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Employed by airlines to ensure safety, security and comfort aboard planes, flight attendants must be poised, tactful and resourceful individuals who are comfortable interacting with the public in confined spaces for an extended period of time. While perks include free time, discount airfares and traveling the world, flight attendants also work nights, weekends and holidays plus almost all of them initially start out on reserve or on-call status, only gaining preferred flight selection through seniority.
A flight attendant's total daily and monthly hours are determined by the agreement between her airline and the employee's union, but most airlines guarantee approximately 60 to 80 flight hours per month. Typically a flight attendant also acquires about 50 additional hours through plane preparation, report writing and waiting for flights to arrive.
Being eligible to become a flight attendant requires at least a high school diploma, but most airlines prefer a college education. Once hired, flight attendants go through three to eight weeks of training before they can be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In 2006, flight attendants held about 97,000 jobs, and the median annual earning was $53,780. While that might sound like a decent salary, take into account that the lowest percent earned less than $24,000 a year. -
Flight attendants are responsible for not only securing the passengers' comfort but also ensuring that safety and security regulations are adhered to aboard the plane. Since most people are unsure of all the tasks flight attendants are responsible for, some of their basic functions include:
• Keeping passengers comfortable throughout the flight;
• Ensuring that first-aid kits and other emergency equipment are in working order;
• Greeting passengers while boarding and exiting;
• Assisting with storage of carry-on items;
• Answering questions from passengers;
• Instructing passengers in safety procedures;
• Assisting passengers in the event of an emergency;
• Distributing food and beverages and listening devices for on-board movies or music;
• Helping those in need of assistance (small children and the elderly primarily);
• Taking inventory of alcoholic beverages and monies collected; and
• Reporting any medical issues, cabin equipment conditions, and lost and found articles. - Some flight attendants may develop medical conditions from irregular sleeping and eating patterns, excess stress and working in a pressurized environment and breathing recycled air.
- While flight attendants can have a stressful with irregular schedules and possibly low pay, they also get paid to travel the world. For those interested in seeing the world with their job or at least getting discounted airfare, a career as a flight attendant does possess quite a few perks.
- Safety related actions are the most important responsibility of an airline attendant. Comfort and care of passengers is secondary.
