The high flyer

Kelly Crane discovers there's more to the job than simply looking pretty and serving coffee.

Arriving at the airport two hours before my flight has always seemed a real bind if you ask me.

But now I've been on a journey which has shown me the light! And believe me, the passenger has it easy.

You know... you stroll in, check your bags in, go through to departures, saunter down that giant tube which takes you right to a big smiley face at the bottom — who surely, with lipgloss applied like that, must have only stepped on a second before?

Wrong... and wow, now I've learnt just how very wrong I was.

OK, first things first. I, Kelly Crane (I'm standing up straight with my hand over my heart!) would publicly like to apologise to every air steward, stewardess, air hostess, cabin manager, purser, member of the flight team, or any other title which is given to the lady, or man, who I just thought was there to give me my dinner on my way back to England.

All of the above are amazing people and after experiencing a day-in-the-life of one, I know one thing for certain — not many people could handle it, especially not me.

That big smiley face I was telling you about is not a job thing, it's a lifestyle thing.

The big smile which greeted me, literally shone from the face of cabin manager for Etihad Airways, Angeline Ram.

Etihad, the national airline of the UAE, flew me to London Heathrow and back again to show me just how tough the ‘sky-life' really is.

When most of us start work at say, 1.30pm, we would get to work maybe five minutes before the start of the shift.

But for Angeline, who had to be ready to greet her guests at 1.30pm, her day started four hours earlier — at 9.30am!

She said: "Being an air hostess is not just about looking pretty and serving tea and coffee.

"Yes, we are the face of Etihad, but we are so much more than that. My job is about customer service, safety, organisation and administration."

"I feel very proud to be a cabin manager for Etihad and genuinely believe I have one of the best jobs in the world."

Angeline Ram guides us through a typical day in the skies:

If I have a flight at 1.30pm on a particular day, my preparing actually begins the day before.

It's not a case of just ironing a shirt and choosing which shoes go with my suit.

My uniform has to be dry-cleaned and picked up, my shoes have to be spotless and my suitcase needs to be packed – both of them!

We have a cabin trolley which must contain all safety manuals along with all our in-flight uniform.

But then we also have to pack a case for the lay-over in whichever country we are travelling to.

That means actually considering the climate you are heading towards and packing accordingly – unlike a trip of mine where I recall wandering the streets of London in mid-winter in flip flops and a summer skirt!

9.30am: I drag myself out of bed and get showered ready for the slog ahead. You see, in this business you can't afford to have a bad hair day.

"The transformation must begin. A shower, dry hair, style hair, apply make-up, get dressed, double-check both suitcases and have one last glance at the safety manual to make sure I'm up to date.

11am: I am picked up by the Etihad crew bus. But unlike driving yourself to work, I now have anything between three-five stops before we are en route to the airport.

"We pick up all the crew which will serve with me on my flight and they are scattered across Abu Dhabi in staff accommodation.

Noon: On arrival at the airport we report directly to the briefing room.

We all go over safety issues and any changes which have been implemented in the last week or so.

Then roles of crew members are allocated and time for one last check of the hair and make-up before we get on board.

12.30pm: On entering the cabin there are a million and one things to do.

Crew are busy, busy, busy checking everything is on board that we will require for the flight, making sure every item of safety equipment and all emergency implements are in perfect working order and bringing every aspect of the cabin up to the high Etihad standards.

Safety is paramount and nothing is left unturned.

And then, we get approximately 0.5 seconds to get the paperwork together, check we look perfect and remember to smile.

1.30pm: The guests arrive on board. We smile, meet and greet and make sure we tend to their every need.

Happily showing them to their allocated seats and helping them stow their hand luggage before arriving back with complimentary drinks to cool them down.

This process is all about being an expert at puzzles. There are often people who aren't seated by family and friends who ask to move.

It's a case of scanning the plane and working out how any moves could benefit all the guests. But it's a lovely feeling when you make people happy.

We have to deal with all kinds of guests. Worried, angry, apprehensive. But the aim is to make everyone happy and have a safe and comfortable flight to London.

During the flight: It is about seven hours to London and it's pretty hectic the whole way there.

Meals go out, bar service flows up and down the aisle as well as duty free, constant guest requests and paperwork.

When we arrive in London, myself and the crew are bussed to a nearby hotel where we begin our lay-over.

And in just over 24 hours we have to do it all over again on the return journey.

Angeline, 27, was one of the first employees of Etihad.

She said: "I was flown to Abu Dhabi from Canada