２月１３日（月曜日）２０２３
半年ぶりに長時間の飛行機の旅。１年前はゴーストタウンのようにヒト気のなかった成田空港ですが今回は以前のような活気が出ていました。
ゲートで搭乗前にそれぞれ搭乗券とパスポートを持って並ぶのですが、見ていると赤い日本のパスポートを持った人はごく僅か。つまり外国の方が９割といった感じ。アメリカへ帰る人やマレーシアやベトナム方面からの方たちだったようです。
二人掛けで相席だった私の席を後部の空席に移してくださったのはベテラン客室乗務員の方で細やかな心遣いに感謝。客室内には男性客室乗務員の姿も見られ、一昔前もこうだったなと少し懐かしい気分になりました。気軽に話しかけてくださったもう一人の客室乗務員の方も伺えば職歴３０年あまりとか。腰痛や結婚で退社する人が多かった昔に比べ、客室乗務員の職場の環境や勤務条件なども随分変わったようです。家庭を持ち子育てをしながら健康で乗務を続けることがどれほど大変か、少し共有経験がある者としてはよく分かります。
今回はこうした方々のお蔭でリラックスした楽しい旅ができました。さて、当地のボストンはそれほど寒くないのが幸いです。
I have not been on a long flight to Boston since half a year ago. Narita Airport which was almost empty like a ghost town because most counters were closing due to Covid-19 has changed to a normal lively airport.
Passengers lined up at the gate having boarding passes and passports. I noticed that Japanese passengers with red passports were very few and 90% of them seemed American and from other Asian countries because they had dark blue or brownish passports.
My seat was a window seat and someone took the next seat originally, but one of the cabin attendants who looked experienced kindly arranged to take the rear empty seat for me before I took the seat. I had a nostalgic feeling to see a male cabin attendant because it is rare in the case of JAL nowadays although there used to be a few when I was working. There was another cabin attendant who talked to me friendly. She was also experienced and had a career of more than thirty years. When I was working as a cabin attendant several decades ago, most of my colleagues quit their work due to lower back pain or marriage but now many female cabin attendants keep working powerfully like two women whom I met in the cabin. Although their work environment and conditions have changed a lot since the time I was there, I can easily guess how hard it is for them to keep working, have a family, and raise kids with healthy physical condition.
I had a pleasant flight because of their thoughtful care. Well, I am in Boston now and happy with the mild weather which I was expecting to be much colder.
