Flight attendants are responsible for the safety and personal comfort of airline passengers. Before the flight, flight attendants check the passenger safety equipment and the airplane's kitchen equipment. They make sure that the passenger cabins are in order with adequate supplies of food, beverages, and blankets.
Flight attendants greet passengers boarding the plane, check their tickets, direct them to their seats, and help them with their coats and small luggage. On takeoff an attendant welcomes the passengers as a group and demonstrates safety procedures.
During the flight, flight attendants check that safety belts are fastened when necessary, serve drinks and precooked meals, distribute stationery and reading materials, and answer the passengers' general questions. The flight attendants' responsibilities also include assistance to passengers during emergencies, when duties may vary from reassuring passengers to opening doors and inflating emergency slides for evacuation.
Most attendants are stationed in major cities at the airlines' main bases. Usually between 1 and 10 attendants fly on each plane, depending on its size and the proportion of economy to first-class passengers. Large aircraft such as the Boeing 747 may have as many as 16 flight attendants.
Education and Training
Flight attendants must be high school graduates. Applicants with a college background or experience dealing with the public are preferred. In general, flight attendants must be at least 19 years old. Excellent health, good vision and hearing, and a clear speaking voice are required. Many international airlines require that their flight attendants be proficient in an appropriate foreign language.
Flight attendants need no specific license or certification to work in their field. Most of the major airlines have established training schools in which their new employees receive instruction in the necessary procedures. Airlines that do not operate training schools generally send new employees to the school of another airline.
Most airline training programs last between 4 and 6 weeks. Training covers a variety of subjects, including flight regulations and attendants' duties, aircraft terminology, company policy and operations, first-aid techniques, emergency procedures, and personal grooming. The courses include practice flights to accustom the attendants to flight conditions. Some instruction in passport and customs regulations is given to attendants who will be working on international routes.
Getting the Job
If you are interested in becoming a flight attendant, you should contact the personnel departments of airline companies for information about job opportunities and particular qualification requirements. You can receive a list of the names and addresses of airline companies by writing to the Air Transport Association of America. Occasionally, information about job openings for airline flight attendants is listed in the want ads of major newspapers.
Employment Outlook
An experienced flight attendant can become a first attendant, flight purser, supervisory flight attendant, training inspector, or recruitment representative. Attendants who no longer want to fly can transfer to other jobs in the airline, such as public relations or sales work.
The job outlook is very good. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that there be at least one attendant for every 50 seats on an aircraft, so the new, larger planes will require more attendants than before. However, competition for jobs is stiff. Of the many people who apply, only a few are accepted. Decline in air travel during recessionary periods may cause reductions in the number of flights, limiting the number of jobs.
Working Conditions
Flight attendants usually have about 75 to 80 hours of scheduled flying time and up to 50 hours of ground duty a month. Hours may be irregular, requiring attendants to work at night, on weekends, or during holidays. Flight attendants have 15 or more days off each month. Some of these may be away from the home base-which is usually a large American city or, in the case of some international airlines, a foreign city. The flight attendants with the most seniority get the most desirable home bases and flight assignments.
A flight attendant's work involves exposure to many types of people, places, and cultures. However, the work is strenuous. Flight attendants are on their feet almost constantly and must remain pleasant even after many hours of tiring duties.
Earnings and Benefits
Flight attendants' wages depend on the airline and on their experience and rank. The average salary of experienced flight attendants ranges from $20,000 to $40,000 a year. Allowances are paid to flight attendants during their training period and when they must stay away from their home base. Most airlines require attendants to buy their own uniforms.
Fringe benefits usually include paid sick leave, 2 to 4 weeks of paid vacation, and reduced air fare for flight attendants and their immediate families. Group hospitalization and retirement benefits are sometimes provided.