I'm just about to go out...
... to buy the ingredients I will need for the Hainanese chicken rice dish that I'm going to serve Remesh and his kids later this afternoon. I decided to squeeze in a quick post before I head out. I have day off today and tomorrow, so i decided to go all out with the cooking. For my luck there's an Asian supermarket just around the corner from where I live. So getting the ingredients shouldn't be a problem. You know, I love Hainanese chicken rice! The first time I had it was in Singapore a few years back and I was hooked! I later also had some variations from it in Malaysia and in Thailand where it's called Khao man kai. All equally delicious.
Hainanese chicken rice (Wikipedia)
I haven't seen Rem's kids in a while, so I wanted to catch up. They went to Kemer in Turkey with their Mom and her family and then when they got back, I was Geneva for a week. When I returned, Remesh had to go to Englewood Cliffs, NJ (Unilever USA headquarters) for his job for almost 2 weeks. So everything was constantly postponing. But anyway, Remesh flew back from from Newark EWR past monday and he brought me back all the stuff I asked for! Yay! But anyway, it is definitely time to catch up with Arun, Shayenne and Arshay. I just love those kids! And they seem to like me as well. Especially the oldest boy.... I think it's because of the food I cook. Damn, for his small frame he sure can eat!
These are American staples in my cupboard: Tang Orange Drink, Kool-Aid, Liptopn Lemon Iced Tea Powder, Hawaiian Punch and Welch's Grape Jelly. All youth sentiments from me growing up in Aruba
Kemer from left to right: Arun, Radha, Arshay, Shayenne, Melanie, Shantie, Tara, Edwin & Ryan. Arun, Arshay & Shayenne are Rem's kids.
As I mentioned before I was in Geneva for a week to attend "Advanced Airport Commercial Management" training given by IATA. It was fun and I'm glad I passed with flying colors. As for Geneva... that is one expensive city! How can people afford stuff there? Reminds me of Tokyo and Moscow. As for IATA... I really do like their courses, because there are well organized, efficient and informative. I've been doing them since my time at Air France Consulting. You also get to meet people from around the globe and the conversations during class and lunch are most interesting.
Lecture
Our Training Coordinators Rahul & Narinder
My buddy Lesley is also abroad. Something to do with one of his ongoing projects for BlueLink Services as a Master Black Belt on behalf of Air France-KLM Group. It's hard to keep up with him as he is doing a lot of projects simultaneously. So he travelled down under to Sydney where he had dealings with BlueLink Australia. He was there for almost ten days and on the way back he sent me a instant message to inform me that he would be taking a mini-vacation in Bangkok and visit some friends we both have there. That's the great thing when you travel... you tend to make friends for life all over the world. But what pisses me off is that he flew a Qantas Airbus A380 from Sydney SYD to Bangkok BKK. He beat me to it! We had an ongoing bet who would end up on a A380 first and I thought I was a sure winner. Dinner is on me, buddy! I wish I was in Bangkok too. As smelly as the city may be, I do love me some Bangkok!!!
QF A380 approaching Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport - Pic from Les
Les in Bangkok - Pic from Les
On another note my cousin Jeandrina (JD) who lives on Aruba has gotten a job as a service Agent at General Air Services in the Delta Air Lines team. She always showed interest in aviation and when she was here I encouraged her to apply for a job in the KLM or Delta team. Being in a Delta team myself when I was at KLM, I gave her some pointers and gave her in-dept information on both airlines. In the end she passed 4 interviews with flying colors and the Delta and KLM job were for hers to pick. Both teams wanted her. In the end, she chose for Delta, because the working hours were more convenient than KLM, who for now fly only twice a week to Amsterdam. When Martinair seizes they will fly 5 times a week. But Delta has daily flights to multiple destinations. So yesterday she called me all excited to inform me she got accepted. When she starts on November 1st, she will go through basic training in her trial period and from there will be sent to Atlanta to get advanced training at the Delta Training Center. Congratulations JD! Well done!
