The Pros and Cons of Becoming a Flight Attendant for a Commercial Airline
Becoming a flight attendant isn’t just a job, it is a lifestyle. One that is tough but rewarding. With any job, there are many pros and many cons. Today I have listed out the pros and cons of becoming a flight attendant for you to really consider before you make the lifestyle change. Honestly, I wouldn’t change anything for the world but I do wish I read a post like this before I started flying. But who knows, maybe if I did I wouldn’t have ever become one.
The Pros
Travel Benefits
The one that definitely entices most and honestly is the reason a lot of people stick around with the job is because of the travel benefits. Once you fly for free, you never go back! This can vary especially if you work with a European Airline. For US-based airlines, flying domestically is fully free.. if you can get on. What I mean is, you will be flying stand-by as a non-revenue passenger. If there is a seat open, then you get it. Sometimes it gets tricky but it is a highly amazing benefit. For international flights you just have to pay the countries taxes. When I flew to South Korea, we got business class both ways, and it was only 40 USD round trip. I’m sure a lot of you are convinced seeing this but keep reading. (Also, your family gets benefits too!!)
Scheduling is Flexible
This is besides serving reserve which depends on your airline. Refer to the reserve section in the cons if you don’t know what it is. For the most part, you can really plan out when or where you want to work. That doesn’t mean though that you won’t have to work weekends and only fly international. What I mean is you can drop or trade your trips to make your schedule however you like. Some people like to work two weeks straight and then take two weeks off. Some like to just work nights. Whatever it may be, you definitely have flexibility in that department.
Get Paid to See the World
On one trip you might be staying the night in Los Angeles and on the other night, you may be all the way on the east coast in Greensboro, NC. I have been to so many places I definitely would have never traveled to if I wasn’t a flight attendant.
You Will Never Get Bored
Since you can make your own schedule, you literally won’t get bored. If you do, you can change it up. Especially with reserve, there will definitely be no solid routine. Spontaneity at its finest. Plus, flying can get pretty interesting especially when there are cancellations or delays. Those always keep us on our toes.
You Can Live Wherever You Want
There is this thing called commuting that flight attendants and pilots both partake in. Basically, even if you are based in New York, you could still live in Los Angeles if you wanted. I am not sure I would entirely suggest it but you get the gist. You will have to fly on a plane before you start your trip. Your sign-in is when you get to LGA and your trip ends back in LGA. Therefore, your commute to and from Los Angeles is not paid for by the company since it is your choice to do so. But with travel benefits, it doesn’t cost you anything. Except for hours in your day and possibly your mental sanity.
Layover Fun
Layover fun and adventures are another reason a lot of flight attendants stick around even if they hate the job. Layovers can be so fun. By a layover I mean, when we are done for the day we stay the night wherever we are at until the next day and our next working flight. Sometimes your layovers will be 10 hours in Jacksonville and sometimes they are 24 hours in London. The airline will give you a hotel to stay in. If it’s a long layover you will get a hotel in the downtown city. If it’s short, you will be at a hotel near the airport. Depending on your crew they might be down to explore the city. Recently, long layovers are hard to find. But when it happens it sure is fun!!
Leave Work at Work
A lot of jobs come home with you and you can’t stop working even when you are home. This job once the passengers are off that plane you don’t even have to think about that flight ever again. Which can be highly relieving.
The Cons
The Pay
The pay really isn’t the best. Especially because we don’t get paid until the boarding door closes and then stops when it opens.. aka only during actual flight hours. Granted, you do get per diem which is around $2 an hour from the time you leave your base to the time you get back. You also get a pay raise every year. After 13 years you will get max pay which is definitely a game-changer. Since you can build your schedule you can work high time and make as much as you can. But definitely plan to be either struggling or always working the first few years.
Spend A Lot of Time in Your Uniform
Whether it be because your day is 12+ hours or because your van pick up for the hotel is taking forever. On the days you work there isn’t much else you can do.
You Will Miss Important Events
Your daughter’s birthday you might get off if it falls on a weekday but besides that, expect to be working every holiday until you are possibly 30 years into the company. Plus, weekends are hard to get off too.
Your Schedule is Based on Seniority
The longer you stay in the company, the better trips and days off you get. You won’t be able to hold international trips on your schedule for 35+ years. However, you can always pick them up if someone that is senior decides they don’t want to work.
Reserve!!!!!
Reserve is basically on call. You will know your days off but the days you are on call you can go anywhere and everywhere, so pack for everything. It is very last minute when you find out where you are going and you HAVE to go. We wouldn’t want a flight to cancel because a flight attendant called in sick or got a flat tire on the way to work, therefore, we sit reserve. The way a company schedules reserve varies between each company. For American, you will spend 1 year of straight reserve. It will suck but you also won’t know anything better so just enjoy it while it lasts. After that, it is one month on reserve and one-off until 5 years. After that, you only have to serve it 3 months out of the year. You can’t plan your life during reserve and you definitely have to be as flexible as a palm tree. Oh and expect to cry.. a lot, unless you really enjoy never knowing what your life will be doing in a week.
Jetlag
You will always have jetlag and you will always be exhausted. You will have to sleep weird hours during the day or wake up at 2 am at night. You will have to take any chance you can get to get a little extra sleep. You might get a 15 hr layover and you might just sleep the whole entire time. It happens to a lot of us.
Trying to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle Will Be a Challenge
Working out is hard on days you are flying. After a long day at 35,000ft in the air, all you want to do is lay in bed. Because the scheduling is so weird, it’s hard to schedule out your workout routines. Let’s just say I used to workout 5 times a week because I loved it, now I work out about 2 because I just physically can’t. Also if healthy eating is your thing, you better get good at meal prepping. You can bring a travel cooler with you on your trips and bring your own food but you just have to be prepared for it. I have never NOT brought food with me just for the sole fact that you might not have a chance to wait in a long expensive airport food line.
Relationships
Like I said before about friendships, it will be hard to keep them. Especially when the parties, big events, and social hangouts are on the weekends and you won’t be able to have weekends off. As far as relationships, you can expect a very confused and angry partner because of you being gone a lot. Luckily for me, my husband is in the airline industry so he totally understands the scheduling. However, most don’t.
You Will Be Gone From Home a lot
I sleep in hotel beds more than I sleep in mine. And honestly, after flying so much, I really have become such a homebody. Hotels suck!
Burnout
Because of the crazy schedule, the late nights early mornings, and always being in a new city, you will absolutely burn out. At some point in your career, you will crave normalcy.
Pingback: How to Stay Sane when Airline Passengers are Insane: A Guide for Flight Attendants - travelingoodies