Fill Me In
Singapore Airlines is featuring the stories of their cabin crew as they go about life during the pandemic in their new series, Stories from the Ground. From working as Care Ambassadors while flights are grounded, to the extensive safety protocols they now undertake while dressed in their signature kebaya, Stories from the Ground draws back the curtains to reveal the inner workings of Singapore Airlines (SIA) during these unprecedented times.
With the travel bubble to Hong Kong commencing in slightly more than a week, now is the best time to learn how travel has adapted to pandemic times, and how we can work with airlines to ensure the safety of all onboard.
What have the crew been up to?
In this featured episode of Stories from the Ground, we follow Leading Stewardess Surya on her journey from ground to air.
With a vast majority of flights grounded during the pandemic, some cabin crew members have signed up to be care ambassadors, and Surya was no exception. The programme was first launched in April, where SIA crew members who were not flying were temporarily deployed to hospitals to aid in patient care. Some crew members were also deployed to nursing homes to aid the senior residents there in their basic activities.
The programme was initially launched to help fill a manpower gap in hospitals, as nurses were re-directed from their original duties to care for patients infected with COVID-19. The care ambassador program leverages on the stellar service quality SIA is known to provide, placing them in a position where they could provide quality care to patients in a time of need.
Since then, some crew members have taken on these care ambassador roles full-time, while others continue to stay on with SIA, flying when the skies call.
What is travel like during the pandemic?
Following Surya on her flight to Frankfurt, we get an inside look into the stringent protocols that have been implemented to keep them, and us, safe when travelling during the pandemic.
New routines and protocols are now in place when travelling with SIA. For instance, cabin crew are required to wear both masks and safety goggles for the duration of the flight. Additionally, disinfectant kits consisting of masks, hand sanitisers, and disinfectant wipes are provided to all passengers on board.
After disembarkation, cabin crew are no longer allowed to roam the cities but instead, are to stay strictly in their hotel rooms for the entire duration overseas.
With the travel bubble to Hong Kong starting soon, passengers also have a part to play for safe travels! SIA has kindly provided an extensive brochure detailing all the additional precautions to adhere to when travelling during the pandemic.
Precautions to take when traveling
If you are one of those travelling during these times, do take note of some of these precautions:
- Complete your health declaration up to three days before your flight
- Ensure you maintain safe distancing at all times before boarding, during the flight, and upon arrival at your destination
- Check travel advisories online for the safety regulations of your destination and ensure that you adhere to them
- Inflight shopping on SIA aircrafts are currently suspended. If you wish to shop, do pre-order items online prior to your flight
- Ensure you keep your mask on at all times during the flight, with the exception of meal services
As the cabin crew does their best to keep us safe in the air, we too have a part to play in keeping our loved ones at home safe. Safe travels!
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