DL @ Aruba - jetphotos.net
So life is going as usual without anything spectacular to mention. It's almost boring. I said almost! Anyway, I'm off to the supermarket. Cheers!
Hainanese chicken rice (Wikipedia)
I haven't seen Rem's kids in a while, so I wanted to catch up. They went to Kemer in Turkey with their Mom and her family and then when they got back, I was Geneva for a week. When I returned, Remesh had to go to Englewood Cliffs, NJ (Unilever USA headquarters) for his job for almost 2 weeks. So everything was constantly postponing. But anyway, Remesh flew back from from Newark EWR past monday and he brought me back all the stuff I asked for! Yay! But anyway, it is definitely time to catch up with Arun, Shayenne and Arshay. I just love those kids! And they seem to like me as well. Especially the oldest boy.... I think it's because of the food I cook. Damn, for his small frame he sure can eat!
These are American staples in my cupboard: Tang Orange Drink, Kool-Aid, Liptopn Lemon Iced Tea Powder, Hawaiian Punch and Welch's Grape Jelly. All youth sentiments from me growing up in Aruba
Kemer from left to right: Arun, Radha, Arshay, Shayenne, Melanie, Shantie, Tara, Edwin & Ryan. Arun, Arshay & Shayenne are Rem's kids.
As I mentioned before I was in Geneva for a week to attend "Advanced Airport Commercial Management" training given by IATA. It was fun and I'm glad I passed with flying colors. As for Geneva... that is one expensive city! How can people afford stuff there? Reminds me of Tokyo and Moscow. As for IATA... I really do like their courses, because there are well organized, efficient and informative. I've been doing them since my time at Air France Consulting. You also get to meet people from around the globe and the conversations during class and lunch are most interesting.
Lecture
Our Training Coordinators Rahul & Narinder
My buddy Lesley is also abroad. Something to do with one of his ongoing projects for BlueLink Services as a Master Black Belt on behalf of Air France-KLM Group. It's hard to keep up with him as he is doing a lot of projects simultaneously. So he travelled down under to Sydney where he had dealings with BlueLink Australia. He was there for almost ten days and on the way back he sent me a instant message to inform me that he would be taking a mini-vacation in Bangkok and visit some friends we both have there. That's the great thing when you travel... you tend to make friends for life all over the world. But what pisses me off is that he flew a Qantas Airbus A380 from Sydney SYD to Bangkok BKK. He beat me to it! We had an ongoing bet who would end up on a A380 first and I thought I was a sure winner. Dinner is on me, buddy! I wish I was in Bangkok too. As smelly as the city may be, I do love me some Bangkok!!!
QF A380 approaching Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport - Pic from Les
Les in Bangkok - Pic from Les
On another note my cousin Jeandrina (JD) who lives on Aruba has gotten a job as a service Agent at General Air Services in the Delta Air Lines team. She always showed interest in aviation and when she was here I encouraged her to apply for a job in the KLM or Delta team. Being in a Delta team myself when I was at KLM, I gave her some pointers and gave her in-dept information on both airlines. In the end she passed 4 interviews with flying colors and the Delta and KLM job were for hers to pick. Both teams wanted her. In the end, she chose for Delta, because the working hours were more convenient than KLM, who for now fly only twice a week to Amsterdam. When Martinair seizes they will fly 5 times a week. But Delta has daily flights to multiple destinations. So yesterday she called me all excited to inform me she got accepted. When she starts on November 1st, she will go through basic training in her trial period and from there will be sent to Atlanta to get advanced training at the Delta Training Center. Congratulations JD! Well done!
DL @ Aruba - jetphotos.net
So life is going as usual without anything spectacular to mention. It's almost boring. I said almost! Anyway, I'm off to the supermarket. Cheers!
posted by Traveller at 12:16 PM
23 Comments:
Lesley flew the A380?!!! Unbelievable! Hey Les, how was it???
