Put aside these excessive examples, and the previous few years have nonetheless not been variety to the occupation. From furloughs early within the pandemic to hostility over the federal masks mandate to the operational snafus that canceled 1000’s of flights this summer time, the job has been a far cry from the glamorous, jet-setting stereotype that dominates standard tradition.
“It’s been a little bit of a curler coaster,” mentioned Susannah Carr, 31, a flight attendant since 2015. She lined up a job as a bridal guide by the point she was furloughed in 2020 and returned to flying final yr. As soon as she got here again, she mentioned, “I used to be nervous to come back to work” as a result of she had seen how poorly her colleagues had been being handled by some passengers.
And but, 1000’s of would-be cabin crew apply for a fraction of the positions once they open up, even now. Why are folks nonetheless clamoring for the job?
Journey and versatile schedules
Present and former flight attendants say that they love getting to satisfy folks at pivotal moments of their lives, and so they respect that not each workday is similar. Plus there’s the draw of seeing new locations, even when only for a short time.
“They’ve a ardour for serving to folks and so they even have a need for journey,” mentioned Abbie Unger, who flew from 2006 till 2011 and now owns an organization referred to as Flight Attendant Career Connection that coaches aspiring cabin crew. “They’re searching for a spot the place they may also help different folks — make an affect — and likewise need work to be dynamic.”
Based on a 2019 census performed by the Affiliation of Flight Attendants-CWA, 45 p.c of union members had no less than an undergraduate diploma. However airways solely require a highschool diploma or an equal, so new hires don’t have to begin out saddled with pupil debt.
Carr graduated from school and labored a company job briefly earlier than deciding to make the change. She wished to journey and thought she’d turn into a flight attendant for a few years earlier than pursuing a grasp’s diploma and returning to an workplace job. Eight years later, she’s nonetheless flying.
“I’ve at all times appreciated a great preppy uniform, so I used to be completely down,” she mentioned. “The important thing takeaway early on is that I’d have a chance to journey, receives a commission whereas doing it and [have] medical health insurance.”
Sara Nelson, worldwide president for the AFA, mentioned the job is empowering, describing the aircraft as “an unsupervised office.”
“Once you go up there, it’s your aircraft,” she mentioned. “You get to set the tone, you don’t have a supervisor respiratory over your shoulder. You’re carrying a uniform with stripes on it that present management.”
Each as soon as in awhile I ponder if I’d have a great time workingn as a flight attendant, then I take one (1) three hour flight & notice I may completely by no means
— kelly (@LouderVisuals) September 20, 2022
Nelson acknowledged that cabin crew nonetheless expertise sexual harassment, however mentioned the “overwhelming majority” of passengers are respectful and look to flight attendants as leaders.
As soon as flight attendants have reached some seniority, Carr mentioned, flexibility turns into an enormous perk. They’ll choose up further hours for extra pay, work fewer hours to spend extra time at residence and have extra say over when and the place they fly.
And flight attendants can typically fly free even once they’re not working — although that will depend on seat availability, which isn’t the best in an period when flights are packed.
The median wage for flight attendants in mid-2021 was $61,640, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bottom 10 p.c made lower than $37,020, whereas the highest 10 p.c of earners took residence greater than $81,400. Crew at regional airways make considerably lower than at big-name carriers comparable to American, United, Delta and Southwest.
Airways say they obtain a flood of curiosity for open jobs.
A favourite business saying is that it’s tougher to get employed as a Delta flight attendant than it’s to get into Harvard, which had an admission rate of about 3.2 p.c this yr. The airline even put out a web series referred to as “Incomes Our Wings” in regards to the coaching program for flight attendants, calling it “one of the coveted jobs on the earth.”
Delta expects to graduate practically 4,300 flight attendants — which it describes as a historic quantity — between the third quarter of final yr and the top of this yr. Subsequent yr, the airline anticipates graduating between 4,000 and 6,000 flight attendants “from a pool of a number of hundred thousand candidates.”
United mentioned in an emailed assertion it receives “1000’s of functions at any time when we open up a requisition, and are solely capable of hold it open for a couple of days attributable to curiosity!” Curiosity has been increased than earlier than the pandemic, the airline mentioned. It’s hiring 4,000 new flight attendants this yr and expects to rent the identical quantity subsequent yr.
And Southwest mentioned it has employed and educated greater than 3,000 flight attendants this yr, a report, bringing the entire quantity on the airline to greater than 18,500. That’s greater than had been on workers earlier than the pandemic began.
“It nonetheless could be very aggressive although the essential {qualifications} are pretty low,” Unger mentioned.
Regardless of the demand for jobs, the downsides are actual.
Beginning pay is low, and continues to be pretty low at regional carriers. Early-career flight attendants have little management over their schedule.
“Lots of newbies are available in and assume it’s going to be superb,” mentioned Nas Lewis, a nine-year veteran of the job who based an organization to advocate for flight attendants’ psychological well being. “They get tradition shock: ‘I don’t actually have a life. Do I like the job that a lot that I’ll put within the years and the time to get to seniority?’”
Nelson mentioned the primary yr of flying will be troublesome as staff modify to the bodily calls for of the job, get used to the pressurized air within the cabin and take care of diseases comparable to internal ear issues, airsickness and respiratory illnesses.
“Everybody will get sick their first yr on the job,” she mentioned.
Even for seasoned staff, there will be pitfalls.
Hundreds of flight attendants, together with Carr, picketed final week to demand airways handle operational disruptions. She mentioned staffing shortages amongst schedulers at her airline meant some needed to wait hours to get a lodge on a layover, slicing into their time to relaxation earlier than returning to work.
“The primary time you’re cleansing up another person’s vomit or it’s a must to … make the rest room inoperable due to who is aware of what, a few of the glamour goes away.”
— Abbie Unger
“It was extremely troublesome for lots of our flight attendants this summer time,” she mentioned.
The Federal Aviation Administration introduced new guidelines Tuesday requiring airways to verify flight attendants get 10 consecutive hours of relaxation between shifts, a transfer unions applauded.
Unger, who stopped flying professionally when she had her first little one, mentioned there’s a thrill that comes with placing on a uniform and doing the job.
“However then the primary time you’re cleansing up another person’s vomit or it’s a must to … make the rest room inoperable due to who is aware of what, a few of the glamour goes away,” she mentioned.
On the entrance traces of journey chaos
Flight attendants additionally need to have a thick pores and skin, Unger mentioned, since they’re typically the stand-in for an airline that has made a passenger very sad. Loneliness will also be a serious subject, as flight attendants discover themselves away from family and friends for prolonged durations of time.
Lewis — whose group, Thairapy, affords a disaster textual content line for flight attendants who want to succeed in out to friends — mentioned many new staff ship messages about being lonely. With anonymity assured, customers complain about burnout, irregular operations and melancholy. It grew out of a Fb group she began in 2019 for flight attendants to speak about psychological well being.
“A hearth was lit beneath me in 2020 once I noticed my colleagues struggling and I felt like nothing was being accomplished,” she mentioned. “It makes me really feel emotional.”
Now, she palms out buttons selling the textual content line and volunteers to answer messages that are available in.
“I nonetheless love being a flight attendant; I like folks,” she mentioned. “And I believe plenty of us love folks and we love service, we love the locations that we fly to and we love the pliability that comes with it.”
She added that the job has been troublesome, however: “I believe plenty of us are holding on to the hope that issues are going to get higher.”
