Flight Attendant Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a flight attendant. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a flight attendant.
Who is a Flight Attendant?
A flight attendant, also known as a steward/stewardess or an air host/air hostess, is a member of the flight crew on commercial flights, many corporate jets, and some government planes.
On commercial aircraft, many corporate jets, and some government planes, a flight attendant, sometimes known as a steward/stewardess or an air host/air hostess, is a member of the flight crew. Flight attendants, often known as cabin crew, are responsible for the safety and comfort of passengers.
Flight attendants are in charge of the aircraft’s cabin and are responsible for the safety and comfort of the passengers. They spend more time with passengers than any other airline employee, and they aim to provide each passenger with the best-personalized care possible throughout their flight.
Flight attendants can operate in either first-class or economy class, providing more complex service to a smaller number of passengers. Flight attendants are only given a limited amount of time throughout the voyage to deliver the most customized service to each customer, and it requires attending to a wide range of demands and requests.
During an airline flight, a flight attendant’s primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers. An individual pursuing a career as a flight attendant is a member of the plane’s cabin crew, a group of people who operate a commercial, business, or even military aircraft while traveling domestically or internationally. Flight attendants have been known as stewards or air hosts and females as stewardesses or air hostesses since 1912 when only women chose the field. In recent years, men have also been known as stewards or air hosts, and females have been known as stewardesses or air hostesses. Individuals interested in pursuing a career as a flight attendant receive specialized training for the aircraft they will be working on, as passenger safety is their priority.
The obligation of a flight attendant includes ensuring passenger safety during flights by following safety rules. Flight attendants are also responsible for supplying food and beverages to passengers, however, this is primarily a secondary job. Airlines employ flight attendants, and the majority of them work on commercial flights, while there is a market for private flight attendants as well (e.g. private charter planes or jets). International safety standards require a particular number of Flight Attendants on board, depending on the size of the plane. The standard rule is that one Flight Attendant should be assigned to every 50 passengers.
A Flight Attendant is a trained professional who ensures that all passengers on a flight are safe and comfortable. Flight attendants work for both commercial and private airlines. Their responsibilities and roles will vary according to the type of aircraft, the number of passengers, and the type of passengers on board. Some Flight Attendants, for example, may assist first-class passengers who receive a more personalized experience while on board the plane. However, some may work on smaller chartered flights where the focus is less on providing a luxurious experience.
The majority of a flight attendant’s in-flight tasks keep them on their feet. They must stand, walk, push and pull equipment, kneel, bend, reach, squat, and move heavy objects from the ground to heights above shoulder level. Flight attendants must often work rapidly to complete all of their jobs in the few hours they have in the air. They frequently serve meals and pour beverages when flying in bad weather. Passengers can be obnoxious and demanding at times, and it is the role of the flight attendants to be patient, courteous, and deliver excellent service.
Flight Attendants must follow the rules and regulations set forth by each airline and aircraft. Flight attendants must be familiar with the full spectrum of the airline’s safety requirements for each aircraft and be able to impart them to passengers. A Flight Attendant’s most crucial job is to ensure that everyone on board is safe.
Flight attendants can represent a variety of airlines, which in turn represent a variety of countries and cultures. It is a vocation that encompasses a variety of duties, based on the individual’s level of expertise and the firm or field in which the Flight Attendant works.
Flight Attendant Job Description
Below are the flight attendant job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a flight attendant job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
- Attend a safety briefing with the pilots before boarding the plane.
- Review the aircraft’s specific safety and emergency protocols.
- Welcome passengers as they board the jet.
- Assist passengers with special needs, unaccompanied youngsters, passengers with little children, or VIPs
- Assist customers in locating their seats and securing their carry-on luggage
- Enlighten passengers about safety procedures and precautions.
- Ensure that passengers who are willing and able to respond in an emergency are seated in the emergency exit seats.
- Ensure that all take-off safety protocols are followed
- Confirm that tray tables and carry-on luggage are properly stored and secured
- Verify that all passengers are wearing their seatbelts, that all seats are upright, and that all armrests are down. Serving meals and beverages to passengers during the flight.
- Conduct routine cabin inspections to guarantee the crew’s safety
- Keep an eye out for odd sounds or situations
- Check to see if the lavatory smoke detector has been tampered with, as well as confirm the Pilots’ health and safety, and refill supplies as needed
- Take care of emergencies
- Use rafts and slides as a last resort
- Firefight while in the air
- Give first-aid treatment
- Ensures that emergency landing protocols are followed.
- Deal with decompression emergencies
- Make announcements in the air
- Keep passengers secure in the cabin during turbulence
- Ensure that all passengers have their seatbelts fastened and that all seats are in the upright position.
- Assist passengers with their luggage as they exit the plane
- Help special needs passengers, unaccompanied minors, passengers with tiny children, or VIPs
- Ensure that all passengers have exited the plane
Qualifications
- It is necessary to have a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification.
- Certification and training for cabin crew are essential.
- A minimum of two years of flight attendant experience is required.
- Fluency in English is required, as well as outstanding interpersonal communication abilities.
