to the student on successful completion of the internship and the student can join the hotel as an associate and begin his/her career in hospitality.

An internship therefore prepares a student better for the real working world, be it airlines or hotels. The basics of delivery of high-class hospitality remain the same, no matter where one is working.  An internship in a 5-star hotel therefore is an ideal way to understand the real essence of customer service. Later, no matter if one is serving passengers, guests or customers, skills learnt during the internship will always be very useful and rewarding.

The post Why our students go to a hotel for an internship appeared first on CTA Blog.

Taking students out for 5 star hotel property tours is fun and educative at the same time.  Such tours are a great insight for our students while they are taken around the property and each department and its functions are explained by the training managers for whom we have very high regards as they take out valuable time for their schedules to interact with our students.

Since ours is an Aviation and Hospitality course, we give equal impetus to the hospitality  training curriculum as well and have been able to build up strong  relationships with almost all the top hotel brands at Kolkata and other cities as well.  Therefore to take each of our training batches for such exposures is a responsibility that we take up and ensure that the trips are a great learning experience for each of them.

We recently went to The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat for one such tour and for some of the students, it was their first visit to a 5 star deluxe property.  Mr. Sanjay Aratla, the Training Manager of the property was very kind and took us around the beautiful property explaining our students the role and function of each area and department that they were shown. It was nice to see our students being able to relate to what they had learnt in their classrooms with what was being shown at The Westin. Right from the kitchens, to restaurants, bars, lobby, public areas, banquet halls, laundry and rooms, our students had a nice learning time and better understanding of these areas. There was a question and answer session at the end of the tour and Mr. Aratla clarified the doubts that the students had and in fact gave them a great perspective of working and careers in a 5 star hotel.

These trips also become beneficial when our students go for their internships to 5 star hotels which in turn leverages their candidature as aspiring Cabin Crew and Ground Service professionals apart from finding favours if the candidate chooses Hotels as his/her career to start with.

We leave you with some pictures of the trip to The Westin. Next, we have a trip to Taj Bengal coming up very soon. We will keep you posted about the same once our students have visited the iconic property. 

The post Property Tour – The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat appeared first on CTA Blog.

You want to know if you really need to attend a cabin crew training course to better your chances. You are nervous and hoping that your essay is good enough to meet the qualifications. Or you probably are a male and are not sure if you have enough opportunity. The question is, where should you start? Do you even know enough about the industry? What if they ask you basic stuff like what is the Year on Year Growth of aviation in India or to which international institute does the air transport industry have to adhere to? (Don’t cheat from the infograph Fig 1 or Fig 2 )

Fig 1: ibef.org India Brand Equity Foundation

Fig 2: IATA Press release October 2017

Well, Contemporary Training Academy (CTA) is here to help you achieve your dreams by giving it to you right here and now. Really helpful information that will help you achieve your goal. If you are from Kolkata, Jharkhand, Bihar or from the Northeastern States you have an added benefit because we are in the heart of Kolkata which is brimming with opportunity in the aviation sector right now. Check out our Courses homepage for best in class Flight attendant training.

But hang on, what do you really want to do? Are you sure you will be a good fit? We have compiled a small checklist for you to determine if you are ready to become a Flight Attendant.

1. Prepare for Take Off

All airlines you apply to (Nationally or Internationally) have certain criteria that you have to meet to be able to appear for the interview. Make sure you research the latest criteria at each of their individual websites first before you do anything further. We’ve put up a few here, but if you come to us, we can tailor make this for you and guess what, we can even help you prepare you for them. You should also bear in mind that some airlines will have a waiting period in the event that you did not qualify an earlier interview attempt.

Indigo Airlines 
Indigo requires you to be an Indian female to apply. This means that you have to be an Indian Citizen and thereby have an Indian passport. So, unless you were born an Indian female you need not proceed with indigo at all. They have a 3-month waiting period before you reapply if you fail their final round. Go to their website and make sure you read their FAQ sections as well.

Jet Airways 
Jet does not require you to be of a particular gender type, neither nationality. You may specify other nationalities. We do recommend that you should apply for a passport if you don’t have one before you fill their form to improve your chances of getting selected. But if you are not taller than 170 cms, then they are not going to consider you at all. Male, female doesn’t matter.

You can check out all the forms and see the criteria of the airline you are interested in. Spicejet, GoAir, AirIndia, AirAsia, Vistara, have official Social media pages and blog channels. Make sure you skim them to understand the company and culture, so you can use this in your Cabin Crew or ground services Interviews.

2. Place your bags in the Overhead bin

If you love traveling, meeting new people, soaking in new experiences and making it all look like a breeze, then you will enjoy this job. Every day will be an adventure. You never know who you’re going to meet or help. You might just have an experience that changes you forever. Or you might meet your favorite movie star or cricket champion. You might even help save someone. Every day will require you to be at your best.

