The Glamorous and (not so) Glamorous life of a Flight Attendant
The highs and lows, pros and cons, the ups and the downs. Every job has them and being a flight attendant comes with a unique set. This career just may be one of the most romanticized jobs on the market. However, I am here to tell you it’s not all free flights, engine pics and 30-hour layovers in Paris. It’s a combination of long days and nights, missed holidays with families, unpredictable delays and schedules, unruly passengers and lonely minimum rest nights in Eugene, OR. There are many days I contemplate my career and then there are the days I ask myself how did I get so lucky. So let’s discuss the glamorous and not so glamorous parts of this career. (We will start with the glam first!)
Getting paid to see the world
This one is obviously the absolute best perk of the Job! Getting paid to see the world, all hotels paid for, and per diem to cover the cost of food on layovers.
Free Flights 🛫🛬
You can travel anywhere in the world for little to no cost. This includes parents, kids, spouse and/or a dedicated buddy.
Schedule 📅
You are able to work as little or as much as you want.
Not a 9-5
This is a big one for me. I hate routine and working an office job drove me crazy. So, the unpredictable and non-routine nature of the job works great for me, but that may not be the case for everyone.
Meeting new people
In this industry you meet people from all over the world and rarely will you work with the same people again. It is always nice to compare stories and learn new things from people of different demographics. I have heard the craziest stories and have received some of the best advice from jumpseat therapy.
Commuter life 🚗🚈🛫
Another great thing about the flight attendant life is that you can live anywhere in the world and still commute to your assigned base for work. For most people a commute to work is a car ride between the office and home ; but for flight attendants a commute to work could mean a 4 hour plane ride from your home in Denver to your base in Newark. This allows for a lot of flexibility in your schedule.
*Now for the NOT SO Glamorous*
Schedule 📆
The scheduling can be the biggest pro and con. Everything depends on seniority. Starting out in this career means being on call (reserve) a certain amount of days a month. During your on-call days you are at the mercy of the company. They send you where they need you, when they need you.
Missed Events
This one can be tough also. You never know when a delayed flight will cause you to miss your commuter flight home for a big event. I remember my first Thanksgiving away from home sitting in my hotel room eating room service on facetime with my family. Those missed holidays and events can be frustrating at times.
Long days and lonely nights
On average I work about 10-13 hours a day. Not including any delays. Constantly on my feet, changing time zones, changing airplanes. It’s extremely hard on the body and will leave you exhausted looking for the hotel phone to figure out what city you just woke up in (there are actual days I do not remember what city I’m laying over in). You really learn to love your own company.
