Are you excited by the chance to travel the world? You aren’t alone. Average flight attendant applications for the past 10 years are estimated to be over 1,000,000 per year. You need an advantage to ge hired.
Working as a flight attendant presents many opportunities to travel the world for free, and in overnight cases, get free hotel and meals. Build lasting relationships and develop valuable client service and life-saving skills. Use our handy guide below to learn what you’ll need to do to start your flight attendant career.
Yes, Training Matters! Every day, hiring managers can choose between those who are trained and those who are not. Guess who gets the interview?
TTA provides many advantages to landing your dream job and getting hired fast. Airlines are actively recruiting out of our school, which saves you time and gets your resume in front of those who make the hiring decisions.
Keep in mind that each airline has its own set of guidelines. If you have your heart set on a specific airline, look up their job postings or careers page to find specifics on that carrier. Learn out more about flight attendant qualifications here.
Have you ever marvelled at the poised, polished and knowledgeable air hosts and hostesses assisting passengers during flights? Does a career in aviation customer service appeal to you? If serving travelers at 30,000 feet sounds exciting, read on to learn if this rewarding career might be right for you
In this comprehensive guide we will walk through the step-by-step process of becoming an air host or flight attendant. We’ll look at the skills required, training undertaken certifications earned and day-to-day responsibilities.
Let’s dive in to discover if you have what it takes for this demanding yet fulfilling profession flying high in the world’s skies!
Educational Requirements
A 4-year college degree is not mandatory for becoming a flight attendant, but it provides advantages in a very competitive hiring landscape. Relevant fields of study include:
- Hospitality, tourism or customer service
- Communications or public speaking
- Foreign languages
- Emergency medical training
Coursework in these areas builds expertise in areas aligned to the daily duties of flight attendants:
- Interacting with diverse passengers
- Speaking clearly over cabin announcement systems
- Assisting international travelers
- Responding to in-flight emergencies
Many leading airlines prefer candidates with a bachelor’s or associate degree when selecting from stacks of applications. Education signals a level of dedication and competence.
For those currently in high school, taking courses in hospitality, foreign languages and basic first aid helps lay a solid educational foundation.
While no specific college major is required, broadening your knowledge in relevant domains gives you a leg up.
Key Skills and Qualities
Academic credentials will only take you so far. Certain soft skills and innate qualities make for top-notch air hosts.
Customer Service Orientation
First and foremost, flight attendants must be consummate service professionals. This entails:
- Friendly, gracious personalities
- Remaining calm under pressure
- Quick thinking to handle passenger requests
- Avoiding frustration when responding to complaints
- Maintaining poise in stressful situations
- Ability to stand for long hours providing service
Outstanding customer service skills are non-negotiable. Passengers rely on your assistance to ensure a safe, enjoyable flight.
Communication Abilities
Clear communication is also essential. You must be able to:
- Speak loudly and clearly over the cabin PA system
- Give quick, decisive instructions during emergencies
- Provide directions to passengers in a courteous manner
- Discuss passenger issues patiently and offer solutions
- Coordinate with other flight crew using aviation terminologies
- Remain poised speaking in front of large groups
Strong communication skills also allow flight attendants to make brief cabin announcements about weather, flight status and destination facts. Being an articulate speaker keeps passengers informed.
Interpersonal Skills
Since flight attendants constantly interact with travelers, diplomacy and perceptiveness help create a hospitable environment.
- Work cooperatively as part of the cabin crew team
- Anticipate passenger needs before being asked
- Maintain composure with challenging passengers
- Pay close attention to body language for signs of distress
- Be culturally sensitive with diverse groups of travelers
- Project confidence to reassure nervous fliers
Reading social cues allows flight attendants to provide personalized service that meets unique passenger needs.
Physical Capabilities
The job also requires certain physical capabilities:
- Ability to walk through the cabin and stand for prolonged periods
- Reach overhead bins to stow passenger baggage
- Push meal and drink carts weighing up to 100 pounds
- Crouch or kneel to assist disabled passengers
- Restrain unruly passengers if required
- Perform emergency evacuations including opening doors, climbing slides and running
Fitness and mobility are necessities for flight attendants who operate in tight spaces and respond to safety incidents.
This diverse blend of customer service, communication, interpersonal and physical skills makes successful flight attendants stand out. Those new to the industry can develop these capabilities through formal training.
Finding the Right Airline Employer
Once you’ve built an educational foundation and set of in-demand skills, next comes finding the right airline to work for.
