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.
Hi there!
Actually there is no weight restriction at most, if any, North American airlines - I don't think they can legally prevent someone from getting hired for that reason. However, FAs do need to pass a medical exam before they can begin training, and that covers hearing, vision, as well as basic fitness and mobility - lifting the weight of the average suitcase for example (40-50lbs).
Our Boeing aircraft that we fly at my airline require us to bend over to arm our doors which is something that can be difficult if a flight attendant is extremely heavy. I work with people who are all shapes and sizes though, and at the end of the day an airline is looking for people who have great customer service skills, and who take safety seriously. If you look cute too, well, that's just a bonus :)
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Wow, that's a mighty broad question... I'm not sure if you mean the most common, or most horrible, or something else entirely, so I'll just tell you my top 5 things I dread having to deal with at work.
#5 - Having a problem with a crew member. If you've ever been a manager, or even just had to have a Conversation with a capital C with a co-worker because they were being a jerk, or not pulling their weight, or doing their job incorrectly, you'll get why this is a major difficulty. Add to that the fact that you might have to spend the next 5 days straight with them and you'll be ready to pull your hair out.
#4 - Running out of stock. This happens so often. Unfortunately we don't have a crystal ball to show us what's going to be popular at lunch on any given day so sometimes we just don't pack enough of a particular item. Most often it's cheese plates that we run out of (people love their cheese and I don't blame them), but even types of beer, or random items like tomato juice will become really hot commodities on a flight and before you know it I have to make my don't-shoot-the-messenger face (a cringe/defensive pose in case they strike) and say, "sorry, we're all out of that, can I tempt you with some tepid coffee instead?"
#3 - Delays. The angry looks and crying children and stressed out parents, argh! I hate it. It just makes everyone miserable, including the crew who got out of bed early for nothing, and we aren't getting paid for those extra hours of languishing in the airport while passengers give us the stink-eye.
#2 - Aircraft malfunctions. Maybe this should be my number one, but usually it's the pilots turn to stress in these situations and, in my experience, the passengers are typically calm, obedient, and patient. Plus, any mechanical hiccup that happened to me while mid-flight has always turned out 100% ok, (knock on wood) so it's not AS scary as my number one...
#1 - Medicals. At the very least, it means delays, mild stress and paperwork. At the very worst it means a life or death situation and that is just not what I hope to deal with when I get ready for work in the morning. I will be very happy if I can reach the end of my flight attendant career without ever having to use my first aid skills!
So there you have it. Now, as I read over my list, I realize I forgot Unruly Guests which should probably be #3 so let's just call this a Top 6 List and call it a day. All this talk of difficulties is stressing me out! :)
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I confess I did a double take when I first read this question, I thought it was sarcasm at first but then it really gave me some food for thought!
The quick answer is yes, that is, sight and hearing are very important to the job and will be tested before you can proceed with training. Every FA must undergo medical screening, and though the methods vary from doctor to doctor, an eye exam and hearing test will be included. My own screening wasn't very stressful - the hearing test consisted of the doctor moving from one corner of the room to another, whispering the names of different cities in our flight network, and I had to repeat them back to her. It felt kinda silly.
The ironic thing is that FAs who have been flying a long time, especially on turbo-prop planes that are extremely loud, have terrible hearing from all the ambient noise bombarding their ears day in and day out. Just sayin'.
I've never worked with someone sporting hearing aids, but I did just work with a flight attendant who was born blind in one eye yet still had the doctor's approval to fly. The standards are definitely not as strict as they are for pilots (for example, you can be colour blind and still be an FA) but you do need to pass basic tests for sight and hearing.
Smell is important too, in fact last week a flight I was on had to turn around and head back to the departure city because of an acrid burnt-plastic smell that manifested in the cabin. We use our senses all the time to alert us to a potential emergency situation. Happily, we landed and all got home safely!
I hope this answered your question!
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A perfect passenger is usually an invisible one! They board with ease, they don't have a million carry-ons, they respect the seatbelt sign, they are polite when I come through with service, and they may even give me a smile as they deplane. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but it's also not that hard to be a great traveller! I like to tell myself that I was this kind of customer before I became an FA but that could be wishful thinking.
I also enjoy people who chit chat and joke around with me, or ask me questions, because I love to help out and interact with guests one on one, it makes my day a lot more interesting - but don't feel obligated if that's not your style!
And since you asked, please don't stand in the aisles when I'm doing service! I get it, when nature calls there's nothing we can do about it, but it is a pain moving my cart up and down the length of the plane so people can use the bathroom and then get back to their seats. I'm used to it, but it would make my job easier if people could time their bathroom breaks around our service rather than during! A girl can dream, can't she?
Thanks for asking!
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Yes, we are given basic first aid training and prepped on how to handle an emergency, but most often our role is to ensure the sick passenger is comfortable and, if possible, has some privacy, and then get them into the hands of a medical professional. That can mean paging for medical assistance, relaying information to the doctors we have available via satellite phone, or communicating to the Captain the status of the ill passenger, and ensuring EMS (paramedics) meet the aircraft - typically we'll do all three.
It's not very often that we get down and dirty ourselves and have to rely on our own limited training to help a sick person. More likely an FA will assist any volunteer medical professionals on board (I've never paged for help and NOT had either a doctor, nurse, paramedic or firefighter on board who leapt up to save the day) by bringing medicine, blankets, water, etc to the scene and writing down vital information, and the other FAs will work to keep the pilots informed and the rest of the cabin in order. We owe SO much to the medical professionals who come to the rescue when we call on them, and we do our best to get their information after the emergency has passed so that they can get a thank-you travel credit for their assistance.
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Oh gosh... I'm really not sure! If it were me, I wouldn't mention it unless the application form specifically asked. I was laid off from a previous job and don't remember mentioning it on my application or during my interview. Just be prepared to explain why you were fired in case you do get asked during an interview, because honesty is the best policy. If you were at fault then be ready to explain how you learned from the experience, and if you were wrongfully fired than don't dwell on being the victim. Disclosing that you were fired won't do you any favours on paper, but in person you can put a positive spin on anything, and being open about previous mistakes can demonstrate a lot of maturity and openness to feedback that a potential employer may like.
I'm no recruiter so I'm sorry I don't have a black or white answer for you - my guess is that it will depend on each airline's company policy - but in my opinion that is information that only needs to be given if requested.
Good luck!
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Yes indeed! You will get a flat rate (I received 4.5 hours pay for each day of training even though the classes were more like 8 hours a day) because a flight attendant's salary is based on working 80hrs/month and it would be too costly for the airline to pay it's new hires the hourly wage for the duration of training, which could add up to 160hrs/month.
You may have some up front expenses like paying for your uniform (some airlines charge the employee, others don't), or paying for a hotel if you do not live in the city where the training takes place (this is not covered by the airline). I just read about an airline that made its employees pay for a portion of the training that was taught by Disney, which is atypical and kind of bizarre.
You won't receive per diems during your training as that's something you only accrue while away from base (ie: on a pairing). I hope that answers your question!
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