Flight Attendant Career Guide: Becoming a Flight Attendant

Flight attendants continue to be in high demand; by law, airlines must have flight attendants on board all aircrafts. Not only do they provide beverages, food, and assist passengers, but they also play an important role in the safety and security of the plane. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that by 2032, demand for flight attendants will increase 11 percent, adding an estimated 16,600 job openings for flight attendants nationwide over the next decade. People in their late teens, through their 60s can train to work as an airline flight attendant.

The History of Flight Attendants

Originally, flight attendants were referred to as stewardesses. Before this, they were called stewards or couriers, and were teenage sons of wealthy men who financed the airlines. Beginning in the 1930s and ending in the 1980s, only women were allowed to be flight attendants. There also used to be strict requirements regarding the physical appearance of flight attendants.

The first-ever stewardess was a nurse named Ellen Church. Ellen seemed to set the standard for flight attendants initially, making another preliminary requirement mandating flight attendants to be registered nurses as well. However, once World War II hit, most nurses were assisting with war efforts, which lifted this requirement, allowing other women to step into the role.

What Flight Attendants Do

Across all airlines, passengers can expect flight attendants to have similar responsibilities. They all go through comparable training programs. Prior to takeoff, it is the flight attendant’s duty to explain emergency protocol to travelers. Flight attendants assist passengers in many ways, such as storing baggage in overhead compartments, serving the increasingly expensive beverages and snacks, and perform cabin walkabouts. To be considered a flight attendant by the FAA, you have to work on an aircraft with more than 20 seats.

Other responsibilities of flight attendants include:

• Discuss cabin and weather conditions with the pilot and the rest of the onboard staff
• Preflight equipment inspection
• Inspect and clean the airplane cabin before and after boarding
• Verify tickets and other passenger information
• Reassure passengers during turbulence or other natural/unnatural occurrences
• Relay any announcements necessary from the captain
• Most importantly, guide passengers to safety in the event of an emergency

Flight Attendant Qualities

There are some other soft skills that can make a great flight attendant:

• Communicative: As a flight attendant, you’re dealing with a variety of people, and it’s important to know how to listen to, and speak with, just about everyone.
• Attentive: There’s a lot that goes on inside a plane. Flight attendants must remain alert on the job.
• Decision maker: In the case of an emergency, you may need to make certain decisions. If you can act as a leader and maintain strong decision making skills when under pressure, you will be a great flight attendant.
• Stamina: Since you will be on your feet all day walking down aisles, and possibly assisting passengers with luggage, having good stamina will make a big difference for you.
• Adaptable: It's possible you may be on-call, or you may need to handle unexpected situations as they arise.
• Team player: You’re part of a team when you’re a flight attendant. Open communication and collaboration with other airline staff members will make you a great team member.

The Interview

Flight attendant positions can be competitive. It's important to demonstrate not only your knowledge, but also any personal characteristics that you believe will make you a great flight attendant. Typical questions asked during an interview will be personal, behavioral, and situational. To prepare for your interview, be sure to review your resume, and research the airline company you’re interviewing with so you can best answer the many questions you’ll be asked.

It is recommended during interviews that flight attendants are polished and dressed in a manner that would reflect positively of the airline. While appearance isn't the most important quality in a flight attendant, airlines generally look for people they feel will serve as a good representation of their brand.

Becoming a Flight Attendant

Any flight attendant education you receive must be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Prerequisites for flight attendant training are:

• 18 years of age, but some airlines set the minimum age at 19
• Height requirements are usually between 4’11” and 6’4” but you need to be able to reach 208cm
• Must be clean, neat, and polished in appearance
• Able to work in the United States
• Have a valid passport
• Pass a drug test and background check
• Vision that’s correctable to 20/40
• Pass a medical evaluation
• Minimum of a high school diploma
• International flights require the knowledge of languages other than English
  • Note: The more languages you know, the better chance you have of being hired!

Many airlines prefer candidates with college degrees in hospitality/tourism, communications, business, social sciences, or public relations. Before working as a flight attendant, most applicants will have had at least one to two years of work experience in the service industry such as, a restaurant, hotel, or resort. Sales experience can also be helpful to candidates applying to be flight attendants.

Your exact training may depend on the airline you are with, but once hired, flight attendants usually experience between three to six weeks of training. This training is regulated by the FAA, and required for an FAA certificate. New recruits will learn core competencies such as: administering first aid, evacuating an aircraft, use of emergency equipment, and more. Trainees also undergo practice flights to test their skills toward the end of training.

Once the training is over, the fledgling flight attendant receives an FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency.

Flight Attendant Career Ladder

Like any career, you will begin as an entry-level flight attendant. However, with experience you can advance in your career and increase your paycheck.

• Reserve Flight Attendant: This is the very entry-level position. You are an on-call, having to be ready within two to four hours of that phone calling letting you know you’re needed on a plane.
• Flight Attendant: You’re no longer on call; you have earned your 75-100 monthly hours
• Senior Flight Attendant: You’re still a flight attendant, but your experience has given you leadership over other flight attendants.
• Check Flight Attendant: You’ll observe flights to make sure they are compliant with the FAA, as well as making sure that the flight attendants under you are fulfilling their position requirements.
• Flight Attendant Supervisor: As a supervisor, you oversee a group of flight attendants, evaluating their performance, and checking in with the base manager and inflight manager regularly.
• Base Manager: You lead and manage flight attendants of all ranks that are on your base.
• Inflight Manager (aka Vice President): As the inflight manager, you will be responsible for overseeing everyone on your base, from flight attendants, to supervisors and the base manager.

And, if you’ve decided you don’t want to fly anymore, you can still work in the industry:

• Flight Attendant Recruiter: You’ll screen and interview candidates, and help make hiring decisions.
• Flight Attendant Instructor: You get to put your years of knowledge to good use, by training tomorrow’s flight attendants.
• Risk Management: You’ll assess the risks airlines may be exposed to, and communicate them, along with some strategies to combat the issues.

Flight Attendant Training Cost

Training is an extremely important part of the job, and its cost depends on where you train. In some instances, it is free, and in others, it can add up to a few thousand dollars. Some airlines provide the training once the arduous interview process is complete and an offer to hire is made. There are a lot of flight attendant schools out there so it’s important to do some research and choose the best fit for you.

There are also basic flight attendant training programs that will help spruce up your resume. And, if flying on a smaller plane is more your speed, then training with a corporate or private company may be a better fit for you. The cost varies but make sure that the program is approved by the FAA or your training will be for naught, aka, completely useless.

Flight Attendant Salary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the average salary for a flight attendant in 2023 as $70,980, with the top 10 percent earning an average of $104,100 or more. Most flight attendants belong to a union within different branches of the Association of Flight Attendants or the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.

States with the highest salary in 2023:

Flight Attendant Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the demand for flight attendants is expected to increase 11 percent by 2032.

There are usually more applicants than job openings when it comes to flight attendant positions, so having a college degree may give you a better shot at getting one of the competitive positions. Another quality that will give you a competitive edge is being fluent in at least one other language.

States with highest level of employment in 2022: