What made you want to fly as Cabin Crew?

[timmcat]

Well, just wondered what it was made you choose this as a career - or indeed what keeps you motivated to do the job.

Particularly on short haul flights I've been on, it looks to be very hard work in cramped conditions, often unsociable hours and, by all accounts pretty poor pay. On the odd long haul I've experienced the FA's seem to have brief bursts of frenetic activity followed by long periods of boredom.

Does whatever attracted you to the job quickly wear off, or does the perceived 'glamour' remain throughout your career?

[sammyhostie3]

Well there is no "glamour" as you put it, the most glamrous bit of the day is when we board and disembark!

(At LGW we dont get to walk through the terminal so no pax see us!)

I started Cabin Crew because I thought it would be something I would enjoy, and I still do.

It is poor pay, and you do work your arse off on short haul, and then on long haul it can get quite boring sometimes.

I dont know why it is so addictive really, I think its the sensations of flight rather than the actual job itself. I mean pushinga cart about is not really a life ambition!

Apart form the safety aspect of our job (paramount) its not really demanding, (although the training is)
I just see it a s nice job, with a nice lifestyle, where I get paid to have a mince about with my friends.

It dosent suit people who come into it with all these minsconeptions though, it really is mainly tea, trolly's and toilets, although when an emergency happens we have to be a nurse/doctor/counsellor/policeman!

[Rabid Dog]

Lots of travel.
Perceived glamour.
Reasonably easy lifestyle.
Travel.
Public industry/hospitality.
Attractive colleagues (that was shallow, wasn't it!).
Chance to do something that I'd never before considered.
So, why did I leave? Something that I thought more attractive came up.

[flybywire]

Because I have always loved aeroplanes, especially big noisy sexy jets. :E
And also because I've always been scared of flying.....

YES believe it or not I decided to do this job to fight my fear of flying! Even after all this time, especially during very turbulent weather I still find it unsettling......I look very calm and confident (I have to for the poor passengers!;) ) but God only knows how my legs shake!!!
I know it's crazy, but it adds to the fun!!! :E

FBW:)

By the way, if I am on your flight be sure that you'll have bad turbulence. Even for just 30 seconds, but it will happen. I attract it like a magnet!!! :hmm:




**ten minutes to landing**

[ukjetbloke]

Got to agree with you Rabid Dog.....Lots of eye candy!!! :ok:

The airline I work for is one of the big UK charters and we do a mix of long and short haul.

--This summer I have done no more than 3 flights in a row between pairs of days off.

--You get to spend a week at a time on the beach in Mombasa and The Maldives, not to mention other lovely destinations, sunning yourself in the winter when the weather is not too good at home.

--Very good travel perks.

--6 weeks leave a year.

--You don't take your work home with you. Once the day is over, no matter how bad it was, that's it. Tomorrow is a whole new day.

Who wouldn't want to fly!!!! Yes, there are down sides but the pros far outweigh the cons. Happy flying.

"See you on a Glamour Jet soon" :}

[justinsane]

Having flown for four separate airlines in Canada I thought after many years of doing other things that I wanted to get back into it again.

I now live in London and so, applied to BA. Well, I got the job but after some serious consideration I turned it down. Why?

Unionized environments where promotion is based on seniority not merit.

Pay. If you're living at home with Mom and Dad, fine. If you're living with a handful of other crew, fine. If you're like me who live in the center of London in a beautiful home, my starting salary would barely cover my expenses.

Layovers. Who wants to be cabin crew without layovers? Not me. But as you get older, being away from home so often can be a lonely experience especially with a group of people you've only just met. Sometimes that's a good thing, other times it's CNN and a McDonald's ('cos you can't afford room service).

Passengers. After receiving my contracts I was fortunate enough to do some travelling. I really took a look at the **** crew were having to put up with on flights. I wouldn't talk to a dog in the way some pax were talking to crew. As a younger person I could abide it...but now, forget it. I'd be fired in a heartbeat!

[flybywire]

justinsane, I think you misinterpreted the original post. It asked what made you decide to be a cabin crew, not why you didn't want to do this job.

You sounded so pessimistic, I have to say that I find pax hard at times but hey at the end of the day you're the host and they're your guests, if you don't like the way they talk to you there's always a way to get them to respect you without being fired!!!!

Good luck in your new career.

FBW.

