my EK assessment

It's been exactly two weeks since I have gone through the Emirates' assessment. I've been meaning to blog about my experience but I was too disappointed and depressed to blog about it. Every time that people ask me about it, It turns my crankiness to maximum level. It's either I answer them or just ignore their questions. Now that I'm over that, I will share my experience so it can give an idea to others on what to expect on a screening process.

October 9, Friday, 9:00 a.m.

I arrived in IPAMS at around 9 in the morning. The place was jam packed compared to the last time I went there. I was really feeling a bit insecure because I feel that I'm not on my tiptop shape compared to the other guys. I had a pimple scar that time so I have to make use of the concealer that my friend lend me. I met a girl whose name I can't recall but she is on my phonebook and I'm just being lazy to look for it. She told me that she was a nursing graduate but it wasn't really her forte so she chose to work at a call center. I remember telling her that it will be an advantage for her because she is working on a costumer service oriented field. It was so nice of her to assure me that everything will be just fine because I was really nervous and shaking at that time. After an hour of talking to each other she got called for her height and weight measurements. After her, finally my turn, the guy measured my weight and I can say that he was a bit disappointed (me too for myself) and then he asked me to sit and wait for the next step. A few minutes have gone by and a girl called my name and asked me some questions.

Here were the questions asked to me AFAICR (not in order):

* Is this your first time to apply for Emirates?

* Since it is your second time, what preparations did you make prior to this assessment?

* Why do you still want to pursue your application with Emirates?

* Do you work?

* What is your course?

(she didn't bother to check my arm reach because I think she was pretty sure that I can reach over 212 cms)

After that, she asked me if she can see my hands. Of course I showed it to her but it really caught me off guard because I had hangnail scars that time. Ugh. Then she told me that they will email shortlisted candidates and I probably should be checking my email from time to time. At that point I knew that I wasn't going to receive one but still feeling optimistic.

10:30 a.m. - done with the screening

My friends started to get their invitations a week after. That made realize that I am never gonna get to receive an email. That's where I felt so disappointed to myself because I could have prepared a few months before even Emirates started recruiting again. Anyway, I still have the December's schedule. I will be more ready than ever. I'm thinking of studying French so it could add to my plus points. =)

Kudos to my friends who did well on QR's assessment and Goodluck to my friends attending the EK's selection process this weekend.

Emirates rules out 747-8I, but 'very keen' on 777 developments

Emirates Airline has ruled out ordering the Boeing 747-8Ipassenger variant as it focuses on building its fleet ofAirbus A380s. However, it is "very keen" to hear Boeing's plans to develop the 777.

"With the A380 as it is today, and as popular as it is today, why would you go back to the 747?" says Emirates Airline president Tim Clark.

The Dubai carrier had been pushing Boeing to develop a version of the 747-8I with the range capability to operate year-round services between its base and Los Angeles with an economic payload of around 370 passengers.

In parallel with Airbus's A380 weight reduction effort, Emirates has been working on its own savings says Clark. "On our own we've already taken out about 2.2t of operator items." This was partly due to a reduction in the potable water carried for the two on-board showers.

Through Airbus's effort, Clark believes that "by 2012 [deliveries] the manufacturer's empty weight of the A380 will be a minimum of 2t lighter on top of our 2.2t". However, he thinks the A380 will "always be challenged" to serve Los Angeles from Dubai.

The airline operates a 266-seat 777-200LR on the Dubai-Los Angeles service, and while Clark rules out the larger -300ER being capable of serving the route with an economic payload, he is awaiting news about the Boeing's plans to develop or replace the 777.

"Boeing knows we're very keen," says Clark, who expects to hold a meeting with the airframer "soon" to discuss ideas that could lead to a 777-300ER-sized aircraft capable of operating the Los Angeles route. "Even if they give us 8-10% [performance gains] by modifying the current 777, then we've got a chance getting that to Los Angeles," he says.

http://www.flightglobal.com

To Go or Not To Go?

It is 3 days before my Emirates assessment schedule and still, problems keeps showing up. Here's my own list of "bad lucks"

1. Last week, I had my facial cleaning done. The attendant pricked a pimple on my cheek thinking it would disappear. Oh wait! It did! But what is this on my face?? A scar!?? Nooooooo! Don't tell me I can cover it with a concealer because first, I don't know how to apply it and second, I still don't know how to apply it.

2. Baking soda does help whiten your teeth but make sure you use it properly. Don't make the same mistake I did and because of that I'm now suffering from bleeding gums due to misuse of baking soda. Brushing hard and too long won't do you any good.

3. In connection to #2, My lips are dried up and chapped because of the baking soda.

4. I have hangnails which also leaves a scar after having the skin peeled off. Yes, you're hands are important as much as your smile.

