In the aviation world, we tend to use lots of phrasing, shorten words and used a very mixed vocabulary. Anyone working in business aviation will be familiar with these terms, not just the flight attendants! However, some words may be new to our commercial colleagues – and these are just a few examples.
10/10 Concierge service
Not the usual meaning of the word, but still a similar service. For flight attendants on private jets, this would mean services on the ground that may be required outside of the catering itself. This could be through the ground staff or the catering company, depending on what is available at the airport. It could mean ordering ice cubes, extra amenities such as newspapers and hot towels, or cleaning of dishes and laundry,
9/10 Pax profile
A VIP flight attendant will have a pax (short for passenger) profile made for every regular guest. This would include any special requests they had, any items they asked for, any issues, regular destinations, and favorite aircraft. Basically, it covers anything that will make that particular guest enjoy their flight even more, and everything will be prepared perfectly for them on the next flight.
8/10 VIP/VVIP
This usually refers to the type of guest carried. So a VIP might be a movie star, model, or singer but a VVIP would refer to high-ranking government officials and royalty. This title may also be added to the flight attendant status to add which types of guests they have been working with.
Photo: Jetex
7/10 BizAv
BizAv is just an abbreviation of business aviation as a term referring to the industry itself.
6/10 Voyage report
A VIP flight attendant would fill this report after every trip. This includes guest information, special requests, times of flights and destinations. Also added are any additional details that may be useful for the pax profile, the company, or for personal reference. Such items could include an incident that happened on the flight, a request a guest did not receive, comments on the standard of catering, or any issues during the trip.
5/10 AOG
AOG’s full meaning is ‘aircraft on ground’, which refers to any issue that may stop the aircraft from flying and being grounded for a period of time. This usually occurs due to a maintenance issue but can happen because of flight scheduling or adverse weather.
4/10 Empty leg
This may sound strange, but it is very common in business aviation. An ’empty leg’ is a sector that is flown without guests. So, for example, a flight may start at base in Dubai with no guests, only crew, and then fly to Riyadh to pick up a royal family, who then fly to Paris. They return a few days later, flying back to Riyadh, and then the crew fly onward to Dubai. The first and last sectors are the empty legs. Some operators do actually sell those flights at a slightly reduced rate to generate more revenue.
Photo: Execujet Middle East/Lux Aviation
3/10 Hotac
Very important for all pilots and flight attendants – this is another abbreviation for hotel/accommodation provided outside of base. This is organized by ground operations either at base or down route by a specialist supplier. They will also arrange for transport for the crew members from the aircraft to the terminal and the terminal to the hotel, and then back again.
2/10 Catering order
Probably the most important job, after all safety-related duties, is the catering order. This has to be extremely precise, well budgeted and efficient. It is not a case of just ordering sushi, caviar and champagne to the guests request, but also checking that it is within the company budget. Crew meals need to be factored in as well as special request items and dietary requests. It has to be well suited to the flight, flight time, size of aircraft and much more. It is the make or break of a VIP flight attendant’s role.
1/10 FBO
Finally, the FBO is very important to us. It stands for ‘fixed based operator’ and acts as a ‘mini’ VIP airport terminal just for private jets. Guests and crew use the FBO for security and immigration like a regular airport, just on a smaller and more private basis. Not all airports have FBOs, but some popular cities like Paris may have three or four at the same airport. The FBO also offers services to the crew in organizing catering and laundry if required and concierge requests as necessary.