[justinsane]

one way of looking at it

[qfmike737]

I wanted the job so much and tried so hard to get in and now i'm flying in the dream job i've always wanted. It's such a simple question and you'd think with all the focus and hard work i'd be able to answer this quesion easily...and it' just so damn hard so here are some scribbled reasons why...

Have the opportunity to make people smile
Grow and become more culturally aware
Be proud to represent my company/nation and community
Fly and ride a jet!!! Crazy plane Buff (i'm one of those weirdos who take photos of planes and run outside the house when i hear one)
Work with really friendly people in teams and feel that team spirit

Oh and of course shopping

[SkySista]

Fly and ride a jet!!! Crazy plane Buff (i'm one of those weirdos who take photos of planes and run outside the house when i hear one)

Lol QFmike!! You sound just like me!!!

I'm not CC (yet, anyway :) ) but the main reasons I would do the job are:

a) I like people, and especially I like to help however I can
b) I like the idea of getting to travel and meet new people from different cultures
c) I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about planes and flying
d) it's the only way I'll ever fly in anything bigger than a Titan without being pax..... :{ (damn these stupid eyes... I want LASIK for Christmas! :p )

Though as my mother rightly points out, I'd probably make a crap CC because I'd want to be up the pointy end all the time, spend half the flight looking out the window, and take three hours to get from arrivals to crew bus (too busy looking at what planes are in particular port...) :E

Sky

PS - QFmike - I've been away from CC forum for awhile - glad to hear you're finally airborne with the rest of 'em! :ok:

[DUBXH]

Dudes !!! I love all types of A/C as the next person but there is a border of "Aerosexuality" and lads and ladies... your very close to that border..... Out with the Thermus flasks and Anoraks then.....

(all said in jest, please dont hate me)

[air-hag]

You don't take your work home with you. Once the day is over, no matter how bad it was, that's it. Tomorrow is a whole new day. So what do you actually achieve then? Other than a logbook full of meals served. I mean, at the end of 20 years or whatever...... I suppose it could be just a little harmless fun for a year or two. Is that it?

[qfmike737]

Skysister!

HEY BABE! ! I aint seen you in ages...begun to get worried about ya!

What have you been up to??? Have you done any interviews lately? I have got soooo many fantastic photos to show you!!!!

[SkySista]

You've got mail :)

Great topic TC, by the way - very interesting...

Sky

[jerrystinger]

What's the appeal of being crew (flight or cabin) nowadays? In the 60s and 70s it was glamourous, but now the conditions are:-
a jumbo/plane full of moaning/demanding paxs, waiting on people with no gratification, a cramped, dirty galley, trays of juices to the ceiling, vile jet lag while sitting on a crew seat at 2am with hours to go, crew rest in an area that is cleaned once a year, cosmic radiation, minimum rest downroute (24hrs in SYD/MEL...).....all in the name of cheap standby travel (praying you'll get on!). Please enlighten me.

[justinsane]

Good question Jerrystinger...please see my previous post above.

For youngsters it's great...for those who have been in the business for years it's also great as the pay can be substantial for not a lot of work.

For those people who are considering it as a third/fourth career move, think again for the points I've raised before.

[yellow rocket]

Beats working for a living :)

[justinsane]

yeah but some of us might like a few finer things in life...it's all very well to have free or ID90 tickets to wherever but one needs money when you get there!

[jerrystinger]

so yellow rocket....being at people's beck and call, serving chicken or beef x 1000/month, kissing a** in J class etc isn't working for a living? I sit back and you wait on me.......now that beats it!

Tea, please!:D

[jag_girl]

Hi all ,I think what you are all forgetting is the reason you started to fly has long gone out the window(pardon the pun) I think most would agree with me ,that it was" first the travel & glam "that you liked about the job.After years of doing it it becomes a way of life fo a lot of us .Not only the good but the bad as well.

[justinsane]

I for one can say that it wasn't the glamour that attracted me. I started flying with Air Canada on DC-9's and 727's...doing the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa runs...nothing glam about those I assure you!

My interest stemmed strictly from my love of airplanes. I sound like a geek in a mac now I'm sure but I've always loved planes...pure and simple. But equally, I've subsequently realised I've a brain too and slinging hash isn't challenging enough.

[Qansett]

Hey everyone..

It's my first time to join this forum. I would like to ask you a question why you want/like to be a cabin crew??

[littlemissmel]

hey if you go to page 3 of this forum, there is a similar topic.!!!