How to Become a Flight Attendant

Introduction of Flight Attendant

Flight attendants work on aeroplanes and provide exceptional customer service, often at the expense of their sleep, food, love, laughter, and other life pleasures.

Similar Job Titles

• In-flight Crew Member
• Cabin Crew Member
• Air Host
• Air Hostess
• Cabin Attendant
• Airline Steward
• Airline Stewardess

Typical Job Responsibilities

What do Flight Attendants do?

A Flight Attendant would typically need to:

• Ensure the safety and comfort of passengers and staff on predominantly commercial aircraft.
• Attend preflight briefings with the aircraft’s captain to discuss pertinent flight facts.
• Conduct regular inspections of emergency equipment to ensure that it is all in working order, well-supplied, and easily accessible.
• Make sure there are plenty of snacks on board. help with cabin cleaning between flights
• Assist with passenger boarding; greet each passenger; ensure special needs guests, children, or VIPs are properly cared for when onboard
• Check tickets and seating arrangements for accuracy as well as any fake or stolen tickets.
• Prepare the flight for takeoff; assist passengers in loading carry-on luggage after ensuring that it meets aircraft/airline size and weight constraints.
• Show a short film providing the material or demonstrate the use of safety and emergency procedures. provide details about in-flight services
• Secure the cabin by ensuring that all electronic gadgets and mobile phones are turned off, carry-ons and tray tables are properly stowed, and seats are upright.
• Confirm passenger comfort once the aeroplane has successfully taken off; if necessary, provide headphones, pillows, and blankets to passengers.
• Serve appropriate food and beverages to passengers on a predetermined timetable; perform frequent safety inspections; and watch for strange noises.
• Provide appropriate solutions to any queries or demands from passengers; properly deal with unruly passengers
• Once the plane begins to descend, be certain that all rubbish has been removed from the cabin.
• Confirm that the seats are in their proper locations and that the tray tables are stowed. carry out a last safety check
• Thank the passengers and assist them in exiting the aeroplane securely after landing.
• Prepare complete reports after each flight, including vital flight and passenger information.

Standard Work Environment

Flight Attendants primarily operate in the passenger cabins of airborne passenger aircraft. They may also need to spend a large amount of time on the ground, planning flights, filing reports, and waiting for planes to arrive.

You will be on your feet all day, engaging with passengers and other airline personnel. Flight attendants are frequently away from home, and they frequently sleep in hotels or flats shared by a number of coworkers.

Work Schedule

Because airlines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, variable timetables, including nights, weekends, and holidays, are usual.

Although the exact number is determined by a contract between the airline and the Flight Attendant union, a normal on-duty shift may last 12 hours per day. Most Flight Attendants work 65 to 90 hours per month in the air and another 50 hours on the ground preparing for or waiting for planes.

Employers

Vacancies are rarely handled by recruitment agencies. Individual airports often mention the airlines and tour operators that serve their facilities. Airlines and travel providers may have temporary, seasonal openings during the main summer season (May to October). Airlines hire all year, so keep checking relevant websites and making speculative applications. Permanent contracts are uncommon, and competition is stiff; it may take several years of seasonal work before you are eligible to apply for a permanent contract. Investigate the airline in question extensively and tailor your application accordingly.

Flight Attendants are generally employed by:

• National Airline Corporations
• International Airline Corporations
• Private Tour Operators
• Business & Corporate Jet Companies

Unions / Professional Organizations

The majority of Flight Attendants are unionised. Professional associations and organisations, such as the International Association of Flight Attendants (IAFA), are an important resource for Flight Attendants who want to further their professional development or interact with other professionals in their industry or career. Membership in one or more of these organisations looks wonderful on your resume and helps to strengthen your credentials and qualifications.

Workplace Challenges

• Responsibility for passengers’ in-flight safety; perform first aid, protect the flight deck, and direct evacuations in case of emergencies
• The need to remain calm and patient and provide quality service in the face of annoying and demanding passengers
• Remain on one’s feet for extended periods, push and pull equipment, kneel, bend, reach, stoop, and lift heavy objects from the floor to above shoulder-level heights
• Jet lag due to working in and out of different time zones, especially on long-haul flights; the negative impact of working in a confined space with inadequate humidity
• Health issues due to lack of control over meal times and the kind of meals one has access to aboard a flight
• Time-bound duties, such as serving meals and beverages efficiently, even under rough flying conditions
• The need to dress smartly and stay well-groomed at all times

Suggested Work Experience

Most airlines prefer candidates with relevant work experience over those with academic credentials.

Part-time or temporary job in customer service or any career requiring strong teamwork and communication is especially relevant. Any experience in catering, hotels, travel, or tourism will also aid in the development of necessary abilities.

New hires often go through a six-week organised training course at their employer’s hub or headquarters, where they learn about safety equipment and procedures, first aid, aviation security and dangerous items, customer service, food preparation, cabin service, and uniform requirements.

Successful trainees can handle minor injuries, nosebleeds, diseases, births and fatalities, hazardous liquid and gas emergencies, and drunk passengers. They can safely evacuate people and combat fires from planes.

Trained Flight Attendants can apply crucial survival skills in a decompression emergency or distant emergency landing in the forest, sea, or desert. Self-defence and lethal force training equip them for probable terrorist assaults or hijackings.

