Last Seen Blogs
Text
July 24, 2022
Today was a really good day. I was at check-in and things were going really smoothly. I felt like I was able to help every guest with ease!
I can definitely tell that everything is starting to feel more familiar and there are few things that I struggle with or have to ask questions about.
I also received my very first "High-Five" from GSL Maria!! It was so nice to receive this because it lets me know that I am doing a great job! It feels really good to be recognized for my hard work!!!
At the end of my shift, I came into the team room and Sue and Maria were in there. Maria called my name and told me that I am doing really well. She also told me that she does not say this to all the new hires and that she really meant it. It was very encouraging and Sue even said she agreed!
I seriously love everyone that I work with and could not ask for a better group of people. They are all so nice and helpful. It makes coming to work, even those very early mornings, so much more enjoyable!
Today was also a little sad because it was one of my favourite GSL's last day. Her name is Nikola and I met her during one of my first couple of placement shifts. She was so lovely to me and always took care of me if I was in a tough situation with a guest.
She really was a great mentor but unfortunately, it was her time to retire as she had been there for years. It was so sad to say goodbye but at the end of my shift I ran up to her to let her know I was going and she gave me a big hug and told me that I was one of her favourite people here and that I am going to do great things. She even said that the next time that she finds herself at WestJet check-in, she would not be surprised if I was a manager!
I think this may be my last blog so I just want to say a huge thank you to Ava and Jennifer for helping me get here and I can't wait to experience all there is to experience at WestJet.
Maybe this time next year I'll be in-flight!!
A big farewell from your favourite WestJetter, I hope to see you all in the skies soon!
1 note
·
View note
Text
July 18, 2022
I have worked a few shifts now with WestJet, and I feel like I am getting used to it more and more every day. Sabre is starting to feel a little easier to navigate and I am learning a lot through experience and other WestJetters.
Today I was also able to do my very own AVIH with a little assistance from Sue who is a GSL.
This guest was flying home with his dog and I assisted in checking him and his fury friend in!
I actually found the whole process fairly easy and straightforward and would be able to do it again with no problem.
I love days like this when I experience something new, especially with something as common as checking in an AVIH because now I have confidence in doing it again. At Pearson, we see so many guests who want to fly with their pets, whether that's in cabin or in the hold.
0 notes
Text
July 14, 2022
Well, this is a day to remember. I was scheduled in Priority and my shift was 0400 - 1300. It started off so well, check-in was not busy at all and we had a few guests who would pop in and out of Priority.
I managed to catch up on some online training and I was enjoying the quiet.
At around 0540 was when things started to take a turn. All of a sudden Sabre stopped working. This is pretty typical as Sabre is not 100% reliable, so you just sign out and sign back in and all should be good. If that doesn't work, then you just restart your computer and that normally does the trick.
That did not do the trick.
There were only 2 of us at Priority so we were about to let someone know that our systems weren't working, but we then heard on the radio that every single computer was down.
We also quickly found out that the phones were not working as well. And the kiosks were down.
This means that we cannot check a single guest in. What a nightmare.
All hands were on deck at check-in, so in Priority, we were left to basically sit and wait.
We informed our guests that our systems were down and asked them to just hang tight as we did not know when they would come back up.
About 45 minutes to an hour into Sabre being down, we finally had a GSL to our rescue. At this point, our line was quite long. He informed us that the only thing we could do was to write manual bag tags for guests who had already checked in online and had electronic boarding passes.
As you can imagine, no one was thrilled to hear this, especially at Priority where we have guests who have paid thousands of dollars for their tickets.
The other issue was that myself and the other agent with me at Priority were new and had never done manual bag tags before. They are a little complicated to do and explain so I am not going to get into the nitty-gritty.
The next challenge was that our guests, rightfully so, had a million questions that we could not answer. The big one was whether or not they were going to miss their flight.
Every flight was delayed as we could not check guests in, however, we did not have access to the new flight times. Basically, the only thing we could do was check their bags in and tell them to head to their gate as the plane should be waiting for them.
As for the guests who were not checked in, we had to tell them to wait until our system was back up and running and if it was before their flight, fantastic, but if not, then we would rebook them.
Some guests were very understanding and patient with us but the majority were not. The verbal abuse we faced today was through the roof but I somehow managed to stay calm as I knew that this entire situation was out of everyone's control.
