FINAALELELE 10TH BLOGO :)

WE DID IT WOOHOO! Last day and ofc last blog! 😍

I am just so happy I am done with school and field placement and now I can finally rest, I am so thankful I took the summer term to study so now I can finally finish school in one year. The best thing is now I am hired at AC and it's crazy how fast everything was, for it was like I got everything done in a span of one year. I mean finish school, land field placement job and get hired by AC? I mean Seneca FSO professors and the program itself is just magnificent. I know already a few co-workers/employers who were previous Seneca flight graduates who did the field placement at WestJet just like us students and are now WestJet CSA or Air Canada FA and it's so wonderful that Seneca did such an exceptional job that has paved out career pathways for Seneca students. I took the time to reflect and be in the moment these past days as I was working or being with friends on the last day of class on campus, I'm going to miss going in the simulators. Peek at me checking guest in 👩‍💻🎫✈️🧳I learnt a lot just by watching, practicing and I'm a quick learner ~ 😎 (I got supervised in case there something I didn't know how to do hehehe...)

Volume on!😋

Step 1: Greet guest. Ask are they checked in? Need boarding pass, baggage tag etc.

Step 2: Ask guest to provide proof vaccination & a piece of identification.

Step 3: Verify proof of vax and proof of id name is the same person and the full vaccination was received 14 days prior.

Step 4: If paid checked bag, proceed to print boarding pass and print baggage. If not paid, pay here.

Step 5: Attach baggage tag and check boarding pass that I checked for proof of vax and direct guests to baggage drops and locate security line.

*inserts purple to make rAINBOW* purple, purple blurple, grapes, eggplant, purple things

Wish I could write more but I could really use a nap right now, so long amigo!!! 🥰🥳👩‍🎓

Blog 9, Cloud9

This week will be the last week before grad, which means we will conclude field placement at WestJet. It was exciting and sad, but mostly just relieved we got through all this through a pandemic.

As the world unravelled into, what we could've never imagined, we had no other choice but to be quarantined away from family, friends and classmates. We would've never thought the cases had risen and caused an entire pandemic to occur.

Graduation and prom would be postponed, and some were forced to be cancelled. This year, thanks to all our Seneca faculty, students, professors, cleaners and staff, we can have the opportunity to come in person on campus and see the friendly faces we've been only recognizing on online class sessions.

We have our prime minister, our frontline doctors and nurses, frontline cleaners and many more significant people to thank for. Thank you to those who supported Asian businesses and restaurants despite discrimination during the pandemic and even after, thank you to those who went the extra mile to protect those who are vulnerable to being attacked, such as our elderly, thank you to those who spoke up and spread awareness about black lives matter.

It's a harsh world out there, it allowed me to see how cruel and brutal people can be, but at the same time, it also revealed that there are also good people and hope for this world. When new vaccines arrived in Canada, there was hope that we could be protected against COVID-19. We were permitted the opportunity and experience today that we were taken away in the years before. I have now earned my challenging worked 4 semesters, 16 months and 150 hours of field placement. Thank you, Seneca, WestJet, and I thank myself because, through everything, I stayed optimistic and in the end...it was all worth it :'). (except I gained a belly from not staying physically active at home D:

But look, we did it. We accepted your challenge, Seneca! And we crushed it YAYYY !!!!

Fini blogo :)

Blog 8: FELIZ NAVADA PPL

What a time to be alive and in the spirit for the holidays~

Oh my, it's so crazy busy 6-7 AM! Yesterday was a snow day, so you can imagine all the delays of flights plus cancellations... haha, HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM YYZ!!! YAY SNOW! I must admit I never really know what to write in my blogs. As soon as I come home, I just forget what happened in the day. It always feels like the time passing was very slow, but at the same time, not. Now that it's winter, I wish I could sleep in longer where it's nice and cozy.

