I just became a flight attendant. What should I expect?

Question

I begin an 8 week training course in Phoenix in a few weeks. I love to travel, but knowing I will be in different cities almost every day sounds overwhelming but also very exciting.

Any advice on how to cope with being away from home so much?

Answer 1

As a newbie, you'll have the lowest status of all the flight attendants.. On the negative side, you'll have few schedule bids won. Don't let that stop you from putting them in, just keep it in mind. You'll be the most junior member of a crew of senior employees, who get first crack at the schedules. Don't be surprised if you end up with nothing but on-calls for the first month or longer. That means a lot of last minute travel. And that iworks to your advantage, because it's hard to find a more senior employee to pick up an International flight at the last minute, when someone else calls in sick. You'll make it to Europe more in your first year than any other time in your career; as you get seniority, you'll move from mostly on-calls to mostly set schedules but often on the less "desirable" routes.

You may have a little trouble adjusting to your new schedule after training. With all those on-calls, you'll end up with a lot of unexpected time off--- you're told you're off too late to make plans--- and that can be hard because it's too easy to just sit around the house and watch TV all day long. Make sure you have list of things to do, either around-the-house projects or fun things, and try to get into a routine when you're at home.

To entertain yourself while you're travelling, invest in a smartphone (Blackberry,Treo, etc) that gets Internet access. That keeps you from having to carry a laptop-- most airlines only let their FA's bring a single rollaboard, and the laptop will eat up too much space--- you can get the Internet on your smartphone. Movies are a good way to entertain yourself. When you land in a new city, get a copy of their "free weekly" paper--- every good-sized city has one, and it'll have listings for local bands and other events that appeal to younger folks.

As far as being away from home a lot... I travel a lot for work, too, and I spend a lot of time in hotels. It does get a little lonely sometimes. When you go for dinner or a drink, sit at the restaurant's bar and you'll have a better chance of striking up a conversation with your neighbors. Sushi bars and Japanese steakhouses are great for enjoying a dinner with strangers. If you can fit a travel game like the travel version of Scrabble in your carry-on, it's worth it-- a good way to get to know your co-workers and have some low-cost entertainment.

I hope I don't come off sounding negative--- it can be a great career, really! But there's some very real challenges and if you know about them ahead of time, you'll be better prepared to work around them and enjoy your travels as much as you possibly can!

Answer 2

Congratulations, you just joined one of the most underpaid customer service jobs there is.

The good news is, that while the pay isn't great, you will have the worse routes possible for a while, there are some great advantages.

First don't worry about the overwhelming feeling, it will pass quickly. The more seasoned attendants will bring you bring you under their wings. (pun intended)

You will quickly figure out, that it is like most any other job. You just have an aircraft for an office. As for the hotels... after a few weeks they all look the same.

The trick is to keep the excitement as long as possible. It's a big wide world out there, and if you play your cards right... you will get to see it.

While I'm not a flight attendant, I do work in aviation, and spend long periods away from home. There are several tricks to coping.

Pick a little favorite item from home. Something like a little framed picture, small stuffed animal most anything that is small and light weight. You will be surprised how it can make a hotel room feel like home.

A cell phone! If you lucky enough one day to get international flights, make sure it's an unlocked quad band. Feel a bit lonely, call a friend. Trust me you don't want to pay the hotel rates for phone calls!

Take a little digital camera and a small diary. Rather than hit the bar, write down your experiences of the day. Not only will this pass the time, you will enjoy going back and reading it years later!

Good luck, and may all of your flights be good ones.

Answer 3

You will be so tired after flights that you'll probably want to sleep. Flying internationally can be a drain until you adjust to Zulu time and live your life according to that. Jet lag can really get you. It will take time to adjust...
Expect to be put on reserve (not a lot of air hours) for the first year or so. Seniority does come into play.
If you are married/dating/attached prepare for some insecurity on both your parts. It's not easy to be away. But lots of pilots, attendants, FO's do it. Embrace being in different cities, seeing new places, etc.
GET A LAP TOP so you can email, send pictures, chat with the folks at home. That will also help you to find out what there is to do when you get a lay over.
Congrats!

Answer 4

Well done on landing the job! (no pun intended).

Do you have internet access capability on your cellphone ? - that could be a good way to keep in email contact with the family without having to lug a laptop round, or find an internet cafe in every far-flung port.

And get yourself some travel guides, or do a bit of internet research beforehand so you can make use of your time stopping over (if you have the energy!).

I'm sure you'll be having too good a time to miss anyone back home...

And lastly, dare I suggest that you actually try to give decent service to the fare paying public (unlike some of your jaded colleagues who seem to think the passengers are merely an inconvenience on the way to the next stopover/p***-up.)

Very best of luck 8-)

Answer 5

I think you need more advice on how to deal with people. Customer Service, which is essentially the main focus for a flight attendant, is never easy no matter how you look at it. I wish you the best of luck in dealing with people that have bad attitudes, don't know how to tip for alcoholic drinks, and have nothing better to do than complain.

"People are stupid, and the public sucks"...as George Carlin says.

As for being away from home...It'll probaby be rough, but maybe you can have a life in each city you get to visit, which could be awesome.

Answer 6

Did it for 3 years.