At one point I could no longer take it, as I had worked for hours straight without a break, so I escaped to the bathroom to take a breath for a minute.
This is me hiding in the bathroom LOL! I had to take my scarf off because if anyone saw that I was working for WestJet they would immediately run up to me and start yelling.
Our systems did eventually come back up but that did not mean that we were in the clear. We still had massive lines that stretched the entire terminal. All we could do was take it one guest at a time and hope for the best.
This was an incredibly long day so as soon as 1300 hit, I ran out of the airport. Thankfully I have the next 2 days off, so I am praying that when I get back, everything is back as it should.
I never want to experience anything like this again.
0 notes
Text
July 5, 2022
Today was my very first shift on my own! It was also my first night shift since my very first placement training shift. I rather enjoy the morning shifts because I find the time goes by a little faster!
I only have 3 night shifts for the remainder of this schedule and I'm hoping that I get mornings for my next schedule. For my next schedule, I will have to bid for my shifts which I am not looking forward to because I must be very close to the bottom of the seniority list!
Today, I worked 1300 - 2300 which was quite long! It felt very long because it is not as busy as I am used to.
This was my view from SSBD at 2152. As you can see, the terminal was empty!! I was at SSBD with Jameel, who I trained with, and since there was not a lot to do, we tried to explore Sabre as much as we could to get some practice in.
Other than that, we only had a few guests come up to us to ask us questions about where security is or where other airlines' check-ins are.
I was nervous to work my first shift without a trainer but if I was ever stuck, there were lots of people around to help me!
I would say it was a pretty successful first shift, but I am definitely more of a morning person than evening!
0 notes
Text
July 3, 2022
Today was my last day of on-the-job training! My trainer was SamSam and she was seriously the most fantastic trainer in the world.
She did such an amazing job teaching me as much as I could learn in the span of three days! There is SO much to take in, but the more practice I get, the better I will become.
It has been a little daunting because I'm jumping in at the busiest time of the year. This year is especially busy because it is the first summer since covid that travel has opened up.
Although it's great that travel has opened up again, it definitely does come with a lot of challenges. Many flights have been cancelled and we don't have enough staff to cover this new huge demand! Wait times at the airport have also been at an all-time high.
This makes our jobs extremely difficult as we are constantly delivering bad news and having to rebook guests on the next flight out which may not be for a couple of days.
I definitely learned a lot from SamSam but I am still scared to go out into check-in alone. Especially because I seem to get some of the toughest situations at check-in, whether that's people who need to be rebooked but Sabre won't let me because it's a codeshare flight, or I have no more flights for them so the soonest possible flight is 5 days later!
With all this aside, today has been the most incredible day as SamSam gave me and my training group a tour of the gate side of the airport!
I managed to grab a couple of pictures of some WestJet planes on the tarmac!
The gate side is massive and there's so much to see and do over there. We were also able to go down the bridge to the aircraft and have a quick look at a 737 max!
The GC then let us stay on the bridge as she moved it back from the aircraft. Watching this made me very excited to be gate trained, however, that won't be for a couple of months!
Back to check-in for me now. I hope it gets a little easier as summer goes on. I also hope I will catch on quickly.
Stay safe WestJetters!
1 note
·
View note
Text
June 28, 2022
Well, a lot has happened since I last blogged! I had a few weeks off after my last shift on May 30, however, WestJet posted an opening for CSA's for the YYZ base, so of course, I applied!
I emailed Donna saying that I applied and by the next morning I was sent an offer of employment! I quickly accepted and so my journey has begun!
I received my offer of employment on June 10th and had to complete numerous tasks before I could start my online training. There was so much information to read and understand!
My online training started on June 21st which is my official hire date! The training has been super fun and informative!
Today was my last day of online training and on the final day, you have to complete a test. The passing grade is 85% which meant that the most number of questions you could get wrong was 4!
I just passed with a 91%! It was a little nerve-wracking because it tells you if you got the question right or wrong as soon as you submit your answer! I got 3 questions wrong right at the beginning of the test so I started to panic!
I took it slow and steady after that and made sure to read each question carefully and didn't make any more mistakes!
I am so excited to finally start as a real CSA! My first day of on-the-job training is tomorrow, June 29th, at 0500! See you back at the airport soon!
1 note
·
View note
Text
May 30, 2022
Today was surprisingly not very busy again. I was scheduled for the kiosks and self-serve baggage drop and I feel like I am getting more and more comfortable working here every shift.
