Cathay recognises employees’ exceptional customer services and contributions behind the scenes with the annual Niki and Betsy Awards
- Cathay honours its extraordinary people for their dedication to service excellence with the yearly Niki and Betsy Awards.
- Two of this year’s awarded teams have exhibited professionalism by going the extra mile and swiftly providing aid and care to passengers and colleagues in emergencies, a testament to their great training and wit.
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Upon boarding an aircraft, most of us anticipate the in-flight entertainment and gourmet dining experiences, or simply hope to get some quality rest before reaching our destination. Only a handful of us consider the possibility of an emergency situation.
However, emergencies do occur, even tens of thousands of feet up in the air.
When cabin crew member Niki Lee recounts the incident involving a three-year-old boy on a flight from Hong Kong to London last year, the fear is still evident. “I responded to a passenger call. Upon reaching their seats, I found a boy struggling to breathe. His distraught mother was in a state of panic, blaming herself for taking her children on such an extended flight.” The boy was travelling with his parents and two siblings.
Shortly after assessing the situation, Niki contacted Medlink for inflight telemedicine advice. Other crew members discreetly offered their assistance. “It was a memorable experience,” shares Sonal Sud, a fellow crew member. “The boy was quite young and found himself in a traumatic situation. He was born with a ‘wet lung’ and suffered a severe asthmatic attack that lasted eight hours,” Sonal adds, noting that an emergency landing in other cities was not feasible due to the ongoing pandemic.
Niki speaks of the ‘parental instinct’ that emerged among the compassionate crew members. “We draped an additional blanket over him to provide warmth and comfort, while simultaneously attempting to soothe his distressed mother,” Niki recounts.
.jpg?itok=ioKWBnLE "Patrick Healy, Chair of the Cathay Group (sixth from right), was present at the ceremony and expressed gratitude to the winners for their outstanding dedication and efforts.")
“The parents were in a state of panic, having never faced such a situation before. We had to look after them as well,” Sonal recounts. “Meanwhile we did not want to cause any distress among the other passengers.” A discussion about the oxygen flow ensued with the parents. “Eventually, we were able to give them confidence.”
Sonal credits the successful management of this emergency to the crew’s outstanding interpersonal skills and their sincere compassion and empathy. “The child was in tears and required continuous attention. He attempted to remove the mask every few minutes as it was ill-fitting,” Sonal remembers. “The crew members were gentle and caring. They talked to the boy in ‘baby words’ with ‘baby gestures’ … trying to distract him from the oxygen mask.”
Relatives were arranged to meet the family on board the aircraft at the destination, eight hours and eight bottles of oxygen later. “They were amazed that the boy managed to complete the flight,” says Sonal. “The medics at London’s Heathrow Airport immediately administered an equaliser to the boy.” Some crew members escorted the mother and her other children through immigration and baggage claim, all the way to the taxi stand. Other crew members ensured that the father and the boy were taken to a waiting ambulance, which transported them to the hospital.
In a presentation ceremony held earlier in October, the exceptional service and care provided by Niki, Sonal, and their team were acknowledged with the “Betsy Award”.
The Niki and Betsy Awards, named after the first two aircraft that Cathay Pacific launched, are annual internal recognition initiatives that celebrate outstanding acts of kindness and dedication to professionalism among Cathay employees. The Betsy Award recognises excellent customer service, while the Niki Award acknowledges exceptional contributions behind the scenes.
In 2023, Cathay received a total of 1,566 heart-warming and inspirational nominations. A panel of judges selected 10 winners each for the Niki and Betsy Awards across the company.
A team honoured with the Niki Award used their first aid training to bring a collapsed colleague back to consciousness.
Annually, all Cathay Pacific cabin crew members must attend and pass a first aid medical refresher course to maintain their flight qualifications. Flight attendants Barbara Cheung, Moni Manmohan, and Belle Chan have experienced first-hand how the life-saving techniques taught in this course can be applied in real-life situations.
“Approaching midnight, I was the second crew member to disembark from the aircraft, following a male colleague,” shares Barbara. “Everything seemed normal until my colleague suddenly collapsed on the terminal floor, approximately 10 metres in front of me. Without hesitation, I dashed to the restroom to fetch Belle, then hurried back to attend to my fallen colleague. At that moment, a passenger approached us, introduced himself as a paramedic, and offered assistance.”
According to the course materials, it appears that the male crew member likely suffered a heart attack. “It’s hard to fathom because just a few minutes ago, he was chatting with others.” Barbara adds, “We quickly regained our composure and applied the techniques we learned during the course, such as assessment and administering CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). It was our first time applying them in a real life situation. Subsequently, other crew members retrieved an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).’”
At first, Barbara was somewhat apprehensive. “Our training, however, reassured us that we could utilise the AED without causing electrocution to the patient. Upon its use, the conditions promptly improved,” Barbara recalls. “As we persisted with the CPR, we noticed his need for oxygen. Recalling from our training that oxygen is required once the heart starts pumping, we assisted him in donning an oxygen mask with the help of other members.”
Minutes later, paramedics from the airport arrived and assumed control. “Observing the colleague’s pulse stabilising at 108, I heaved a sigh of relief,” shares Barbara. She adds that all team members remained on-site to provide support and shared in the relief as their colleague regained consciousness.
Crew member Moni accompanied her male colleague aboard the ambulance to the hospital. “He was somewhat agitated and attempted to remove his mask, continually asking if he was okay,” Moni recalls. “I held his hand firmly and reassured him that he was fine.” Barbara followed them in a taxi, met the mother of the male crew member at the hospital, consoled her, and explained what had transpired.
Barbara, Belle, Moni, and their team were recipients of the Niki Award. The team has perfectly demonstrated how Cathay training equipped them with essential first aid techniques and basic medical knowledge. This training enabled them to remain calm in a life-and-death situation and make split-second decisions that helped save lives.