Greg
Yes, Mitch. I won. Dinner is indeed on you and believe me it ain't going to be at McD's or KFC. I want Caribbean food at that restaurant in the gay street in Amsterdam. I forgot the name.
Greg: It was great. Much more quiet than a regular 747. But deplaning is slow, although you do it from 2 floors.
Congrats @ JD! Good going. Welcome to the SkyTeam family.
Regards from a rainy Thailand.
Les/BKK
Lesley, try to keep your paws off of those ladyboys! LOL! Enjoy!
Micheline
I don't know what type of men like transsexual women, but what I've noticed is that some of these transsexuals are more feminine, apply better make-up and dress better than a natural born woman!
Micheline
I'm not understanding this Delta/KLM team thing you are talking about. Is she now working for KLM AND Delta or....? Is this one company or seperate companies?
Ryan G.
I think what Traveller was saying is that she works for KLM, but she only does Delta flights. I think KLM does our handling @ AUA. Right???
NOOO, there's a ground handling company name General Aviation http://www.genairaruba.com/.
They do the ground-handling for KLM, Delta and many other airlines like United, Martinair, Arkefly etc. etc.
And she had the opportunity to choose either KLM or Delta like Ryan said. I myself would of chosen Delta hihi. U atleast get to go to ATL for training and Delta flies 7 days a week to Aruba. She will be a dedicated staff and in the future she will be able to make reservations at the counter if it's necessary etc. etc.
These will be her dear colleagues :)
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/67060_10150098237573916_745468915_7423659_7774365_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/28203_1438599081669_1133777916_31279595_6081833_n.jpg
By the way Gen Air does dedicated staff which is cool..
Actually Ryan explained clear enough...
Thanks Devon. Not to sound stupid, but what exactly does 'dedicated staff' entail? That you only do Delta? So they can't take you one day and say you have to do Continental or so??? Thanks in advance.
Ryan G.
Ik vraag me af of MP ook door de KL team gedaan word. Ik kan me herinneren dat rond 2001/2002 MP lijndiensten uitvoerde naar Amsterdam via Miami en dat er rode pakken op de luchthaven van Aruba rond liepen. Ik sprak één van de meiden bij de gate aan en die zei dat ze soms halverwege de dag van uniform wisselden om KL te doen. Wat een gedoe zeg!
MP was ideaal en goedkoper dan KL. En omdat AUA pre-clearance had voor vluchten naar de VS, hoefde je in MIA niets meer te doen. Geweldig gewoon. In die tijd waren er ook 2-3 CA's van ALM aan boord die MP vluchten. Net als bij KL heel lang geleden. Gedeelde bemanning komt niet vaak meer voor.
Lies
hihihi, the first link doesn't work, but the second link does. The girl all the way to the left is my best friend Roxy and she is the Lead Agent (Red Jacket) for Delta in aruba. Jeandrina interviewed with her. Jeandrina doesn't know her, but that's to show you how small the world is.
Here is Roxy: Roxanne/Delta
Jenny
@ John: everyone is entitled to their opnion, but please remain respectful to everyone. T-girls are just as human like you. As a gay man, I don't think you liked being discriminated or diminished, so please do not do it to others.
Ry and I have 2 aquaintances whom are transgendered (M2F and F2M) and they are great people who have struggled a lot. I'm not going to pretend to understand everything they went through or are going through but they are nice. Any subsequent nasty posts or insult to anyone WILL BE DELETED. We are tired of this nonsens now. We can't block you, but We (Ryan, Remesh or me) will delete your comments. We already have discussed this. You have been relatively calm lately so keep it this way. Last warning!
Les
Sorry! No need to be so touchy! Jeez man!
