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2025-04-11

Final Blog 🫡

Placement is almost coming to an end, and today marks my last blog entry. School and placement have kept me incredibly busy, constantly running from one spot to another. I honestly forgot to update my blog from time to time, but here we are.

Since receiving my purple RAIC, I’ve been going to the gate consistently, and I’ve really enjoyed it, especially during the night shifts. I love when passengers greet me before their flights, it truly makes my day. Some of my most memorable experiences have happened at the gate, not just at the counter.

Today, I even made an announcement in Vietnamese. It was nerve-wracking since I struggled to pronounce some of the words correctly, but I pushed through. It’s one of those moments that reminded me how much I’ve grown.

I want to express my sincere gratitude for the time I’ve spent here. I haven’t just learned about the inner and outer workings of airport operations and what Cathay Pacific stands for, I’ve also built meaningful relationships with my colleagues. This experience will always hold a special place in my heart and remain one of my greatest memories.

Good bye for now! 💕🥺

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-03-23

March Nights 🥸

This whole March, I mostly worked night shifts again. I got to meet new students and had the chance to work alongside them until the end of the month. It was such a great experience. Getting to learn about different cultures and backgrounds is always fascinating to me.

March was definitely a mixed bag. There were a few days where I encountered some pretty rude passengers, especially when it came to baggage policies. One man in particular stood out. He was extremely frustrated after being told he had to rearrange his luggage because it exceeded the standard allowance by quite a bit. He started lashing out, swearing randomly, and venting his anger at the airline’s policies. It was tough dealing with him because he was so adamant about bringing everything on board. Thankfully, a fellow staff member stepped in and helped me out, and we got through it together.

But on the flip side, there were plenty of kind and easygoing passengers who made the shifts more enjoyable. It’s those little moments of appreciation and calm that help balance out the chaos and remind me why I truly enjoy what I do.

More update next time! 💕

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-02-26

A New Week, A New Uniform, and My RAIC 👔 🪪

It’s another week at work, and this time, the uniform has finally arrived! After getting my signature on the RAIC form from our DAOM Vinci, she handed me my uniform in size 10. I brought it home, gave it a wash, and wore it the next day. I have to say, I felt great wearing Cathay’s uniform. I just love the red color scheme for both the jacket and skirt—it really brings out my skin tone. On top of that, the blouse is made of a soft, silky fabric, with Cathay Pacific’s logo subtly incorporated into the pattern, adding a touch of elegance to the overall look. I also saw some of my male colleagues in their uniforms, and they all looked really professional as well.

But that wasn’t all that happened. Along with the uniform, I also received my RAIC. After my morning shift, I went straight to the pass office to retrieve my purple RAIC. It was a bit of a process going through the usual procedures, getting my photo taken, and signing papers. However, my yellow RAIC was taken away in exchange for the new one. I do wish I could’ve kept the old one as well. It feels like such a small step, nothing drastic has really changed with the purple RAIC, but at the same time, it marks another milestone in my journey during this co-op placement.

More updates in March! 💕

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-02-16

Battling the Snow ⛄️ ❄️ .

There has been a snowstorm for the past few days, causing multiple flight cancellations and delays. The airport has been chaotic, with passengers stranded and schedules constantly shifting. I was scheduled to work two full days, but I only managed to make it to one. On the first day, while heading home, I could feel the cars slipping and sliding on the icy roads, which made me anxious about getting to work the next day. On the second day, I tried to get an Uber, but no cars were available due to the extreme weather conditions. I waited and even called my family to see if anyone could drive me, hoping for a ride, but eventually, I had to accept that I wouldn't make it to work that day.

It was a chaotic week, not just for me but for everyone as well. Many employees and students couldn’t make it to work due to the weather, leading to a major loss in manpower. Those who relied on public transportation had an even harder time, as many buses and trains were canceled or delayed. The snow piled up so high that it nearly reached my knees. I had to help my parents shovel the driveway and clear the snow off the car windows, which, honestly, was frustrating because it kept piling up again.

The unpredictable weather has made commuting extremely difficult, and I can only hope things return to normal soon. I dislike this weather so much, the cold is unbearable. At this point, I'm just counting down the days until summer, can’t wait for the warm sunshine and clear skies instead of snow and coldness.

I’ll update more when I get back to work next week. Stay tuned! 💕

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-02-07

CX805 Again! 🏙️

Today is my second morning shift. Since I'm not much of an early bird, it's harder for me to wake up than usual, but just thinking about meeting the morning shift students motivated me to get up early. Today's shift was very light. I was assigned to the kiosks, but I switched positions with a friend, so I got SSBD instead. I'm not sure if all morning shifts are this chill, but there wasn't a long queue of passengers lining up for bag drop like the ones I had worked at night.

