Cabin Crew - What's it really like?
 

Looking for some advice please ...

In the back of my mind I've always wanted to be a member of cabin crew. Tried with a major airline years ago, 4 years runnning, each year getting through all the stages of interview but unfortunately receiving that awful letter of rejection :*

I currently have a very good office job, with great salary and benefits.
Have a place on an assessment day with a major airline very soon.
My family are all saying go for the interview but you won't like it, constantly flying, it will be boring, vast salary drop, body clock being constantly messed up, etc, etc, Plus I've had a DVT.

The reasons I want to fly are because it's not the daily 9-5 routine, you work with lots of different people, and every day is different. I know I can call the airline before my assessment day and ask what the chances are of being accepted, if I am successful on the day, and then go on to have a medical, and they find out about my DVT. Obviously DVTs are from sitting without moving, which I wouldn't be doing.

For those of you that are cabin crew, I guess what I'm asking is, is it a job you really love? Do you have any regrets? I know only I can decide, but would just be good to know from some of you that may have had good office jobs with good salaries and have made the move.
Many thanks.

Flying is like a disease with no cure (in a good way!) - for those of who catch it Properly, there is no cure except flying for a career. I love it - every single day. Of course, like any job, there are days when you think "will this ever end" but there is never a day when I genuinely dislike my job. It will be a massive salary drop for you, but compare that to lifestyle and then decide if its right for you. I was always that kid who would press his face against the window at the airports watching aircraft land & takeoff, face full of excitement - and I have apparently had 'itchy feet' since I was able to walk - so its a perfect match for me!

No regrets, after 6 years I still love it - have done both Short Haul and Long Haul - and will be flying for many many years yet.

Go for it :ok:

I completely agree. Cabin crew is not just a job its a way of life and once in your system its hard to get it out! Sure, you will have bad days but you will get that in any job. You may get nasty passengers once in a while, but hey you will probably never see them again. Once your day is over that's it, your feet might hurt and your make up has slid to your chin, but you can go home safe in the knowledge there is no pile of paperwork waiting for you the next day.

My advice is go for it, loads of airlines are recruiting so don't limit yourself to one, try the charters and low cost also, its all great experience. I have been flying for 8 years, took a break and now hoping to get back to the life I love!!

Life Style !!
 

Yes, I joined for a couple years to have a bit of fun and then return to the "real world" !

After 28 years, I'm still here .... It's really just an interim thing!!

Daughter asked me: "When did you decide on what career path to choose?"
My answer: "When I work it out, I'll let you know".

In other words, go for it, you won't regret it.

Thank you, I really want to do it :)

I'm thinking I'd prefer long haul over short haul. Obviously there are various different options with airlines. Would you go for Qantas UK who just go to Bangkok, Sinapore and Hong Kong, or would you go for someone like Virgin who offer more variety?

Both Virgin and QFUK have their good points. Personally, I think you're better off at Virgin purely for the variety however being dual based can be a bit of a chore.

Have you considered a charter airline? You get to do both long and short haul, with some pretty good trips that you wouldn't get on a scheduled carrier. Money is generally better too.

Go for it
 

Oh guys your making me think now...

After 8 years as cabin crew i decided i'd had enough and wanted my feet back on the ground, so i've just got myself a nice little job and resigned from my airline a few days ago and leave in 3 weeks.

I had always wanted to be an "air hostess" from a very young age and NEVER regreted making that move, even though it meant moving houndreds of miles away from family and friends. You will meet so many people and i have made the closest of friends from flying.

I think my flying "bug" just gradually flew away and i really started to hate it, but who knows, i may be back!!

My advice is go for it, otherwise you may regret it when you get to old and past it :}:eek:

PB, I left flying after XX years. It took me about 3 months before I was applying again to airlines, I missed it so much but then when I did start flying again, I remembered what it was about flying that got to me in the first place. For me, it was the limitations that come with the job. You can't really progress beyond SCCM. Once you've done that, that's it, at least at my airline. I've dabbled in recruitment and training but again, they are pretty much limited positions, especially when it comes to earnings.

Personally, I needed more, so I'm now doing a degree and working in management for a legacy carrier but everyday, when I see our aircraft, I kinda wish I was flying somewhere.

I flew for about 5 years.

I did enjoy it while I was doing it, but now, I don't bother looking back.

I remember after I had handed in my resignation I had to do a red-eye starting at about 10pm and going through about 6am. I remember thinking that if I ever thought I missed doing this job after I left, I would remember back to that time and how horrible I felt. I would have done anything to not get on that flight, the only reason I didn't call in sicj was because the flight was taking me directly home!