5. Just before I had my photo taken yesterday, A pimple near my lower lip managed to make an appearance for the pictorial. Good thing they edit pictures before printing them.

6. A scar mark again, on my nose due to my frequent pricking of blackheads.

I'm pretty sure that everything will be back to normal soon but I need to be perfect on Friday.

On another side of the story; I asked St. Claire for signs, 5 signs if I should continue applying for Emirates this 9th. She gave me, not only 5, but 7. Looks like I have 7 reason to continue rather than thinking of that 6 mishaps. :)

Ondoy Experience

Woke up at around 8 a.m. this morning, waiting for my classmates' texts and making my mind up if I should go to school or not. Went outside an hour later when I saw what the non-stop-rain had done to our street(made my decision right after). It was totally submerged knee deep on water(dirty). It was lunch time when we noticed that our dirty kitchen had accumulated water too. Normally, You wouldn't see me soaking my feet in flood water for a long time but I had to do something or else. I grabbed something that I can use to scoop out the dirty water in our dirty kitchen to minimize flooding. Meanwhile, Another menace had managed to show up, cockroaches were all over the place (they are in groups so it's really gross), I quickly looked for the insect spray and when I got my hands on it, it was really hard to detach myself from it. I sprayed like I'm one of the ghost-busters catching ghosts(wish Angelo was here, I know you love roaches bud! :P), It was really fun and I hope that I've seen the last of them. Must've killed hundreds of them, Damn roaches!

I hate to admit it but I really enjoyed playing on the water(missing my childhood years). Of course we know the flood water carries diseases that can be transmitted to us if we have an open wound so I stopped when I got myself injured. =(

Can you see how high the flood was?

Newly waxed?? Not! That's actually the water starting to make its way to our dining area

Rio Grande Rapids =)

Dad and Mom saving her precious furnitures while I'm taking pictures

Front Lawn submerged

12 hours had passed since I woke up, the rain has stopped, flood has subsided and now everything is back to normal. Thank God!

**This is the first time that flood water got inside our house. Thanks to, not Milenyo, not Rosing, but Ondoy. I must say that it was quite an experience.

Oh No :(

I'm scooping dirty water out of our kitchen.. huhuhu.. Ill post the details later ..

A sign????

Yesterday, I asked my mom to accompany me to St. Claire's chapel here in Laguna (which is just a 5-minute ride from our place), she said yes, so we went there by 3:00 pm. When we arrived, I wasn't really quite sure what to do so I just sat down on the pew and kneeled down to say my prayer. I asked if they could give me some signs if I should pursue my planned assessment on October 10. After that, I lit a few candles and again, prayed. It was actually a good feeling that I visited the church (chapel) once again after a few mont.... actually, years! (Thanks to FWB who opened my eyes)

My cousins and I decided to go shopping for DVDs in a nearby flea market later that day. While we were walking, I spotted a surplus shop or more commonly known as "Ukay-Ukay". I said that it would be fun browsing through used stuff (and yes it was!). I was laughing at my cousin when she said that she saw a cutesy outfit for her baby (I though she was joking) which I think is a bit odd because I knew she would never buy anything from that store. When I turned to face her, she was holding a (I hate to admit it but it is indeed cute) little newborn clothing (I don't know what it is called, help me!) and what was written on it really surprised me. Could it be my first sign? Tell me what you guys think.

I also bought a tie that day and I keep saying (til' now) that I'm still having second thoughts about the assessment.

For those who want to go to IPAMS but don't know the location of the office, please refer to the picture below.

RED CIRCLE : IPAMS office should be right about there.

ORANGE CIRCLE : Pedro Gil LRT Station

BLUE CIRCLE: Robinsons' Place Ermita

YELLOW LINE: It's a line. just follow it.

Priorities, Priorities, Preparations, Preparations!

Just a few minutes ago, I received some news that could send the whole world trembling (exaggerating). Myla is sooooooo kind enough to share that Emirates... ehrrr.. IPAMS is recruiting and is now conducting preliminary assessment for EK cabin crew position (I checked). Thanks Myla!. I texted Jen to inform her about that. I was right when I told her to hold on to something. She called me immediately to confirm it and she was sooooooooo excited about it (You would know if you were at the other end of the line). Oh yeah!, she will be there on friday. Goodluck Jen! Jen made it through til the 3rd round of the elimination process last time she applied, that's why I really believe that she can make it this time. Nuf' said.

