Peanuts? Life Presever? Headphones?

March 15, 2006 10:07 PM

What can you tell me about being a flight attendant?

The other day I was messing around on the internet and came across a flight attendant's blog. Since i'm currently in "Oh hell, what am I going to do with my life" mode, I decided to research it a bit. I know the very basics: your first two years or so will be stuck on reserve status, seniority determines which flights you get, the average is 13 days off a month, etc.

I went to United Airways website and did a little 5 minute customer service test. Next thing I know, they're calling me setting up a "pre-interview" in Chicago. I looked online for flight attendant forums, but the only one that looked genuinely helpful charges for membership. Anyone have any personal experience or anecdotes about being a flight attendant, what the training is like, how long most people do it before burn-out, etc?

posted by Ugh to work & money (17 comments total)

You might want to poke around the FlyerTalk forums a bit, and I'd recommend referring to the company as "United Airlines" when you interview. :)
posted by kcm at 10:13 PM on March 15, 2006

Thanks, i'll look it over. The only reason I said "Airways" is because when they sent me the pre-interview packet on how and when to schedule my flight they referred to themselves that way. Could be because my actual interview is with a recruiting company so maybe they don't know better. Thanks!
posted by Ugh at 10:21 PM on March 15, 2006

All I know is, almost every flight I've taken in the last, oh, 3 or four years had the flight attendant talking about their next job: "I'm studying to be a ___". My experience is that they are largely unhappy.

Now, this may be an issue of expectations. If you've been doing it for a while for a major carrier, I imagine the declining benefits and increased workload is a lot harder to take than if you're used to that from the start.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 10:50 PM on March 15, 2006

Also visit airliners.net. They have a large contingent of flight attendants, ramp workers, and pilots. Search the forums for lots of threads on new flightattendanthood.

Have fun!
posted by symphonik at 10:59 PM on March 15, 2006

Also US Aviation.
posted by grouse at 12:02 AM on March 16, 2006

Could it have been 'US Airways'?

I've flown a lot, and to my cynical eye the flight attendant's job is that of a glorified waitress who's stuck with the really pissy customers for hours. And no tips.
posted by essexjan at 1:17 AM on March 16, 2006

Plane Insanity is a book of true stories written by a flight attendant.
posted by blue mustard at 3:13 AM on March 16, 2006

No tips? Since when do they not serve alcohol on planes?

Furthermore, free flying to anywhere the airline goes. Woo. (Albeit on standby.)
posted by disillusioned at 3:24 AM on March 16, 2006

Many airlines prohibit their employees from collecting tips.
posted by grouse at 4:00 AM on March 16, 2006

If you have cable and the Travel Channel, they have a reality series on right now called Flight Attendant School
posted by poppo at 5:37 AM on March 16, 2006

My girlfriend is a flight attendant for Air Canada and she really enjoys it. She loves to travel and she loves the variety: working with different people, different schedules, different aircraft.

Like any service industry job, some of the passengers are nice and sweet and others are total assholes. And some of her co-workers are nice and hardworking and others are burnt-out and jaded after flying for fifteen plus years.

She's flying right now (to Newark) or this answer would be much, much longer. My email's in my profile: feel free to drop me a line and I will pass it along to her.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 6:42 AM on March 16, 2006

Many airlines prohibit their employees from collecting tips.

The Irish airline Ryanair is one of the most profitable of the Euro airlines. Its cabin crew are notorious for their overweening eagerness to sell alcohol, perfumes, tobacco, and whatever. Basically because they are paid almost nothing as a base, but get quite a lot on sales commission and tips. Basically, it's bartending-in-the-air and helps Ryanair keep its costs down.
posted by meehawl at 6:43 AM on March 16, 2006

Then again, the downside. My buddy was a steward for Malev Hungarian airlines. He was on a plane that did a pretty hard landing. No fatalities, but he was tossed pretty bad, broke his back, and is now funtionally disabled.
posted by zaelic at 7:42 AM on March 16, 2006

I am a flight attendant with JetBlue Airways. I love working as a flight attendant, but the only downfall is being bi-coastal as my home is in Long Beach, California. However, I do fly everywhere for FREE.
Oh, and the people can suck. I think it's the constant insidious decompression that makes people a little bit crazy at 37,000 feet.
The training isn't too bad if you can stand never sleeping and never eating. Just watch out because aviation will get in your blood because of the travel benefits.
posted by thesiameseffect at 9:03 AM on March 16, 2006

oh and we keep our tips....
posted by thesiameseffect at 9:12 AM on March 16, 2006

Just watch out for snakes. I've heard that is a recent problem.
posted by zonkout at 11:12 AM on March 16, 2006

Snakes!? On a plane!?

:)
posted by bkudria at 4:52 PM on March 16, 2006