Flight Attendants

The attraction of traveling to exotic places and glam attached to work as flight attendants make this career extremely appealing to many job seekers. Competition for the entry is expected to be high because more applicants apply for the jobs than there are vacancies.
Flight attendants ensure safety and comfort of airline passengers.

Flight attendants are helpers of the passengers who board the flight, right from the pre-flight briefings till they reach their destination airport. They are also responsible for the  passengers in the event of an emergency, reassuring nervous passengers to performing first aid and evacuating passengers. Flight attendants also answer questions about the flight, attend to passengers with special needs, and help anyone else needing assistance.

 Role of Flight Attendants

  • Attend Pre-flight briefings on details of the flight
  • Make sure adequate supplies of refreshments and emergency equipment are on board
  • Demonstrate the use of emergency equipment
  • Ensure that all passengers fasten their seat belts
  • Serve, and sometimes sell, beverages, meals, or snacks
  • Take care of passengers’ needs
  • Assist passengers with special needs
  • Reassure passengers during flight, such as when the aircraft hits turbulence
  • Administer first aid to passengers, when needed
  • Direct passengers in case of emergency

Skills of Flight Attendants

Attentiveness: Flight attendants must be aware of passengers’ needs to ensure a pleasant travel experience.
Communication skills: Flight attendants should speak clearly and interact comfortably with passengers.
Customer-service skills: Flight attendants should have poise, tact, and resourcefulness to handle stressful situations and meet passengers' needs.
Listening skills: To fully meet passengers' needs, attendants must be able to give their full attention to the passengers, ask appropriate questions of them, and answer their questions politely.
Proper vision: Flight attendants must have vision that is correctable to at least 20/40.

Work Schedules

  • Flight attendants have a variable schedule and may have to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
  • A typical on-duty shift is usually about 12 to 14 hours per day.
  • Attendants usually fly 75 to 90 hours a month and generally spend another 50 hours a month on the ground, preparing flights, writing reports, and waiting for planes to arrive.
  • On average, they spend about two to three nights a week away from home. During this time, their employer provides them with hotel accommodations and a meal allowance.
  • New flight attendants must be flexible with their schedule and location.
  • On small corporate airlines, flight attendants often work on an as-needed basis and must be able to adapt to various schedules and personalities.

Some reported job titles:

Flight Attendant, Flight Attendant and Union Safety Chairperson, Flight Attendant, Inflight Services, Flight Attendant/Air Transportation Supervisor, Flight Attendant/Inflight Manager, Flight Attendant/Inflight Supervisor, In-Flight Crew Member, International Flight Attendant, Lead Instructor/Flight Attendant, Purser

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