There is a TV program in Japan which is “day in life” theme episodes show people in different occupations. One of episode on that program was FAs at ANA and did show what FAs are writing on that small notepad while sitting in their jump seat.
Those notepads are used to take memo of flight details. Start with flight number, origin and destination airports. Especially on domestic flights FAs can fly up to four segments in a day, FAs can easily get confused as which flight is this? Where are we?
Then immediately before the boarding FAs have a short meeting with pilots at the front of aircraft, where pilots give most up to date flight plan to FAs. Is cargo loading, re-fueling, etc. are on time? Expected time of push back, expected time of taxi due to airport congestion, expected take off time, flight duration (take off to landing), expected turbulence and when it is expected.
From those information FAs write down expected time they get out of jump seat and expected time they have to return to the jump seat for landing.
Obviously, expected taxi time can vary easily. Initial pilot estimate could have been 15 min., but actual taxi time can end up to be 25 min. form push back from the gate to take off. At the takeoff FAs look up their watch to write down actual take off time, and FAs recalculate and rewrite on their notepad revised time they can get off the jump seat, the expected time of turbulence, expected time they have to get back to the jump seat. Especially many domestic flights for ANA is short flights of an hour or so and having something written down and constantly checking time during flight help them on service flow. During a flight FAs do keep that notepad updated in a galley, the time they finished drink service, how much time they have left till returning to jump seat. During the flight FA contact flight deck about any changes in flight plan, and based on that FAs rewrite the time they have to get back to the jump seat, the time of landing, the time of gate arrival, etc.
Even on international flights they write down meal service flow, when start when complete, when each crew take rest.
Beside that each FAs write down additional items, such as passengers in need of assistance, etc.
Wonder if ANA is working on a small hand held device for FAs to replace the notepad. Input all those flight information. Simply click the device at take off and starting count down, time to start the service, how much time left for the service, how much time till they have to return to the jump seat. But again, this is Japan, those FAs can do math and recalculation time by hand is not hard task for them.
