Chinese SIA flight attendant claims she was dismissed after 1 day for taking water from hotel
A Chinese woman who had just joined Singapore Airlines (SIA) as a cabin crew member has alleged that she was dismissed on her first day of work, claiming the carrier treated foreign recruits coldly and without respect.
In a viral Xiaohongshu post on 5 Nov, user Ke Ke Jiang said her dream of joining what she once regarded as the “world’s best airline” quickly turned sour.
Source: Ke Ke Jiang on Xiaohongshu
“I once thought getting an offer from them would be the highlight of my life, until I personally experienced this complete humiliation and scam, and finally saw the cold reality beneath that so-called prestige,” she wrote.
Spent over S$11,000 preparing for the role
In her post titled “Stop Buying Into the SIA Halo Effect”, Ke Ke Jiang detailed how she had spent a year preparing for the role, from practising English and perfecting interview etiquette to memorising a thick aviation knowledge handbook.
She claimed to have spent about 60,000 yuan (around S$11,000) in total, covering medical checks, vaccinations, uniform fittings, visa fees, and a S$2,500 housing deposit along with other rental expenses.
Source: Singapore Airlines on Facebook, for illustration purposes only
“I calculated each expense as something I could slowly earn back after starting work,” she explained.
Claims she was fired over a ‘few bottles of water’
Ke Ke Jiang said that on her first day of work, after completing paperwork and signing contracts with other Chinese recruits, they were checked into a company-arranged hotel.
That evening, they allegedly took a few bottles of water from a corridor area, believing they were available for staff use. She did not specify what kind of bottles they were or exactly where they were taken from.
Source: Sergei Chuyko on Canva, for illustration purposes only
The next morning, she claimed, HR summoned them to a meeting room where electronic devices were not allowed, and issued termination letters citing a “violation of company rules”.
“We were stunned. We had just signed our contracts the day before, and the so-called ‘violation’ was simply taking a few bottles of water,” she said.
According to her, HR instructed them to “pack up and return to China immediately”, adding that their financial losses were their “personal responsibility”.
“There was no negotiation, no compensation, no explanation,” she wrote. “We, newcomers full of hope, became unemployed overnight.”
Ke Ke Jiang alleged that similar incidents had happened to other Chinese recruits, claiming that SIA viewed them as “cheap, disposable labour on work visas”.
“They never wanted employees, only low-cost workers who could be easily replaced,” she wrote. “A truly worthwhile job should be built on mutual respect, not one that makes you gamble your savings and dreams, only to be told: ‘You’re fired.’”
SIA: ‘Disciplinary action will be taken in cases of non-compliance’
In response to media queries from MS News, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson said that the company is “unable to comment on any confidential matters relating to [their] current and former employees”.
The spokesperson added that the airline “expects all employees to conduct themselves professionally at all times and comply with company policies as well as all applicable laws”.
“Disciplinary action will be taken in cases of non-compliance,” the spokesperson said.
SIA did not confirm or deny the specific incident mentioned in the post.
Also read: SIA named 2nd best airline in the world behind Qatar Airways, wins Best Cabin Crew in World Airline Awards 2025
SIA named 2nd best airline in the world behind Qatar Airways, wins Best Cabin Crew in World Airline Awards 2025
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Featured image adapted from Ke Ke Jiang on Xiaohongshu and Sergei Chuyko on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