I'm running out of ideas of what to take pictures of in the airport. It's too early to be creative; frequently, it's TOO busy to be taking out my phone and blogging too. My few months of working at the airport have been a great learning experience, from learning how to get ready in an hour and applying makeup in the car in as little as 10 minutes. Unfortunately, my weekends are spent working on one of the busiest days, lol. It's okay for me but not for my dad, who has to rise early to drop me at the airport. Sometimes he wakes me up 20 minutes before my alarm goes off, and my start of the day has already been ruined grrrr.

I used to write longer blogs, but I don't know what to talk about, lol, but I definitely found it easier to be open and proactive when talking to guests and new people. It's made making friends and developing social connections a slice of cake. I used to shy away from speaking to people, but this job requires me to talk and make conversation. So for these pasts months, let me tell you, I've had lots of time to practice. It's also great because it helps build my confidence and communication skills.

I MISS MELANIE! MY WORK BESTIE ~ GOOD LUCK IN INITIAL TRAINING !!!

Kennedy also went off to initial training in North Bay, no wonder these days I haven't had any shifts with them, hmmm. YOU GUYS CAN DO IT !!!

Alright, this concludes my blog. Au revoir!

Also, I think GTAA controls the music radio in the airport... they need to pass over the aux to plug my Spotify in; I'm tired of listening to 2000s music, lol.

Never mind, I have more stories... I had guests visiting Toronto from Calgary, and they said they took notice of me because they thought I was PRETTY. So I chatted with them for a bit to find out they were also students, and then we vibed, and we followed each other on Instagram, and they said they would write a review for me saying that they had a great experience at check-in with WestJet hehe. Also, if I ever visited Calgary to hit them up so we can all hang out :)

I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WORKING THAT DAY, so they made my shift more worthwhile. I could drop my customer service voice for a bit and just let loose phew ~

OK, OK, THANK U THIS CONCLUDES MY BLOGO 8 :)

Blog 7: FAV WEEK?? :

ALOHA, my favourite amigos~ This week was super exciting and fun! Ugh, I am so happy I got my WestJet scarf literally two months into this field placement :'). Couldn't have been more grateful! So delighted on progress check day we could see some of my friends/colleagues :D and proff Grace and Patrick too :))) <3

I over at the US oversize drops waiting for guests to drop off their bags for me to scan, I took this pic last week where I did not receive my scarf yet felt out of place LOL:'> *Anyways, super easy, just scan guest's boarding pass and have them place their baggage on the scale to weigh it and also scan the baggage tag to proceed to the security scan machine ~ woot woot. Then, wait for the thumbs-up signal to press the button to send the baggage down~ TADA!

What's a blog without my super cute collection of pets I've encountered at work >O< !! So tiny aha aw ~ my heart <3 A small carry-on for an even smol doggo. I think I love seeing the guest's pets more than actual people hehe...

This is Gemma. She's a very exciting doggo. She's only 6! Very friendly and loves belly rubs and climbing on ppl ahah~ This is me holding the leash, preparing for Gemma to be placed back into her unbelievably large kennel for departure! Zip ties? READY! Gemma was the star of the check-in area. She loved the attention for sure, lolz. Hope you had a pleasant check-in and flight experience with WestJet Gemma :) Take care!

Last but not least :D I MEAN, LOOK AT HER? Speechless! Too adorbs xoxo~ Inspires me to work at a pet shop like AW~.

AAAHH, honestly, a cat person ~ Got a little too close HAHA I got licked :p (yes, yes, ilyt Gemma)

ALSO, I saw a well-known person often referred to as WongFu for his YouTube videos among the Asian entertainment and AHHH I missed the opportunity to capture a picture ;(( but he did thank me for assisting him at the US Bag drops so I was super grateful but I was unsure if it was him lol anyways that was fun and sad aha ~

Did you know if you're not a resident of any country then you're an Alien lol that is actually an option to be selected at the check-in on the computers lol?

Ok ok, this concludes my blog 7, eochy signing out, peace out!

