Flight Attendant Information

need information about being a flight attendant...?

I just want some information about the job, like what can I expect to be paid, what will my scheduled be like and what are the job requirements, responsibility and details?

Public Comments

1. Virtually every airline requires that you have a high school degree or Government Equivalency Degree (G.E.D.) If you did not finish high school or have not passed the G.E.D., do not bother to apply for a job as a flight attendant. You absolutely won't get hired without a high school degree (or equivalent). Median annual flight attendant salaries were $38,820 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $28,200 and $56,610. The lowest 10 percent earned salaries of less than $18,090, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $83,630. According to data from the Association of Flight Attendants, beginning median flight attendant salaries were about $14,847 a year in 2000. Once hired, candidates must undergo a period of formal training. The length of training, ranging from 4 to 7 weeks, depends on the size and type of carrier and takes place in the airline's flight training center. Flight attendant training usually takes place at the airline's training center and typically lasts from three to six weeks. Classes are usually made up of between 30 and 100 trainees and run from approximately 8:00AM to 4:30PM. Airlines that do not operate flight attendant training centers generally send new employees to the center of another airline. Airlines may provide transportation to the training centers and an allowance for board, room, and school supplies. However, new trainees are not considered employees of the airline until they successfully complete the training program. Trainees learn emergency procedures such as evacuating an airplane, operating emergency systems and equipment, administering first aid, and water survival tactics. In addition, trainees are taught how to deal with disruptive passengers and hijacking and terrorist situations. New hires learn flight regulations and duties, company operations and policies, and receive instruction on personal grooming and weight control. Trainees for the international routes get additional instruction in passport and customs regulations. There are several ways to apply for a flight attendant job. Gone are the days when applicants would go to the local ticket counter to get an application, to mail it in and wait for an interview. It is much simpler now, but the competition is even stiffer. The process may begin by mailing a resume directly to the airline, but there are several other resourceful ways to apply for a flight attendant position. In the age of technology, job application has been streamlined for the convenience of both the applicant and human resource departments. The newest of these advances is screening through the Internet. Online flight attendant job applications have become commonplace now, due to the convenience and accuracy it affords. Most airlines now have their own websites, and interested job seekers can easily apply via online application or email. Another advance in the technology of interviewing flight attendants is the telephone interview. Some airlines offer a phone number that is either given out by the airline’s reservations department or listed in a local newspaper ad. Upon calling this number, the applicant is given a comprehensive job summary and some information about the airline, then asked to electronically submit name, address, phone number and to answer a number of questions geared to determine the suitability of the applicant. These questions are usually of the behavioral type, and involve customer service scenarios. Recruiters or human resource people then examine the answers to conclude whether or not they are interested in further pursuit of the applicant for an interview. Most frequently, the application process begins with attendance at an open house interview. Airlines place newspaper ads in cities from which they wish to hire, and hold open house interviews a few days later.