Learn how to eat and do things by yourself. - Most seasoned FA's want to go to the hotel bar, get drunk, and go to their rooms. Don't let that happen to you. Walk everywhere you can, don't drive. Talk to people. If you are able to do international flights, do it only! The culture of other countries will make you despise your own.

You are just a waiter in the sky, so don't think otherwise. It's the layovers that count.

You'll be poor for the first 5 years, so get used to it.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check your doors!!!

Good luck!

Answer 7

Firstly,congrat on your job

secondly,be prepared to be busy as a waiter in the sky(sometime a toilet cleaner too,hehehe)

thirdly,whatever it is you have to work with a smile all the time

Good Luck!!~

p/s:when you're busy 'flying' you won't feel being away and

missing your home so much(otherwise you won't take this

job,am I right?)

Answer 8

Pretty soon you will get used to it. You wont even notice you are in 10 different cities in a given day. Being in Phoenix Im assuming you are with America West?? You will see more cities from the window of your hotel room than anything. The biggest thing you will have to deal with are passengers who want the world. They are quick to critisize an airline if they are not happy, and of course you know its all our fault. If you work for an airline that flies Internationally, bid International the first chance you get. When you can work it into a few day off or vacation time, do it. The "senior mama's" are usually the ones with the long haul's because of the money, but get an International flight the first chance you get.

Be willing to work with the ground crew. Don't boss the gate agents or ground crew around thinking you are superior to them. We will work with you if you work with us. Always be willing to help out during turns. Even though there is a crew to come and clean the plane, dont be above picking up some trash or helping during what we call a "Power Turn". If the flight comes in late, be willing to help get it out of the gate ASAP! Many airlines are now requiring the cabin crew to help out. Yes you did your duty in flight, but you're still working and so are we. We have to deal with angry people wanting to know why it takes an hour or more to turn a flight. Sometimes ground crew can be busy when multiple flights come in at once or during diversion situations. Just keep a good attitude, even if you are tired and ready for bed...please keep in mind we all have a job to do and have to work together. No one is individual in the airline industry and we all rely on each other for successful turns. If the gate agents are short or are slammed working many flights or under a delay of any kind, if all cross checks are done and everything on board is ready, sometimes one of the FA's volunteering to pull boarding passes helps too. Just have a gate agent show you how, with many airlines having scanning systems, its easy to do. Just have them show you and Im sure they will be appreciative.

I worked for another airline for many years and it amazed me how the FA's were unwilling to co-operate when we (the gate agents) really needed to try to get the flight turned. Yes we understand you are tired, but the sooner we get you boarded, the sooner you can get home or get to bed. Keep a good attitude and dont feel that you are ever superior to the ground crew. We control that flight while its in the gate and if you piss off the wrong Gate Agent, it can make for a very long flight. Again while I speak from experience from another airline, the basic principles are the same for every airline. Gate Agents, Ground Crew and FA's all have to work together to keep the process moving.

If you get to some cities that you have interest in while on crew rest, get out and see them. Dont worry about having someone with you, you will be more independant than anything. But you will also have some crews that are like family.

You will always have the guy with a suitcase that wont fit overhead or someone trying to carry on something that is obviously too large or too many items. Be assertive and NEVER a doormat. Passengers always think this is a "The customer is always right" situation, but we have Federal Guidelines to follow and must inforce them to prevent fines. If the FAA catches an airline stowing articles that are oversized in the closets or someone has too many carry ons and we do not stop them, that is potentially a $10,000 fine. What ever you do, Dont let passengers walk all over you, they will try everything. Know your carry on guidelines and enforce them if it gets by a gate agent. Dont be afraid to confront a passenger before getting a gate agent or supervisor. If its a situation where you are uncomfortable, get the onboard leader or the gate supervisor.

Boarding time is not the time to bring up issues with lacking supplies. Do that once you get into the gate or once all passengers are off of the plane. Let the cabin service crew as well as the gate agent know so that we can make sure things are taken care of right away. Dont wait until the flight is almost done boarding to say, "Oh yeah, by the way, the lav's need to be serviced" or "We're totally out of ice."

When flying stand-by on your personal time, you can offer to help with boarding or help the in flight crew if you want or see the flight is delayed or the gate agents are slammed. When I had a non-rev FA ask if he or she could be of assistance I always took care of them giving them the best seat I could when clearing them, even if it was another airline's crew member. Know the dress code for flying stand-by for other airlines when you ID-75/90 and make sure you inform your friends and family of the rules when allowing them to travel on your passes or benefits.

These are all just my suggestions from my personal experience working for another airline. Your airline my have rules or say, "its the gate agents job to....." but all in all, we all work together to keep the flights going. Any kinks in the system can cause a ripple effect. Gate Agents remember the good and bad FA's. Give a nasty attitude once, and you will be remembered. Treat the agents and passengers as you would like to be treated or if they were family. Have a good sense of humor and dont wear your heart on your sleeve.

Good luck and welcome to the industry!!!

Answer 9

Well as you know expect turbulence. Maybe long hours. And definitely rude people. But look on the bright side you'll probably see new places. Congrats on your new job and i hope you the best.

Answer 10

Phone, call your family, talk, let them know about your life and find out about their's.

Learn to pack life and enjoy yourself. Do everything while you can, you never know when and if that opportunity will come around again.