Micah Rontale

During my last 4 hour shift last Saturday, I decided to head to Check In Area 5 because most check in counters there are open and receiving passengers. I noticed that there was a huge crowd of mostly filipino people in a line, but a very long line and about four sections of it. I had a colleague with me, who was also confused why there was a hold with their check in. The Philippine Airlines wasn’t checking in passengers and their bags because there was a mechanical problem with the aircraft. I spoke with one of their check-in agents and she told me there was a problem with the hydraulics system. According to her, the mechanics wanted to cancel the flight, but the head office wanted to continue the flight. Many passengers were clueless and confused as to why they wouldn’t check them in. They startd lining up 8pm but they were told to wait until 10:30 for an announcement, and nothing was announced. There was a huge mixed up with the Cathay Pacific and Philippine Airlines line ups. My colleague and I just tried to re-direct passengers flying with Cathay so they can check in and get to their gates on time. I finished my shift at 11pm and nothing really happened with the Philippine Airlines passengers. I check the next day, that their flight was delayed and flew 4 in the morning. It must’ve have been a tough night for those passengers! I was glad to experience that moment, because it makes me grow as a person in how I can help and make a difference in someone’s life even if their facing something upsetting.

Throughout the many volunteer shifts I had in Terminal 3, I noticed that most of the passengers are clueless as to where they would head next after dropping their bags and getting a boarding pass. They would wonder around, looking for their gates, little do they know they have to get security check first to see their gates. I always tell passengers to go here B C gates, unless they are flying to America. I love working for the GTAA because in my own little way, I could help someone.

It’s another day volunteering at the airport. Another opportunity to help out passengers needing directions and more help with other issues. It is also another day for me to see different airline flight attendants! Another reason why I love to work at Terminal 3 is because it is filled with various airlines in different parts of the world that fly to Pearson airport. The photo above shows the Hainan Airlines flight attendants going to security or TSA check. It was my first time to see their uniform, and indeed they looked their best. A lot of people (passengers, employees and volunteers, like me) were all amazed when they entered the Terminal door and walked all together in a line. We all stopped and just stared at them for a good 3 minutes. I even heard a passenger say “This is my first time seeing this.” I was going to say, “Me too! They look amazing.” I really wanted to see their uniform because I read an article months ago, that they had the best airline uniform in the world and they were even featured in a magazine! I really loved their coats and head piece and their shoes were all matching. They also walked two by twos, so they were so organized and graceful. Throughout my shifts at T3, I always look forward to seeing them and other airline flight attendants as well. I have seen the Westjet, Air Transat, KLM, British Airways, Air France, Wow Air, Jet Airways, PAL, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, and many more airline flight attendants that are based in Terminal 3. I know that one day, I will also be a flight attendant walking in one of the Terminals of Toronto Pearson. I also want to have an impact in passengers lives as I walk through the terminal with my uniform in the future.

I love working at Terminal 3 and taking shifts at Terminal 3 because I see all my friends and classmates from Seneca College!!! They are one of my motivations why I work there, because I see their faces while they are busy working for their chosen airlines. In the first photo, I am with Cristina. She was working for Air Transat. She has been my classmates since 2nd semester and she was the only friend I knew when I came back to college for the Fall term. When she saw me that day, she gave a huge hug and a happy smile for seeing me at the airport. The second photo, I am with Kali. She is a new friend and a classmate for me. I have classes with her in 4th semester and have done group presentations with her. She was working for Air France. The third photo, I am with Soraya. She is also a new friend of mine in the 4th semester, but we clicked so fast and are very close friends now. I see her all the time at the Cathay Pacific kiosks helping passengers print their boarding pass and luggage tags. I also see a lot of mh classmates working for Westjet, assisting passengers with the kiosk machines as well. I love seeing my friends work at the airport and I am fortunate enough to walk around the terminal and see if any of them are working during my shift. Although, each of us are working at separate companies, we all have the same goals, which is to help passengers and direct them to where they need to be. I will never forget this experience in my life.

This day was my very first shift without a buddy and I was all by myself during my shift. I took this selfie on the mirror, because I wanted to remind myself that I can do it and if I don’t have answers to passengers’ questions I would re-direct them to another employee in the terminal. I was working at Terminal 3, because it’s a smaller terminal and it’s always packed with people, whether they be passengers or just families dropping or picking up their loved ones. It wasn’t so busy when I had this shift because I was located at the Zone 1 check in area where the U.S.A. Counters and KLM/Air France were located. Many passengers where asking for Delta, American Airlines, Westjet which were very near. I get questions about “where’s terminal 1?” Or “where’s Air Canada?”. I hate to tell them that their in a wrong terminal, so I just tell them “Air Canada would be in Terminal 1, right now we’re in Terminal 3... I could bring you to the train platform to T1”. I help a lot of passengers get to the train platform because they get lost most of the time following the T1 sign, because they think T1 and T3 and connected building. I also get a lot of questions about where Sunwing and Air Transat check in counters are, because they are the farthest from my location (Zone 1 to Zone 5) I tell passengers “They are located all the way at the end, check in zone 5”. Some of them complain they have to walk the whole terminal, and most of them just thank me because they asked and didn’t have to worry looking for their counters. I love working for the GTAA Welcome Team because every day is a different day and different passngers and needs met.