BLOG 6

Hello hello! Welcome back to Eochy's blogs. Nothing special this week, just casual convos with my westjetter coworkers. Relatively quiet after 8 am from 9-11 am phew. Super hectic from 6 to 7 am tho!!

Just me chilling, waiting for guests and taking a small break from being on my feet all morning~

I know I missed many pictures for today's blog this week, but fear not, I will be sure to for tomorrow's blog. I am still waiting for my Westjet scarf that is planned to arrive next week, so I am super excited and eager to finally get it after so long!

This was last week's pic of Melanie and me finally having a shift together after what felt like FOREVER!! The hours are so much more worthwhile when you work with ur best mate :') During the hours that are not busy, I like to stroll down to the US destinations and just see how things are doing there, it is usually not that busy, but it always seems like the baggage drops aren't cooperating. Sometimes it is just because it jammed or because guests forget to attach to baggage tags!

Blog 5

Hello! Today was a typical day, nothing special. I think the most exciting part of my day was spotting a cat in a carry-on! His name is Sid, and he's a fluffy black cat with big round eyes! Whoever said black cats were bad luck is clearly missing out on this fun guy~

I find that I am more interested at work seeing animals, maybe I might volunteer in a pet shelter or pet shop as a hobby.

Today I finally got my piece of paper identification with my name and picture on it, still waiting for my scarf :( We're two months into field placement, and it still hasn't been given to us! It's kind of making me feel out of place, honestly :((. I'm learning that uniform is significant. It provides us with a sense of belonging, despite my picture ID and my mask with a WestJet logo on it...guests still question if I work for WestJet :(

And sometimes guests' tone seems unfriendly, but it's too early, so maybe they're stressed because airport stuff is a process. But that's just like 1 in 100 guests I experienced.

I now know why Prof Grace would rather have the career placement on campus and do all the drills instead. I enjoy doing the drills more honestly.

I never had a 7/11 Slurpee before, so I gave it a try! Wow, super sweet! Thank you to Jeremie for the drink, and oh YA PIZZA!!

I look forward to seeing Prof Grace soon!!

This is just a short blog today, enjoy the weekend!

Blog 4: Cloudy Fri

Hey, what's good. It's Eochy, obv. Erm, this week, I only worked Friday. So that's swell. Though, for the first time, I got sworn at by a guest because she said my first interaction was f&!*$#@ Terrible... I just told her that the instructions on putting on the baggage tag are on the label's back. It's simple, STEP 1: PEEL AND KEEP. STEP 2: STICK PEELED SIDE. TA-DA! It's like when guests walk into the airport, instead of looking at the signs that ARE BOLDED AND HUGE, they ask. But yk I can help too, that's why we're here, but I just point to the signs and say this is how you get to this and that. We try to be understanding, so we do our job, but we will not tolerate BS, alright, homie?

I'm here twice a week at 5/6 AM, and I don't even get paid. It's crazy how people feel so entitled. ANYWAYS, I told my co-workers, GSAs and friends there. I was lowkey sad, but they were very supportive and offered me comforting words. Seriously, working at the airport and esp in customer service, you have gotta build tough skin. The moment you let that stuff get in your head and heart, you let them win. They want you to feel bad. Don't take BS personally. In the air flying in a metal tube, I can't even imagine the BS FA's take and having to still fly with them until landing. It could've been worst, like physical! I saw a post on IG that a FA's nose was broken by a passenger because she asked him to wear a mask on!?

Mom's like I should take some martial arts and self-defence classes before I become an FA. I'VE BEEN WANTING TO FOR THE LONGEST TIME, but I haven't gotten the time to. Maybe after I graduate, I will jump back into hobbies and try new things~ Every once in a while, there is news of unruly passengers. Luckily there's DUCT TAPE. A passenger kept harassing crew and guests, so he was duct-taped to his seat for the rest of the flight. Modern solutions, huh? We shouldn't even have to deal with this as a result, like it's for your safety. And here we are, getting nothing out of being considerate of your safety and others.

