What Should I Do To Be A Flight Attendant

This article was written by Tania Bhattacharya on behalf of Sherley Altidor.

People often reach out to me on Facebook and Instagram asking for advice on how to become a flight attendant. So I thought why not do a blog post on the topic and answer all those questions? Here they are— a list of questions that I get asked frequently.

1. What airline company do you want to work for?

There are many airlines such as Delta, American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, JetBlue, United, and several others. Before applying, research these airlines and choose the one that suits your career goals. Ask the right questions and try to find the answers. A few things to consider are the remuneration, benefits, reason for choosing a specific airline, pros and cons, and the future growth in the company.

2. Why should you apply at more than one airline?

I would recommend you select at least three airlines that interest you, depending on your career needs and expectations from the job. My advice would be to apply to three companies. You can really have more shortlisted, but I think applying for is a good number to begin with. You could either apply to all the three airlines at the same time or go the one-by-one route. I personally applied for one at a time.
Be a little patient during the application process because some airlines can take a long time to hire. Every airline is different and there is no way to know when the companies will contact you.

3. Why you must know the company hubs?

Learn about the major hubs of the airlines you are applying for because you may not be based in your hometown or a place where you would like to be based. Therefore, research your options. For example, American Airlines has 12 hubs and out of these, there must be three that interest you. However, you may not get what you like. All depends on the requirements of a particular base.

4. Why do you want to be a flight attendant?

Ask yourself why you aspire to become a flight attendant. Not many people have their ‘workplace’ high up in the sky.
One of the greatest pros of being a flight attendant is visiting new places and that too for free. A flight attendant looks smart and beautiful in his/her uniform. It is a glamorous job after all.
However, it’s not all rosy inside a flight attendant’s work. The job might make you feel lonely at times because when you have done your job, you return to your hotel room alone away from your family. Staying away from your loved ones is challenging and if you have kids like me, managing your personal and professional life might become difficult.
If you ask me, I wanted to become a flight attendant not because of the travel opportunities or the uniform but because of the adrenaline rush I get when I think of my workplace being 35,000 ft above the ground!
Everyone’s ‘why’ is different. And that’s fine. What’s important is you know your ‘why.’

5. What is your job flexibility?

A flight attendant’s job is not like the regular 9-to-5 one, working 160 hours a month. Airlines staff have flexibility when it comes to the schedule. My company allows a flight attendant to work for as little as 40 hours a month to as much as 120 hours a month, many of us will do more.
Living in the base has made my job stress-free. I don’t commute to work by plane. I work anywhere between 80 hours and 120 hours a month. However, if you don’t live in the base and need to commute and work for more than 100 hours, the job becomes a tad challenging, especially because it tends to keep you away from your family and loved ones for a longer duration.

Here are all the points that I thought would help you take a decision. If you have more questions, you can always get in touch with me right here. Take care and as Woody would say, “Reach for the sky!”

Have you thought about being a Flight Attendant?

Articles you may enjoy on jobs:

Why There Is No Alternative To Economic Self-sufficiency

How To Love Your Job Without Neglecting Your Family

Why You Don’t Need To Be The Perfect Working Mom