Flight Attendant – Career Advice

Flight attendants might look like they have one of the most glamorous jobs out there, but as with every position in the tourism sector there’s a heap of hard work going on behind the scenes.

It’s a customer service job. On a plane.

You’ll look after passengers, feed them and make sure they’re comfortable and happy from take-off to landing. There are also the legendary safety instructions to demonstrate and a host of other duties, including doing pre-flight checks, collecting boarding passes, handing out and taking any immigration forms required, keeping the plane clean in-flight and compiling flight reports. And when things don’t run so smoothly, you’ll be expected to deal with problem passengers, administer first aid and prepare for emergency landings.

Flight attendants must be good with people, be able to think on their feet, have bags of energy and be great team players. The shifts are irregular and the hours long, but you get to see the world – and air travel when you’re not working is either free or greatly reduced.

Attendants have to be at least 18 and with a valid UK or EU passport, in good health and able to swim. Most firms require at least four GCSEs (grades A to C) to include English and maths. Language skills will make you much more employable.

Different airlines might include other requirements such as an eye test or a ban on any tattoos visible while in uniform.

If accepted, you’ll be straight into an intense training programme covering areas such as first aid, safety procedures, food preparation and customer services. You’ll need to pass them all to qualify and start flying.

Other recommended resources:

Careers that Move
A great training resource for anyone interested in getting into passenger transport and travel services in the UK which includes budding flight attendants.

Flight Attendants News from the Huffington Post
A breakdown of the latest industry information provided by Huffingto Post.

Cabin Crew
An online blog community keeping flight attendants in touch with the latest news and information in addition career guidance. They also have a ‘Rooms for Crew’ section to help you find somewhere to rest your head on an overnight stay.

Travel Weekly
An online newspaper resource offering a breakdown of the latest travel trade information aimed at travel agents and tour operators, useful for keeping yourself updated on all the relevant sector news and the holiday and travel markets.