I just finished fitting my "application outfits" and I must say I'm satisfied how it looks on me now than before. I'm going to share some information that might help when applying for the position. Don't forget this! Obtain a REFERENCE NUMBER from the Emirates Group Careers website, you will need this when filling up an application form in IPAMS (website or personal). Then you can prepare for the rest of the requirements. PHOTOS! You must be in business attire with your HANDS OPEN (Definitely not closed fist and don't spread those fingers too much). PASSPORT, although not required to be new (you can renew it after getting the position), is important as much as your.... ugh.. your... (can't think of a methapor) well, You get the picture right?. But I personally like my documents valid upon application. Next, You should have all required clearances including NBI, Police and even Baranggay Clearance for whatever purpose it may serve them :P. Prepare these things as early as possible so that a few days before your assessment schedule you can still prep yourself up before the judgement day. (Too tired to share about Hair and Make up Tips, will post it tomorrow).

I personally allow 14 days of preparation for myself (assuming all documents are with me already) to get my facial treatment, hair and my teeth done. Facial treatments usually take two weeks to achieve optimum results. I do my haircut 4 days before, so that its just about the right length and my teeth whitened and cleaned 2 days prior my schedule.

If you need more info about the requirements and the selection process, Visit Airboy's and Annie's site.

**I was uber hyper earlier and I think that's the reason why my energy is flushed out already**

Goodluck to Us!!

P.S.

Keep Smiling!

EK Global Assessment Days are ON! + Ebay next buys

I just learned from Sodwee a.k.a Airboy, that Emirates resumed its Global Assessment days. For September, it will start tomorrow in London, UK. This news will definitely give me an adverse effect later when I try to sleep (Hyperactivity prohibits it) and when I eat (the thought of being rejected because of my weight, won't let me). As of today, Preparations will be made, starting from my weight (main problem) and... ughh... I think that's all there is. Oh yeah, I still need to learn French (a plus) /Arabic (an asset) and I need to find a sponsor for my cabincrewdirect training. :) Goodluck to everyone!

My Ebay next buys :)

Fasten your seatbelts and check your emergency exits - What do the pilots and cabin crew of Fresh, a new low budget airline based in London, really get up to, both in and out of uniform?

Mile High is the fast, sexy and gripping drama that charts the lives and loves of an airline cabin crew who excel in leaving little to the imagination and taking membership of the Mile High Club to new heights.

Season 1 consists of 4 DVDs and the 2nd season has 7. There is a special 11 DVD set which includes both season for much cheaper price. I've seen the series and I must say that some of the scenes will make you think twice applying as a cabin crew.

Losing her mother at a young age, Misaki Yoko (Ueto Aya) was raised amongst three brothers. Yoko is a slightly boyish girl who is bullheaded and hates dishonesty. Ever since she was young, she enjoyed the company of boys over girls. She starts a band with four of her boy friends and becomes the lead singer. Then one day, one of the members of the band, Tsukasa, gets a job at a bank in Tokyo. On the day Tsukasa leaves for Tokyo, Yoko goes along with the band members to the airport to see him off. The guys get excited when they see some cabin crew ladies and Yoko has no idea why. She reminds them that even she can wear a uniform, but the guys only make fun of her. That's when Tsukasa tells Yoko he wonders what she'd look like dressed in uniform. This is when Yoko decides she wants to work as a Cabin Attendant. (JAL)

After suffering cuts in pay and benefits as a flight attendant after 9/11, Hester turned in his wings and became a travel writer. This follow-up to his industry tell-all, Plane Insanity, is based on his syndicated column, "Continental Drifter," and details his experiences traveling across six continents in the space of a year, spending just $60 a day. Although Hester manages to land on couches as often as he rents hotel rooms, this isn't a guide to frugal travel tricks. Instead, it's a romp with an adventurer who rarely becomes jaded or travel weary, and has a way of falling into amusing situations. For example, Hester's affection for Kangol hats has people mistaking him for Samuel L. Jackson at a film festival in eastern Europe; true to his jaunty nature, he doesn't correct them. Hester's writing is lively, and he keeps his observations light. However, the travelogue does have serious moments, as when the author describes being stared at unrelentingly in Argentina because, he says, 97% of the inhabitants are of white European origin. But the seriousness, like Hester's stay in each country, never lasts long.

--After reading Plane Insanity, Elliott Hester instantly became my Hero! :)--

AMEX 576 Hijacked

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Bolivian-born man clutching a Bible and claiming a divine mission hijacked a plane in Mexico with more than 100 people aboard on Wednesday, but the incident ended quickly and without bloodshed.

Jose Flores, who told police he was a Protestant minister, seized the AeroMexico Boeing 737 after take off from the Caribbean resort of Cancun demanding to speak to Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Flores, 44, smuggled a false bomb on board and threatened to blow up the aircraft if he could not warn the president of what he said was an impending earthquake, police said.

"He said he is a minister and that it was a divine revelation that made him carry out this action," Security Minister Genaro Garcia told reporters.