John
Boston, MA
USA
@Lesley ik vind dat je best wel die post van John mag verwijderen hoor... Want hij heeft al zoveel Warnings gekregen!! pffff
@Ryan G Dedicated staff means, you work for a groundhandling company that handles many different airlines. But your job is to specifically do ONE airline, Check-in, Gates, Lost & Found, WCHR(wheelchair passengers), Ticketing etc. etc. Some of the agents before they entered the Delta Team did flights for another airline like Continental, or KLM or Martinair etc. etc. So basically yes they can jump in to help out at times and if it's allowed... But they will have to first freshen up their knowledge as airlines often change their procedures and they will need a new sign in code. Most sign in codes expire after being inactive for a period of time.
@Liesbeth volgens mij is dat nog steeds zo, aangezien KLM niet iedere dag AMS-AUA vliegt doen die agents de andere dagen gewoon Martinair of Arkefly of zelfs een andere maatschappij zoals die dode Tiara air haha.
Vroeger werkte ik ook op de luchthaven van Aruba... 's morgens vroeg deed ik Surinam Airways (SLM) met hun rare schema's. Gedurende de dag deed ik (DAE, Dutch Antilles Express) of Miami Air en 's avonds moest ik omkleden in de AVIANCA uniform (prachtig uniform vind ik). En dan nog moet je al die verschillende systemen onder de knie hebben. Pffffff
Al in al super leuke tijden gehad, maar er is geen baan leuker dan Steward/Stewardess zijn... Just saying :)
Trouwens Ry, werkt je moeder nog bij Samsung? Ik zou graag een Samsung Galaxy S2(wit) willen. Zie hem vaak langs gaan in die reclames op tv. Kan zij dat niet voor mij regelen(gratis) hihi. I'm a dear reader of your blog.. Just Saying... LMAO
Devon hit the nail on the head and gave a 100% accurate explanation. Airline outsource their handling to a handling agent, because it would be way to expensive to do self-handling at each outstation. To increase brand recognition, the staff may wear the airline's uniform and usually they will use the airline's airport system. It's all depending what the airline is willing to pay for.
Because of systems like SITA's CUTE (Common Use Terminal Equipment), ARINC's MUSE (Multi-User Systems Environment), Ultra's CUSE (Common Use System Equipment) etc. etc. you do not need to have dedicated counter space. You can login into each airline's DCS (Departure Control System) and CRS (Central Reservation System) from any computer in the airport and just turn on the appropriate airline logo above the counter.
That being said, some airlines take the outsourcing seriously and treat the staff as one of their own. Delta is a very good example. Delta did self-handling in AMS, before the staff were integrated into KLM. Delta trains their people with sessions in Atlanta. KLM on the other hand can do better. Whenever I travel to Aruba or Curaçao for example I am baffled of the little knowledge some staff know! The uniform is a mix-matched mess and everything can be so hectic! While they run the airport check-in and the ATO (Airport Ticket Office). KLM's own staff run the CTO (City Ticket Office). The reason I am baffled is because AF make sure their staff are up-to-date with training and regularly send their staff to Roissy in France. A friend of mine, Fay, was an AF Lead Agent @ SXM and she was more in Paris than SXM it seems. She's now with KLM at Schiphol. Same goes for Lesley's brother, Leonard, who is an American Airlines agent via Menzies at SXM... he is always training in Dallas.
Most airlines will keep a Country Manager/Station Manager/Service Manager at an outstation to keep an eye on things.
There is ongoing discussions at SkyTeam Central to have common staff at airports where a lot of SkyTeam members fly to. To save on cost you would give them ST uniforms like the ones they wear in the SkyTeam Lounge at LHR. At this point we are talking about big stations that are not SkyTeam hubs, like LAX, SFO, ORD etc. The reason for this is that at the hubs all airlines handle themselves. KLM for instance only handle themselves at AMS, LIM, UIO and GYE. They used also do LHR, but they have merged with Air France Services Ltd. (AFSL) and formed Cobalt Ground Solutions and handle most SkyTeam carriers and other airlines. It is 100% AF-KLM though.