This was my last day of buddy shifts, it was a bittersweet moment. I will miss the two volunteers who were with me during my buddy shifts in the month of November. The photo above is at the T3 Domestic Baggage hall at Level 1 or Arrivals level. The woman beside me is Renu, she is one of the volunteer trainee like me. We decided to take a picture because it was so festive in the Terminal and it was last shift together, and we will start our shifts on our own. During the last day of my buddy shift we had a brief tour of the T3 once again just to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings and we also stayed at the link train to help passengers direct them to T1 or Viscount or the Sheraton Hotel. Most our shift time though, was at doors F205 Departures area near the check in area for US flights and close to the Wendys restaurant. At the location, our trainer let us greet passengers and direct them to the check in area they needed to be. Many passengers were coming in from those doors, but their airlines were located in Zone 4-5, a farwalk for them. I guess they were confused and thought that their airlines will located on that side. Other passengers coming up to us were asking for the Up Express train and Terminal 1 because they were dropped in the wrong terminal. In that case, we tell the, to follow the purple signs with Terminal 1 D E F signs on it, they have to ride the link train and follow T1 signs for train and then they will get there in a few minutes. There was a lot of passengers looking for Pakistani Airline and Chinese passengers looking for China Eastern and their check in zones. I really loved working at T3 and hopefully have more shifts there so I can see my fellow classmates working for other airlines.

The first day of my buddy shift, I was nervous but at the same time excited. I finally got my uniform, the ID, name tag and information handbook for my shifts. I was working with two other individuals who helped me during my buddy shifts to sya the right directions and information to the passengers asking for wayfinding support. I was so excited to greet passengers. We were in T1 for my first day of buddy shift and we were located at the West Bridge elevators at Level 2. A lot of passengers were coming up to us asking for Terminal 3, the link train, the Up Express Train, the Domestic connections, and departures area. The zone or area was busy because people were coming from all sides, but I loved every bit of helping the passengers and other people during that time. We also helped a passenger who wanted to book a flight with a specific airline and helped him go on the computer and the printing machine to print his itinerary. We also helped 2 passengers who were heading back home after a week of vacation here in Toronto. They were from United Kingdom and have lost their baggages the whole week and had to buy clothes here in Toronto. We assisted them to go to Air Canada and KLM as they were the airlines associated with their flights and baggages. It was so disappointing for them, but they were happy that we had helped them with their problem, because they didn’t know where Air Canada lost and found baggages are located, so they where glad that we brought them to T1 from T3. I love this volunteering job because we get to put smile on people’s faces even when they are experiencing problems.

My T3 familiarization Tour was quite fun and interesting! We rode the link train from T1 to get to T3. I noticed right away the size difference of T3 from T1. It is much smaller considering a lot of airlines are situated in this Terminal. During our tour to T3, it was not so busy yet, because it was in the morning. I learned that there is a new security screening built in T3 situated in the middle of the departure area, close to Westjet and adjacent to the Freshii store. Our Tour volunteer said that it’s a much faster process during passenger screening, than of the old security screening situated at the Zone 5 near the Sunwing and Air Transat check in area. The photo above is the shedule of flights and information of the airlines in T3. I took a picture of this because previous volunteers were saying that it is so important to always look at this because many passengers will be asking us where is the airline they are flying with, the zone area, the flight time and many more. In Terminal 3 most airlines don’t have their permanent place for chech in, so they always move around in the Terminal, that’s why a lot of volunteers like this Terminal because of the challenge and constant changes they experience. According them, T3 is always packed and filled with passengers, especially during the busy hours. I feel like, I will also like Terminal 3 because I want challenge in my wayfinding and directing passengers.

First of all, I just want to say that I learned so many things during the day of my Familiarization Tour for Terminal 1. The Terminal was huge, definitely bigger than T3. At the end of the tour, we were all tired haha! It was fun getting know where airlines are located, the stores, the departures and arrivals level. I also learned that CIBC is the only bank placed in the airport. There were also prayer/worship rooms if passengers wanted to stay in a more quieter place. We also went behind the checn in area where passengers and families were dining in together at swiss chalet and other restaurants situated there. I feel like out of the two, T1 and T3, T1 is more complicated because it is so big, but I know I will get use to it when I start doing more shifts there. The photo above is the International Arrivals located at Level 1 in T1. Here are the families and individuals waiting for their loved ones to get back home. I also saw a man holding a bouquet of flowers waiting to give it to his loving wife. It was so precious to see and witness something like that. What I love about volunteering for the GTAA Welcome Team is that we get to share those happy feelings with everyone we encounter.

Thursday October 11, 2018 was my first day of Orientation at GTAA as a Welcome Team Member. I was ecstatic on the way to Toronto Pearson International Airport, as this was the second meeting after my face to face interview and session with them. When I arrived in the training centre, some of my classmates and familiar faces were there, so I was even more excited that I have friends to share this experience with. First, we had to sign in and get our name lanyards like the one seen on the photo. At each tables, we had folders like the one on the photo and pens which had the forms to be filled out and the orientation handbook. It was a four hour orientation, so they made sure we had food to fill us, since it was during evening time (dinner). They had refreshments and different kinds of sandwiches and wraps prepared for us, we felt so special and of course, we were all full at the end. Next, we had introductions and icebreakers to know more of the colleagues who we will be working with. Right after that, we had the orientation slides going as the Manager and the Coordinator talk us through the policies and procedures of being a Welcome Team member. I had so much fun, not knowing that I can be close to people who I rarely know, just because everyone is so open and enthusiastic. The atmosphere was very cozy and friendly, all I could do the whole time was smile.