The plane landed safely in Mexico City, its original destination, and police stormed the aircraft after the passengers had been allowed off, but not the crew.

Police apparently detained Flores without a struggle and a few minutes later led him away in handcuffs, ending Mexico's first hijack drama in years,

Transport Minister Juan Molinar told reporters that all 104 passengers and crew of 8 were safely off the aircraft. "There was no bomb," he said.

Nine men were initially detained, but Security Minister Garcia said eight were ordinary passengers caught up in the drama. He said Flores, wearing a shirt and jeans, was the only hijacker.

Smiling and chewing gum, the hijacker was presented at a news conference but refused to answer journalists' questions.

Earlier, security forces raced to Mexico City airport and helicopters circled above the airport as the plane landed and taxied to a part of the airport reserved for emergencies.

CALM EXIT

Some passengers said they were not aware of the hijack during the flight, although one man noticed Flores was carrying a Bible.

"We really didn't know what was going on," passenger Adriana Romero told Mexican television. "We realized it was a hijack when we saw the police trucks."

Mexico has no major radical political groups who espouse violence, although Calderon is embroiled in a bitter war with drug cartels, whose turf wars have killed more than 13,000 people since he took power in late 2006 and set the army on them.

Direct attacks by drug gangs on the public or attempts to force talks with the government are very rare.

The last major hijack in Mexico was in 1972, when four men describing themselves as part of a group of armed communists seized an aircraft in the northern city of Monterrey and redirected it to Cuba.

In 1999, a flight leaving the capital for Monterrey returned after 40 minutes after a man threatened the pilot and said he had bombs in his belt, El Universal reported.

Cancun is Mexico's top tourist destination and attracts millions of U.S. and European sunseekers every year to its white-sand beaches and luxury hotels.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5885K420090909?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Airline industry recession bottoming out?

Airlines and their suppliers are reporting tentative signs a severe industry recession is bottoming out, sending shares higher on Tuesday.

Airbus, the world's largest producer of passenger jets, said airline traffic had possibly seen "the trough of the recession" and could start to rebound from next year.

"In 2009 we believe total traffic is down 2%. In 2010 we may experience a 4.6% growth rate," Laurent Rouaud, senior vice president of market and product strategy, said at the Asian Aerospace exhibition in Hong Kong.

In Europe, Air France-KLM said passenger traffic fell 2.9% in August but its planes were on average 84.8% full, a rise of 1.1 percentage points from the same holiday peak month a year ago.

Its shares rose 6.6%, helping push the DJ Stoxx pan-European Travel and Leisure index up 2.4%, with traders also citing catch-up by an underperforming sector.

Shares in Aer Lingus, British Airways, Ryanair and Lufthansa rose between 2 and 4%.

The Air France figures came as industry data for July showed airline passenger and freight traffic dropped much less sharply year-on-year than in the first half of 2009.

ACI Europe said after a survey of 106 airports passenger traffic at European airports fell 4.3% compared with July 2008, versus an average 9.6% drop during the preceding six months of this year.

Freight traffic — a widely watched indicator of economic health — fell 13.4% compared with July 2008, an improvement on the average 22.4% decrease during the preceding six months.

"That would fit with our picture," said economist Cristoph Weil at Commerzbank. "We believe we will see a strong recovery in Q3 and Q4 in the euro area."

Air France-KLM said its cargo business had in August confirmed signs of stabilisation seen in recent months.

Ireland's Aer Lingus said on Monday passenger numbers had risen 7.7% year-on-year in August.

Growth predicted

Economists say the global economy looks to be pulling out of recession, with the OECD predicting a renewal of growth for the United States and euro zone in the third quarter.

But, like the airline industry, the broader economy remains on life support and G20 finance ministers agreed on Sept. 5 to keep stimulus measures in place..

ACI Europe's numbers were helped slightly by weak comparative figures in July 2008, when the economic downturn first started to bite and passenger data entered negative territory for the first time in six years.

But weak comparatives account for only about a fifth of the improvement in freight volumes, ACI archive figures show.

Airbus and rival Boeing Co are headed for their worst annual order tally in at least 15 years as struggling airlines cancel or defer almost as many planes as they buy.

The world's airlines are expected to post total 2009 losses of $9 billion including at least $6 billion in the first half, says the International Air Transport Association..

A Boeing executive said any recovery in the economy would not translate into recovery in demand for aircraft until 2012.

"Next year will be a year of economic recovery, 2011 will be a year of airline industry recovery and then in 2012, airlines will probably increase their demand for new airplanes," Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told Reuters in a Hong Kong interview.

Air France-KLM last week announced 1,500 voluntary redundancies, adding to thousands of airline job cuts worldwide.