However, there was one problem—there was a bit of congestion with the luggage. The conveyor belt didn't move as smoothly as we hoped due to the traffic ahead. Because of that, luggage started piling up from counter 520 all the way to 509. We had to manually lift each piece of luggage and place it onto the belt to clear the traffic at the end. Usually, this is the passengers' job, but since we had an issue with the conveyor belt, it became our responsibility.

Shone (a student assigned to SSBD) and I had to take turns manually placing the luggage onto the conveyor belt while also assisting the staff with carrying it. On top of that, the self-service kiosks at SSBD kept freezing on and off, so we had to call maintenance to help us fix the problem. Honestly, the shift could have been pretty relaxing if the machines hadn't given us so many problems with the luggage traffic.

After SSBD closed, I went to the gate to redirect passengers to their assigned queues and verify documents while waiting for pushback. However, since it took longer than expected for the staff to finish preparing, I could only watch from afar as the flight attendants completed their duties. Seeing them prepare the galleys reignited my motivation, and I hope that one day, I can stand in their place, fulfilling my dream of working in the skies.

More updates in 2 weeks! 💕

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-02-02

Going to the Gate! 🚪

Oh, I forgot to mention in my last post—I got my yellow RAIC! The process of obtaining it was extremely smooth. After my shift, I went to the pass office, waited in line for a bit, and then took a short knowledge test based on the module about airport security and safety at Pearson Airport. Once I passed, they took my photo and fingerprints, which was an interesting experience, and then they issued my RAIC card. It was a straightforward process, I didn’t have to wait long, and I got my RAIC on the spot! Which was great because I was so excited to finally hold it in my hands.

Today was my first time going to the gate! After standing in line for the security check, I walked through a section of the airport filled with beautiful small shops, ranging from local brands to luxury boutiques. For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off the Bulgari store—there’s something so fascinating about that brand.

Anyway, I followed some other students and Thomas, one of the staff members, to Gate C30. We were given these cute-looking stamps and instructed to check passengers' passports and boarding passes. Once we verified that the documents belonged to the correct person based on their name and appearance, we directed them to the appropriate queue.

Boarding started with passengers needing wheelchairs and those with baby strollers, followed by business class and premium economy. Then came economy class, which, unsurprisingly, was the most crowded. Honestly, I was a bit confused by the process at first, but I just went with the flow and eventually got the hang of it. And for some reason, the stamping process was oddly satisfying.

Near the end of my shift, we had the opportunity to watch the aircraft push back and say goodbye to the pilots. It was such a gorgeous sight, with the sleek white fuselage blending perfectly with the Cathay green livery, and the bright sunny sky made the aircraft even more stunning.

That's all for today, more updates next week! 💕

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-01-26

Week 3- Flight Cancellation 🥲

Guess who tackled SSBD today? That’s me, you guys! I got assigned to SSBD again today. It wasn’t as bad as last time, I actually improved a lot, and of course, I didn’t make any mistakes this time. Today, I got to work alongside two lovely Vietnamese staff members, Linh and Hanh. Besides helping me with difficult customers, they were also kind enough to teach me how to clear the baggage on the bingo sheet using the Amadeus system. I also got to learn how to print a baggage tag for carry-ons using the same system, which made me feel upgraded—like I was officially working at Cathay as a customer service agent! But my dream didn’t last long before I had to go back to the SSBD machines.

Tonight is a special night because Flight CX829 got canceled due to a mechanical failure. This doesn’t happen too often, which surprised me as well. This also means that the passengers had to return from their gate to the check-in point to retrieve some information and vouchers. I and two other students, Milind and Cyra, took the initiative to stay overtime to help the staff out with redirecting and answering inquiries for the passengers, and I have to say—I’ve never experienced anything this overwhelming. Many passengers were frustrated, and some gave us a very hard time because they weren’t able to make it home to celebrate New Year's. Others had funeral duties to make it to.

I don’t know how the staff handled it so well, but I got overwhelmed by the number of questions I was getting. It was one person after another—sometimes even five different people surrounding me. This was eye-opening for me because it’s another side of the job that people don’t often see. I said to myself, so this is what you have to deal with when working as a customer service agent.

In the end, I decided to leave around two, along with Cyra, because I had school the next day. However, Milind chose to stay until the end, just like the staff—which is crazy to me because, by then, it was probably 5 in the morning. Maybe they’re just built a little different than me, but I really admire them for being able to handle that, a lot of respect for them. My stay was short, but it was a valuable learning experience, and I’ll carry this lesson with me moving forward.

