on a very short CX flight on a A330, not very long ago:
PAX has just stowed important looking, bulky briefcase with Diamond member tag attached into the overhead compartment when tall, blond (I kid you not, and there aren't that many on CX) chief purser appears, taking rather an interest and speaking with a slightly off Birmingham (or thereabots) accent: (PAX has a clear American accent). I was in the seat behind, trying not to laugh too hard.


FA: Hello welcome aboard, nice to see you again.
PAX: Hello. Very empty tonight isn't it.
FA: Well, last flight of the day. Don't I know you from somewhere?
PAX: Well I ...
FA: From the cockpit ... you have been in the cockpit ...
PAX: Well I ... yes ... I might have been on occasion, I work for ...
FA: I am sure I have seen you in the cockpit
PAX: ... Boeing.
FA: Aaaah you see. I knew it. I saw you in the cockpit.
PAX: I might have been in the ... yes .. but ... I also travel a lot on CX between Taiwan, Hong Kong, China so ... maybe you ....
FA: NOW I REMEMBER!!! You were on the delivery flight from Toulouse.
PAX: No, that would be ...
FA (exalted, nay, orgasmic): Of course, I remember you! And you are so handsome. You were in the cockpit on the Toulouse delivery flight with Captain [name omitted]. We all remember you. You made some notes, I remember. Everybody said you were so handsome.
PAX: No, well you see, thank you, but ... you see ... that would be the other company ...
FA: No no, I remember you, there is no doubt. Because I was on the Toulouse flight you know. Well you make excellent airplanes, that's for sure. This is one of yours isn't it.
PAX: Well I actually don't "make" ... oh no, no, you see this is a ...
FA: Oh we love the galleys on this one, they are so much better than the 747. Great Job! Really. Did you design those then?
PAX: Well if you would ... thank you, but, I really, .... you know this is actually an Airbus ...
FA: Of course it is. And what a wonderful plane. You must be really proud. Now, would you like some champagne?

And I'm sure you noticed the blond and the handsome one too!

Yes, added to the list of non-asian cabin crew: Canada - 1 (female purser), UK - 5 (male pursers).

mhtaipei, thanks. ^

Oh, this was a great reading, after three pages of The Critique of Pure Reason had almost put me into sleep on a Sunday afternoon.

Poor Boeing guy...

I have to say that I would be decidedly disappointed to get on a Cathay plane and be greeted by a tall blond Brummie purser. That's not what I want, however good he is at his job.

(Not that I have anything against tall blonds per se, given that I am one myself - or at least I was when I had more hair )

Hahahah.

I hope this is not true otherwise it might be worrying that the hostess cannot tell the difference between Boeing and Airbus. (Different emergency exits, Different emergengy procedures!)

Did you only lose hair, or are you now also a short person?

Thank you, mhtaipei, that's very funny and interesting. ^ ^


Take the story light-heartedly, mate.

Soo... would this be classified as a 'blond' joke or an aviation tale, or both?

Exactly.

Heehee an excellent tale to brighten up a dull day ^ cheers, mhtaipei

As an aside, I thought the UK/Canadian crews tended to do the UK/Canada routes respectively? Or do they get shunted to do the odd intra-Asia too (since last I checked, A330s didn't fly to UK/Canada ).

A few of the female check-in staff at YVR are non-asian wearing the usual CX red female FA uniform.

From what I've heard the YVR based crew do almost all the YVR-JFK segments and the majority of the YVR-HKG segments and pretty much that's all they do. Can't speak for the UK ones.

but a few sizes larger than is seen in Asia

that is what they told me 2.

and i think they were the only crew base outside HKG

(everyone else was based in HKG and hence on HK roaster)