Flight attendants ensure the safety, security and comfort of airline passengers and crew on commercial aircraft. Private and corporate flight attendants have similar responsibilities, but there is an additional emphasis on culinary and concierge services.
The flight attendant occupation is not only a job; it’s a lifestyle choice. Flight Attendants work away from home onboard a variety of aircraft. Most flight attendants can expect to bid for a monthly schedule which typically includes flying an average of 75-95 hours per month (not including time spent on the ground). New hires are usually given a reserve or on-call schedule until they can “hold a line,” which means they have the seniority to bid and be awarded the trips they want. Most airlines in the United States provide flight attendants with a minimum of 8-10 days off per month. Prospective flight attendants should be willing to working weekends, holidays and irregular hours until they gain seniority. Flight attendants may be away from home an average of 2-7 consecutive days, and most airlines require flight attendants to be willing to relocate or commute to any of their flight attendant crew bases.
The position is unique in that commercial airlines in the United States do not required a degree beyond a high school diploma or equivalent. While a 2 or 4 year college degree is preferred among some airlines it is not a requirement unless you would like to advance your career into upper management. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, eligible to work in the United States, have a valid passport, have a clean criminal history, and pass an extensive background and reference check. Prospective flight attendants should be aware that airlines almost always prefer applicants who are well spoken and have a minimum 1-2 years of previous face to face customer service experience in the medical field, retail, food service, cosmetology and various other customer service professions. The height or reach requirements range from 4’11”-6’4” depending on the airline’s aircraft configurations. Weight must be in proportion to height. Applicants must be able to read and speak English clearly. Additional language skills are highly desirable for airlines with international routes. Any skills or experience in First Aid, CPR, first response, aviation, or the military are a plus.
Airlines are well known for offering free and reduced travel benefits to flight attendants. Some airlines also offer free lifetime travel upon retirement. In addition, most airlines offer medical, dental, vision, 401K and stock option benefits to employees. Several multinational airlines offer employee housing and transportation as a free benefit. “According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for flight attendants was $37,240 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,240, and the top 10 percent earned more than $66,460.” Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Flight Attendants.
The flight attendant position is highly sought after and has a very competitive application and interview process. In 2013 Delta, the world’s second-largest airline received 44,000 applications for just 400 flight attendant openings. Prospective flight attendants should understand that most airlines have a 3-10 step application, assessment and interview process before the airline offers an invitation to attend their flight attendant training class for final consideration to become a certified flight attendant by the FAA (sometimes referred to as a job offer). A candidate is technically not considered an employee until they’ve successful passed the airline’s training and exams. To obtain a flight attendant position a candidate should do their research and weigh the benefits of using an experienced flight attendant coach and mentor to help them navigate the process to becoming a flight attendant. Prospective flight attendants can find assistance at www.flightattendanthiring.com. Airlines’ recommend that candidates gather and prepare the documents needed to disclose a full 10 year criminal, driving, work and education history without gaps of information greater than 30 days in the online application process, and begin to practice public speaking and interview role playing prior to applying online. If the applicant is successful in the online application process, they can expect to move on to some or all of the following steps of the hiring process: a written skills and personality assessment, phone interview screening, video interview, group or open house interview session, audition, panel interview, one on one interview, background check with fingerprinting, drug screening, medical clearance, and finally flight attendant training with the airline. Flight attendants in the U.S. must be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Training and certification by the FAA are always provided directly through the airline and they are free of charge, upon hire. How to be a flight attendant :- Easily learn flight attending with training at www.flightattendanthiring.com. We work with you until you are hired for Flight Attendant Jobs.