Image courtesy of Monarch Air Group
By Noelle Pearson
Vice president of training and development at Monarch Air Group
Working on a private jet is very multifaceted and rewarding, but it does require professionalism and a lot of hard work.
The crew may get to visit places that others might only ever dream of seeing, like the Seychelles or the Maldives, or major cities like New York, Paris and London. Alternatively, they may end up in the deepest, darkest forest in central Europe or in the middle of the Sahara.
But it’s not all about a luxury lifestyle and entails hard work while on duty.
For example, you may have another flight within 30 minutes of landing or have to find catering in an obscure place. Passengers can be highly demanding; generally, you will continue working the entire flight. Five-star service is expected; clients are well used to expensive hotels and restaurants and expect excellence.
Safety first
Safety requirements can differ according to each region.
For instance, in the U.S., most VIP cabin crew are fully trained in safety. This is not so often the case in other parts of the world, and the role becomes cabin server or cabin host.
This is because most private aircraft have under 19 seats; any more than that, a fully trained cabin crew is required, legally. For 19 seats or under, trained cabin crew are not legally required. This also depends on the aviation authority in which the aircraft is registered.
However, it is wise to always have a fully trained and experienced crew member working onboard for comfort and safety.
For a trained VIP cabin crew, safety is the first priority, as is being able to deal with any emergency onboard that may occur. This includes things like putting out a fire on the aircraft, dealing with a medical emergency, an emergency landing on water or land, and much more.
On a daily basis, the crew must check their safety equipment, keep the cabin safe and secure, and practice the 30-second review on take-off and landing.
En route
Most VIP cabin crew fly solo, so there can be a lot of work for one person.
The smaller jets are mid-size to super-mid-size aircraft, such as the Cessna Citation Sovereign, Bombardier Challenger 300, Learjet 60 and Embraer Legacy 600. The heavy jets or ultra-long-haul aircraft, such as the Gulfstream G550/G650 or Global Express/ Global 7000, service requires one or sometimes two crew members. The Embraer Lineage is complicated, as it’s a large aircraft, but it only officially needs one cabin crew, although most companies carry two crew members.
With larger jets, such as the Airbus Corporate Jets and the Boeing Business Jet, a minimum of two trained crew members are required, one of whom is the senior crew member. Depending on customer requirements and the seat configuration, some will have four or five crew members. A Boeing 737 converted into a business class configuration with 50 seats requires a minimum of three cabin crew but would likely carry four or five.
Routes are very variable, depending on the client.
Owner aircraft usually have very specific routes (between homes, travel for medical purposes or to go shopping) along with the odd surprise route, but you may only fly a few times a month.
Working for a corporate company jet, you will mostly fly in the U.S. and have a steady schedule.
For government flights, there is a very strict protocol to be followed, and flights can be anytime, anywhere.
Working for a private jet charter provider means working on demand for a set time or ‘rotation’. So, you may fly from London to Nice, back to London, and then Athens to Singapore; it is very variable. Charter operations also have a wide range of clientele, so you could be carrying a rock star, a supermodel, a football team or UNHWI.
Some crew members choose to freelance instead and pick up last-minute trips.
Attention to detail
A large part of a crew's job is ordering the catering.
It starts with menu planning based on the time of day, length of the flight and any special requirements of the clients. If there is no VIP caterer, the cabin crew must also arrange the catering from a hotel or restaurant. Once at the aircraft, the catering needs to be properly stored.
The aircraft must be immaculately presented, snacks and welcome drinks prepared, and the table set up with flowers, fruit, magazines and newspapers. There should be no fingerprints on any surface, down to the polished seatbelts.
During the flight, it is all about the service and catering to the needs and wants of the passengers. Sometimes, they want to be left alone and do not have many requests, but more often they have many needs and want a five-course meal.
The cabin crew cooks the meals, plates them to five-star standards and serves them. There are usually multiple courses and many drinks and snacks to prepare.
Passengers often also request a bed to be made up.
It is important to have high standards of personal presentation at all times. VIP crew members must be able to read people, know when to be invisible and be very situationally aware. Cultural awareness is necessary to avoid offending passengers.
Discretion and confidentiality are significant, and often VIP cabin crew have to sign an agreement not to disclose any information regarding the aircraft, flights, clients or company.
Once the flight is over, the cabin crew must thoroughly clean the aircraft, so it is ready for the next flight. This means ensuring the aircraft is completely spotless, including silverware, carpets, washroom and galley. Dishes may need washing and laundry has to be done.
The aircraft pantry may need restocking, so it is likely down route that the crew will need to buy extra items. Sometimes, the crew must go out of their way to provide special requests such as champagne or the best caviar for the next flight.
The crew must also keep an inventory on board and may have to fill in paperwork such as voyage reports or cabin handover reports if another crew member takes over.
Being a VIP cabin crew member is an adventure and always exciting, as there is continuously much to do while on duty. It can be challenging but is an amazing experience.