What are the downfalls of being a flight attendant/stewardess?

Question

im gonna be in college soon, and maybe i'll take up tourism, to be a FA so that i can travel the world. but i want to be really sure that i'm making a perfect decision that can affect the rest of my life. i've seen that good sides, now what are the bad?

Answer 1

First of all, should you be one of the lucky people choosen for the airline's training program, you will have to go to their training program. Depending on the airline, it will be anywhere from 4-8 weeks, maybe longer. Don't count on doing anything other than studying for the job. It is impossible to juggle it with anything else. There is no way you can attend college and FA training at the same time.
Second, if you complete the training program, and you make out onto line (think of training as a really long job interview, they can ask you to leave at anytime) you will generally be on what they call reserve. I have never heard of a airline that gives you a hard line right from the start. Being on reserve means being attached to your cell phone for your duty period everyday you are on. You are generally on for 10-20 days out of the month. People are generally on reserve for a minimum of 6 months. I've heard of people on for 10 years. Usually you can't pick your schedule for call days. Scheduling calls you and you have to report to the airport for your pairing trip. You could be gone for a few hours or for 6 days or anywhere in between. Unless you are taking your classes strictly online, you could never do that while going to school. If you're studying in your hotel room, you're not really "traveling the world". Besides a lot of times your layovers are only 12 hours, if it's a domestic flight.

I really think you would be better off going to school. A flight attendant has to be flexible. You have to always have a bag packed and ready to go at the drop of a dime. If you're in a relationship, it really puts on the strain.

As for the actual job duties it's not that bad. When I work, this is how it goes:

Crew scheduling calls, gives me my trip info and report time. I could have as little as 2 hours to be to the airport. I show up at the airport, sign in with scheduling, read my memos, meet my crew, sign in the log book, do a briefing, board the plane. Conduct my safety and galley checks, briefing with the flight deck crew, help people board, make announcments, do my passenger briefings, safety demo. Plane takes off. Tell people to sit down 150 times. Set up my cart, serve beverages, pick up trash. Pick up trash some more. Decend: Shades up, electronics off, seats upright, trays away, belted in. Land, push people off the plane, argue with catering and cleaning. Either I get off and switch planes or stay on for another leg. You could fly anywhere from 1-5 legs in a day. Go home or go to the hotel. Sleep, write reports if something went wrong, eat. Get up and do it all over again.

It's an exhausting job!

Answer 2

Your life would always be on the go. You would spend alot of time on the road er in the air. It would be hard to have a life revolve around that. Terrorism is a factor is safe flights now as well. Working on the holidays. Flight delays. Screaming kids, grumpy passengers, who knows what else.

Anyone who is or wants to be with you would have to be able to deal with you being gone alot. There would be many single serving meals, single serving friends, and many nights in a hotel/motel room.

Answer 3

The downfalls, how about the plane falling down out of the sky...so to speak.
Well I mean, really, flying is the safest form of travel...right?
Othere than that little personal fear of Mine, I think it may be great.
Like you said...Travel, see the World, meet interesting people...
Then again, I suppose the Flight attendant has to cleanup and colect the Barf Bags, occasionally help with Totally Freaked out Passengers, screaming kids...etc.
Thats about all I got.
Ohyeah, besides terrorist Hijackers.
But the President solved that problem after 9-11 right...ha ha.
DJ

Answer 4

1. jet lag/fatigue ----this is probably the number one problem for people who make their livings on planes

2. not the most impressive job in the world

3. sometimes being away from loved ones for very long periods of time, and not being able to rush home immediately if there is an emergency

4. have to wear the same outfit everyday

Answer 5

Bad:
-Life in danger every time your on that plane.
-Annoying people go on planes. They bug for everything.
-Walk up and down the aisles when the plane is moving. One sudden move, and you could like fall flat on your face. Embarrasment
-Fat people sit next to aisles, so you have to work your way around them
-People in the First Class are annoying.

Answer 6

the bad side is that you may get sick after awhile of being in high altitudes or you may want to quite. you can became very fedup withgg all the bossy pasengers or you might have to go on long flights and get real tired.....hope i helped

Answer 7

Well, there's the obvious risks involved;
but a life always on the go can be exhausting,
and the job seems like it could become tedious.

Answer 8

Having 50yr old guys getting drunk during the flight and hitting on you in obscene and perverted ways
Seriously
Even today it still happens
Sorry

Answer 9

having to put up with the same people for hours in the air...sometimes the people are a**es....

having to be on your feet for hours at a time...

being called last min to fill in for a crew that doesn't show up.

Answer 10

d obvious one..anyday might be your last...but at the end of the day that applies to everyone. Your just more susceptible.