Archival of train | Music |
0'6 | Hutcheon: In the old days, the only way to travel for true blue Reds was on the rattling iron rooster. It was the safest way to cross the country. |
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Plane landing ‘21 | Hutcheon: But since communism's demise, flying has become the preferred method of travel for the elite. Today, with ticket prices falling and salaries rising, air travel is getting more and more affordable. This Chinese New Year, seven million took to the skies in just one month, an aviation record. But it wasn't that long ago that flying in China was a nightmare. |
View from aircraft 0'54 | Hutcheon: It wasn't just a cultural difference - food that tasted of rubber band, grumpy in-flight service, and a passenger stampede as soon as the plane landed. |
0'109 | There was the question of safety, which really hit home on this flight when the clouds started coming into the plane. |
0'119 | But thankfully, that was then. |
01'23 | With foreign businesses and tourists beating a path to China's door, airlines are reinventing themselves. |
Hostess giving safety instructions 0'141 | Hutcheon: Wu Eryu is the pretty new face of Chinese aviation. Efficient and dedicated, she's known as a lady of the sky. |
01'49 | Today, it's a sought after profession. But in a country where equal opportunity doesn't yet exist, flight attendants are chosen for their looks, even if Ms Wu isn't willing to admit it. |
Wu interview 02'08 | Wu: I wasn't the prettiest one in the group - but I was self-confident. When I stood in front of the panel I was self-confident and always had a bright smile. The judge probably thought my character and appearance were very suitable so I was chosen. It wasn't because I was very pretty. |
0'238 | Music |
0'242 | Hutcheon: Most flight attendants must be under 30 and single when they're first hired. But Ms Wu was an exception. |
0'254 | Five years ago, 30, married and with a child, she was facing unemployment in Shanghai's debt-ridden textile industry. But as a publicity stunt, Shanghai Airlines took her from the nearly bankrupt factory and trained her as a flight attendant. For Wu Eryu it was a childhood dream come true. |
Wu interview 03'18 | Wu: I used to dream a lot and once dreamed of becoming a flight attendant. But when I graduated from school there was no opportunity. The airline company didn't recruit many people. My parents were also against it because they thought it was dangerous. |
03'46 | Hutcheon: Since the bad old days, just five or six years ago, Air China has invested millions upgrading planes and safety procedures. |
03'58 | At a multimillion dollar training facility in Beijing, emergency evacuation is now as familiar as a gymnastics routine. Though some of the newer recruits are a little less than graceful. |
0'415 | Music |
Aircraft on runway 04'25 | Hutcheon: These days Chinese airlines have all but abandoned Russian planes for the Boeing and Airbus. |
0'432 | And to prove things have changed, I was treated to first class service, the best available reading material, fine dining. Hostess: OK ?? chicken is very delicious. |
0'446 | And a smooth trip was guaranteed, since this plane doesn't even leave the ground. |
0'451 | Music |
0'457 | Hutcheon: Clearly for passengers, times have changed for the better. But flight attendants like Ms Wu are seen as little more than airborne waitresses. |
05'06 | Ms Wu: Some passengers know mobile phones are not allowed to be used, but they do it on purpose. If you tell them once, they still use it- then you tell them again, and they still keep using it. When you tell them again they tell you how annoying you are. |
0'532 | Hutcheon: And forget about the excitement of a different city every night. Chinese flight attendants work longer hours than their western counterparts, and the last stop of the day is always home. |
Wu serving passengers 05'46 | Ms Wu: Excuse me, ?? orange juice. Subtitles: I think all cities look the same with a concrete ground. All we see is the runway and the place where the plane parks. |
0'601 | Hutcheon: Ms Wu is only halfway through a four city, 18 hour day, but as she waves goodbye to her passengers, there's mutual satisfaction. If nothing else, this beats working in a factory any day. |
Byrne in studio 0'616 | Byrne: The high life in China. I am absolutely sure I've seen some of those meals before. Jane Hutcheon reporting there. And that's our program. Thanks for joining me, and I hope to see you again next time. Goodbye. |
0'622 | Music |
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Reporter JANE HUTCHEON
Camera SEBASTIAN PHUA
Sound CLEO LEUNG
Editor GARTH THOMAS
Research JACKIE YE
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