I feel like the months are rolling round quicker than ever, and just as spring has hit, it seems summer is only just around the corner!
I’m already imagining sitting outside in the beautiful May sunshine sipping on an aperol spritz and reading a good book…just perhaps not in Dubai where the temperatures are already in the 30’s at the end of April! So let’s see where I’ll be heading next month, of course this could always change last minute as I send or accept swaps for any of these flights.
- MNL
- BOM
- FRA
- BRU
- MEL – AKL
- LHR
Now let me dissect that a little bit – first up is a 30 hour layover in Manila, in the Philippines. I’m not sure if I’ll keep this flight as the area we stay is quite far from the airport and the city, which means it can take hours to get anywhere as the traffic is insane. I’ve been once before but I didn’t get up to too much!
Then is a quick daytime turnaround to Bombay, India, which is luckily my only turnaround flight in May. After that I have 24 hours in Frankfurt, which I’ve visited a few times. As a German speaker I usually get at least one German destination a month, and these flights are quite hard to swap when you’re the “official” language speaker.
After my Frankfurt and before my next flight I have a lovely string of days where my boyfriend and I are hoping to get away on a little holiday somewhere. We’re thinking of perhaps heading to Lisbon, unless you guys have any other suggestions? Then I’m off to Brussels, which is a first with Emirates, although I visited a few years ago when I went interrailing with my best friend Lucy. Perhaps I can squeeze in a visit to Bruges, as I’ve heard it’s a much nicer city than Brussels itself!
Next up is a 6 day trip to Melbourne and Auckland. If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know I’m not a huge fan of these long multi-sector trips, as they’re exhausting and you tend to be completely jet lagged by the end! So fingers crossed I can swap that trip for something a little bit shorter.
Last but not least, how could a month go by without a trip to London Heathrow! Recently LHR has been appearing regularly on my roster, so it was no surprise to see it again.
There you have it, another month has flown by and tonight I’m off to Singapore, where I’m looking forward to eating some delicious Asian food and hopefully lapping up some sunshine by the pool (that’s if the thunderstorms stay away!). I’ve got a new book to take with me which I’ve just started, called “The Girl On The Train” which is already gripping and I’m only a couple of chapters in.
Hope you enjoyed seeing my roster for May, and as always feel free to leave any questions or comments down below!
P.s. Follow me on Instagram & Twitter for more day-to-day updates of where I am in the world! 🙂
Hi rachel 🙂 I enjoy reading ur blog very interesting indeed ! Bt if I may ask, do you have any idea if Emirates is hiring now a male cabin crew? Thanks so much and regards.
Maritess
Author
Hi Maritess! Yes I do believe Emirates are always hiring new male cabin crew, as I notice many new joiners are male 🙂 All the best! x
Hello again, Rachel!
Glad that you’ve chosen Lisbon! Hope you catch some sunny days! Lisbon and sun is something really special.
First of all, you have to go to Lisbon downtown (Baixa), there you can see all the reconstruction made after the 1755 earthquake/tsunami. There you have so many things to visit:
– São Jorge Castle, on the top of a hill, you have a superb view of the city.
– The Chiado/Bairro Alto, a cool place to eat, drink and shop. Its a trendy, creative zone.
– Go to Comércio Square (Praça do Comércio), one of the most beautiful in Europe, you can walk by the Tejo river with beautiful sights.
Then you have the Belém area:
– Belém Tower and Padrão dos Descobrimentos, symbols of the Golden Age of Discoveries
– Jerónimos Monastery, a beautiful monument, one of the most beautiful in Portugal.
– Next to the Jerónimos, you have the Belém cakes factory (Pastéis de Belém), well known everywhere and so yummy.
Then go to Nations Park (Parque das Nações), on the east side of Lisbon, where the International Expo 98 took place, some of the Expo buildings are still there. Visit the Oceanarium, one of the biggest aquarium in Europe. A relaxing and spiritual spot. Excellent if it rains. No, it won’t. 🙂
Eating in Lisboa is easy, we have a lot of typical restaurants. Portuguese food is very good, normally everyone loves it.
Lisboa is probably the cheapest capital city in Europe. Food, hotels, transportation, going out. I can assure you that, I spent holydays in Copenhagen, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Brussels, Madrid, etc. True story. Cheapest.
Portuguese people are warm, welcoming and nice. They will help, if you need.
Lisbon is a safe city (top ten of the safest) but be careful with your bag, pickpockets are watching.
Outside Lisbon, you have to go to Sintra, a small town, for me the most amazing in Portugal. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was home for poets, writers, european kings and queens. Sintra is full of palaces and magic places. A hidden gem for many tourists and travellers. 30 minutes from Lisbon, one day to visit is enough. See this website, I hope you like it.
http://www.sintraromantica.net/pt/
If you need more information, don’t hesitate to ask me. I’m happy to help.
