Low cost airlines. The highs and lows.
Written by Elizabeth Ayling
Published 14 Feb 2012
Low cost airlines. Malta loves them. Where would we be without them these days? Ryan Air is always opening up new routes from Malta. I just booked an Easter flight on it to an obscure airport in the southern UK. But, the low costs are just as likely to pull routes from one day to the next according to demand, concessions from the host airports, staff runing costs and so on. Also, I find in winter months, they tend to disappear from the schedules; some routes to key Italian airports just vanished off the low-costs’ booking radar over this past winter.
Of course, once you’ve got the optimal airport and flight time in your sights, you’ve then got to be speedy to bag the best deals going on the low costs. The really fast off the mark grab the introductory offers on new routes – which can be as low cost as one to 10 Euros (excluding taxes). The next fastest spring into action at the departure gates, speeding like gazelles (however aged) to the steps to make it to a prime seat first. Speedy boarding, you bet!
Malta’s tourism and outbound local passenger traffic is driven now by low costs. It takes time to do comparative searches for Ryan Air and Easyjet vs each other and Air Malta, and prices can go up in the hour it takes to work out the various (annoying) web sites and configurations. I’ve had prices leap Euro 30 in a minute; I’d forgotten to check a box somewhere, had to backtrack a page only to find the site ‘timed out’ and made me start all over again – by which time the fare had risen dramatically. Deliberately? But, whatever the trials and tribulations of booking, they’re the transport we love to hate.
So much for our views, what about those of the cabin crew? David Carabott spoke to one young Gozitan who flies high on low costs as a job, facing the speedy boarders in full flight every day!
Miguel Refalo is a 24-year-old Gozitan who has been living abroad and travelling for the past three years. After graduating in tourism studies, Miguel had little intention of staying put on the Islands. Today, he works as a flight attendant with one of Europe’s fastest growing low-cost airlines.
Low-cost airlines are taking over a huge share of the market in this industry. Tell us something about them.
Low-cost airlines, or as they’re sometimes also called, no-frills airlines, are becoming the most commonly used mode of air transport nowadays. During these times of economic crisis, the low-cost airlines have found it easier to survive due to their low-budget operations and cost-cutting measures. The biggest low-cost airlines in Europe are Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and Wizzair along with others. This phenomenon is not taking place only in Europe but also across other continents; in Asia there are companies like AirAsia and Cebu Pacific. Several other airlines which do not fall under this category are also adopting some tactics first introduced by these airlines in order to remain financially competitive, such as quick turn-around and baggage restrictions.
Why did you want to work as cabin crew?
To be honest, I would have considered any job that involved traveling and working abroad. Before venturing into this industry, I worked and lived in Finland and Italy. I came across an opportunity to start working as a flight attendant and since then I haven’t looked back. It was also an opportunity to start working with a team of people from different nationalities and cultures, as well as a chance to meet new people every day.
Do you consider this a job for life?
Like any other job, if one takes his job seriously and professionally there are lots of opportunities to move up the ladder and get promotions. Such opportunities may mean that you may still work with the airline but no longer as a flight attendant or else flying only a limited amount of hours. Personally, I consider this job as a temporary one and to facilitate my opportunities to travel because then in the future I intend to further my studies.
Tell us of any situations where you have to hold your temper?
It is a common occurrence that some passengers, due to other circumstances that they may have gone through during the day (arriving late at the airport, baggage problems etc.), try to vent their anger at you and act really rudely. There is only one solution: to remain calm and in control at all times. There are also several other tactics that we are trained to adopt such as body posture and language used.
What are the most difficult situations you have ever faced?
The most difficult situations one has to face in this job are when one is confronted by passengers who are disruptive or resort to violence. This may be caused by several factors such as alcohol intoxication, personal problems or health issues. Whatever decision is taken by those in charge, this decision is always taken with the safety of those involved being the main concern at all times.
Kind thanks to David Carabott for the interview.
Photo: Ronald
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