A flight attendant is one of the rewarding careers in the job market. A flight attendant has to handle the customer issues, and ensure there is constant communication between the crew to provide a safe travel experience. Just like any other career, being a flight attendant has its good days and worse days. Depending on what type of flight you’re working with, you can have a short and easy flight or a long flight.
Pros:
1. Unique travel experience: If you love traveling, being a flight attendant you’re paid to travel to a new destination, have hotel accommodation paid for, and even be scheduled to have a long layover. This gives you enough time to explore the area. Some airlines enter into contracts with each other to allow any flight attendant to fly anywhere in the world for free or at reduced rates.
2. Flexible schedule: In most employment sectors, people work between 8-5 or from 9-5 and have off days on Saturday and Sunday. Flight attendants can have a work schedule where they can swap, drop some days, or choose to combine their work trips to have more off days like days in a row for vacation or to attend to their issues.
3. Meet new people: A flight attendant has an opportunity to meet new people, learn their culture as you interact with them, and even form a professional network with people around the world.
4. There is always something new with every flight: There is always something new to discover in each flight. Even though you have the same routine, every flight is different and this makes your work more interesting every day.
5. Best views: Being a flight attendant is very adventurous. You will have the best views in the sky like watching the pyramids or the incredible white sands of Zanzibar among others.
6. Free services: Nothing feels good like getting travel benefits. All staff members of the airline get discounts during traveling. Also, discounts can apply to their friends and family members. Flight attendants are given free flights to any destination. However, this discount is only available when there are free seats. You will not find vacant seats in peak season. The good thing is that most unpaid seats are for first-class and business class. In addition to that, flight attendants also get discounts on airline hotels, rental cars, and other vacation packages.
7. Beautiful scenery: Pilots and attendants live different sets of lifestyles. Flights go to many destinations across the world. For this reason, you can familiarize yourself with new places. Henceforth, today you can be in Europe, next time you are in Africa. Family and friends will keep asking about the beautiful destinations went to.
8. Improves social skill experience: The main role of flight attendants is connected to the needs of passengers. Besides responding to emergencies, they are required to have better social skills. These skills act as a basis for creating good relations with everyone in your career. Also, it helps to link with individuals in important situations. These skills include listening, body language, empathy, cooperation, written, and verbal communication.
9. Sharpen interest and personality: According to Holand Code, a qualified flight attendant should have an interest in the field like organizing, persuading, and helping people. Organizing skills require crew members to keep everything in order. Persuading involves motivating and influencing individuals. Lastly, helping skills involves teaching, advising, and serving people. These interests are put into practice through the job. As a result of this, you sharpen your personality and interest.
10. Improves communication skills: Most essential life skill is being able to communicate. Employees with these skills can secure chances for good jobs. The skills are expressed through tone, pitch, physical language, and gestures. Flight attendants have better skills to communicate and accommodate everyone.
Cons:
1. Long working hours: If you’re working for regional air carriers, you can work for long hours. If you’re working with a charter operation, you can have a shorter workday but you will spend long hours at certain locations than when an air carrier.
2. Rude passengers: During your working hours, you can come across rude passengers and you need to know how to handle them. You will also have to deal with panicked passengers in case of any emergency.
3. Low pay: When starting, the payment is very low. To earn a higher salary as a flight attendant, you have to work for over 10 years.
4. Reserve life: You have to be always on reserve or call. You can be called anytime and be assigned a trip and have to be within the airport for two hours before the trip begins. Sometimes you may not know where you’re going and how long you will be gone. In reverse flights, you may get a leftover trip that nobody else wants.
5. Away from home: You will have to go for several days without seeing your family and friends. If you have a family that needs your attention then it will be hard to manage this type of job.
6. Fatigue: Flying throughout can result in burnout. You will have nothing to do but continue with the job. Sometimes there are few leaves and split schedules. Also, working during holidays brings more fatigue.
7. The gain of weight: Flight attendants do not have time to exercise daily because of the tight schedule. On top of that, the job is tiresome hence it is easy to crave sugary foods like sweets, cakes, and chocolate. This type of diet causes a rapid increase in gain of weight. Studies show that mot attendants gain extra weight compared to when they first came for the job.
8. Break relationships: It is rare to find someone who understands your lifestyle. Some partners lack understanding and support.
9. Work on weekends: Flight attendants do not get time to attend weekend parties like birthdays, family gatherings,s, and weddings.
10. Hormonal changes: Nobody is going to understand you when you are on periods. You have to attend work unless it is a serious sickness.
Recently Added
