What Is Flight Attendant Training Like?

Becoming a flight attendant is a dream that many people share. The thought of being able to travel the world and getting paid to do so is a major attraction to the position. Getting hired at an airline isn't an easy task. The high attraction to the position creates a high level of demand and competition, but for those select few who make it through--the harder challenge of flight attendant training begins.

Pre-Class Work

After being selected to attend training most airlines will send you a "pre-training" packet. Inside you'll find information about what the dress code for training will be, attendance standards, testing regulations, and most importantly, the information needed to pass your first exam. Airlines generally include a list of the airport city codes that the carrier flies to in addition to a small tutorial on the 24-hour clock and sometimes a few announcements to be memorized. This information is generally tested on within the first few days of training

Testing

The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have worked together to create the airline flight attendant testing standards. Generally, as a flight attendant trainee, you're required to pass every test with at least a 90%. In the event you fail an exam (below 90%) you're permitted one retake per exam with a limit of three total retakes throughout training. No retakes or additional chances will be give on those exams that are not written, such as door evacuations and emergency equipment comprehension.

Door Evacuations

One of the most stressful and important parts of flight attendant training is the door evacuation drill. In the event of an emergency flight attendants are responsible for the safe evacuation of each and every passenger. Flight attendant trainees must learn exact verbiage to instruct passengers on what to do in an emergency situation,; these are called your "commands." Before graduating training, each trainee must be sit in an aircraft simulator and conduct an evacuation. Although a substantial amount of practice time is alloted for, this is still the most stressful and eye-opening event a flight attendant trainee will experience.

Company and FAA Regulations

Throughout training you will be taught the airline's specific policies and procedures, which you will find are based on the Federal Aviation Administration regulations. These policies and procedures are the foundation of your day-to-day job. They include everything from how long you're allowed to fly to what your shortest layover time can be. In most cases the airlines regulations are more than what the FAA regulation requires. For example, the FAA says the shortest layover a flight attendant can have is eight hours a night, but the airline's regulation states the shortest layover is nine hours. This ensures the airline will never break the FAA's standards.

Service Standards

Aside from regulatory duties, flight attendants are there to ensure each and every passenger enjoys their flight experience. Each airline has developed their own onboard experience that they want their passengers to receive. These standards are taught to you through service training. Information such as onboard food, beverages and entertainment are taught and the order in which the airline hopes to see these accomplished is relayed.

References

• Up Up & A Gay
• The Flying Pinto

Resources

• Bureau of Labor Statistics--Flight Attendants