I really hope you enjoy my country.
Safe flights to you,
Anabela 🙂
Author
Anabela, thank you so much for all of your amazing tips. We did almost everything on the list! I hope you’ll enjoy my next couple of blogposts featuring your beautiful country as well. We totally loved the food (especially the “pasteis de nata”, I won’t tell you how many we ate every day!). And guess what, it rained, hahah!
Rachel xx
Hi Rachel!
So happy you had a good time in Portugal! Sintra pictures are beautiful, you’ve captured the spirit of this amazing town. Yes, the Pastéis de Belém are so addictive, we have a problem to stop eating them. 😀
Keep posting your amazing experiences around the World.
Have safe flights 🙂
Anabela
Author
Hi Anabela! We loved Portugal, so glad you like the pictures! I have one more post to come with pictures from Belém, I hope you’ll like it 🙂 All the best x
Hi Rachel! How are you?
I’m Anabela, from Lisbon and I’m a flight attendant as well but in a portuguese airline.
In your post you wrote that you are thinking to visit Lisbon in May. So I’m offering to help with any suggestion or advice that you may need about this beautiful city. 🙂
Have safe flights
Take care,
Anabela Matos
Author
Hi Anabela! Yes we’ve actually chosen Lisbon and have booked a hotel for 4 nights. I’d be very happy to hear any insider tips you have! 🙂
Hi rachel for your holiday i advice you a trip in scilia in palermo and catane very very beautiful cities .
Have nice and safe flight.
Author
Thanks for your tips! We’ve decided on Lisbon so I will remember those places for next time 🙂
Hi Rachel, I find your blog very interesting and I enjoy reading it so much!
Btw, I plan to go for Emirates interview on next weekend… just I have a question. If I’m lucky enough to pass the interview I need to move to Dubai within 3-4 months, right? Because I have a family trip end of this year which is on November.. Just wonder will they accept if I request to join on December.
Or you will suggest me to wait for August/Sept interview? 🙂
Author
Hi Charlotte! I would suggest waiting if you really can’t miss the trip, as the maximum they would wait is around 6 months or so. Or you could go anyway and then try and ask for leave in November! Good luck 🙂
Could u tell us how the schedule is planned for MEL-AKL for 6 days?
Author
I’ve actually swapped it now, however you fly to MEL, stay 24 hours, fly to AKL, stay 24 hours, fly back to MEL for 24 hours, then back to Dubai! Instead I’ll be going to Amsterdam and Hong Kong! 🙂
I looove your roster posts they make me happy and excited for you haha
I found this interesting emirates post today so it might interest you 🙂 https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/following-the-emirates-a380-fleet-for-a-day/
Also, do you think Emirates will be always recruiting flight attendants in such large numbers?(sorry if it’s off topic)
Author
Thank you so much Adam! 🙂 I guess they will continue to hire as the company keeps growing, I think there’s around 23000 cabin crew now!
Hello Rachel,
thanks for answering me about the difference between swap and bid request!
I suggest you to accept the flight to Frankfurt, then to take a train and visit lovely Heidelberg.
It’s an amazing little city and it’s always full of tourists 🙂
Sorry for all this questions, but you’re always very kind: I’m Italian and beside my mothertongue I speak English, Portuguese, German and a little bir of Russian…could I be rostered the places of these languages every month if I worked for Emirates?
Have nice flights,
Carmen
Author
Hi Carmen! Thanks so much for the tip, I’ll see what the weather is like when I get there 🙂 You would have to declare the languages to Emirates and they require that you be fluent (speaking, reading & writing) in the language, so if you are then yes it’s possible to get those flights! 🙂
Hi Rachel!
I love your roster posts! They make me so jealous 😛
Just wondering do you have to be fluent in more then one language? Or have you come across CC that only speak English?
How was the business promotion?
And finally do you think you could be upgraded to First Class soon?
Amie xxxx
Author
Hi Amie! Thank you so much, glad you enjoy my blog 🙂 No the only requirement is English, plenty of crew don’t speak any other language. The business promotion ended up getting cancelled so we didn’t go in the end! Hopefully I’ll be rostered another one soon. I’ve applied for first class, fingers crossed I’ll hear back within the next few weeks! xx
Enjoy reading your roster as always! Safe and exciting travels:).
Author
Thank you Gabriel! 🙂
When you are in Brussel, you should visit Gent instead of Bruges. It is much more pretty and less touristy!
Author
I’ve actually swapped my Brussels now, but thank you for the tip! I’ll remember it for next time 🙂