Flight Attendants

The opportunity to travel attracts many Flight Attendants to their career. That opportunity comes with serious responsibilities for the safety of passengers and other airline personnel. Flight Attendants greet passengers, help them find their seats and stow their bags… serve meals… and cope with turbulence, airsickness, and disruptive travelers. To keep passengers safe, flight attendants also instruct passengers in the use of equipment like seat belts and oxygen masks, and are ready to help passengers evacuate in an emergency landing. Flight attendants work nights, weekends, and holidays —especially early in their careers, because more experienced staff usually fly the most desirable routes and schedules. A high school diploma is generally required to enter the field. While each airline has specific requirements, in general, candidates should be in excellent health, able to speak clearly, and be willing to relocate. Travel experience, customer service skills, and speaking a foreign language would all be an advantage. Candidates could expect several weeks of concentrated training and many months of serving as a substitute attendant before working full time. This career requires confidence, reliability and graciousness— because for most passengers, the flight attendant is the face of the airline.