Confessions of a trolley dolly are one of the successful blog written by a flight attendant to their fellows that show’s in a hilarious way parts of the crew life. SKYPRO interviewed Dan Air, the author of this amazing blog.
SKYPRO:Confessions of a trolley dolly is a huge success between your fellow flight attendants. What is your main source of inspiration and how does your creative process work?
Dan Air: I have been in the aviation industry for many years and still feel very passionate about my role as a flight attendant. My biggest inspiration has to be my wonderful followers on my social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc), whose kind words, funny stories and messages of encouragement always spur me on. Many of the people who follow me are FA’s also and they are only too aware of the trials and tribulations of our industry. I created Confessions of a Trolley Dolly as a place for my fellow crew, passengers, ground crew, pilots etc to come and have a laugh, some escapism from our day to day roles, as a place to bring back some of the glamour to flying and of course to tell the real story of the reason why we are onboard an aircraft, safety! I hope I have achieved at least some of this with the website and social media.
SKYPRO: You use a lot of humour, especially concerning passengers. Tell us more about these funny experiences you had.
Dan Air: Well there are far too many hilarious stories to tell. As I mentioned my social media followers are always coming to me with funny stories of what passengers have said or done onboard. During my initial training many years ago I was told that when passengers go to an airport they leave their brains at home. During my first ever flight I realised that never a truer word has been spoken when a passenger asked me if we could open a window to let in some fresh air. We were cruising at 35,000 feet at the time!
SKYPRO: Are you proud to wear a uniform? Why?
Dan Air: I am incredibly proud to wear a uniform. I’m proud of my uniform and i’m proud that when it’s on, i’m representing my airline. When I am getting ready for a flight, I always try and look my best, no matter how tired or jet-lagged I feel.
SKYPRO: How do you think uniforms will be like in the future?
Dan Air: I recently visited a uniform manufacturers here in the UK for a tour around their design and manufacture HQ. I was blown away by the innovations this particular company is making with their designs for new uniforms and the work they are doing with new and sustainable fabrics. Who would ever imagine that one day clothing could be made entirely from seaweed? Yet this is one of the hundreds of sustainable fabrics the company is looking at using for future designs.
SKYPRO: What are the best and worst things about uniforms today?
Dan Air: Well today’s uniforms are much more ‘user-friendly’ and comfortable than in previous years. This is a definite bonus for crew who have to wear them for many hours per day. Sadly as airlines strive to keep costs down, sometimes flight attendants uniforms suffer simply because airlines will not pay more for better quality or those extra touches such as hats, gloves etc. However, some carriers are finally realising that cabin crew are the face of their airlines and we should always look our best. Many are once again turning to designers to create their outfits which again harks back to the glamorous jet-set era of flying, such as Vivienne Westwood for Virgin Atlantic and Ettore Bilotta for Etihad. Who would have thought that a low-cost airline such as easyJet would employ top designer Jeff Banks to create their uniforms?
SKYPRO: In your opinion, how should the perfect uniform be like?
Dan Air: Crew should always look immaculate in their uniforms. I love when the boys wear a smart three piece suit. Clean, polished shoes and a well pressed shirt and tie for me, is a must.
For the girls, well you can’t beat a good old fashioned flight attendant hat and some obligatory gloves.
SKYPRO: Which functions do you think your uniform should have?
Dan Air: As I mentioned practicality and comfort are big ticks for me. We spend so much time in our uniforms that I want it to feel like I’m wearing my pyjamas not a suit. It should be easy to maintain. Our time off is precious so the last thing we want to be doing is running around getting our uniforms sorted for our next flights.
SKYPRO: The future of aviation is a mystery for us, how do you think it’s going to be like in the future? Do you think we can maintain the same glamour that is commonly associated with the the industry?
Dan Air: One of my goals with Confessions of a Trolley Dolly was to start #BringingBackTheGlamour. Flying has changed so much over the years and yes it is no where near as glamorous as it used to be. But if we all tried to bring a little bit of it back on to our aircraft then maybe, just maybe we could have those glory days again? I really have no idea what the future holds for our industry. Airlines will come and go through mergers etc and i’m sure aircraft will change immensely in the next few years. Who knows we might end up doing space flights like Pan Am dreamed of.
SKYPRO: Regarding shoes, what do you think the perfect flight attendant shoe should have?
Dan Air: Once again comfort and style. Despite what many of our passengers think cabin crew spend an awful lot of time on our feet. We need comfortable shoes. They should also be smart and stylish, in keeping with crews uniforms.
SKYPRO: How would you describe a day wearing SKYPRO shoes?
Dan Air: Incredibly comfortable and like wearing my slippers. SKYPRO shoes are very well made and I am so happy with my experience with them. Even after a long day my feet are still comfortable and pain free. They are stylish and easy to maintain which is great for me as I mentioned my time off is precious. I would recommend SKYPRO shoes to any flight attendant who cares about their feet.
