Whether you enjoy city life, beach-going, or hiking in the mountains, Georgia is a state with a variety of landscapes. With such an interesting mix of opportunities present in this state, we wanted to get a local perspective. Megan Canizares is a flight attendant who resides in St. Simons Island, Georgia, and is available on a contractual basis. Her interview revealed a lot of interesting information about Georgia and her 14 years of experience as a corporate flight attendant.
Megan has trained at FACTS and Flight Safety in Savannah, Georgia. During her years of service, she has worked with several aircraft, including Gulfstream III, IV, V; Falcon 900; Challenger 601; BBJ; and Embraer Legacy 600. She is scheduled to have her next recurrent training in March 2014 at Flight Safety. In addition to her cabin crew training, she holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication and Disney management and communicating certification.
When asked about her career highlights, she shared that she had been “hired as a consultant to help bring standards of service to higher levels for various flight departments in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Also, I helped with the completion and delivery process of an Embraer Legacy 600 in Brazil for a private family.” Her other career highlights are impressive, to say the least. To summarize, Megan has “been blessed to fly for a very prominent South American family for 14 years, and that has given me many experiences of a lifetime! I have seen most of the Seven Wonders of the World with them and have had the amazing experience of traveling to Easter Island three times via a G-III! I have flown with two former United States Presidents, a former president of Panama, the Duke of Kent and his family, celebrities, and business executives. The biggest lesson I have learned through my career is that people are people no matter what background they come from and what social status they have. In the end, they all prefer being with their families on leisure trips to having to fly on a business trip. They all have a favorite comfort food, favorite movie, magazine of choice, and special pair of fuzzy socks to keep them warm. There’s nothing like making someone feel at home on a long, skinny tube in the sky!”
With such a wide range in private aviation missions, Megan has come across some catering challenges. She recalls “having to cater 17-hour flights from South Africa on a Legacy 600. The aircraft had no refrigerator, and dry ice was not available due to the remote locations involved and restrictions in South Africa. Creative packing and planning are critical in order to serve multiple meals and keep food safe!”
Being a bona fide world traveler with many unique experiences, Megan shared some of her favorite locations to visit. Among her top destinations, she lists “Dubai for amazing cuisine from around the world, sightseeing, and the Ski Dubai experience. I enjoy South Africa for safaris, culture, customer service, and local sites. Also, the Hawaiian Islands for the variety of fresh fruit, grass-fed beef, ocean-side hiking trails, and helicopter tours of the volcanoes.” Her favorite foods are just as wide-ranging as her top locations, since she prefers dining on Brazilian steaks, Thai, and Mediterranean cuisine. Her absolute favorite meal is “Tom Yum Soup and Pad Thai.” Who’s getting hungry?
While her tastes involve many types of cuisine, Megan’s favorite local meal is Grilled Georgia Shrimp. During her time at home in Georgia, her go-to restaurant is “B & J’s in Darien, Georgia, for their freshly steamed local shrimp, and all-you-can-eat crab legs!” Aside from enjoying local cuisine, Megan enjoys “apple picking in North Georgia at Mercier Orchard, going on a run through the village of St. Simons Island by the water at sunrise, and spending time with family.”
Megan shared some thoughts on which skills are important for being an effective flight attendant. Thinking about her experiences, she said, “You must have the ability to adapt to whatever changes in circumstance come up in a calm, professional manner. You must love to travel and be flexible to extend your time away from home if a flight changes. You must have confidence in your decision-making skills and possess the ability to multi-task with cooking, serving, cleaning, and handling any safety or medical issues that arise.”
Lastly, Megan provided the following advice to anyone looking to become a flight attendant: “Learn the jet you fly on inside and out before the flight – from safety equipment, to electronics, to what is inside each galley drawer. Be prepared for flight times to change from breakfast to dinner flights, for extra guests to show up unannounced, and for FBOs to not be able to complete all of your requests. You must take safety seriously and be able to make your pilots and passengers feel confident in your abilities to handle situations as they arise. Thinking outside the box is a job requirement. Learn to anticipate the needs of your guests in order to exceed their expectations. Ask passengers directly if they have any special requests in the various destinations you go, so you can offer additional personalized service.”
Megan Canizares is available on a contract basis to fly to any destination. If you are in Georgia, or looking for a flight attendant with global VIP experience, she can be reached at megcanizares@gmail.com.
This article is part of a series of interviews we are conducting with contract cabin crew members; individuals who are not employed by Air Culinaire Worldwide. If you would like to be considered for an interview, which is posted on our blog and all of our social media accounts, please contact socialmedia@airculinaire.com.
