Are you considering becoming a flight attendant? If yes, be sure to read the BEST and WORST things about being a flight attendant, and TIPS on how to get hired.
Still not sure but want to learn more? Or are you just curious to learn about the people you randomly end up staring at during a flight? There is more to it than the average job description lists. Keep reading to see some of the unexpected things you might want to consider.
5 random things you probably didn’t know about being a flight attendant
The list below are things I learned ONLY because I started working as a flight attendant. While none of them would have made me choose a different career entirely, I do wish I would have known ahead of time to help me better prepare.
Flight attendants really do catch people trying to join the “mile high club”
Yes, it does happen, and yes, it is gross! Sometimes when people in flight get really drunk they think they are a whole lot more sneaky than they really are.
Unfortunately I’ve caught people fooling around. Depending how far along in the process they are dictates what the response was. Usually you or another nearby passenger asks them to knock it off. If that doesn’t work there is always the option of inviting law enforcement to greet the plane upon landing.
Flight attendants often know less about assigned seats than you do, but moving seats really can throw the balance of the plane off
Want to sneak into the exit row? Go for it; you are likely to get away with it so long as no one else is assigned there. My secret is being the last one to get on the plane and then choosing whichever open seat I wanted (probably won’t work getting you into first class though, but if you pulled it off I would love to hear about it).
UPDATE: this is becoming harder and harder as more and more flight attendants get tablets with interactive seat maps, but even if the flight attendants suspect it they often don’t care.
While one passenger isn’t likely to throw off the entire weight and balance of a plane, a number of passengers sitting in the incorrect seats can. When this happens, the pilots will let the cabin crew know that they need to move a number of passengers to seats farther back or more forward.
Flight attendants hide during delays
As a flight attendant I hated delays and being around angry passengers. As soon as a flight was delayed I did my best to run away to find a place to hide. Even if there wasn’t a dedicated crew room we would find somewhere else to hang out and avoid the menacing glares of angry passengers.
Most of the time as a flight attendant you are stuck just like the passengers. The worst part is that you aren’t even getting your full pay unless you are flying. Delays just stink all around.
Flight attendants are trained in hand to hand combat
Airlines take it seriously when they say that the flight attendants are there for your protection. While details aren’t typically discussed for security reasons, part of flight attendant training now includes being trained in hand to hand combat.
The specifics of training are supposed to stay secret so that we can catch the bad guys off guard. I’ll just say that if you are training to become a flight attendant, you may learn some skills that can help you defend yourself on and off a plane.
Flight attendants get random drug tests
Are you a stoner that wants to be a flight attendant? Sorry, random drug tests ensure that flight attendants don’t party too hard. Even if you are from a state that allows recreational marijuana use, the federal guidelines for flight attendants prohibit use of recreational marijuana.
Lots of Times The Crews Have Never Met Each Other Before
If you work for a smaller airline this may not be the case, but if you end up working for one of the bigger airlines out of a bigger base, you may go YEARS without working with the same crew twice. Many airline bases have thousands of pilots and flight attendants cycling through their networks.
While it is fun to constantly meet new people, don’t expect to be going on overnights with the same group all the time. That being said, if you make friends with certain cabin crew members you can often schedule flights together.
Conclusion
I love working as a flight attendant, but there wasn’t anything that could fully prepare me for it. Flight attendants often say the job involves a complete lifestyle adjustment. While it doesn’t have to, it definitely can.
Are there any other unique aspects of being a flight attendant that you think should be included?
MORE BLOG POSTS ON HOW TO BECOME A FLIGHT ATTENDANT
The process to becoming a flight attendant can be overwhelming. These are my most popular blog posts to help guide you through the process.
How to pass the cabin crew interview: The #1 Secret to Passing the Cabin Crew Interview
Our Best Tips to Become a Flight Attendant: 7 Tips to Becoming a Flight Attendant
How to Become a Flight Attendant if you have no experience: How to Become a Flight Attendant (With no Experience)
What you Need to Know Before you Apply: 5 WORST things about being a flight attendant
Breakdown of the best Flight Attendant Benefits: 7 Benefits of Being a Flight Attendant