@ devon: How's everything going? Where is your next stop on this planet? Ayway, my mother never worked for Samsung, but for Philips who manufactured LG phones. But she now worlks for a German-American company from Washington & Frankfurt as a bedrijfsleidster in Arkel (near Gorinchem). My cousin Jennifer works for Samsung in Delft. But let's put it like this... I'm rocking a BB from the job and an HTC in private. My flatscreen in the livingroom is LG and the one in the bedroom Toshiba. My laptop and desktop are Acer. Nothing from Samsung. Jenny needs to check into that. Everyone knows my address when it's time for a free ticket. But the other way around??? Just sayin'...
Jenny's house is decked out in Samsung from top to bottom. Mmmmm...mmm.
Ryan
Hoi Ryan, herinner je nog PY bij Ogden? De manier van inchecken hing van de betalingsachterstand af. Hadden ze niet genoeg betaald, dan moesten we met de hand inchecken. Als ze wel genoeg hadden betaald dan kon het via codeco. Wat een vage maatschappij was dat. Volgens mij nog steeds, want elke keer dat ik ga werken zie ik die A343 geparkeerd en inactief. Ongeveer 2 maanden geleden deed ik de 713 naar PBM en die PY komt 10 minuten na ons aan! dat is toch ook dom. Ze hanteren verschillende tijden op verschillende dagen.
Jenske
primooooooo! ai no!!!!!! LOL! Laga nos traha un deal. Aki 3 siman mi tin cu bai Seoul, Zuid-Korea pa un conderencia di Samsung. Mi ta bai cu KLM y mi ta bin bek cu Korean Air. Si bo por regel un upgrade riba un di e vuelo nan aki mi ta regel un Galaxy Tab pabo cu 95% descuento. Ora bo realisa cu nos ta mihor cu e iPad ey cu bo tin, bu por pone riba Marktplaats of eBay. Deal????
P.S: ami cu DJ kier bai Aruba pa carnaval????? Hint, hint!!!!!!!!
Jenny.
@ Devon: I have the Galaxy S I and S II and I love this phone. The perk of working for the company is that you get products before they hit the market. Android rules! No RIM and iOS for me! Ryan has an iPad. Shame! And then he wants to ask me for Samsung stuff. Ja Ryan.... JUST SAYING!!!!!!!
Jenny
Outsourcing is very cost saving for the airline, but it does hack into the service excellence that is given by the third party companies. That's is what one of my projects is about for AF-KL, so it's most interesting that this subject has come up.
Direct employees for an airline have a tie to that particular airline. They are loyal and are rewarded with good salaries, flight benefits etc. Agents for an outsourced airline have no reason to be loyal. Like devon said in a previous coent, you can do DL today but be in a CO team next week in their uniform. where is the loyalty?
KLM is very lax in their training and in their work ethic when it comes to outsourced staff. You don't even have to go abroad. In Holland Cygnific handles all reservations via the phone and www. Social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube are handled by Cygnific. The KLM Blog is written by Cabin Attendants that work for KLM, but submit the blog to Cygnific. Flying Blue for The USA, Western Europe and North Africa is handled by Cygnific. Flying Blue France, rest of Africa and the rest of the world is handled by BlueLink as is the social media. The agents attending to the Crown Lounges at Schiphol are all Cygnific agents in KLM uniform.
And then you need to talk about the difference between PH and PG and Agents an Junior Agents.
Catering: KLM has their own catering called KLM Catering Services. But KCS buys certain meals from their competitors Gate Gourmet. Delta is supposed to be catered by KCS, but on some flights to certain destinations GG caters the flights. Why?? Cheaper.
In the Caribbean it's a mish mash of mess. SXM is handled by Arrindell Aviation. A dedicated staff for both AF and KLM, no uniform at check-in. The Airport Ticket Office is manned by Arrindell people as well, but their half the staff is in AF uniform and half in KL. The Station Manager for both AF and KL is from KLM! But AF flies daily and KL 2-3 times a week. Area Management is AF based in Guadaloupe and they are responsible for SXM, FDF, PTP, HAV, SDQ, PBM and CAY. AUA, BON, CUR, PUJ (MP) fall under Curaçao. What a puzzle.
