Originally Posted by
elivassileva
What are advantages and disadvantages of this profession?
I'm sure many wannabies like me, think that this job is adventurous and interesting...but still there are many disadvantages...that only experienced cc can tell us about...???
Plusses:
1. Seeing the world
2. Free or reduced travel, major discounts for airline employees at hotels, car rentals, resorts, shopping around the world, etc.
3. Flying to sunny destinations on a whim during the winter months.
4. Being perceived in a glamourous career.
5. Knowing that you have the ability to administer first aid, do CPR, get a heart pumping again, put out a fire, inflate a life raft, and evacuate an airplane in 90 seconds or less.
Cons:
1. Seeing the world with no friends or family to go along, but with other crewmembers, some of whom you would rather push off of a cliff sometimes. Trips with friends and family need to be planned for, they can only go when everyone else in the world can go (weekends and holidays), and travel is on standby--you may get on the flight or not. Does not work well with more than one other person going with you.
2. Free or reduced travel, discounts for employees, shopping around the world, WITH NO MONEY IN YOUR BUDGET TO DO SO, because of the low pay.
3. Flying to sunny destinations on a whim during the winter months, when everyone else is and the planes are packed.
4. Realizing that the glamourous part of the career only consists of walking through the airport in uniform with your crew, or doing the emergency demo (if the aircraft doesn't have a video).
5. Knowing that you have the ability to administer first aid, do CPR, get a heart pumping again, put out a fire, inflate a life raft, and evacuate an airplane in 90 seconds or less, BUT NO ONE IN THE CABIN RECOGNIZES THIS.
6. After two or three years, the same-old, same-old. How many times can you tolerate someone responding "what do you have ?," after you have asked politely "would you care for a beverage?" and have 200 other passengers to get to.
7. After two or three years, no longer being thrilled by a free hotel room on layovers and you don't care if you are at a five-star Sheraton, Hilton, Crowne Plaza, Marriott, DoubleTree, or whatever, you just want a room that doesn't smell like smoke, has decent pillows and isn't near the ice machine.
8. Many airlines don't serve much of anything anymore, taking away a lot of "challenge" you may have had from providing good service. Pillows, blankets, magazines, full meal service, after-meal mints, kiddie wings, etc. have all gone away. The airlines just care about making money any way that they can during flights.
Finally, the job is not for those who want to learn more educationally, you have to do that on your own outside of work.