Even once airlines fly out of recession, they will be haunted by big questions on costs, especially fuel, Rouaud said.

At $67.90 a barrel, benchmark North Sea Brent crude futures prices have risen 38% since the end of March.

Copyright 2009 Reuters Limited.

Plane Insanity

I bought a book last week entitled "Plane Insanity: A Flight Attendant's tale about sex, rage and queasiness at 30000 ft". Now, before I say anything about it, let me just tell you first how I got this book. I've been buying stuff from ebay since last April. Since then, I have searched for items that have anything to do with being a Flight Attendant. From Lanyards to Shirts, Collectibles to Tags, and Books. I ordered this book way back in June and I have been waiting impatiently for it to arrive but no luck. After 3 months and 1 follow up (they lost my book in the mail the first time, and no it hasn't arrived yet) I saw a book sitting just in-front of my right foot at Book Sale. I was looking for other Rough Guide titles and when I looked down, there it was. It was just a fraction of the cost of the one I bought from ebay (75php against 650php). I felt so excited that I called my cousin out loud (you guessed it. Everyone at the store was staring at me). I quickly bought the book and went home. It was already late when we got home. I quickly took it out of its plastic covering and opened the book with a smirk on my face. I flipped the pages just to see some of its contents, and had the urge to read the book but it felt like it wasn't the right time to read. It's all about timing right? I decided to bring it with me to school so I could read a few chapters during my vacant hours.

I started reading the book from the very first page (reviews). The book tackles about the life of a Flight Attendant behind glitter and glamour. From crying infants to adventurous adults, Elliot Hester had faced them in 16 years of flying. He started as a baggage handler working underneath the plane's belly with the temperature dropping below zero before stepping up and worked as a Flight Attendant.

Here's some interesting situation he/ his coworkers had in their career.

• While a female flight attendant was serving food from the meal cart, a female passenger thrust a small bundle of trash toward her. "Take this", the passenger demanded. Realizing that the trash was actually a used baby diaper, the attendant instructed the passenger to take it to the lavatory herself and dispose of it. "No", the passenger replied. "You take it!" The attendant explained that she couldn't dispose of the dirty diaper because she was serving food-- handling the diaper would be unsanitary. But that wasn't good enough answer for the passenger. Angered by her refusal, the passenger hurled the diaper at the flight attendant. It struck her square in the head, depositing chunks of baby dung that clung like peanut butter to her hair. Thw two women ended up wrestling on the floor. They had to be separated by passengers.

• When bad weather closed the Dallas/Fort Worth airport for several hours, departing planes were stuck on the ground for the duration. One frustrated passenger, a young woman, walked up to a female flight attendant and said, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this". The passenger then punched the flight attendant in the face, breaking her nose in the process.

• A flight attendant returning to work after a double-mastectomy and a struggle with multiple sclerosis had a run-in with a disgruntled passenger. One of the last to board the plane, the passenger became enraged when there was no room in the overhead bin above his seat. He snatched the bags from the compartment, threw them to the floor and put his own bag in the space he had created. After hearing angry cries from passengers, the flight attendant appeared from the galley to see what the fuss was all about. When the passengers explained what happened, she turned to the offending passenger. "Sir, You can't do that," she said. The passenger stood up, cocked his arm and broke her jaw with one punch.

Definitely defies the fact that flight attendants aren't just there to serve peanuts...

This book by Elliot Hester has 3 titles. The one I have is Plane Insanity, the 2nd name is Air Confidential, and I forgot the last title but it’s basically all the same. These books can be purchased on Amazon.com.

---back to reading---

Elliott Hester (Planning his trip for his next book: The Continental Drifter)

AI B747's engine catches fire while taxiing

NEW DELHI September 4

More than 200 passengers and crew of an Air India flight had a
narrow escape at the Mumbai airport Friday when they were evacuated
after an engine of their plane caught fire, a news report said.

The ground staff at the airport noticed the fire and smoke from
the engine as the aircraft was taxiing for takeoff, the IANS news
agency reported.

The passengers and crew were evacuated through emergency exit
chutes of the Boeing 747, which was brought to a halt on the
taxiway.

No one was hurt in the incident because the blaze was put out
immediately, Air India spokesman Jitendra Bhargav told the news
agency.

The Air India flight was bound for the Saudi Arabian capital of
Riyadh. The passengers are to leave for Riyadh on another plane
later Friday.

Air India authorities were investigating the cause of the fire,
officials said.

Source : the RichmarkSentinel

8 Things an Airline Would Never Tell You

1. "Airport luggage scales often lie."