- Outstanding problem-solving abilities and the ability to handle challenging situations.
- It’s a plus if you can communicate in more than one language.
Essential Skills
- Accountable and Professional: The cabin crew is entrusted with a great deal of responsibility. Flying would be nearly impossible without them. However, the safety of their passengers is their primary concern. Professionalism is a must-have quality since your passengers will look up to you and rely on your advice.
You must have these talents or show that you are eager to develop to be an effective flight attendant.
- Communication skill is essential: A person with inadequate communication skills will not be hired for any job. You’ll need to be able to communicate successfully not only with consumers and coworkers but also on a worldwide scale. This does not imply that you must learn numerous languages (though learning additional languages is never a bad idea! ), but rather that you must be able to listen and determine what the true message and wants of the clients are.
- Work as part of a group: Working as a cabin crew member does not imply that you are working for and by yourself. It is always a collaborative endeavor. Your coworkers (other flight attendants) have faith in you to operate as a team, sharing responsibilities and ensuring that every passenger on the plane is pleased and comfortable.
- Excellent Customer Service: Customer service skills are essential in almost all jobs nowadays. Business is business, and you must deal with clients at some point. Customer service is one of the most frequently mentioned abilities in job descriptions. It goes a long way to be able to put a smile on someone’s face and provide outstanding service, and airlines are looking for people who can do just that.
You must have these talents or show that you are eager to develop to be an effective flight attendant. Because the flight business is always changing, the ability to adapt is equally as crucial as any of the other talents listed above.
How to Become a Flight Attendant
The steps to becoming a flight attendant range from one airline to the next. Finally, completing the pre-hire orientation and training after accepting an offer from an airline and having effective customer service experience before applying to become a flight attendant are the two key parts of being a flight attendant that is universal. Continue reading for more information on how to become a flight attendant.
- Getting a College Education (Not Required, But Beneficial): Although a college diploma isn’t essential to work as a flight attendant, it can surely assist a candidate’s resume. Applicants must have their GED or High School Diploma to become flight attendants, even though a college degree is not required. Proven customer service or hospitality experience is more valuable to airlines than anything else in flight attendant candidates.
- Acquire Customer Service Competencies: There is no substitute for high-level customer satisfaction or service roles on a résumé. Coming to the table with a wide range of customer service abilities that have been put to the test with real clients is one of the finest ways for potential flight attendants to stand out in the minds of airlines employing flight attendants. The more customer service experience a candidate has, the better equipped that individual is to have the skills that prospective employers are searching for.
- Look for Potential Employers: Finding work as a flight attendant can be just as difficult as finding work in any other field. LinkedIn, job boards, and the websites of major airlines are all ideal venues for aspiring flight attendants to look for work. It’s time to start the application process after you’ve found Catharines who are looking for new flight attendants. Working conditions and pay will most likely differ based on the airline.
- Apply for the Jobs You Want: It can be difficult to apply for a job as a flight attendant. Some applications have perplexing inquiries that can take several hours to answer. In most cases, applications are accompanied by a résumé and a cover letter. In the end, there will be hundreds of thousands of individuals competing for the position of a flight attendant, thus the goal should be to produce an application that sticks out.
- Prepare for certifications by training: The next stage in becoming a flight attendant is to train for the relevant certifications after completing the application and interview procedures. Completing a flight attendant training program before applying for vacancies is one option for people without hospitality expertise who want to stand out to airlines hiring new attendants. Flight attendants often receive new hire training at the flight training center of the airline for which they were hired. The majority of training programs last six weeks.
- Obtain FAA Certification: After completing airline-mandated training, obtaining FAA certification is the next stage in becoming a flight attendant. For new flight attendants who have demonstrated competency in important aspects of their new hire training, such as implementing first-aid and evacuation skills, an airline’s director of operations can apply to the FAA for a Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. Flight attendants are responsible for maintaining their certification with routine testing after getting their Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency.
- Begin Reserve Status: Flight attendants begin their careers as reserve flight attendants after earning FAA certification. Reserve flight attendants are frequently called upon to fill in for cancellations. Flight attendants can be withdrawn from reserve status after a year of good performance, allowing them to relocate away from their base airport and work more desirable shifts.
- Take Your Career to the Next Level: Many of the rewards that come with becoming a flight attendant are realized after working for one airline for a long time. Similar to other areas, the greatest approach to advance is to continue to gain skills that are relevant to the role. Learning French, for example, is one method to get started working on flights to and from Canada. As a flight attendant, the greatest way to advance is via experience and a commitment to learning new abilities.
Where to Work as a Flight Attendant
- Commercial flights
- Corporate jet
- Government planes
- Private airlines
Flight Attendant Salary Scale
In the United States, the average flight attendant wage is $44,090 per year or $22.61 per hour. Starting salaries for entry-level employment start at $38,747 per year, with the most experienced professionals earning up to $93,600 per year.
In the United Kingdom, the average flight attendant income is £45,000 per year or £23.08 per hour. The starting salary for entry-level occupations is £29,445 per year, with most experienced individuals earning up to £50,000 per year.