Cabin Crew - Emirates

Speaking with three young Emirates airlines crew members near the check-in counter of terminal 3, people were walking by and wondering why I was talking to them. Two of them were Korean and the third was Lebanese. Very youthful and energetic, they claimed that they had little time to talk; however, they were sweet enough to spend a good ten minutes chatting with me. 

Having somewhat conflicting perceptions of the travel industry, they all agreed that the future of travel would continue to grow and that the recession would only have a temporary impact on the industry. I could not help notice their shared optimism. “Travelers are always going to choose flying instead of any other medium because it’s the most convenient of them all, even if they have to pay a little more”. They furthered this statement by mentioning that many people, especially in Dubai, will travel more than twice a year to see their families back home. 

The fact that few people call Dubai home helps sustain the travel industry in the U.A.E.;  this was championed by all three. The youngest looking of the three then mentioned that, “Right now, many people do not have jobs and are being economical in the way they are spending. Emirates airline was very smart to open Fly Dubai as a low cost carrier. People are opting for cheaper tickets these days”. Sparking a little debate amongst them, one of the Korean stewardesses claimed that “out of seven days of the week, the plane is packed for four days. I think people are still travelling with Emirates even during the recession. I can only see it getting better further down the line”. When asked about their future worries related to the travel industry, they unanimously agreed that technology was playing a huge role and that it was threatening their jobs. People are slowly being able to do things faster and with more independence, eventually making them obsolete. This notion applies itself to services that are both on the ground as well as in the air. “People are no longer relying on other people”. Lastly, they concluded in explaining that, with all the low fare carriers popping up, people are opting for cheaper airlines and shunning the more expensive airlines. Therefore, ticket prices will have to decrease if one wants to survive the competition.