British Airways set to open cabin crew bases in China

British Airways is opening two new cabin crew bases in Shanghai and Beijing to offer tailored services for Chinese customers flying to London.

The airline will initially recruit 30 cabin crew members from China to work at a base in Shanghai, and 35 for a base in Beijing. The Beijing crew members will also serve the Chengdu route.

British Airways flies from Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu to Terminal 5 at London Heathrow.

All flights will have at least two Chinese crew members on board who will work alongside British Airways' London-based crew. Customers will benefit from the best of British service and expertise, with the assurance that there will be Chinese-speaking crew members on every flight.

"Opening these new bases means we can offer Chinese customers the language skills and familiar culture they value for a comfortable journey," said Richard Tams, executive vice-president China at British Airways.

"Alongside our London-based crew, our new recruits will offer our customers the best combination of British style, etiquette and service, alongside Chinese language, culture and customs.

"This is a clear commitment to our Chinese customers and the latest in a series of investments including improved local catering options and the launch of High Life China onboard magazine earlier in the year."

This year British Airways celebrates 35 years since the airline started flights to Beijing, and the 10th anniversary of the Shanghai-London route.

The airline has been expanding in the Chinese market in recent years, with flights to Chengdu launched in 2013.

The announcement that two new international cabin crew bases are being created underlines the investment the airline is making in customer service, and the commitment it has in developing its products and services for the Chinese market.

Recruitment for the new China-based crew is open through Oct 23. The airline is recruiting for both main crew members and crew leaders.

The new recruits will go through British Airways' extensive flight safety and service training program at the company headquarters in London. They are expected to begin their new positions by the summer of 2016. The airline is looking for candidates that are passionate about people and driven to put the customer at the heart of everything they do. For more information and to apply, visit the FASCO website.

British Airways is the only airline to offer customers a choice of four cabins from Shanghai and Beijing to London.

Customers can choose from the airline's highly acclaimed First, the award-winning Club World (business cabin), World Traveler Plus (premium economy) and World Traveler (economy class).

The airline also operates the only direct route from Chengdu to London, and customers from Chengdu can enjoy the state-of-the-art 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/20/2015 page19)