It's bad enough that the airlines charge a fee for overweight luggage, varying from $39 to $300 per bag industrywide. But it's galling that they may also hit you with the fee by mistake. At JFK last November, New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs found that 14 percent of the airport's scales were not properly calibrated. At Boston's Logan airport, 10 percent of the scales recently inspected gave incorrect readings. The South Florida Sun–Sentinel has discovered numerous busted scales at area airports. And the list goes on. What to do? Stand up for yourself, especially when a scale barely tips the balance into the "overweight" category. Brandon Macsata, executive editor of the D.C.-based lobbying group Association for Airline Passenger Rights advises passengers to weigh their bags at home first, and if the airport scale comes up with a different number, insist that your bags be weighed on a different scale. Yes, it's come to that.

2. "Our air may make you sick."

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether potentially harmful fumes have been circulating in airplane cabins. Between 1999 and 2008, air became contaminated on 926 flights, reports the FAA, without specifying any possible health risks. Currently, the agency is looking at a particular type of "fume event" that involves "bleed air," or air that's been compressed by the airplane's engines. If there's a malfunction in plane equipment, the air that's fed into the cabin can be contaminated with chemical residues from engine oil—specifically TCP, or tricresyl phosphate. "Passengers may have symptoms like tremors," says Clement Furlong, a research professor of genome sciences and medicine at the University of Washington. So far, federal reviews of the research have been inconclusive about whether bleed air actually endangers the health of passengers and flight crews, though two civil lawsuits about fume events are under way.

3. "That nonstop flight you booked? We can add a layover to it—without explanation."

Think you scored a sweet fare on that transcontinental flight? Think again. You may be making a previously unscheduled layover. Airlines can cancel your nonstop and rebook passengers onto flights with connections, which are obviously less desirable. Advises Brett Snyder, author of The Cranky Flier and a former pricing analyst at America West: As soon as you find out that your nonstop flight has been canceled, check to see if there's another nonstop option. If there is, call the airline and ask—nicely—to be put on it. But if nonstop service on the route has disappeared, threaten to switch to another carrier for the trip. Major airlines will typically agree to refund your money without any fees if you refuse to accept a new, multistop flight that will arrive at your destination more than two hours later than you were originally scheduled.

4. "We wouldn't tell you right away if there's an emergency."

The FAA leaves it up to the airline to decide if it wants to tell passengers about an engine failure or other significant crisis. And many flight crews opt to keep their lips sealed. The reason? Flight crews don't want to scare passengers or say something they'll regret later. "In one recent emergency, the cockpit crew was faulted for making a public announcement before some of the required procedures were accomplished," explains Kent Wien, a pilot for a U.S. carrier. So attendants tend to err on the side of being secretive to avoid trouble. Last June, passengers traveling from Brussels to Newark on Continental Airlines were not informed when the captain died during the flight. The plane continued along its scheduled route with nary a peep from the rest of the crew, beyond a cryptic question: "Is there a doctor on board?"

5. "When we let you pick your seat assignment, we were only joking."

As the airlines decrease the number of seats they fly in an attempt to eke out a profit, they're swapping out larger planes for smaller ones more often. Whenever fliers are put on a new plane, seat assignments are scrambled. A traveler may end up in a middle seat he or she would never have selected. If it happens to you, there's not much you can do—airlines aren't obligated to honor any seat assignment. "Passengers are actually purchasing a fare and not a seat," says Macsata of the Association for Airline Passenger Rights. Checking in online 24 hours prior to departure is often the best you can do to boost your chances of getting the seat assignment you want. Print your boarding pass with your seat assignment on it before you get to the airport as proof in case you need to argue with a gate agent over a last-minute switcheroo.

6. "Our planes are antiques."

Compared to the rest of the world, we're flying the airplane equivalent of grandma's Cutlass Supreme—except Uncle Sam isn't interested in paying cash for these clunkers. American owns 268 MD-80 class airplanes, with an average age of 18 years old. Meanwhile, thanks to a geriatric fleet of DC-9s, Delta and Northwest's average fleet age is 13 years old. In contrast, Emirates has an average fleet age of about 5 years. Singapore Air's is 6 years. And, while Ryanair is often faulted for lacking basic amenities, its planes average less than 3 years of age. Luckily, U.S. airlines aren't having problems maintaining their aging aircraft from a safety standpoint, notes Bill Voss, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. "There's no real indication of anyone cutting corners," says Voss. "Planes don't age like wine, but they do remain flight-worthy with proper maintenance." The FAA doesn't have a maximum age limit for planes, though it does require more frequent inspections for planes that have flown for more than 14 years. But aside from safety there's just plain old comfort. If you've ever wished you had a personal seatback flat-screen TV instead of having to share a view of a cathode-ray tube in the aisle—well, now you know the reason.

