28 Nov What it’s like to be a Cabin Crew?

You may have heard many of your friends say that they dream of becoming a member of the cabin crew. After long talk sessions with them about their job, you could have developed the same goal. Before deciding on following their footsteps, there are a few things that you need to know about what it is like being a cabin crew.

The training is no joke. The training that you have to go through is very challenging and will take around four to eight weeks. You have many written and practical exams that you need to complete. This means that you will have to spend long hours to study and understand everything that you learned in the classroom. After some time, there will be aircraft cabin mock-ups that could be dreadful. You are required to pass each exam with at least 90% grade. If you fail to reach this mark three times, the airline will send you home. Once this happens, you won’t be able to reapply for six months. You have to deal with the differences in time and weather in different places. For flight attendants that travel internationally, it is a struggle to adapt to the life of experiencing different time zones and climate or weather every day of your career. Because of the schedule that you are on, you will most likely become sick at the beginning because your body is not programmed to go through that as frequently as you do as a flight attendant. However, after some time, you will become accustomed to that specific lifestyle. All you have to do is to ensure that you are in good health at all times. To avoid getting sick, you can take vitamins and health boosters. Though it is great to be living your dream, you need to remind yourself that health is wealth.

Dealing with passengers is not the easiest task. Every day, you will have to face people with different personalities, behaviour, and temper. As a cabin crew, it is essential to learn how to deal with all kinds of people. You will have to deal with some who will complain a lot or those who have multiple questions that may seem pointless. However, it is your responsibility to make them feel comfortable throughout the flight. Always remember to smile when you face your passengers. You are not their waiter, but you are the one who will save their lives if something happens. Although you indeed have to bring them their food and drink during the flight, you were not trained for weeks to do only that. You will learn what to do in case an emergency arises. There are procedures that you will have to perform during your mock-ups. You will be taught what you have to do if the plane malfunctions or a medical emergency happens mid-flight. As a flight attendant, you have many responsibilities, most of which is to attend to your passengers. However, you should never forget what you trained long and hard for. Although there is only a slim chance of something tragic happening, you still have to review and recall the steps you have to take. You will receive amazing perks.

As a beginner, your salary won’t be as high as you may have expected it to be, but there are several benefits that you can get. During your layovers, while working, your company will let you stay in excellent hotels. You will also receive discounted tickets when you want to travel for personal reasons. Regarding your salary, there is no need to worry. The pay will continue to work up the pay scale as time passes by. There will be no more holidays for you. During the contract signing, your employer will inform you that you will no longer have any holiday or birthday leaves. You will have a schedule that you will have to follow, and if your day-off falls on any of the significant holidays, then you are in luck. However, if you are scheduled to fly on those days, then you will celebrate with your passengers on board. Although it may be lonely, it is an entirely different experience that may be amusing at the beginning. After some time, you will get used to your schedule and spending most of your time away from your loved ones.

It is your responsibility to solve unexpected problems. One example of an unexpected situation is when a bug or pest has entered the plane. Though there are people whose job is to clean the aircraft often, there are still instances wherein you will find one, such as a cockroach, aboard. If this happens, you can perform cockroach control with non-toxic killer products. It may not seem that important, but it is crucial to show your passengers that you value cleanliness. Also, some people have a phobia of these pests. Making sure that the plane is bug-free ensures that none of the passengers will go into a panic attack.

These are only a few advantages and disadvantages of being a flight attendant. If you still want to be a cabin crew member after learning about what it really is like, then you should go ahead and pursue your dream.

Happy and safe flights!

Guest Post by Cora L.

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