Lufthansa CEO takes on cabin crew role, shares experience on LinkedIn | Trending

Jens Ritter, the CEO of Lufthansa Airlines, took to LinkedIn to update his connections about the new role he recently stepped into – additional crew member. Not just this, he also shared his experience with the ‘intriguing’ and ‘demanding’ responsibilities it entailed. He also posted several pictures that showcased him embracing this fresh role. Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter assing passengers on a flight from Frankfurt to Riyadh.(LinkedIn/Jens Ritter) “This week, I accompanied our Lufthansa Airlines flight crew heading to Riyadh and Bahrain as ‘additional crew member’. What a ride!” wrote Jens Ritter in his LinkedIn post. In the following few lines, he shared his experience as a cabin crew member. Ritter said that the role was both exciting and challenging. He added, “I was amazed how much there is to organise, especially, if something doesn’t go as planned – for example the meals offered on the menu cards were not exactly the meals loaded on board.” “It was so interesting to address the guests’ wishes individually, to deal with the different energy everyone has,” he further recounted. He concluded his post saying that his hands-on experience would contribute to making more informed decisions in the future. “And honestly: I enjoyed every moment! I was astonished how much I learned in these few hours. Deciding things in the office will be different after really feeling the decisions on board. Thank you to the amazing crew, the lovely guests and everyone involved for making this experience possible!” Ritter concluded. The pictures show him assing passengers and posing for the camera with the flight crew during his flight from Frankfurt to Riyadh. Take a look at the pictures shared Jens Ritter on LinkedIn here: Screengrab of the post shared Jens Ritter on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn/Jens Ritter) The post was shared six days ago on LinkedIn. It has since accumulated over 6,000 reactions and a flurry of comments from people.Here’s how people reacted to this post:“What are the specific actions derived from this event that will be applicable to the company to improve it and in which area? One massive issue plaguing Lufthansa are the delays and unreliability of the flight departure/arrival times which erode customer trust and patience,” posted a LinkedIn user.To this, Ritter replied, “Just a small example: I mentioned in my post that the food on the menu cards didn’t match the food that was delivered. We will have this fixed. However, I totally agree with you: the aviation industry suffers and as a whole system we will have to fix that in order to regain the full trust of guests (and crews alike). We are working hard on that!”“Congratulations Jens for getting into the thick of it and sharing time with the part of the company that spends the most time with the customer. What one thing would you like to see improved for you?” enquired another.To this, Ritter said, “What an interesting question! Two things, actually. On the one hand it is all about stability and reliability. Because I think our crews already do a great job. However, the aviation industry suffers from lack of staff, broken supply chains, lack of aircraft and many other problems. If we fix this – their job would be a lot easier. On the other hand I think that everyone likes working if they feel being seen and appreciated and psychologically safe. This is something else I am trying hard to improve!”“Next, a shift at MUC Station?” suggested a third. Ritter liked this suggestion and wrote, “Good idea! I try to split my time between Munich and Frankfurt and it is always interesting to compare those two hubs.”A fourth expressed, “It was a pleasure to be part of this great initiative (as a guest) and seeing how a CEO role models a caring and hands-on mentality! The crew did an amazing job, thank you very much!”Ritter shared a reply to this and wrote, “Thank you for reaching out to me! Good thing you were a happy guest. Take care!” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arfa Javaid is a journal working with the Hindustan Times’ Delhi team. She covers trending topics, human interest stories, and viral content online. …view detail