Finding that silver lining amidst the crisis
They are a new breed of flight attendants. They are our flight attendant entrepreneurs. More than heroes of the sky, they are the future heroes of our economy! Their small businesses are future employers in which more people may have jobs. They pour their hearts on their products, bringing more value than what customers pay for.
The number of flight attendant entrepreneurs are growing rapidly. So far, our Asenso Cabin Crew directory has enlisted more than 350 businesses of different flight attendants! We expect this number to grow further.
This pandemic has indeed brought the worse and best in our flight attendants. While facing uncertainties and job loss are a devastating experience, these flight attendants are trained to survive. This crisis allowed them to discover their power to become entrepreneurs. As such, their world further broadened, proving to all that flight attendants are multi-faceted individuals.
Multi-faceted and well-rounded individuals
Flight attendants are innovators. The nature of their job has allowed them to discover new trends and experience different cultures. Facing different kind of people and personalities are another thing. All these lead them to becoming natural innovators.
The ability to survive is another thing. Flight attendants are trained for survival, to ensure the safety of passengers. Their job requires them to act and decide quickly on what to do. A wrong decision can lead to a life or death situation. The pandemic is a test of these flight attendants’ ability to survive the worse crisis, and so they did.
While it is very stressful and painful to lose or a job or continue to face uncertainty, these flight attendant entrepreneurs did not bow down. Their training as cabin crew has allowed them to assess the situation and make decisions in order to survive and to help others. That is indeed the nature of flight attendants.
Their exposure to different parts of the world has allowed them to become innovators. Flight attendant entrepreneurs bring with them new global ideas and trends. They use these “ingredients” to come up with a product to serve a market. Among the list, you will see different kinds of milk tea, Takoyaki, Burgers, refreshments, and so much more. These are not found in any commercial establishments.
Different kinds of flight attendant businesses
There are a variety of flight attendant businesses. They range from the micro to the medium scale businesses. Some of these cabin crew have placed up small stalls selling street food. One placed up a roving vegetable store. Majority are home-based food businesses and are delivered via delivery services. Some have resorted to a business-to-business model selling plastic containers. Some have placed up retail and merchandise online stores.
When it comes to food and beverage, you have a wide variety too from these flight attendant entrepreneurs. You have Filipino fusion, American fusion, Sushi bakes, Takoyaki, comfort food, refreshments, and organic meals. In fact, trying a variety of these dishes will make you feel you have travelled the world already. Most of these dishes made by flight attendants are inspired by those they have tasted from their layovers around the world.
Many lessons as a flight attendant
Their careers as flight attendants has taught them important lessons in business. The most important lesson of all is customer service. Flight attendants belong to the customer service oriented list of careers. They deal with different passengers everyday. They are the frontline of airlines to their passengers on board an aircraft. Passengers are of different personalities with different demands.
Flight attendants go above and beyond to address a customer’s need while balancing safety which is paramount. As entrepreneurs, these cabin crew members apply the same level of customer service in their business. They know how to balance value for a customer’s needs and the “safety” of their businesses. In most times, cabin crew entrepreneurs know how to bring more value than what customers pay for. Yes this is part of their training and upbringing as cabin crew.
Another lesson they learn as flight attendants is to work hard. During training, these flight attendants are pushed to their limits. They face countless written exams and practical drills which take a toll on them physically and mentally. However, having that goal to be a cabin crew, they do not give-up. They learn the value of hard work. This is very important in becoming an entrepreneur. Flight attendants carry this trait into their businesses.
More value than what you pay for
I advocate the products and services of the small businesses of these flight attendants. Honestly, none of them failed to meet my standards. They are way better than their commercialized competitors. Flight attendant entrepreneurs pour their hearts into their products and services. It is the same way they pour their hearts unto their careers as cabin crew. Their businesses may be small compared to the more commercialized ones out there but they are a classic “David and Goliath” story.
The recent pandemic has taught us to be more practical with how we spend. Value for money is now the in-thing. If we can get something of more value than what we pay for, the better. This is the kind of value that the businesses of our flight attendants bring to the table. These are the kinds of businesses we should be advocating and supporting.
Our heroes of the sky, our future heroes of the economy
Small businesses are the heroes of our economy. They have the huge potential to grow and to provide more jobs to our countrymen. As they grow, they support our economy through taxes also.
Flight attendant entrepreneurs are indeed a new breed of individuals. They play hero both in the sky and on the ground. They continue play a major role in making air travel one of the safest way to travel. Moreso, they now play a major role in bringing hope to our economy and countrymen.
Last but not least, flight attendant entrepreneurs bring hope to everyone. Despite the crisis, uncertainty, and setbacks they face, they show us that there is hope. We can all rise back. Tough situations do not last, but tough people do.
We at Flyhigh Manila continues to support the businesses of our flight attendants through different platforms.
Note: The airlines these flight attendants work for or have worked for do not represent these small businesses.
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