Photo by Julentto Photography on Unsplash

3. Fasten Your Seatbelt

You will be expected to fly, A LOT. You are paid based on the number of hours you do for the airline so buckle up because Time is Money. But make sure you know the rules and that you are up-to date with the latest news. The DGCA (Directorate General for Civil Aviation) has recently filed a draft duty and rest hour norms for cabin crew members.

This kind of info will help you in the cabin crew group discussion interview rounds. But this also means that you will have to stay away from your family a lot but then you will make new relations, friends and have experiences to last you a lifetime. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t shy from talking with strangers, or if you’re simply adventurous or if you get a rush from serving and seeing the joy people’s faces, then your days will fly by. (Literally)

4. For anything, call your cabin crew member

Are you able to maintain a calm composure when most of your friends get easily irritated? The job requires utmost patience, resilience and open mindedness. You need to be able to understand the perspective of varied people. These people come from different walks of life and have different belief systems, or they might just be having a bad day. A simple gesture from you may enlighten their day and make small wins. For you, it might mean repeat business for your airline, which means good news for you.

Photo by Faye Cornish on Unsplash

5. Cabin Crew Salary

And now the part that you’ve been waiting for. The part that actually matters in the long run and the one your parents will be real proud of. The perks. The aviation industry has been known for years to pay well. There a lot of factors that contribute to the air hostess salary but they can range from 15k to 2L per month. The number of years of experience you have, the hours of flying you do, whether you fly internationally or not, whether you are an executive flight attendant and where you are employed. There are lot of online pages for references on this.

Besides the flight attendant salaries though, the perks are plenty. Free flight tickets for you and your family, medical insurance benefits, 5-star accommodation while you are traveling, shopping etc. As long as you put in the effort, you will be handsomely rewarded.

Photo by Manuel Moreno on Unsplash

All in all, I think if you are not very temperamental, enjoy meeting new people and don’t mind living out of a suitcase, it is a good life that will reward you for your effort. And hell, you will have a lot of fun and will have lots of stories to tell, when you invite your friends to your dream home. (Only if you invest your hard earned money)

Please note that all views expressed here are the solely by Contemporary Training Academy. We do not guarantee placement or are not employees of any airline company. We are a training institute commanding fees for our training product and services. Admission into our academy is considered very competitive. So, come over and see if you have what it takes to join a class here. Or you can just read all the material online and apply along with hundreds of thousands of candidates

The post Becoming a Flight Attendant – The Cabin Crew Dream and Salary appeared first on CTA Blog.

Susmita completed her School studies from Kendriya Vidyalyay, Santragachi. Susmita is a passionate singer and has performed professionally at various shows in and around Kolkata.

She had this opportunity to undergo her internship at Taj Bengal where she was recognized and appreciated for her sincere efforts and flexibility. Post her internship, she was selected by Indigo Airlines as a Cabin Crew and is based at Kolkata.

Susmita lives in Howrah with her parents and her younger brother.

1. How did CTA help you achieve your dream?

CTA has helped in every way possible in fulfilling my dream. I was never so confident before this.

2. How supportive was the teaching staff and other staff?

The teaching staff were so incredible and lovely that I can’t describe in words. Everyone supported me through my bad times and good times as well. All the staff were friendly and helpful

3. What specific training helped you the most in getting the job?

Seema ma’am’s training was the most helpful where she taught me poise, to be confident, firm and polite.

4. Which extracurricular activities you found the most helpful to get your job?

Once we went for a hotel survey. It was a nice experience, very helpful and we got to learn a lot. We also went for outings and we enjoyed ourselves.

5. What special effort did you do on your own to get the job?

I’ve always learnt that’s it is your efforts which will take you a long way. I followed it all the time, so despite learning everything from CTA, I made myself a believer that I can do this and I will be where I want to be.

6. What is your advice for future students aspiring to pursue a cabin crew career?

If you want to be a cabin crew, then do not give up on your hopes. It’s a fancy job to look, but it is very demanding. So if you are ready for it, go for it.

7. Do you think you have got the best return on the money you invested in building your career?

Yes, Of Course.

8. Will CTA hold a special place in your heart?

I love CTA with all my heart and I enjoy going back there.

9. Would you recommend CTA to your friends, family, and other students out there looking to join a good Aviation Academy?

I have always recommended CTA to people who want to make their dreams come true.

The post Susmita Samanta – Cabin Crew – Indigo Airlines appeared first on CTA Blog.

Eva loves adventure and has organized community camps to promote adventure tourism. She is very fond of reading novels.

Eva has been an active participant is events conducted to promote tourism and environment. In her spare time, Eva likes making colourful brochures.

Eva has completed her internship from The Lalit Great eastern Kolkata and from The Oberoi Grand Kolkata. She got placed as a CSA with Indigo Airlines from CTA.

1. How did CTA help you achieve your dream?

By joining CTA, it was a task for me to fulfill my dream. I never knew this would be the best organization to get a start for my career.

2. How supportive was the teaching staff and other staff?

When it comes to faculty, I would say that they were the best and the most supportive faculty members I ever met. I would love to hear their lectures.

