Emirates, the Dubai-based international
airline, is gearing up to say “Ahn-Yung Hasay-Oh” (hello) to Korea, in
anticipation of its daily Dubai-Seoul service commencing in just nine weeks.Determined to ensure its cabin crew exceed the expectations of Korean
passengers and are equipped to provide Emirates’ trademark attentive service
on the upcoming Dubai-Seoul flights, the airline is taking steps to educate
its cabin crew on the unique Korean culture.

Last week, Emirates invited two professors from Seoul’s Kwangju Women’s
University, both of whom specialise in airline service, to instruct
Emirates’ senior cabin crew in the finer points of Korean customer service
expectations and the nuances of good service, Korean-style.

 

The three-day workshop conducted in Dubai was titled “Soul of Korea”, and it
is the first of several to follow, as the senior crew members will soon pass
on the knowledge to their colleagues through similar training workshops.

 

In addition, Emirates’ over 5,500 cabin crew members will each receive a
specially-produced DVD containing an introduction to Korea, Korean customs,
and information on how to interact appropriately with Korean passengers. 

 

Said Terry Daly, Emirates Senior Vice President for Service Delivery:
“Culture plays an important role in human interaction, influencing
customers’ perceptions and expectations. Emirates’ objective is to provide
the best possible service on every route. These training initiatives will
help sensitize our crew members to cultural differences and enable them to
better serve the needs of our Korean customers.”

 

Emirates currently has 200 Korean cabin crew, and plans to recruit more in
the coming months.  The airline also plans to have a minimum of three Korean
nationals on each flight to and from Seoul.  Emirates’ Korean crew members
are part of the most cosmopolitan cabin crew in the world with over 90
nationalities represented.

 

Emirates will launch daily non-stop flights between Dubai and Seoul’s
ultra-modern Inchon International Airport on 1st May this year, operating
the Airbus A340-300 in three-class configuration for the route, with a
capacity of 267 passengers and 13 tonnes of bellyhold space for cargo.
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