7. "Our crew is totally exhausted."

Airline jobs are famously hard on the Circadian rhythms, and flight crews simply aren't getting enough rest. Pilot fatigue has been a factor in crashes that have led to over 250 fatalities in the past 16 years, including the recent crash of a Colgan Air flight to Buffalo, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The night before that accident, the copilot commuted from the West Coast to Newark while the pilot slept on a couch in a crew lounge at the airport. Crews on reserve (that is, crews readily available for service on short notice) don't have it much better. "On reserve, we don't have control over what we're doing," says Heather Poole, a flight attendant for a U.S. carrier and a contributor to travel blog Gadling. "One day we're flying a 5 a.m. departure, and the next day we're working a red-eye. Do this for a few trips in a row—add the delays in there—and that's when it gets bad." Working reserve can stretch crews to the limit. "Once during a terrible reserve month, I remember staring at my emergency exit door, thinking, Is it armed? Is it armed? Is it armed? I could see that it was, indeed, armed (the evacuation slide was attached to the door properly). But it wasn't clicking in my brain because I was so tired."

8. "Your ticket might not be with the airline you booked."

Two airlines may sell seats on the same flight, a sales strategy called code sharing. You may think you'll be traveling on one airline, but you actually fly on another. The situation seems harmless enough but can cause major headaches for passengers. For example, most major airlines farm out their short, commuter flights to regional airlines. "By and large, you haven't heard of Chautauqua or Republic, but you may be flying them when you click to buy a ticket on Continental," explains Randy Petersen, publisher of InsideFlyer. "With two airlines involved, there's a constant passing of the buck. Worse, many regional carriers operating on code shares are exempt from reporting their on-time statistics. And God forbid if you need to file a claim with them for lost baggage."

Source: http://guides.travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1088188

Mid Exam Week

Yesterday was a very bad day for me. I hardly slept because I was preparing for my exams. Since I didn't sleep, I expected that I was going to arrive in school early (big deal if you're always late). My anxiety was growing as I prepare to leave my house. Things started to change when our driver turned the van around to take a different route. What a waste of time (15minutes of it, plus the time we traveled to get back on the usual route). I arrived in school at around 8:30 (30 mins late for my exam) when I remembered that I still have to print something. Ugh. The printer at the shop was acting weird, it wouldn't print my documents unless it's on normal mode (I prefer draft coz it prints faster). By the time it was done, it's already 9am. I was arguing with the person in charge on the shop about how slow their printer is. I remained calm because she is my friend and it wasn't her fault anyway. Then I went inside the campus to find my professor and talk to him about the exam I missed. He was kind enough to give me the exam right there in the office. As I was taking the exam, I noticed that almost none of what I reviewed was there. Wtf!. After that, I prepared for my exam by 12. I was cramming to review the topic I missed on that subject just to learn it is not included in the exam. But I can say that I did well. Bad lucks are over.

Malling with Angelo

As usual, food tripping was fun. We decided to eat at Burger King since we were at Wendy's last week (we love expensive burgers). Like I told him, I don't want to say big burgers coz it sounds like we're gluttonous. After indulging our taste buds, we walked around the mall and visited the usual places we go to whenever we are there. Bench (underwears), Surplus shop (anything), Our Home (stuff), and Book Sale for DUH!.. I was looking for books about travel so we went to BS. We scoured through shelves of books and managed to find a few. I only bought one to see if it's worth reading. Marrakesh is the capital city of Morocco. An Arabic country that also speaks french. Nice!. The book is published by Rough Guides. They have other titles or should I say countries?. Well, that's all I can tell for now coz I haven't read the book yet.

Emirates flies to Morocco daily through Casablanca Mohamed V Airport. EK751 DXB-CMN Departs DXB 0735 and Arrives in CMN 1155

cont. of the previous post

By 1pm we went all went to our tambayan (a.k.a tita B's house). And there, we enjoyed the free aircon. Lolz.. Tita C followed by 3pm coz we’re going to visit my cousin's new house in Silang. The place is really nice. It's overlooking Laguna de Bay. Nice setting for breakfast on the terrace while the sun is rising. Sooo romantic. After 30 minutes or so, we decided to go home. On the way, we stopped to buy japanese corns. A guy approached us and asked if we would be interested in viewing their model houses. Since we are scouting for a nice community to live in, we said yes (I thought he was cute).

