A flight attendant stopover between two flights: what does it look like and why is it sometimes necessary? In this blog, I'll explain it to you.
Not every workday of a cabin crew member begins and ends at a Belgian airport. Recently, my student job took me to the breathtaking Cape Verde islands.
Additionally, I later had the opportunity to immerse myself in the Egyptian atmosphere in Hurghada. Join me on my two unique journeys, my two layovers, through two extraordinary cultures.
An exotic invitation
As a steward, I have the chance to explore the world. Although I can usually only tick airports off my bucket list, this time I had the chance to leave the plane during an outstation layover. These are moments I eagerly look forward to. My first layover was in Sal, an island in the Atlantic Ocean belonging to Cabo Verde.
Monday 03:25, the alarm rings
The workday started in Zaventem. Check-in at 5 a.m. sharp, followed by take off one hour later towards Africa. It wasn't a direct flight; after 6 hours of flying, we made our first stop in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
Some passengers reached their final destination there. Not everyone left the plane, as most were flying with us to Sal, where we arrived after an hour flight time from Dakar.
I opened the airplane door and a warm glow surprised me. After all passengers disembarked, the mini-vacation finally began. Along with the pilot, co-pilot and three other cabin crew members, we left the plane, traversed the airport and boarded a van that would take us to our hotel.
Does the plane stay in Sal for two nights then? No, the crew that was currently in Sal took over our place on the plane and they immediately flew back to Brussels with new passengers ready to board the plane heading to Belgium.
In the sun of Cabo Verde
After a taxi ride and 11 hours since checking in at Brussels Airport, we arrived at the adults-only hotel in Sal. Yes, I was 18 years old at that time and was allowed to enter the adults-only hotel. 😉
With temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius, it started to get lightly humid under my uniform. Consequently, a refreshing shower was high time. Each crew member had their own room, and I wanted to discover mine as quickly as possible. My hotel room had an enormous double bed and a sea view. Beautiful!
After freshening up, I moved to a sunbed by the pool. Not much later, my colleagues also appeared by the pool, and we indulged in an assortment of snacks to satisfy our hunger. Additionally, we had a total of 44 hours to spend in Sal, which also meant it was allowed to enjoy a pint of beer, which I gladly did.
A few hours later, the buffet restaurant opened, and with the entire crew, we enjoyed an extraordinary dinner. Not much later, we ended our first day in the bar with a refreshing cocktail in hand.
Overnight in a foreign country
Unfortunately the night was less idyllic. Despite the fact that is was extremely tired from a heavy flight with 189 passengers on board, I turned more rounds in bed than I slept. This was probably due to the time difference.
In Cabo Verde, it's 3 hours earlier than in Belgium during the summer. At 6 a.m. I decided to get up out of bed and explore the hotel. Soon after, I stumbled upon the gym, where I amused myself for an hour.
A bit later, my colleagues began to wake up, and I received some messages in our WhatsApp group to have breakfast together. Again, I let myself be pampered by a heavenly buffet.
After breakfast, I decided to take a morning dip in the pool. I also took a stroll along the beach and enjoyed the sunshine.
The hours flew by! In the evening, we all headed into town to have dinner at a local restaurant on the seaside. In an idyllic setting, we enjoyed our last evening on African soil.
SID ✈ BRU (Sal ✈ Brussels)
On day 3, I exchanged my swimsuit for my uniform and prepared for a flight just under 7 hours long. Cabo Verde stole my heart, and I am grateful that my student job gave me the chance to explore this enchanting island.
For those who have the opportunity, I highly recommend discovering this gem in the Atlantic Ocean and immersing yourself in the beauty of Cabo Verde.
Second layover: Hurghada
My first layover in Sal dates back to 2022. A few weeks ago, just before the January 2024 exam period, my second layover took place. This time, not in Cabo Verde, but in Hurghada, a tourist’s paradise on the Red Sea.
This time, not for two nights, but for one night. Besides that, only a 1-hour time difference with Belgium, not 3 hours. Once again, with an amazing crew, it promised to be a memorable mini-vacation, a mini-vacation of precisely 28 hours on Egyptian soil.
What caught my attention upon arrival in Egypt was the exciting and thrilling driving style of the Egyptians. On the highway, lanes were constantly changed, turn signals were sporadically used, and high speed bumps caused the taxi to jolt.
Uniform exchanged for swimsuit
We were warmly welcomed by a resort employee who quickly provided us with our room numbers. A few minutes after opening my room door, I left it again to make way for a dip in the sea. Along with the crew, we rested on sunbeds by the water, where we spotted some unique fish.
We indulged in an assortment of snacks to fill our afternoon. What struck me in Egypt was that the sun already set around 4 p.m., and the temperature quickly dropped from 27 degrees Celsius to 14 degrees Celsius.
What also surprised me was that the planes lined up nicely above our resort to land at Hurghada Airport. That is a cool surprise for a planespotter like me!
Culinary discoveries
The six of us dined in one of the five restaurants at the resort. Everything was incredibly delicious! After dinner, we enjoyed some live music on the terrace. Thereafter I enjoyed a restful night in my room, which also had a beautiful view of the resort. The next day, I started in the gym, followed by a morning swim and breakfast.
After a few hours of sunbathing, I decided to take a gander at the buffet restaurant in the afternoon. What a sea of food! I thought Cabo Verde was culinarily breathtaking, but wow, the buffet in Hurghada was even more extensive. With a well-filled stomach, I was ready for another long flight to Belgium. I exchanged my swim trunks again for my uniform and was ready for a busy flight.
Memories that linger
In short, my mini-vacation in Hurghada was just as fantastic as the one in Cabo Verde! Thanks to my colleagues! Hopefully, many more adventures like these two will follow in the future.
What? Can you guys stay at the destination?
You might wonder, "How come cabin crew sometimes gets to stay overnight at their destination?" It's because there are maximum working hours set for workplace safety and to protect the health of employees.
In case you have to fly from Brussels to Cabo Verde and then back to Brussels on the same workday, it means a working time of about 17 hours. Therefore, there is a mandatory rest period of at least 12 hours, after a workday that can last a maximum of 12 hours. (These times may vary depending on the workday and location).
Travel safe and see you soon!
By: Rico Valkenborgh | January 24, 2024
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