Jordan
Toronto, ON
Female, 28
Space Waitress, Trolley Dolly, Stewardess...everyone has their own term for us. We are the baby-sitters, life-savers, servers, cleaners and all-around problem solvers for any and every in-flight issue. Sometimes we get a bad rep for being apathetic and miserable despite having what looks like a glamorous job, so here's a peek into the gritty details beneath the shiny surface to explain why the job - though incredible in lots of ways - is more than just snappy uniforms and matching luggage.
From what I can tell, flight benefits vary from airline to airline, and it's at the company's descretion to decide what to offer. While it doesn't seem to matter if the airline flies domestically or internationally, whether or not the airline is a charter or not will. Charter airlines, those that sell their seats through a vacation packager or travel agency, typically cannot offer standby travel to their employees because their seats have already been purchased by that third party.
My suggestion is to research each airline in which you have an interest, and go from there! Some will definitely offer extremely discounted/free flights for you, your spouse, children under a certain age (~21), and even your parents. Others may instead give you a specific number of passes per year to give to whoever you like, or a travel companion whom you can re-designate a few times per year. There are a lot of options - the airline I work for conducted a poll to see how the employees were using the flight benefits and subsequently adjusted them to be even better last year - and it's definitely something worth exploring before pursuing a job.
Also keep in mind that most airlines that offer travel benefits will do so for all full-time employees, not just crews, so don't feel restricted to join the inflight department if you could be a great fit in the airports or offices!
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You're right - normally the cabin crew would need the command from the flight deck to initiate an evacuation, but if there is an obvious need - ie the safety of the passengers has been comprimised - the flight attendants can make that decision independently. We must always attempt to communicate with the pilots first, either by using the interphone or by gaining access to the flight deck, but if that doesn't work or the pilots are incapicated... or worse... the flight attendants will just start their shouted commands and get everyone off the plane.
It's a worst-case scenario, but if smoke appears in the cabin and there's signs of fire, or if the plane has landed on water and it's obvious that it's no longer safe inside the aircraft, we will get everyone out as soon as possible! We are the pilot's eyes and ears in the cabin, and they may not know what's going on which is why we have the right to begin an evacuation without their command. Great question, thanks!
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Well, the airlines won't thank me for saying so, but sure! It's a great experience to try and say that you've done it. But don't blame me if you say you'll stay for a year and end up staying ten. I see it All the time. It's just an addictive lifestyle!
Just be prepared that it can be quite a drawn out ordeal to get hired (sometimes 3 interviews and, in my case, a 7 month wait until a training slot became available) and the training is no joke. It's about a month long with a huge amount of information being thrown at you, and roughly 1/3 of that month will start with a pop quiz first thing in the morning. It might be hard to be motivated to get through training if you only plan to stay for a year and you're not that passionate about it. But like I said, you may end up liking it more than you expected, in which case it's a great investment of your time!
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It's not a stupid question, and yeah, they sure can! Whether or not you want to disclose that to your co-workers is up to you (but good luck trying to hide it, word gets around FAST). I've worked with several married couples, either both pilots, both FAs, or one of each, in fact many such couples try to get the same shifts so that they can work together. It's not hard to see why - when you have a nice layover you can share it with someone, you'll have a partner who understands the sometimes crazy lifestyle the airline industry offers, and hey, if you're the jealous type you'll be able to keep an eye on them while on the road!
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The starting wage of a flight attendant isn't anything great, I won't lie. But it'll come down to what you're used to making, and your lifestyle. I have no problem meeting my bills and have been able to save plenty since becoming an FA, but I have no kids or pets to pay for, I don't own a car, and my rent is reasonable.
I work with loads of people that have families, homes, cars and boats, or pay for schooling and other expenses, sometimes as a single-income, but where I work it's fairly easy to pick up extra hours if you want, or have another job on the side. I'm afraid it's not a black-or-white question to answer since each person's needs are so different, but I can say Yes, it's possible to live on a flight attendant's salary, but whether that's enough for you, only you can answer!
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Yes, definitely! I have people ask for birthday and anniversary shout-outs all the time. Sometimes people ask about it during boarding, but since that's one of the most chaotic times for the crew it might be better to ask after service - feel free to approach them and ask when they're finished serving so that they remember. Typically we'll make the annoucement after we've landed, or if the pilots want to do it, they'll mention it during an annoucement at the top of descent.
I'll admit - there have been times when I had great intentions to make a happy birthday announcement on the PA but was so side-tracked by the end of the flight that I forgot to do it. I felt terrible - so please don't think ill of your crew if they also forget!
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The exact location will vary from aircraft to aircraft, but on our Boeing jets we have only two designated seat locations, which are in the galleys. One is where the passengers board, and the other is at the very back of the plane, which also has a boarding door for what we call Ground Loading Stations, airports that don't use bridges and instead push up stairs to the aircraft to offload passengers.
Each "jumpseat" is a fold down padded bench that seats two, and it has a seatbelt with four straps that click together in the centre, like a mirrored car seatbelt. We face backwards, so that we can see what's happening in the cabin (the FAs in the back have a mirror mounted on the wall that shows them what's happening behind them).
The seats self-stow, like a movie theatre seat, as soon as we get up. This is because they are in the emergency exit pathway and would block the exit if they stayed permanently lowered. For the same reason, our seatbelts retract automatically so they don't dangle dangerously on the floor; a tripping hazard. If you're wondering whether flight attendants sometimes fall on their butts due to the seat stowing when their co-worker gets off the jumpseat without them knowing, the answer is yes, yes it happens more often than I care to admit.
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