How to Apply to Be a Flight Attendant

A neat appearance is important at your interview.

Flight attendants can regularly fly to exotic locations or work for regional airlines that service the smaller airports and generally stick to one section of the US. You will most likely need at least a high school diploma and be over age 21. Prior customer service skills may also be a prerequisite for the job.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• navy or black suit
• sensible shoes
• conservative hairstyle and makeup
• current and accurate resume
• a ready smile
• current passport/pending passport application

1. Visit the websites for airlines for which you would like to work. Usually, employment information is under "Jobs," "Careers" or in the "About Us" section. The online application is the easiest way to apply these days. Keywords are "flight attendant," "in-flight crew" and "cabin crew." Be honest on your application. Most airlines will run a 10-year FBI background check when they invite you to come to training.

2. Prepare for your interview in case you are called. The interview may be by phone, but most airlines will have you come to a face-to-face interview. Some major airlines may cover your travel to a face-to-face interview, but, generally, all hotel accommodations for interviewing are at your expense.

3. Arrive early to your interview and dress the part. Looking polished is a must for all airlines. The recruiter wants to see what the customer would see when you come to work. Women should make sure hair and makeup is neat. Men and women should wear a dark suit, sensible shoes and minimal jewelry.

4. Stress your customer service skills during the interview along with schedule flexibility and adaptability. Be yourself. The airlines recruit many different personalities so you don't have to try to be someone you aren't. There may be a group interview or exercise. Have fun with it and be sure to participate.

5. Expect to be invited to a training, if the airline finds you acceptable, either at the end of the interview process or at a later date. Don't stress if you don't get invited immediately. Sometimes the company is still firming up the hiring needs for the year or for various locations. If you do get invited to training, pick the earliest training date you can. Seniority is king in the airline business. If you don't get invited to training, apply again after six months or a year or to other airlines. The hiring process can be finicky, and sometimes you have to apply a few times to get in.

Tips & Warnings

• There are two categories of flight attendants: "Reserve" and "Lineholders." Lineholders have a set schedule every month. They can trade, drop or pick up trips and have some semblance of a real life. As a new flight attendant, you will most likely be on "Reserve." Reserves are attendants Crew Scheduling calls when a lineholder cannot make a trip. You have set days where you are on-call and days when you are free from duty.

• Hourly rates of pay can be low, especially considering that attendants get paid by flight hour, which means you are only paid from when the airline door is closed to the time it reopens. Your duty day may be 12 hours and your flight time may be seven.

• You will work weekends, holidays and odd hours.

References

• Continental Airlines: Flight Attendant Positions
• Cabin Crew Jobs: Minimum Qualifications to Become a Flight Attendant