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.
Sometimes I think airplane food has such a bad rep that it can never redeem itself, though I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a lost cause. It can be pretty disastrous though, so why is that? Well, for one thing, there are endless variables that determine what gets offered on your flight. Does the product have a long shelf life? How much does it weigh and how much galley/bin space does it require? Is it available at all our bases? How can we maintain food safety guidelines at 40,000 ft? The multi-million dollar question is how much will it cost, and will it be worth it? If a ticket on one airline costs $50 more than the competitor, but their food is better, who will you choose? There's an infamous story passed around about American Airlines saving tens of thousands of dollars by removing a single olive from each of their first class salads. While I don't know the truth behind the rumour, it's a pretty accurate message about today's economic climate. With fuel prices and aiport taxes skyrocketing right now, inflight food is more of a casualty than a priority. In the case of my airline, we opt to not carry ovens or microwaves due to the weight and subsequent fuel costs. Instead we have caterers in cities across the country who provide us with local cold meals. It's terribly difficult to anticipate what each passenger needs so unfortunately people with dietary restrictions (vegetarian, gluten intolerance, etc) can get overlooked. Even when the airline tries to accommodate guests with healthy options, they don't sell well and end up costing more money than they make. Given the choice between a chocolate bar and an organic tahini bar, 99 times out of 100 people go for the chocolate. (I am one of those 99 people) I think airlines are trying to adapt to a modern consumer in a very competitive market while still turning a profit. You'll notice you get fewer freebies and more buy-on-board options, to mitigate spoilage. Instead of being offered a tray of unidentifiable meat and pasta, you may see individual sized packages of familiar brand snacks. As technology advances I hope that tailoring your flight with personalized meals will become more commonplace. I know it's not great, but don't give up on us yet! Also don't be shy about packing snacks for the ride... just in case ;)
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Myself and whomever I designate my lucky companion get to fly anywhere the company flies essentially for free provided we go standby. Unfortunately we're not immune to airport fees and taxes so we do pay a little something for each ticket. My parents also get a discount (not as fantastic as mine, but good), and i'm able to fly standby on other partner airlines for a much cheaper fare - with the small chance that I may even get bumped to first class if the gods of silverware and infinite leg-room are smiling down on me.
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When I retire I won't collect a pension or retain my medical and dental benefits but you'd better believe I'll be clinging onto those cheap flights until I die or the airline goes under - whichever comes first! So though I may be penniless and sickly, I'll still be collecting stamps in my passport. I'll be like a wandering hobo who jumps on airplanes instead of empty train cars. I imagine policies differ from airline to airline, but at the one I work for an employee is eligible for retirement once the sum of age and their years of service equal 60... so I still got some time to put in. If you quit you give up all your benefits and standby travel privelages - which leads to totally disgruntled employees sticking around way past their best before date. I can't blame 'em, once you get a taste of cheap flights the thought of paying full price is pretty unappealing!
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This would be a great time for me to mention that I work for Virgin! Except that I don't. In fact I've never even had the pleasure of stepping onto their aircraft, so you may be more of an expert in this area than myself, but just yesterday I worked with a former Virgin FA so I picked her brain. While she couldn't say that they openly discriminate against less attractive women, she did mention that they include height and weight measurements in their initial medical screening, the range of their uniform sizes is quite restricted, and their grooming standards are as high as their heels. (hair elastics must be concealed with hair or ribbon, shoes are selected by the airlline, etc) They may not require a photo attached to the resume like some airlines, but it would be naive to think looks don't play a part in getting the job. Virgin Airline's marketing really plays up its sexiness, so selecting employees who will represent that product only makes sense. You can call it discrimination but how many bars, restaurants and retail stores do the same? As for how us other airline crew feel about it, we were all drooling over Virgin's latest uniform makeover - we're definitely aware of how they've carefuly manicured their image. And while I'd rather work for a company that places its emphasis on personality, I concede that the rest of us could learn a thing or two from Virgin's strict standards because it really helps to create a cohesive product and portrays professionalism. Besides, who wants to be the ugly stepsister to Virgin's Cinderella?
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Wow, you're my favourite type of traveler! You hit the nail on the head, FAs love all those things (even the ones who claim to be on a diet can't resist a free bag of M&Ms!). When I travel on other airlines I bring treats too, something that can be easily shared so that it can be divvied up amongst the cabin and flight deck. If you really want to butter up your crew you can give magazines too - the trashier the better! Cosmo, Hello, weekly gossip mags, etc. They're the perfect thing to flip through between services and even the male flight attendants like them - though they might try to deny it. Maybe you're just doing it out of the goodness of your heart, but when someone brings my crew treats I like to hook them up with free stuff during the flight - if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours!
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Nope! The airport codes are handy to know but that just comes with time. For my training we had online courses we needed to complete before our in class training began, and there were some exercises included to quiz you on your airport codes knowledge, but they were open book and mostly for fun. I freely confess that when I get my monthly schedule I have to google where I'm flying sometimes!
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I'd like to know the same thing!
The exams used during initial training and recurrent training vary from airline to airline and year to year, not to mention that some aviation rules differ depending on the country in which you work. Generally, flight attendants are tested on their knowledge of emergency equipment and procedures. You'll be required to know the proper stowage compartment and operation of each tool on board, such as fire extinguishers and life rafts. Each aircraft is configured differently so the amount and location of these items will change.
The airline industry is built on procedures. Flight crew need to be prepared as much as possible for all the unpredictable scenarios that can arise midflight, so we are indoctrinated with procedures to fall back on in emergency situations when there may not be time to improvise or even think clearly. For example, there are steps to take when there is a decompression, or a sick passenger, and I need to remember the order of those tasks both when I go to write an exam and face those events in real life. These are all things that are taught during your initial training though, as well as outlined in the manual each flight attendant is given and has to lug around on every pairing, taking up precious space in their luggage. I'm not bitter.
The one thing I can suggest to study before you even begin training is taking a First Aid course. Again, the airline will teach you everything they require once you've been hired, but it intimidates a lot of prospective flight attendants (translation = they get poor grades on that section of the exam) so it couldn't hurt to go over it ahead of time!
Hope that helps!
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