South Forbes Golf City is a 250 hectares of land located just a few minutes away from Sta. Rosa. It is divided into 6 classifications of modern subdivision living + 2 condominiums. Bali Mansions, Phuket Mansions, Chateaux de Paris, Mediterranean Villas, Miami, and the Tokyo Mansions. When we entered the model house for the Tokyo Mansions I was so impressed by how it is designed. The Meiji model is the best for me. It has a huge staircase, a T&B to die for, 3 bedrooms (1 convertible to entertainment room), living area, a not so dirty kitchen, main kitchen, and dining. A fully furnished Meiji costs around 40M. Expensive, right?. The agent advised me that it would be more practical if we buy just the lot and we can find our own contractors to build the house for us. More cheaper. He gave me a computation for the lot price. I think I may be able to start saving money for that in 1 year. Too bad, I was unable to charge my phone enough (just bought it today) so I can take pictures inside the model house itself. But my agent was kind enough to give me a portfolio of the properties. I took a picture of it instead. :)

This model house is the one I was talking about. Few teleseryes had been filmed here. "Eva Fonda" and the "Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang".. I hate GMA.. \m/

Visit www.southforbes.com for more info. :)

My new Imate

My uncle and my mom went to Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan yesterday. I wanted to go but I was too tired so I decided to stay home. My cousin slept over at our house so I could go with her to her house to fix her TV in the morning. It was already 9am when we got off of the bed. I was craving for some fastfood when I found out that I didn't have any money left. So I just sipped a cup of coffee with pandesal, and off we went to her house. I immediately assembled her newly bought TV in the living room. After assembling it, I quickly suggested that we put it inside her room and turn the aircon ON (It's so darn hot in her living room). I was rummaging stuff on her bed when I saw a zip lock bag with wires in it. I got curious and opened it. I was surprised to see that there was a phone inside the plastic. She told me that she was selling it. Since I needed a new phone, I told her that she could help me convince my mom to buy it for me. I was so ecstatic that I immediately put my SIM on the phone and then off we went to my aunt's house for lunch. We thought we were the first to arrive in our auntie's house when we saw my mom sitting right under the mango tree. My cousin had to find the right timing to tell my mom to buy the phone. I must say that she nailed it coz she got my mom to buy the phone. Hurray! After years of waiting patiently, at last, a new phone. It's actually a pda phone so it's more than what I expected. It has a 2 megapixel cam (which is not too important for me), Microsoft Office Mobile (2007), Wi-Fi, and some other programs that can be found usually on smart phones. And its operating system is Windows Mobile 6.1. I actually typed this blog on the phone’s MS Word. That’s what I call break-in!. The phone may look like a china phone (for people who doesn't know the difference between a Nokia and a Sony Ericsson phone). The phone is available only on few countries including Dubai, Italy, UK and Singapore being the only country in SE Asia to market the phone. visit www.imate.com for more info.

MJ "The King of Pop" '58-'09

I'm joining the bandwagon by blogging about MJ. I'm not a fan of him but I always find myself singing and dancing to his tunes. I like some few songs of him such as ABC Song, Heal the World, The Earth Song and who could ever resist Thriller?. MJ passed away Thursday due to cardiac arrest. The doctors tried to resucitate him for more than an hour. He was supposed to start his world tour next month. So, It is really a shock for his fans waiting for him to return on stage. He lived his life filled with controversies but nevertheless remained an icon for everyone. He is truly The King Of Pop.. R.I.P. MJ

Baby Names

If I'd have a chance to have a family of my own, I would name my 3 babies Dubai, Zurich, and Sydney. Dubai being the eldest, Zurich has to be a boy, and Sydney has to be a girl.. la lang.. Just a thought. Why can't I name them after my favorite cities on the earth?. It kinda sound nice so I don't think there will be a problem. =)

Jon Dubai

Jay Zurich

Joan Sydney

On a brighter side

I just found another school where I can train to fly... I'm just excited so I have to blog it!! hehehehe.. The Oxford Aviation Academy is located in Oxford England.. Duh! In 5 years I will be there.. or In other case, If Emirates can train me then I won't leave the airline.

Air France tail fin found...

The rudder of the missing flight found: This is a major breakthrough for the recovery team since the black boxes of the aircraft can be found on the tail section of the aircraft. It narrows down the search area where they should be looking for the black boxes. The rudder may also give a vital clue why the plane crashed. See, the rudder fins have a "swing" limit although it prevents the aircraft from spinning. It might have detached itself after suffering from the forces of the turbulence caused by the stormy weather in that area. The pitot tubes from the fuselage may also be a factor. The pressure of the air entering the pitot tubes measures the airspeed and the angle of the plane. If in case it froze up during the flight, it will certainly give the wrong airspeed. This one that crashed was supposed to have its pitot tubes replaced "in the coming weeks" before it went down. AF should have grounded their A330 fleets for replacements. So far, 24 bodies had been found. 202 to go. I just hope they find the black boxes before the end of this month because it only emits frequency/signal for 30 days.

Black BoxES.. yes there are two black box in a plane. The Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder