An introduction to flight attendant careers

How do you begin your career as a professional flight attendant? The first step is to know the industry and how you can contribute to it. The airline industry is one of the most competitive fields in business, and only applicants who have thoroughly prepared for the job will progress beyond the initial interviews.

The Bureau of Labor reported that cabin crew such as flight attendants are expected to see typical or average growth in job openings in comparison to other jobs in the next several years. There should be increases in the number of passengers travelling by air as the population of the United States continues to grow and the economy begins to improve. As a result, airlines will increase their handling capacities for increased numbers of passengers by adding to the numbers and sizes of planes they have in the air. This in turn will result in a need for more flight attendants. However, in the next several years, the need for cabin crew such as flight attendants will increase and decrease depending how many people want to travel by air, which itself depends greatly on the ups and down-swings of the economy. During periods of economic decline, as fewer people elect to fly by air, fewer flight attendants might be hired, which might also lead to some more experienced attendants being laid off until the demand for air travel increases.

Future projections for flight attendant occupations

Flight attendant vacancies in the next decade are expected to occur from the need to bring new people into the field to replace existing flight attendants who choose to leave the flight industry or transfer into other fields. Such transfers are likely to occur by flight attendants seeking a more stable lifestyle or the potential for greater earnings. It is important to note that there will still be a considerable amount of competition for flight attendant jobs because in most cases, more people are interested in working as cabin crew than there are available positions. As a result, only the most qualified applicants are typically hired.

However, as more people these days have come to view working as a flight attendant as a stable profession, fewer people are interested in leaving the job prematurely, and the rate of job turnover has decreased in recent years compared to in the past. The current average length during which people are employed as flight attendants is slightly more than 7 years and continues to increase, suggesting more people are seeing the position as a viable career for extended periods of time.

The job application process for flight attendants

There are numerous ways a person can apply for a job as a flight attendant. In the past, applicants had to go to their local ticket counters to pick up applications, then return home to complete them, mail them in, and wait patiently for interviews. These days, the application process is simpler, but there is more competition to contend with. Typically these days, applicants can mail their resumes directly to airlines they are interested in working for. As technology continues to increase, the process of applying for jobs has become more streamlined to address the needs of both the human resource departments in airports and the applicants themselves. Today, it is possible for screening to take place directly through the internet. It has become increasingly common for people to apply for positions as flight attendants through the websites of airlines. Telephone interviews have also become more common, as well as questions presented over telephone for applicants to demonstrate their knowledge of customer service scenarios.

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ASK FOR AN UPGRADE

The only people besides the check-in staff who have the authority to upgrade are senior crew members. They won't do it just because you ask, unless you happen to be the captain's spouse.

SNEAK INTO THE BUSINESS OR FIRST-CLASS CABINS

There are some people who just won't take no for an answer and when no one is looking, they see a spare seat and hope that they will not be noticed. But the crew have a passenger list which, as well as giving them passenger details, tells them exactly which seats should be occupied. Culprits will be spotted and hauled humiliatingly back into "cattle" class.

ASK FOR HELP WITH YOUR BAG

You carried it on board, you can hoist it into the overhead locker.

DISRUPT THE SAFETY DEMONSTRATION

Agreed: some people travel a lot and already know the safety demonstration by heart. If they want to ignore the briefing that is their decision. But they should just sit quietly reading, rather than talk, laugh or try to mimic the crew. Don't bother - you'll get a tongue-lashing from any cabin crew member worth their salt.

DISOBEY THE FASTEN SEATBELTS SIGNS

The captain illuminates the signs for a reason: either the weather is turbulent or the plane is still ascending or descending.

COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FOOD

The meals are usually catered by a completely different company so it isn't the cabin crew's fault if you don't like your chicken chasseur. There is also not much that can be done at 30,000ft in the air if they run out of beef. However, if you graciously explain you cannot eat/are allergic to the choice that is left, the cabin crew might be able to find you a spare meal from another cabin.

PILE LOT OF RUBBISH ON TOP OF YOUR MEAL TRAYS

It is difficult to fit them all back in to the trolley anyway.

DEMAND A DRINK JUST AFTER THE MEALS HAVE BEEN CLEARED AWAY

After serving countless meals to passengers and being on their feet for hours with no rest, the crew finally get a chance to eat something. This happens when they have cleared all the rubbish in from the passenger meal service. If you value your life, wait 15 minutes or so after this is done before you hit the call button. If you are desperate then go along to the galley; this is slightly less maddening, but still annoying.

ASK THEM TO CLEAN THE LAVATORIES

This doesn't really come under the job specification of cabin crew. On a full long-haul Boeing 747 flight there are only marginally less than 50 passengers per toilet. It is a horrible job.

PROD MEMBERS OF CABIN CREW

There is something about uniforms that makes people think the people in them are public property. Cabin crew hate going on the Tube in uniform as it is impossible to travel incognito - people always stare or start conversations by asking where they are off to. Something about air hostesses makes certain passengers think it is all right to grab a skirt or prod a shoulder to get attention. They would never do this with other uniformed staff, such as police officers, bus conductors or soldiers. It's irritating. Please stop it.

AND FIVE WAYS TO INGRATIATE YOURSELF

1. Before they arrive to collect your meal tray, arrange it as it was when it was given to you, minus the food. As you pass it back to the crew, smile and say: "I just wanted to make it easy for you."

2. Take off your headset when a member of crew is trying to talk to you. It saves time and shouting.

3. Empathise with them. Remember if they are short-haul crew this might be their fifth flight of the day.

4. OK, you can read their badges and know what the crew are called, but try to avoid using their first names - they don't know yours and it seems overfamiliar.

5. Buy lots of duty-free goods: the crew get commission.