Personal grooming practices must be impeccable in order to make a good impression on clients and prevent the transmission of illness and disease.

Written and practical tests on assertiveness, cultural awareness, currency exchange, customs and immigration rules, galley management, passenger care and customer relations, and product knowledge may also be included in the training.

Following basic training, promising Flight Attendants may spend six months on probation, which is monitored by trainers or senior crew. Successful probationers are promoted to full cabin crew personnel.

To demonstrate your devotion to course providers and future employers, read about the profession and interview/shadow seasoned Flight Attendants.

Recommended Qualifications

A high school graduation with a decent understanding of English and Mathematics is usually required to become a Flight Attendant. Fluency in a widely spoken foreign language will be advantageous.

Some airlines, however, may prefer to hire individuals who have attended flight attendant academies or post-secondary courses in hospitality management, languages, leisure & tourism management, travel, public relations, or communications.

In high school, concentrate on English, psychology, computer skills, and current foreign languages.

Keep in mind that finishing a certain academic programme does not ensure your admittance into the field. Professional qualifications and transferrable skills, on the other hand, may open more than one door.

Before enrolling in a specific programme, do your homework and investigate all available possibilities for education and career. Associations and employers in your field are reliable sources that can help you make an informed selection.

Certifications, Licenses and Registration

Certification in CPR, AED (automated external defibrillator), and First Aid from an objective and reputable organisation will help prospective Flight Attendants stand out in a competitive work market and boost their chances of development.

Certification normally requires a mix of education, experience, and examination, though criteria vary by location. By including a Code of Ethics, successful certification programmes defend the public welfare.

Furthermore, before they can begin working, most new personnel receive initial training at the airline’s flight training centre and are certified by the prime aviation authority in their area.

To demonstrate their skill in safeguarding passenger and crew safety, trainees must master emergency protocols, fly practice flights, and pass an exam. Prospective Flight Attendants must also be certified for certain aircraft types.

Prospective employers may require candidates to submit to an employment background check, which may include but is not limited to, a person’s job history, education, credit history, motor vehicle records (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, usage of social media, and drug testing.

Projected Career Map

Flight Attendants are promoted depending on their experience and performance. A skilled cabin crew member with two to five years of experience can advance to the position of Purser/Chief Purser, who is in charge of the efficient operation of premium (first-class or business) class.

Pursers can advance to Cabin Supervisors, Cabin Managers, or Cabin Service Directors, who are in charge of all cabin crew on board the flight, as well as training and overseeing new recruitment and ensuring that all documentation is completed at the end of each trip.

Some Flight Attendants may desire to become Corporate/Executive Cabin Attendants in the care of prestigious clientele on private planes, such as very significant government officials or members of royal families, after earning at least two years of experience in the premium class.

Moving into ground-based operations such as cabin crew recruiting and training, passenger services, or crew control is also an option. Larger airlines may provide possibilities to gain experience in marketing, sales, human resources, and safety training.

A growing number of millennials are opting to job hop and build a scattershot resume that demonstrates ambition, enthusiasm, and a willingness to master a wide range of skills in order to expedite their career progress and personal development.

Studies show that job hopping, which was formerly considered a “flaky” activity, might lead to increased work satisfaction. Employees looking for a healthy culture and fascinating work are eager to try out different roles and settings while learning vital, transferrable skills.

Pursers can advance to Cabin Supervisors, Cabin Managers, and Cabin Service Directors. Some Flight Attendants may aspire to advance to working with high-profile private clientele, mainly on private planes. Many VVIP roles are headquartered in rich Middle Eastern countries.

Some Flight Attendants may choose to pursue ground-based opportunities such as cabin crew training or recruitment, passenger services, or crew control. Cabin crew positions open up many more opportunities with major airlines. Cabin crew workers can advance to positions in marketing, sales, human resources, and safety training.

Job Prospects

Candidates with strong communication and customer service skills, a diploma from a certified flying academy, and appropriate work experience will have the best career opportunities.

Beneficial Professional Development

CPD will assist a current Flight Attendant in developing personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. CPD also allows for the ongoing renewal of desirable certifications.

Some airlines encourage their cabin crew to pursue professional development courses. If they operate a variety of aircraft, they will have bespoke cabin crew training regimens. In-house courses on topics such as crew resource management are also available.

Furthermore, Flight Attendants assigned to new positions must complete a systematic training programme suited to that position. Those who transition from short-haul to long-haul flights, for example, will learn how to function in settings that are peculiar to the latter.

Conclusion of Flight Attendant

Once you’ve tasted flight, you’ll always walk the earth with your eyes set aloft, because that’s where you’ve gone and where you’ll always want to return.

Advice from the Wise

When you never unpack, name towns by their airport codes, can’t figure out where you are, enjoy deplaning, inspect every fire extinguisher you see, and can eat all of your meals standing, you’re a Flight Attendant.

On a more serious note, Flight Attendants spend very little time with their families and will sacrifice their special days so you can make lovely memories with your loved ones; they will always greet you with a smile; and they put their lives on the line to save yours. If you believe you can find a happy medium between the two points of view, let your fantasies fly!!

Explore Also: How to Become a Diesel Mechanic