Also, a couple of weeks ago I got on a flight with the carrier I used to work for. Caught up with some old friends during the flight and was thinking "Man, this was a lot of fun" which it was. But then, about 10 mins before landing, mid-descent, some kid projectile vomits all-over the 2 rows infront.:eek:

I don't miss it. The social side, yes, but the reality of the job, definatley not!

Not trying to talk you out of it, it's a good job. I'm just being objective.

Have fun, if you do end-up getting in, it will be a cool experience if nothing more. :ok:

Go for it! You won't regret it.
And when the long haul gets to much after a decade, try charter flying, also GREAT fun.
Enjoy.
Zabian

I would agree with everyone's advice - just go for it and try it. You might love it to bits, you might decide it's not for you. But the best thing about it will be that you tried it, and you will have learned someone about yourself (hopefully). I flew for 10 years, and now am an academic researching aspects of cabin crew communication and social identity construction. I learned that I loved the freedom, but that after a while, it was isolating, and time for me to settle down. Also, my former employer was changing work rules, and cutting salary and benefits, which contributed to me deciding the job was not worth it for me. Ultimately, you will come to your own conclusions, but will have hopefully seen a lot of the world and made some good friends along the way. Best of luck!

Hey Sinala- I think I may have found the cure.......;)

:ok: - Forget the money think NIKE (Just do it!)

Born to fly - fly to shop!

Yes Smile, but no matter how much I practice - I just don't have the god given ability to give birth to one of those cures! :}

Graduate
 

Hi,
I am due to graduate this summer and i was thinking about applying to be cabin crew after that. I know my family will not be happy if i even apply as they will consider it a waste of my degree and not a very settled life. What i wnt to know is has anyone that has graduated gone into the cabin crew industry?
Also is the low pay worth it?

Thanks

Rachel

Rachel
 

There is definitly nothing wrong with going down the cabin crew route after completing your degree. Infact thats exactly what the recruitment officers who I met at EK did, finished their degree and joined EK and are now Recruitment officers for the company. It is all up to you at the end of the day, if it's what you want to do then thats all that matters surely. Exactly what I am doing....finished my degree this summer and now getting ready to fly out to join EK as cabin crew in January!

Working for an airline surely beats working 9-5 at Tesco's...

;)

It's really up to you and where you interests lie. I can see where your folks are coming from, especially if THEY paid for you education. Perhaps you could fly for a while and get it out of your system and then move on. If you decide you like being crew, you will need your degree to move beyond being senior crew, so in that respect, your studies wouldn't be wasted.

in answer to your question, i left uni 14 years ago and went flying 'just for a couple of years'. still have not left as I love the lifestyle! there is no doubt the money isn't great to begin with but then it really depends on the airline you join. as a junior you can expect to take home anywhere from £1000 to £1800, dependant on the airline. charter airlines tend to do longer trips than the main carriers (ba and virgin) but you are not guaranteed to get them. with a charter airline you will generally operate lots of shorthaul before getting longhaul flights. for example, my friend has been with a well known charter airline for 6 years and gets 1 longhaul a month mixed with lots of shorthaul. when she gets a couple of trips she earns £1900/month, on shorthaul only she earns £1200. that said, as a senior crew member I normally take home £2300, not a fortune but ok money. hope that helps x

I have to echo what others have said: it gets into your blood. After all these years, I still enjoy most of it. Sure, there's bad days but I have more good times than bad. And it's not for everyone. Flexibility and the ability to maintain a sense of humor at the worst of times is mandatory!

It's nice to not work with the same people in the same place all the time. Sometimes it's hard being away from home at special times. But that's when crew bonding really sets in. I remember one Thanksgiving when I was far away from home in some hateful hotel and the whole crew got together and made the best of it. We laughed so hard over dry turkey sandwiches and had the best time in spite of it all.

Cabin crew are a special breed, I think. Most of my "normal" friends just don't understand it. There's nothing like a good jumpseat confession to solve the world's problems.

I know I will have to leave soon and it fills me with sorrow. I don't know if I'll fit in so well in another job.

Dea

Flying
 

I was a flighty from the age of 20 and flew for 2 years. I left at the start of this year due to ear problems that prevented me from flying anymore. I miss the people very much, and also the job, but I think back to getting up at 0400 and I dont miss that part!!

I did like how every day is different, and also the team work. I am working in a hotel now and alot of the time I am by myself at the desk, and I miss having someone to chat to.

