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.
After the plane lands and the guests have all gone home we usually clean the plane (but that's not typical for most international airlines), clear customs if we flew outside of Canada - even if we didn't step off the aircraft all day - and then pile into a shuttle waiting to drive us to our hotel for the night. At the airline I work for the layovers are between 10-48 hours in any one place.
It can feel like a mini vacation sometimes because we do have some pretty sweet destinations; Barbados, Hawaii, New York, Cancun... and you learn to cram a lot into just a few hours. If you get along with your crew it can be a blast to all grab dinner and drinks and explore the area. Other times you barely have time to shower and fall into bed before you're back on the plane, and you'll hardly notice which city you're in. For some FAs being on the road and holing up in a hotel with a king sized bed, a flat-screen tv and room service is the best way to take a break from being a mom or dad on their days off! It's one of the coolest things about our job if you ask me... and you did!
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Hotel reservations for crew are under the airline's name, and organized by flight number. Once we check in, we can leave our name at the front desk, just in case someone needs to get a hold of us. Because there is no exchange of payment between the crew member and the hotel, you can't go charging things like extravagant meals and Dom Perignon to your room. Too bad!
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Congratulations on finishing your course!
The airline industry can be highly competitive and hard to crack, so if you're determined to become a flight attendant just keep applying to any airline you can. If you are willing to relocate, it will give you far more opportunities. Don't let being a foreigner stop you from applying - as long as you have a valid passport and no criminal record you are off to a good start! Once you have secured a job you can begin the process of getting a work visa. Some countries may be stricter than others, but I have co-workers who don't have Canadian passports and they still got hired! Visit the websites of any airline that interests you and check out their careers page, or check out http://www.flightattendantcareer.com for worldwide selection.
In the meantime, keep your ears open for job opportunities at the nearest airport. Becoming a customer service agent for an airline will give you an inside scoop about which airlines are hiring for the inflight department, and you'll get some experience in the industry to add to your resume.
I hope you find something!
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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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Hairstylist and Makeup Artist
How much am I supposed to tip my hairstylist?
Social Network Security Manager
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Variety is the spice of life, and I love that each day I go to work is different from the last. Never the same passengers, on the same plane, with the same crew, going to the same place. I'm not big on routine, so for me, having a few early mornings here and there, with the occasional red-eye flight is no big deal. Some days are 14 hours long, some are only 3. It keeps me on my toes!
The travel is the big draw for me though. I might be just as happy on a train or boat, but planes are fast and fun! I thrive on seeing new places, it just makes me so happy, and while I do miss my bed and love coming home, I also enjoy exploring foreign cities and turning the unknown into the known.
In terms of a career, I'll be honest, there isn't a lot of opportunities or even much ambition involved. If I wanted to move into an airline office position there could be some options for me, but I'm happy on the plane and that's probably where I'll stay until I leave the industry. I've never had much of a career plan, and I didn't grow up dreaming of this job, but for now it keeps me interested and I can feel good about helping people get from point A to point B and hopefully they'll even enjoy it a little!
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Congratulations on getting hired!
So many people have jobs on the side in this business it's hard to remember them all. I considered keeping my waitressing job from before I became an FA, but the lure of having extra days off won me over in the end. The key is finding a job that has flexible hours, since you'll be flying during business hours and some weekends.
A lot of cabin crew bartend or wait tables, and catering companies are also handy places to look for serving gigs since they usually don't require a long-term commitment.
I've noticed that many FAs have obtained their real estate licence in their down time, another job that lets you build your own hours.
There are also a lot of small business owners among my co-workers, who are their own boss: wedding planners, personal trainers, actors, musicians, photographers, landlords, dance teachers, people who sell stuff on etsy... there are no boundaries really. That's not to mention all the FAs who are going to school on the side, in case you want to switch careers later in life.
I just would advise against committing to any kind of set-in-stone schedule since it's not always easy to get the days off you need in the airline business, or to trade shifts. Try to find something with variable hours and that you really enjoy!
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Ok, you're forcing me to admit that I bend the rules once in a while. I really have no problem with people taking photos or videos during take-off and landing because it's the most exciting part of the entire flight. Technically though, anything that can connect to the internet should be turned off completely for that portion of the flight (since there have been incidents of electronics interfering with aircraft systems), and most people nowadays use smartphones to take photos, and even cameras have wi-fi suddenly, so it's not really allowed. Please don't tell on me.
I have a far lower tolerance for people who happen to film or take a photo of me! Not that I'm anything special, but I have clever co-workers who make jokes on the PA during the safety demonstration (which I'll be acting out) and on occasion they get filmed and then posted on YouTube. *shudder* Fortunately I haven't gained online notoriety as "that embarrassed blonde flight attendant" yet, but I have seen a video on YouTube starring two of my friends doing the safety demo. Fortunately they both love it!
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