When I first entered the airport, I noticed that the security line was not that long! I was quite surprised when I first walked in because I thought that the closer we get to the summer months, the busier it gets. However, the lines were not bad at all.
I quite enjoy these mornings because it is steady enough that I am able to keep busy my whole shift, but not too busy to the point where I am overwhelmed!
Today I also met Jameel and Yasmin who were very nice!! I worked with them for my entire shift as they were on the floor with me for the whole time! It was their first day as CSAs for WestJet, so I was able to tell them all about my experience and how much I am enjoying it!
Hanna was also working with us today! It is so nice to work with such friendly people!
It was also a very sunny morning so the sun was beaming down into the terminal through the massive windows. It looked gorgeous but it was very hot. I love the sunshine but I must say, I am not a fan of when the sunlight is shining directly into the passport scanner because then it never works!!
Today is my last shift for a while as I have most of June off! I'll be back on the 20th for progress checks with Donna and Jennifer!
See you soon Pearson!
1 note
·
View note
Text
May 24, 2022
Today was my 4th shift with WestJet. It was not super busy today as it is the Tuesday after the long weekend. Much more relaxed compared to my last shift which was very busy.
Today was also my first time working since the new route; YYZ-ORD began. The first flight was on May 19! However, we were having some issues with the baggage drop on the American side because the self-serve baggage drop didn't recognize the new route which was a bit frustrating!
I was also quite tired today as yesterday I spent the day with my family treetop trekking at Horseshoe Valley!
Today, I was also able to assist in checking in this gorgeous dog! I gained a lot of great hands-on experience and training from mentors! I was almost able to do the process all by myself.
I love having the opportunity to learn new things on the job and gaining as much experience and knowledge as I can from my placement! This is all so helpful and rewarding. I am eager to actually work for WestJet one day!
1 note
·
View note
Text
May 15, 2022
Today was my second shift and my first shift almost all on my own! By that I mean I didn't have Matt right by my side if I had any questions, but I did have some very friendly CSAs on the floor with me to help!
Today was also my very first 0600 start time! I am definitely not used to working this early but luckily I got plenty of sleep the night before so when my alarm went off at 0330, I was ready for the day! I was also quite excited for my shift today so that helped too!
It was VERY busy when I first arrived at Pearson, so I stepped onto the floor a few minutes before my actual start time to help with checking guests in. Thankfully, it didn't stay busy for too long. It started to ease up at around 0800!
Soon after the rush had dissipated, I bumped into one of my past professors, Peter! It was so nice seeing him and having a quick chat before he had to jump on his flight!
Once again, it was a very fun shift! I had lovely people who really appreciated my help! A few people also gave me fist bumps to say thank you. I love that I am able to make their experience at Pearson a little less stressful, as I know it can be very confusing and scary, especially if they haven't travelled in a while!
1 note
·
View note
Text
May 9, 2022
Yesterday was my very first shift training shift with WestJet. It was also my first time meeting these lovely people in the picture, who I am very excited to work with over the summer. Our trainer was Matt, who made my first impression of WestJet a great one! I was quite nervous because any time I start something new, whether it is a new job or going to a new school, I always feel nervous. However, Matt made the training very relaxed, so that we would not feel stressed on our first day!
The first thing we did was take a tour of terminal 3, which I found very useful because I had only been to Pearson 1 time before yesterday!
After the tour, we went back to the crew room where Matt presented on WestJet and a little bit about the job so we had an idea of what we were going to be doing for the rest of the day!
When the presentation was over, we all went out onto the floor for the very first time! It was a little scary at first because I had never used the kiosks or self-serve baggage drop before, so helping people navigate it while I was still trying to figure it out was daunting! However, the machines are very easy to use so I caught on pretty quickly, and with the help of Matt, I was able to answer guests' questions with ease!
We also got to experience checking-in pets on our first day too, which was very exciting! Not only for gaining the experience but also for meeting these very cute dogs! The owners were very friendly and let us take pictures of their pets for our blogs and the pets were really well behaved!
I would say my first shift with WestJet was a success! I was quite nervous in the beginning but once we got into it, I realised that it was not that scary at all! I am excited to continue to work for WestJet over the summer and could definitely see myself working as a CSA in the future!
1 note
·
View note