See you guys at Lunar New Year's Party! 🎊

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-01-18

Hello, welcome to Week 2! 👾

This is my third day at work, and I’m still feeling a lot of excitement and energy heading into my shifts—it hasn’t faded yet, which is a good thing. Today was the last day for the GAP students, and I got to work with my two favorites, Alice and Alyssa, again. I feel like I may have asked them too many questions, almost as if I were trying to soak up all their knowledge, but I’m really just trying to learn as much as I can.

I was assigned to SSBD today with Tiffany, and it was pretty hectic. There were a lot of passengers with overweight checked luggage and carry-ons, which took up some time as many of them had to rearrange their items to meet the standard allowance.

I also made two major mistakes with the baggage. While the conveyor belt was moving to send one piece of luggage, I forgot that it must stop completely before another bag is placed on it. Unfortunately, the passenger was too eager and put their luggage on the belt before I could stop them, causing the bag to go through without scanning the tag. Then, about 30 minutes later, the same thing happened again with a different passenger.

This really frustrated me, and I felt bad for messing up something so simple. One of the staff members at Cathay was also frustrated, which made me feel even worse. But at least I learned my lesson, and I don’t think I’ll be making this mistake again. On the bright side, I also learned more about Cathay’s baggage regulations, including the extra fees and free check-in allowances which isn't bad after all.

Despite the tough day, I’m grateful for the lesson learned. Wishing all the best to the GAP students! I’ll share more updates next week! 💕

[thuyanhcxblog]

2025-01-12

First Day at Work! 💼

I can’t believe today is already my first shift—everything happened so quickly this week! As I stepped into the office, I felt these weird butterflies in my stomach. On top of that, I got lost on my way, but thankfully, two kind ladies from Air Canada helped guide me.

When I finally made it to the change room, I was relieved to see Alice, a GAP student I knew from a previous class. Seeing a familiar face instantly put me at ease. I also met Alyssa that day, who was so friendly and welcoming.

Fast forward to our first briefing with the Cathay staff, we went over our duties for the day, destinations, and passengers requiring special attention. Afterward, the GAP students showed us how to restock the dim sum cart, teaching us how to identify each tag for different types of check-in luggage.

Next, we headed down to the check-in counters to set everything up. I learned how to use the kiosks, and from there, I rotated between different roles. I worked at the self-service kiosks, greeted passengers in the queues, and tackled SSBD duties, which were definitely the most challenging. There are so many regulations and rules to enforce at SSBD, but thankfully, I managed to handle everything without any major mistakes.

Although it was a long day, I was genuinely happy to meet the Cathay staff—they were incredibly friendly and supportive. The GAP students were also a huge help, patiently guiding me through how to use the kiosks and handle SSBD duties with confidence. I learned so much today and am already looking forward to my next shift, which is tomorrow!

See ya next week! 💕

[thuyanhcxblog]

2024-01-08

Orientation Day! 🛬

What an exciting week to begin my orientation journey with Cathay Pacific! As I stepped into the airport, a rush of excitement coursed through me. I was dropped off at Zone 1, so it took me a while to navigate my way to Zone 5. Thankfully, a kind gentleman I met at the airport helped me find my way.

When I finally arrived at our meeting spot, "The Relay," I instantly felt at ease seeing some familiar faces from my previous classes. It was comforting to know that they, too, had successfully made it through the interview process. After a brief 30-minute wait, our coordinators finally arrived. Because we were such a large group, we were split into three smaller ones. I was assigned to Cadence's group, and she led us on an insightful tour around Terminal 3. We explored essential areas like the storage room and the office, giving me a deeper understanding of the behind-the-scenes operations of the airport.

Next, we gathered in a spacious conference room, where our coordinator delivered a detailed presentation. The PowerPoint served as a comprehensive guide to our duties and responsibilities for the next four months, helping us clearly understand what would be expected of us in our roles as Cathay Pacific Customer Service Ambassadors. dont change anything

Finally, the best part of the day arrived—trying on our uniforms! Unfortunately, since some sizes had run out, I wasn’t able to take the full uniform home. I did, however, get to keep the skirt, as it was the only piece that fit me. On the bright side, I had the chance to try on the lead’s uniform. It has this beautiful red wine color, combined with the subtle embroideries all around the shirt, that exudes classiness. The vibrant color complemented my skin tone beautifully, making it a highlight moment of the day.

See you all on Saturday! 💕