I would say go for it, the job isnt for everyone, and it does take a toll on your body, so you do have to look after yourself. I had a great time while I flew, and the past month or so I have really missed it!!!

Star84

They kinda did, i have a student loan and i get some money a month from family and dad pays rent (so i dont end up in to much debt!) I just think i will never know if i dont try it, does it get boring after a while?
Do recruitment people still fly? is it a lot better pay?
dea why do you have to leave?
Star84 where the ear problems due to flying?

Sorry for all the questions!

Rachel

Hi Rachel. It might not directly help you but this was my experience. I'm half way through my degree at the moment and almost left to go into flying but decided to get my degree then do it. At the end of the day I would still have my degree if I didn't enjoy the job although I hope I will one day. When I told my family I was going to apply to be cabin crew after uni I got mixed reactions. My dad wasn't impressed and my mum thought it was great that I would travel and see places.

The bottom line though at the end of the day is that you will still have that degree, done the job and if you enjoy it, great. If not, you tried it and won't ever look back and think, if only! While its not easy doing something that you think your parents won't agree with its your decision and life here and I'm sure they will still be there for you.

hey rachel,

I had problems with my ears when I was little and had grommets for a while, but nothing while I was a teenager, then as soon as I started flying BOOM, I got 2 ear infections a month and almost burst my eardrum a few times. The doctor told me that if I kept putting the pressure on my ears every day, I would eventually either go temporarily deaf or do dammage that could last the rest of my life. It was a really hard decision, but I just couldnt keep flying. But it was a dream I had for a long time, and Im glad that i got to do it so young!! :)

I flew for qatar airways 5 years ago..I miss the whole lifestyle..meeting new crew daily, visiting new countries etc. It's never boring and can be exciting, challenging, hard work and tiring. I loved every minute of it. I was like you, in that I would apply for cabin crew jobs, get to the final stage and get rejected. I was so dispondent that my friend forced me to apply for qatar airways. I reluctantly went to the interview thinking that i wouldn't get it as i'd never got any of the others, maybe it was cos i was so relaxed, confident and not sweating with desperation that made me get the job. Even if you try it for a year at least you can say you did it before it's too late like me, a wife and mother now!!!!!!!!! :bored:

Hi

Just read your message and thought i'd add my points.

Since the age of 9, when i took my first trip on an aeroplane (Virgin) to Florida, i have wanted to work for them. No other airline but them? I am now 24 and in August, i decided to apply, I wanted to apply many years before but certain things had stopped me from doing it. I applyed online, and was invited to an an interview 2 weeks later. I went to the interview and passed and start my training with them on the 14th January 2007.

I am currently a Supervisor in a customer service office and have been for the past 5 years. I am currently earning around 19.000 pa and know that i will be taking a big pay cut working for Virgin. However, this is something that was once a dream i thought would never come true so the money isn't an issue seeing as i have wanted this for such a long time. The places i will see and the people i will meet will more than make up for the money cut plus i cannot see that i will be spening as much as i do now.

If this is something you really really want, i would say to go for it. Follow your heart and make your dreams come true as i have. As i have found in the past, if i have had money troubles, something has always come round and sorted me out?!

I would 110% say to go for it.

Good Luck

x

I finished uni early to start my job as cabin crew. I still graduated with a 2:1 degree, and everyone at work always asks me when I'm going to leave to pursue a career that is degree-related. But I want to be cabin crew for a living. I have always wanted to do it and it makes me happy!! If i went into a career in media, i would be miserable. Uni is never a waste of money if you don't use your degree because you learn so much about life and being responsible at uni. Sure, you will have a loan to pay off but I'm only in my second season as cabin crew (as a senior) and earning enough to start paying it back! do it!!!

Cabin Crew a Good Career Choice?
 

Hi!just found this interesting site and I am so glad to actually start a new thread.

I am just wondering on how nice it is to work as a Cabin Crew. I have been in the hospitality for quite some time and mostly hotels. I am trying to make a move though as a Cabin Crew as I find the hotel thing a little bit boring.

Can you tell me on how it is to be a Cabin Crew? I mean how is the work, the life, benefit (perks attached)?

Hope you provide us with a very good information about this.

Thank you and looking forward for it.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=298815

You might want to try searching prior to starting a new thread. good luck:cool:

There are far worse jobs out there than being crew! You never know till you try.

And far better ones.

hmm working five days a month (I am in December) and will end up with about 1800 after tax....

Show me a legal job where you can earn that for that amount of work... :rolleyes:

Well it depends what your priorities are. If its time off and money then sure flying may be for you.

