Youngsters all jet, set to go

NEW DELHI: With Jet Airways and Air Sahara taking to foreign skies, the dreams of the aspirants back home are soaring high.
Pooja Mathur*, 24, is one such youth. A stewardess with Jet Airways for three-and-a-half years, Pooja is excited about the news of the company going global.
"Exploring exotic destinations, night stops, shopping, free hotel accommodations, gorging on sumptuous meals, sight seeing...the list is endless," Pooja says with an excited sigh.
Another hopeful is the 24-year-old Anjana Shah. She sees this as an opportunity for a free-of-cost world tour and is also looking forward to a pay hike.
She reasons that while on international flights her counterparts start at Rs 25,000 a month, on domestic it is Rs 15,000.
Apart from a better pay, there other perks as well. "During training period we will be taught all about wining-dining including serving a seven course meal. So we are going international in all our mannerisms and habits," Anjana says.
Anjana also feels interaction with an international audience will enhance her personality.
The cherry (or cherries in this case) on the icing are the six annual complimentary ''international'' air tickets for all members and their families - if one discounts the airport taxes that have to be paid.
However, acquiring the global edge will not be easy. Each member will go through a strenuous drill to match up to the international standards. But all aspirants may not get equally lucky.
Jet Airways will pick 60 out of 250 crew members after an examination on service and safety training. The examination is slated for January 13, 14 and 15.
Competition also fans dressing room gossip. "We are all very excited. But we just hope there is no favouritism from the management''s side. We all want to get short-listed. After all it''s a fatter pay package," says Pooja.
Anjana considers this an opportunity for a major career boost. But will she make it to the top 60? "The best deserves the best," she quips.
The news has trickled down beyond the airline offices, past the cabin crews as well. There is a new buzz at the Air Hostess Academy (AHA). Genu, Zarine and Payal, who study there, are excited.
"This is great news," says Genu. "It means interacting with a lot of people, learning different languages, exploring the world and earning a lot more money."
For Payal the news means a chance to "fly to exotic destinations".
However, Zarine is a little cautious and closer to reality. "This is a great opportunity for aspirants like us. But there are 6,000 applicants all over India."
It''s not just the girls; the boys have also been bitten by the bug. "Flying isn''t really women''s domain," says Aman, a student at AHA.
Aman aspires to be a crew supervisor. It was the lure of lucre and his wanderlust that made him choose this line. "Jet and Sahara going international means increase in opportunities for us," he puts it simply.
So excited were the youngsters that a friend of Aman''s has decided to apply for Commercial Pilot Licence.
If youthful aspirations needed wings, it seems the airlines are ready to provide them.
(* Some names have been changed.)