KLM needs to train its outsourced staff some more. 2 months ago I was on the ABC islands for work on a Duty-S ticket, but due to that Irene storm there were cancellations etc. Anyway I was bumped, so I asked for alternatives and the agent was selling me strange stories. I had to jump behind the computer myself to arrange my flight back. Craziness! We are getting complaints after complaints from IPB-ers on how the ABC's handle the stuff.
LIM, AUA and HKG used to be our best stations up to 2000. Now the top 3 are LIM, IAH and ARN. The knowledge of the procedures, products and services, and general computer knowledge is abissmal!!!! People see a blue uniform. They don't know or care whom you work for. At that moment you represent KLM. Period!
Les
Ja, KLM is een puzzel. Op papier hoort het goed te lopen, maar de realiteit is heel anders.
Wat lesley over Hato zei... ik moest echt lachen. Jaren geleden toen KL hun samenwerking met LM opgeheven hadden, begonnen ze met KLM staff via een afhandelaar. ben de naam effe kwijt. Maar goed de uniformen waren een mengelmoes van verschillende maatschapijen met de KLM stropdas of sjaal. Ik dacht dat het een beetje een opstart probleem was. Ik was daar 3 weken terug om mijn zus te bezoeken met mijn ouders op IPB tickets en het is precies hetzelfde. Oude KL uniforms, sommige hadden splinternieuwe aan, aderen donkerblauwe rokken met de KLM sjaaltje. Ja jongens, dat kan toch niet.
@ Les: Heb je Raymond gesproken op CUR? Weet hij hiervan?
Rob
When we merged with NW, we had a lot of stations we both served. Delta does self-handling, but they also outsource to theird party agents and a handlig agent they created themself called Delta Global Services Inc.
http://deltaglobalaviation.com/index.html
At big stations like ATL, JFK, SLC, CVG, LAX, LGU etc. we have both companies... Delta Air Lines that does the handling of DL, KL, KE and other SkyTeam partners and DGS who does the handling of other airlines. Compare it to how KLM splits its SPLPH, SPLPG and SPLPX divisions. In this case Delta created a complete seperate company so they can offer lower salaries and less flight bennies for its personell. But Delta doesn't always handle SkyTeam, because at JFK DGS handles AM, SU and CZ, while DL handles AZ, KL and AF. So it depends station by station.
There are many conflicts between DGS and DL employees, because the job is the same, the training is the same but the bennies and slary suck at DGS. This results in the service being bad. You guys have Cygnific and BlueLink for KL, but we at DL in the USA have call centers in Hyderabad and Chennai. SkyMiles FFP has a center in Hyderabad as well and that same center takes orders for Domino's Pizza. what can one say about that?
H (ATLPH)
- Jens: SLM was inderdaad gewoon bagger. Die Station Manager die deugde volgens mij ook van geen kanten. Ach ja... hij was Hindoestaans. Need I say more? :-P
- Jenny: If you pay the 5%, I wil regel the upgrade on BOTH flights as long as their is space available. Waarom weet ik nu pas fat je naar Seoel gaat? Where is your son staying? Call me in the morning!
- Les: I still have that certificate hidden somewhere. We got the 5 Crown status a few years back to back.
- Rob: Is Raymond nog steeds op CUR??? ik dacht dat hij ergens in Afrika gestationeerd zou worden!
- Hi anonymous @ ATLPH. I would like to get into contact with you. Please email so i can get your address if you don't mind. Thanks.
PG doet helemaal niets voor KLM. Alles is voor HV, MP en BM'ers. PH mensen discrimineren tegen PG'ers, terwijl wij harder werken dan hun. Zo is het dus wel. KLM moet één rechte lijn trekken.
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