Really didn't mean to start my blog with that, but I just had to vent a little more. Phew, whatever happens at work, don't take it home. Shifts over, days over, it's a new day. We'll be alright. DESPITE ALL THAT, I went on break, and after eating, I felt better. I mean, good food = good mood. Then, a little 6-year-old girl gave me chocolate, haha, so sweet. I showed her pictures of my cats, and she's like I used to have a cat, dog and hamsters. But then her hamster died, and she had another, but she thinks it died of COVID. Can animals get COVID? I asked. She's like, I don't know why it died, so they assumed it was COVID. RIP hamster. I wanted a hamster too. We're animal lovers, I guess.

Chocolate is actually my weakness. I love chocolate. It made me feel a lot better anyways. There is hope for this world. Thank you, little girl. You made my day. Takes me back to when in English class we learned about childhood innocence vs. adulthood corruption. She was small and still naive. The most important thing she valued was her candies and her little brother. She did not swear or say any mean stuff. She smiled and knew how to make others happy. It reminded me to be satisfied knowing that I was also a child at heart. Children are indeed wonders.

Oh ya, I thought only cats and dogs were allowed onboard. Apparently, so were rabbits. A guest had a bunny in a carry-on, haha. It was so CUTE I asked to take some pictures :"). His name is Green. I bet he's fluffy and soft. Every time I see a pet or an animal, I think of my cats, haha.

The weather is getting colder and rainy! I mean, it is like dropping from 15 degrees to like 8 ahhh. But the family at WestJet keeps me warm, hehe. Each time I go into the breakroom, people are laughing and talking. They have mutual respect for each other and outstanding friendship bonds. It's nice to see and hear. It's like something is always happening, and there are stories to tell. WestJetters are fantastic ppl!

Oh ya, here's a cute doggo I saw too. It's a boy!

Kind children, cute pets, sweet chocolate and happy stuffed animals and everything nice!

I'm still waiting for my WestJet scarf!! : OO

😎 This concludes my blog, woot woot.

Blog 3

ALOHA! It's Eochy. It's study break, so that means finally having that one week of rest, much needed!! However, despite that, I still have field placement on Friday this week, lol. This is ME making #senecaproud because I CAN DO THIS. Most days working, we will see cute dogs or cats, primarily dogs, and they are sooo CUTE AHH. Check out this cutie I came across as I was pointing a guest to their gate :> She let me snap a photo real quick <3 UWU It reminds me that I also have cats at home, THAT I MISS DEARLY T~T

Similar to FA who travels often, I commute from home to Seneca and then Seneca back to my other home and then to the Pearson airport. (Not all in one-day obv) It's a lot of busing and driving daily, so in order for me to be on my best behaviour and rise early, I ALWAYS prepare at least the day or two or even the night before depending on how busy my schedule is. The routine when I come home is to do laundry, wash dress pants, mask, socks and dress shirt and dry it so I can use it the coming day of my shift. I get so tired coming home from work sometimes and realize I still have homework and even the night before I'd have to sleep at 8/9 pm to ensure I have at least 7 hours of sleep. Zzz