If its job satisfaction then you're probably not going to find that giving out chicken and beef for a living.

This job is suitable for some and for some people, their worst nightmare.

Only you can decide about what to do. I would say though, that forget what your family might say. I was told at a young age when I announced that I wanted to become a hostie - "to get an education and a proper job". (:eek:)

So I went off to school, college and uni, and guess what? I've been flying for nearly 10 years and I'm still loving it! I did it because I wanted to fly and travel and a little part of me wanted to prove that side of the family wrong.

Depending which company you decide to go for, you can get promotion to purser, sccm, cabin service director, cabin manager, whatever you decide to call them. Some companies actively recruit office staff from their flying staff as well, such as performance managers.

The world is your oyster. You decide what to do with your life. Good luck with your decision and applications if you decide to go for it.

Best wishes,
Gg

Thats a very sweeping generalisation to make, one that sounds like its made based on your own personal job dissatisfaction!

Each person looks for something different in their jobs, and each job is what you make of it. For example, a friend of mine gets great job satisfaction from being an auditor for an accounting firm. She works her ar$e off, but earns great money. Personally, I can't think of anything more mind-numbingly, fist-eatingly boring!

Its each to their own. I have been flying 6 years so far, which at this stage doesnt constitute a "career", but I will re-open this thread in 20 years time - when I expect, and hope, to still be flying - and talk about the Job Satisfaction my career has given me then.

:ok:

First of all I want to say thanks for all the useful info people have been putting on this thread, it's really helping me to come to a decision about my career path!

I was having doubts about applying to be Cabin Crew because of my age, I know 24 isn't old but I was into thinking that it would all be younger, fresher people applying for jobs.
I wanted to be part of a cabin crew when I was a bit younger but dismissed it as just a fantasy as I went to quite a prestigous girls school and there was a lot of pressure on us to go to University. So i went to University, had a blast, got my degree and ended up working a number of menial jobs, in sales, admin and more recently web development. Since I graduated 2 years as well as working odd office jobs I also did 2 ski seasons which gave me an amazing opportunity to work in face to face customer service with guests and its got me thinking again about applying to do cabin crew.

At first I thought my family would be against it but I was surprised at how keen they are for me to do it. I have an inkling theyre after cheap flights but they also could see how I wasn't enjoying IT.

Im really looking forward to start applying, i know there'll be a few knock backs but iv been rejected from plenty of job interviews so know how to pick myself up again!

I'm jsut wondering if anyone has done a cabin crew diploma course and if it's worthwhile doing? I've seen a number advertised at various prices so if anyone has done one they could recommend I'd appreciate you letting me know!!

sorry for the super long thread, good luck to everyone applying for jobs!

cabin crew dipoloma course
 

I'm cabin crew at the moment, and not one of my colleagues has ever taken one of these courses... in fact i have never met anyone who has been on one. So no i don't think they are beneficial.

Secondly, whats all this talk about low pay and low salaries? I have been crew for 1 year now, and in that first year i earned £24,000... i dunno what some of you think is good or bad salaries but i think thats good! added on top that you pay much less tax on your earnings, get great travel benefits, and only work on average 80 hours a month and get 30 days annual leave. I think thats a great package, you would have to work double that in an office job, and probably come out with less.

as for job satisfaction, i get buckets every day that i fly, just can't beat it! never again will i go back to 9-5 mundane jobs!

Hey easynick, just wondering what airline you work for? I presume easy jet from your name?? I'm currently thinking about leaving my degree in brighton and apply for BA LGW... but the money is my main worry at the moment?? The basic of £10,000 wouldnt cover my rent!... (well it would, but only just).. however if what you say is correct, £24,000 is definitely do-able... I'd feel comfortable with anything above £18,000 really

Kip_smyth, the thing about those cabin crew diploma courses is that they dont actually guarantee you a job. No-one in my company has done a course. at the end of the day, airlines are going to hire the person with the best personality, customer service experience etc than the person who has done an airline course.
Im glad youve decided to apply for airlines though, thats fantastic! Its great that you are preparing yourself for some knock-backs too...so many people give up after their first knock-back. just stay positive! And you never know, this time could be it!
Goodluck x

I gave up an $80,000 package as an office worker and have never regretted a moment of that. I even had the chance to go back this year and decided no thanks. What are you really giving up? Life under flourescent lights, a grey cubicle with a view of the kitchen and every visitor to your department asking silly questions like "do you know where the sugar is?"

Oh wait! You won't have to give any of that up at all...:}

What are you waiting for?