3. What specific training helped you the most in getting the job?

I received the best training possible to become a part of the aviation and hospitality industry. Even though I spent little time at CTA, I treasure the days spent training.

4. Which extracurricular activities you found the most helpful to get your job?

Communicaton skills, Leadership skills and interaction.

5. What special effort did you do on your own to get the job?

Hard work, being determined and self belief.

6. What is your advice for future students aspiring to pursue a cabin crew career?

Believe in yourself and what you are doing. Have faith and understand that sometimes it can take time to reach where you want to.

7. Do you think you have got the best return on the money you invested in building your career?

Yes, I have.

8. Will CTA hold a special place in your heart?

Yes. CTA has been a milestone even though I spent little time, it will be a treasure for me.

9. Would you recommend CTA to your friends, family, and other students out there looking to join a good Aviation Academy?

Yes absolutely! I have already done that.

The post Evakordor Khonglah – CSA – Indigo Airlines appeared first on CTA Blog.

A trained bharatnatyam dancer, part time actor, budding photographer and nature lover, Priyanka joined us as a quiet girl inspiring to make it big in the field of her choice – Airlines.

Slowly, Priyanka came out of her shell. She was regular with her attendance and always on time. Gradually, Priyanka became more confident, started taking part in class activities and the transformation was beginning to become visible. And then came the opportunity to train at The Oberoi Grand. Priyanka was quick to grab the same and worked like a champion there. The girl had by now transformed into a lady; more confident and dependable with the right service attitude. And then SpiceJet happened, where she was selected as a Cabin Crew in her very first interview after her internship.

1. How did CTA help you achieve your dream?

A continuous guidance from Sir and Ma’am , lot of encouragement and motivation, never give up attitude, helped me building up my confidence level and most importantly has given me a chance to get trained in The Oberoi Grand Kolkata, which has helped me gain experience, and has made me more confident and presentable. The three months internship has changed my life in a very good way.

2. How supportive was the teaching staff and other staff?

Teaching staff, notes or worksheet which was given to has helped to gain knowledge about ground staff, aviation and hospitality and grooming

3. What specific training helped you the most in getting the job?

Specific training which helped me the most in getting a job is: Firstly, role play, debate classes. Secondly, the three months internship in The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata.

4. Which extracurricular activities you found the most helpful to get your job?

Role play and debate classes

5. What special effort did you do on your own to get the job?

No special effort I have put, I believe in hardwork. Hardwork is a key to success

6. What is your advice for future students aspiring to pursue a cabin crew career?

Advice for future students aspiring to pursue a cabin crew career is to : a) Be confident, love yourself, don’t compare yourself with others, you are one of an individual, you are perfect.
b) Always keep smiling.
c) Be positive.
d) Maintain a good body language, after all you are a future Cabin Crew. Act like a Cabin Crew, as if you are one of them. Lastly, love yourself and lead a healthy Lifestyle.

7. Do you think you have got the best return on the money you invested in building your career?

I have 100% got the best return, I can feel the changes within me.

8. Will CTA hold a special place in your heart?

CTA will always hold a special place in my heart.

9. Would you recommend CTA to your friends, family, and other students out there looking to join a good Aviation Academy?

Yes I would recommend everyone who has a dream joining Aviation and Hospitality industry.

The post Priyanka Ghosh – Cabin Crew – Spice Jet appeared first on CTA Blog.

CTA helped me get familiar with the real world of aviation and hospitality. It made me realize that it was not a bed of roses and that I have to be very strong to face the challenges of the industry.

2. How supportive was the teaching staff and other staff?

The teaching staff are the backbone of the academy. The best part is their background is the airline and hospitality industry. They are very friendly and cooperative. They give individual focus to each student.

3. What specific training helped you the most in getting the job?

Specifically EQ classes were very beneficial. It taught me to be calm and cool in times of crisis. As a crew, I have actually realized this many times at 35000ft.

4. Which extracurricular activities you found the most helpful to get your job?

Group discussion and debates on various topics helped me a lot to crack interviews.

5. What special effort did you do on your own to get the job?

I did and practiced what was said in the class as I believe practice makes on perfect. The academy can only guide and tell us what to do, it is we who need to do and perform.

6. What is your advice for future students aspiring to pursue a cabin crew career?

First of all, never give up which I learnt from our instructors at CTA. They always used to tell us to stick to it, even if it was tough. Concentrate on grooming, spoken English and never stop yourself from learning.

7. Do you think you have got the best return on the money you invested in building your career?

Yes, I believe I have got the worth of the money invested. I am going to international places, earning in INR and foreign currency, staying in the best hotels.

8. Will CTA hold a special place in your heart?

I will always have a soft corner for CTA. Even if I fly high, my roots are at CTA.

9. Would you recommend CTA to your friends, family, and other students out there looking to join a good Aviation Academy?

I will always recommend CTA to all those who are interested in a career in Aviation and Hospitality. It is by far the best academy for Cabin crew training in Kolkata and one of the best in the country.

The post Aman Prasad – Cabin Crew – Air India Express appeared first on CTA Blog.