Here is WestJet's domestic and international bag drop area located in terminal 3! When guests check-in using one of our many excellent self-serve kiosks right in front of the baggage drop-offs, they also get the option to print their baggage tags. After that, they simply come on over to the baggage drops and place their luggage on the machine and then scan their boarding pass with their associated baggage, and WHOOSH off the baggage goes. Soon it'll arrive for the ground baggage handlers below to drop into the cargo of the aircraft. Technology is fascinating. However, there have been times when the baggage drop-offs and kiosks would go out of order due to technical errors, a limited supply of baggage tags, etc. Thankfully we have our IT experts and those GSA who are knowledgeable of how to fix these techy things. Otherwise, guests would just try a different kiosk, and if all else fails, we send them over to the guest assistance lines for a CSA to assist them. However, it is not always ideal for them because frequently the lines are super long and there are many guests in line, and typically speaking, they ARE A LONG WAIT. Trust me, I accompanied guests before in the lines, and I was probably there for half an hour. But we still LOVE OUR GSA/CSA, and we appreciate them because imagine the stress, and sometimes we get unhappy or significantly frustrated guests. It's understandable because their flight was cancelled or delayed etc. I've had guests tell me they drove two hours to make it to their flight just for it to cancel 10 minutes later :(((. Ya, the process before boarding can be STRESSFUL. Hopefully, our guest service ambassadors, like myself, made their experience worthwhile. I'm glad they understand that it isn't our fault and sometimes life happens. AIRLINES, PLEASE HIRE ME SO WE CAN HAVE MORE CREW ONBOARD, SO GUESTS DON'T HAVE TO EXPERIENCE CANCELLED FLIGHTS!! :O

See!? DELAYS and a CANCELLED FLIGHT D: I asked a customer service agent aka CSA, and she said it was because there weren't enough available crew members to fly :( I'm sure there are flight attendants who were employed before, but since the pandemic and everything, they decided not to return as FAs. That's why recruitments and jobs were posted for WestJet encore and many other airlines, but to be honest, I was so crazy bUSY I missed the opportunity to apply. So I'm waiting for Air Canada, and now that I have the time, I am actively sending CVs and resumes elsewhere. WISH ME LUCK!! Alrighty, this concludes my blog! Take care.

- Eochy M.

BLOG 2 :p

Heyo, what's POPPIN'? It's Yoshi. Forgot I had to actually post two blogs this week. Here it goes...

Today wasn't too busy. Usually around 7-8 am are THE BUSIEST. I got up at 4 am like I usually do to make it to my 5 am shifts, and I don't sleep well at night. I really need that cup of coffee to get me through the morning and afternoon. Sometimes it is so busy that I just forget to go on break because I have to help out, and I'm battling through the grumbling of my tummy. I almost got hangry, but I held on. Today I teamed up with a guest to assist her in zipping up her super-duper-filled luggage, and we were FULL ON sitting on it and just pushing every bit in to get it to zip. Again, I relied on that breakfast and coffee to get me that energy. Anyways, WE DID IT. We zipped the luggage, I wonder how many calories I burned just from that. She was very thankful, I hope she continues to fly with WestJet because we are a wonderful airline and I'm trying to go that extra mile.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, today, a CSA noticed me since I often assist guests to the check-in assistance lines and help push baggage carts and wheelchairs. She's like, what is your name? I will write a WestJet review for you because, whatever you're doing, keep that up. I took this opportunity to also request her reference to add to my list. It's crazy because this week, I also had a guest ask for my name because she would write a WestJet review. Makes me so happy :') Also, here's a photo of me taking the terminal train from 1 to 3. Trains are just fun in general it is like a rollercoaster wHEEE but less thrilling, I suppose.

What can I say, I'm trying to capture every moment but also trying to stay off tech to BE IN THE MOMENT ya know? Honestly, I'm also relieved that I have hours with my friends and the GSA and CSA are so friendly, WestJet people are truly kind and always happy to assist you with any questions. It makes it easy to approach them and get to know them and our roles better. After all, what makes a great airline? The people inside it. Here's a momento of my time at WestJet! (Me and Jeremie barely surviving but BEING SUPER PUNCTUAL AT 5 AM pHEW~ He got his WestJet tie!! And I and a few other classmates are still awaiting news for our scarves to arrive :') My uniform is my armour, without it, I feel out of place. But in my heart, I know, that I am what makes my uniform stand out. Okayyy, let's not get too sentimental here. TEEHEE :3

Sometimes, when Jeremie has time to drop me and Melanie at our bus station he offers a ride for us. Isn't he such a nice gentleman, we are all exhausted and he still decides to give us a ride just so we can make it home faster. Take his words, don't ride with Uber it's costly! Aha...Anyways, not to mention but, I had my FIRST CORNDOG ON A STICK. Can you even imagine the things I've been missing out on?

