Have you ever thought about...

[Novelista]

...becoming a flight attendant?

 

 

When I was in high school, my best friend and I talked about it from time to time, because her aunt was one. (Of course, Nicole and I met pre-9/11, when airlines still gave attendants flight vouchers they could share with family.) I've thought about it from time to time, especially since I learned three years ago that a girl I knew from school (and church, when I still went) was an attendant. (I found out because her mother came into the store where I was working and filled me in...her mom was buying her a blender to use at the "crash pad" the airline kept in Florida.)

 

I know it would be long hours and passengers are tough, but I think it would be kind of interesting, too. I started applying for a position a few months ago (I don't remember which of the airlines), but I got partway through and they were like, "We don't pay you until the (X) point in your training" and I closed out the window. I'm willing to live in another state (even another country) while training, especially since they're probably paying room and board, but no pay? What am I supposed to do if I need shampoo or want to buy candy or (should there be time) go out to dinner? :P

 

Anyway, I'm considering it again. I'm going to try to apply to Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran, because those are the best-rated airlines to work for, according to Forbes. I'm probably going to check into foreign airlines, too, since I'd be willing to work for...*picks a few off Wiki* KLM or British Airways if they're willing to fly me out to interview me and put me up during training. (I don't know how I'd afford a passport, but as my mother has always been fond of saying, "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it."

 

 

So would you do it?

[Lia Seeya]

I would really like to travel, and life as a flight attendant does sound cool, but I probably wouldn't opt for it. First, I'm pretty short and I think would probably fail height requirements right off the bat! Haha! There's also the whole dealing with troublesome passengers, especially ones that won't accept that some airplane rules are there for their own safety. :\

 

But, if it's something you really want to pursue, totally go for it! :D It sounds like a great way to see the world, and make friends with people from all sorts of countries. Have to considered Singapore Airlines? I've heard that they're one of the best in terms of in-flight cabin crew. Or maybe Air New Zealand, their in-flight safety videos are HILARIOUS.

[Novelista]

*adds those to her list*

 

I figured it would be worth a shot. I'm done with school for the time being (too many dead-end majors and other issues), so now would be the time to go out and try Something Absolutely and Completely Different. :D

 

I forgot there are height requirements (because of the jumpseats, I think?), but I'm 5'5" (165.1cm for you metric folks), so I should be fine. :P

[siniri]

I wouldn't, because I'm a terrible flyer -- I get headachy and cranky. But I've had acquaintances who were, and they enjoyed it. My mom worked for an airline at the ticket counter and eventually customer service (i.e., where people go when they have a complaint, such as lost luggage). It was only the latter job where she had to deal with cranky people all day, every day that it dragged her down.

 

I have a friend who's a pilot. He doesn't really get to play tourist much when he's traveling because he's usually sleeping before he has to fly again, but he does get to travel for cheap. His schedule is haphazard -- he works some days, is on call for other days (including Christmas -- which of course meant he had to work), and then sometimes has up to 5 days off in a row.

 

I think you should go for it if you really think it's something you would enjoy, and you like customer service. How long is the training period? My mom's lasted a few days, because she had to learn all the airport codes, etc. I can't remember if she got paid during it or not; I thought she did.

[Lia Seeya]

*adds those to her list*

 

I figured it would be worth a shot. I'm done with school for the time being (too many dead-end majors and other issues), so now would be the time to go out and try Something Absolutely and Completely Different. :D

 

I forgot there are height requirements (because of the jumpseats, I think?), but I'm 5'5" (165.1cm for you metric folks), so I should be fine. :P

 

Go for it! It's great to do something totally different to shake things up, especially if it's something you have a passion for. :D

 

I think the height requirements are also for the overhead luggage storage, so that you can easy reach it and store/retrieve luggage. As a 5'3"/160cm person, I barely reach those. Maybe in heels. :P

[Novelista]

Yeah, I've never had a problem with reaching the overhead bins. Last time I flew was '08 and I could grab my purse with relative ease. :)

 

Siniri, I'd like to work at an airline call center (especially since I got my travel agent cert about eight years ago), but I don't know of any nearby. (Probably the nearest is Chicago, which is a whopping four hours away!) So this will do nicely. (If it does at all!) Quite different from a desk job. ^_^

[Shelley]

I have such a phobia of planes, it's really bad :/ it's not even a fear of heights, I think the views are gorgeous! definitely not a job for me (especially paired with my travel anxiety and crohn's disease haha). But my mom really wanted to be a flight attendant when she was younger. It was her dream to become a flight attendant and marry a pilot. well that never happened XP

 

I find it amazing that one minute you can be on one side of the country eating lunch and a few hours later be on the other side for dinner. I wish you luck in your flight attendant endeavors :) do what makes you happy and worry about the money later ;)

[Novelista]

I have IBS, Shel, but I like traveling a great deal better when I'm carrying a bathroom around with me. :D

 

I think I'm not afraid of flying because my parents started me so young. (I flew once and all I could "see" out of my mind's eye was the plane spinning like barrel rolls, but that must have been a bad mental health day or something, because that's the only time that's ever happened.) Plus, it feels a lot more secure than a rollercoaster; which, with my fear of heights, I am afraid of! (Although sometimes I'm willing to bite the bullet. When we went to Cedar Point, I used to ride the Iron Dragon all the time, but hated riding anything else. Go figure!)

[Snowbell]

I may have but going through scanners everyday is too much radiation. It might not be healthy sadly.

[Novelista]

That's actually one thing I don't know...whether staff has to go through full body scanners every day or what. You'd think yes, but then you'd think that would be unhealthy, as you said. I've always seen flight staff on the business side of security, so I've never thought about it.

[nightfall8705]

I'd consider it just for the travel experience alone, but that's just me. I've never even been on a plane before, but there's so much out there to see. It could end up being one of those unforgettable experiences in life. You'll never know if you don't go for it!

[blueberrykiwi141]

I have thought about it, I thought it would be very exciting! Also, why not think about trying a cruise line, maybe? I have thought about that also! Since you make money and they pay for room and board. :)

[Novelista]

I thought about it a while back, Corrine, but with the rampant illness/ship problems lately, I'm not as "into" the idea as I used to be. :P

 

(I used to wonder how everyone on the boards knew each other's names, but then I finally realized, "Hey, you could look at the name on their Neopets profiles!" :laughingsmiley: )