Thinking of becoming a flight attendant? Curious what the flight attendant benefits are? I previously worked as a flight attendant and it was one of the best jobs I ever had.
There are a ton of benefits to being a flight attendant. Everyone knows that when you are a flight attendant you can fly for free, but there are a number of other benefits of being a flight attendant that should make you consider this as a career choice.
Wondering how to get hired as a flight attendant? Read our best tips for getting hired as a flight attendant >> 7 Tips to Becoming a Flight Attendant
Benefits of Being a Flight Attendant
1. You aren’t the only one who gets to fly for free!
Most airline flight attendant benefits are probably better than you think. Most people realize they could fly for free, but they don’t realize that most airlines extend these benefits to spouses/significant others, dependents, and even parents.
When I worked for an airline my parents used the flight benefits way more than I ever did. Lots of airlines even give employees a few “buddy passes” a year so they can get their friends on a couple flights as well.
You only get on the flight if there is an open seat, but with careful planning you can still get on.
2. You get benefits other airlines as well
The perks of being a flight attendant keep getting better! Airlines typically have agreements where they trade benefits between their employees and beneficiaries. I flew completely for free on my airline, but had access to fly 100 others.
When I flew on my airline it was completely free, but when I flew the I had to pay a small fee, generally described as the taxes on the route. Typically the fee for me to fly from Los Angeles to New York on another airline was only about $40.
3. You don’t need a college degree to become a flight attendant
Want to avoid student loans? College not for you? Neither are necessary if you want to become a flight attendant! The age to be a flight attendant varies by airline, but it is almost always somewhere between 18 and 21 so you can start applying soon after high school.
4. Pay starts out pretty lame, but can get pretty good
Average salary for a flight attendant starts out pretty low. Even though pay starts out pretty low, there are a number of flight attendants that make $80,000 a year. That’s a great salary, especially considering the other perks that come with it.
5. Schedule flexibility
Schedules are made by flight attendants seeing all available flights and then “bidding” on the ones they most want. They are awarded based on seniority, so even though it sucks when you are new, once you have some experience you can build a scheduled with tons of flexibility. I had friends that would rush and get their hours in early in the month, and then take the final two weeks off.
6. Overnights allowing you to see the world
Many international flights come with a flight crew overnight. This gives the flight crew time to get off and sleep in a local hotel before flying back. Often times these overnights allow more time to actually do a little bit of exploring before coming back. Even though the trips are quick, if you fly to the same place multiple times you will end up getting paid to explore the world.
7. Meet cool people
One of the flight attendant perks are the people you meet. Not only can you meet people around the globe, but generally people on planes are pretty happy and/or excited to be traveling somewhere, and can typically be a joy to talk to.
Think you could be interested in becoming a flight attendant?
Well, before you commit be sure to read our best tips to becoming a flight attendant.
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
Things you Don’t Know About Becoming a Flight Attendant: 5 Random Things you Probably Didn’t Know about Being a Flight Attendant
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