Alrighty, this concludes my blog 2. Thank you for taking the time to read it, and I hope you enjoyed reviewing it as much as I did writing it. Until next time! AU REVOIR! À BIENTÔT!

HELLO! WELCOME TO EOCHY'S FA JOURNEY BLOG :D

Phew, oKAY, if I'm correct, this is how I post a blog...IT IS 2021, and I already feel like IM BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE A BOOMER. D:

Despite that, I AM SUPER THRILLED to share my journey with all of you. I can't believe I lived all these years and finally discovered that I would pursue a flight attendant career. MINDBLOWN really. "GRADUATED" high school, went off to Seneca to study Flight Services. Finally, AFTER 2 years of being IMPRISONED AT HOME due to the 2020 CORONAVIRUS WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC, we FSO students are stepping onto campus and getting that real-life experience in the simulators. I've never been happier in my life! I AM TRULY SO GRATEFUL for WestJet's field placement opportunity. It was initially replaced as FSO 425's in-person/online class due to COVID19, but omg, we are so very LUCkY this is our first internship offered since the pandemic!!! (I think.) Anyhow, I landed WestJet's Guest Service Ambassador position, and what can I say? I killed that cover letter.

The fIRST day of training went by smoothly, happy I got to see a few of my friends from class :'). ACTUALLY, I chose morning shifts forgetting that it meant 5 AM shifts...yikes. But due to my perseverance and professionalism, I arrived the next day fresh like a peach. I WAS ON TIME, and being punctual is very important especially working in the aviation industry!!!~~ It wasn't easy sometimes, especially balancing work, school and bussing daily. But, seriously, living a 10 mins drive from the Pearson Intl Airport is such a lifesaver. I commute by bus back to my dad's house in Etobicoke, and then on Thurs, Fri, Sat/Sun, I can make it to my shifts. Balancing school and work really takes time management skills, and I get so tired coming back from my 8 hour shifts. Yesterday I tried to study for a midterm knowing that, that morning I barely had half cup of coffee, and needless to say, I dozed off.

On Saturday, October 16, 2021, I, Eochy Mao, got tipped for the first time, and I only have 2 months of working experience for co-op during high school, so I was just sHOOK. Realistically, sometimes it is just WAY TOO BUSY in the airport and not enough people to come and assist guests at the kiosks or not enough AAS or as I call it "wheelchair people" So, as usual, if a guest is unable to walk for long durations or far I would assist in helping them push the baggage carts, and that is what I did for a lady. I waited in line with her as I pushed the cart along and then dropped off the baggage. I knew her family members were very thankful as they kept smiling and thanking me, UNTIL, she slipped me $10 in my hand, and I was just like GASP, and of course I refused it, but thanked her anyway. I thought I was here for HOURS for an internship, not actual WORKING SALARY~~ I was too surprised to know what to do, I put the $10 into her pocket, and I sprinted. For the first time, I felt astronomically appreciated, valued and credited for my hard work. I mean, waking up at 5 am and never ever have worked before to even make a cents. This, this was it. I was so FULFILLED WITH HAPPINESS. This is the KIND OF "GOING THE EXTRA WAY WHERE GUESTS FEEL VALIDATED AND HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE" Only after a week of working, I have already proven to MYSELF and OTHERS that my performance and work ethic really does make a difference. That I RISE UP each morning serving PURPOSE, that because I do what I do, I make WestJet a great airline to fly with. I did promise that I'd go the extra mile. Wow, I love myself. I am manifesting this energy. This concludes my blog. I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE IF THIS WAS ALL TOO MUCH TO READ, but I genuinely FEEL THE NEED TO SHARE lololol. Kk, nighty night. (you have NO IDEA how I strutted home that day my soul was so happy from the head down to my toes SQUEALLL~~)

Yoshi, signing off... zzz