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.
Sure I have! It can be a bit unnerving, depending on what the situation is, but having good communication between the pilots and the cabin crew can really put you, and the guests, at ease.
A couple years ago I had a flight where a "mechanical difficulty" happened in the flight deck. Forgive my lack of technical knowledge, but basically it was a heater that kept the front window a specific temperature so that it didn't fog, and also gives it a malleable consistency so it doesn't crack during a birdstrike. We were en route from Montego Bay to Toronto and ended up diverting to Florida to get the piece replaced.
I was pretty tense when the Captain first notified us of the problem since we FA's weren't sure how serious it was, but I've worked with a lot of great pilots who explain situations clearly and without panicking passengers. We secured the cabin for arrival and prepared for a normal landing but with heightened awareness - the plane was heavy with extra fuel to get us to our final destination. Once we landed it was just a matter of keeping the guests happy until we could take off once more and continue the flight.
In a more severe situation, when the plane has to prepare for an emergency landing, FAs use an Emergency Landing Checklist that helps us to prepare the cabin for a hard landing, either on land or water, and possibly evacuate afterward. Thankfully I have never had to resort to that during any of my flights, and although I know crew who have had an engine failure during the flight or landing gear that didn't retract, they too just prepared for a "non-normal landing" rather than an emergency. (those flights landed safely without incident)
I will add that when there have been unusual situations that arise from mechanical difficulties mid-flight, I have been really impressed with the passengers and how calm and patient they were. It makes a big difference to your crew!
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Well, where would you like to go? It's hard to predict which language an airline will be looking for at any given time, but you can be sure that once you get hired for a second language, you will be scheduled on those routes. It won't do you any good to study French and then realize you hate spending your layovers in France!
If you have your heart set on a particular airline, look at their destinations and perhaps that will influence your choice of language to study. Some airlines will specifically list which languages they are looking for on their careers page of their website, but those positions might fill up before you have a chance to get proficient. There's no right answer for choosing a language (well, maybe there are some wrong answers... Latin won't get you anywhere) so instead pick one that feels manageable, and whose culture interests you, and go from there!
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Hmm... it could depend on the airline, but in my experience health benefits don't come into effect until one has been an employee for 3 months and passed a 'probationary' period. For me, that was all it took for me to be considered a full time employee, even though I still have to hold reserve on occasion. Other airlines only hire flight attendants seasonally and require them to hold reserve exclusively for the duration of their employment before being laid-off at the end of the season. As far as I know from speaking to former FAs of those airlines, they don't receive either flight or medical benefits, unfortunately. It ultimately doesn't matter so much about whether or not you're assigned reserve vs. scheduled pairings, but how long the company has hired you for. I would recommend inquiring at the particular airline you're interested in!
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Unfortunately, as of yet, I don't think you can wear a turban while on duty. I can only speak for the airline I work for, but I've also never seen an FA - or a pilot for that matter - wearing a turban during my travels in other corners of the world.
Airline uniform standards are strict at the best of times and any articles that deviate from the standard, whether they are representative of a faith or not, need to be removed or hidden from sight while at work. That means cross necklaces, tattoos, some piercings, and I'm afraid, turbans, to name a few. While on layovers all bets are off and you are welcome to wear whatever you please of course!
There's another factor at work here - safety regulations. One of the inflight safety tools is a smoke hood which is worn over the head to provide oxygen and protection if, heaven forbid, you need to fight a fire. While I'm grateful we have them onboard, it's in part because of them that we have such strict grooming standards; we need to be ready to pull one over our head at the drop of a hat, so for girls that means hair must be pinned back out of the face and earrings can't be too long. For guys, it means that facial hair must be limited and closely trimmed - a beard can interfere with the seal the smoke hood makes around your nose and mouth to supply oxygen. I'm sure my airline would cite that darn smoke hood as a reason to deny you your turban as well. They may also add that it presents a security problem since we aren't allowed to have anything covering our head or face when accessing the airline crew security bypass point.
Don't be discouraged! If becoming a flight attendant is something you're really passionate about I would suggest you investigate airlines worldwide to see if there are any exceptions that allow turbans. I don't take cultural and religious traditions lightly, so I hope you're able to find a great employer or else a comprimise that you're happy with. I will add that I have seen plenty of airport employees and government employees at the security checkpoints who wear turbans!
Good luck!
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Swim Instructor
Do parents ever get angry at you personally if their kid isn't learning fast enough?
Audiologist
Are earbuds dangerous for my ears?
Ice Sculptor
What was the raciest sculpture you ever made?
Of course! Hey, if God put it there, who is an employer to complain? Now if you had a bunch of facial tattoos, that would be another story...
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Personally, I say NO. Of all the people I've flown with over the years, I can count the number who studied travel and tourism or went to FA school on one hand - and one of them had to wait years after her graduation before actually getting a job, so there are no guarantees!
If you have work experience that demonstrates your customer service skills that will get you a lot farther than a certificate from any school. Of course post-secondary education is an asset, but don't devote too much money or time on just studying how to be an FA.
All airlines will train you to be the Flight Attendant that they want you to be. Sometimes people tranferring from other airlines have it worse than those of us with no prior experience because they have to "unlearn what they have learned". Announcements and procedures that have been committed to memory suddenly have to be tweaked and adjusted for new verbage or standards. I can see the same thing happening with folks who have studied at a school.
In conclusion, I would say do yourself a favour and just get a job waiting tables - I work with countless servers, I was one myself, and when it comes down to it being a great flight attendant means having good people skills and knowing how to solve customer service issues on the spot. Don't worry about all the safety training because the airline that hires you will tell you all you need to know.
I hope that helps!
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Try www.crewgear.com or www.ebags.com. At work we use Travelpro and Samsonite, but there are so many other brands out there to choose from!
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