The major carriers like Delta, United, American and Southwest only hire a fraction of applicants. But smaller regional carriers offer incoming flight attendants opportunities, as do charter services and corporate jets.
Here are some tips for finding promising openings:
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Check major airline career sites routinely for flight attendant postings
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Search job boards for openings with regional, charter and corporate airlines
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Follow airline social media accounts for hiring alerts
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Attend job fairs, especially those focused on the aviation sector
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Network with professional groups like Women in Aviation International
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Consider interim positions like airport customer service to get your foot in the door
Persistence and creative thinking improves your odds of landing that crucial first airline job. Opportunities with smaller airlines builds practical experience for later joining the major carriers.
Submitting Standout Applications
You’ve located flight attendant job openings to apply for. Now it’s time to make your application shine.
With thousands applying for just hundreds of openings each year, a generic application will not make the cut. Following these tips ensures your application grabs attention:
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Highlight relevant coursework – Emphasize classes like hospitality, foreign languages and communication on your resume.
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Document customer service history – Include any past jobs working with the public – retail, restaurants, tourism, etc.
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Tailor your cover letter – Research the airline’s brand and corporate values. Reflect these in your cover letter.
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Use the proper title – Job titles vary across airlines. Use the exact one from the job posting in your materials.
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Proofread meticulously – Typos or grammar issues will doom your chances. Double check everything.
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Sell your personality – Let your friendly, helpful attitude shine through. Airlines want attendants passengers will enjoy.
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List language skills – Fluency in foreign languages will make you a more versatile hire.
With careful preparation, you can craft an application that convinces recruiters you have what it takes to excel in the skies.
Completing Flight Attendant Training
You aced the airline’s interview and now have a conditional job offer! But hold your applause…the real work doesn’t start until immersive initial flight attendant training begins.
This mandatory multi-week training prepares you for the daily demands and unexpected emergencies of aviation work. Training covers:
Aviation Safety Procedures
- Aircraft evacuation protocol – operating exits, inflatable slides, directing passengers, etc.
- Firefighting – using handheld extinguishers
- Water landings – deploying flotation devices
- Oxygen administration – using masks and portable tanks
- Turbulence response – securing carts, preparing cabin
Safety is the top priority. Training drills flight attendants to react decisively in crisis situations.
Emergency Medical Response
- First aid – treating injuries and medical episodes
- CPR and AED – assisting passengers in cardiac arrest
- Medical supplies – using onboard equipment like defibrillators
- Communicating needs – informing pilots, doctors and ground staff
Flight attendants serve as first responders at 30,000 feet until able to hand off to medical teams on the ground.
Service Standards
- Food and beverage preparation – operating ovens, brewing coffee
- Serving techniques – carrying trays, pushing carts
- Airport processing – checking passenger documents
- Customs procedures – assessing forms, identifying contraband
- Brand quality standards – grooming, etiquette, attire
Proper service procedures ensure food quality and efficient boarding processes.
Passenger Handling
- Deescalating conflict – defusing tense situations
- Disability assistance – aiding mobility impaired passengers
- Managing children – keeping kids safe and occupied
- Managing disruptive passengers – restraint techniques
- Cultural sensitivity – avoiding discrimination; respecting faiths
Airline training preps attendants for the interpersonal challenges of working with hundreds of people in confined spaces.
New hires must pass all exams and skill assessments. This intensive preparation creates flight attendants ready for the demands awaiting them in the skies.
Obtaining Required Certifications
Beyond airline-provided training, flight attendants for major commercial carriers must earn certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA mandates attendants complete the following:
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Basic emergency training – actions during fires, medical emergencies, evacuations, etc.
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Hazardous materials recognition – identifying and responding to explosives, chemicals, biohazards
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Emergency drills and aircraft systems – using slides, rafts, oxygen; aircraft layouts and functions
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Aviation security – procedures to prevent hijacking and tampering; self defense tactics
These required certifications prepare attendants to protect passenger safety in myriad situations. Proper protocol aids response coordination with pilots and ground staff.
Many airlines provide exam preparation courses. All new flight attendants must pass FAA exams to work scheduled flights.
Get Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency
After orientation, crew members working on a plane with more than 20 seats need an FAA issued Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. Flight attendants receive this certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The flight attendant benefits are one of the top reasons why people choose this type of job. Specific benefits are different for each airline and may be different depending on how long a flight attendant has worked for their airline. The most popular benefit for flight attendants is just the job itself. Many flight attendants use their layover time between flights to explore a new city or country. There are times when a flight attendant job allows for a several day layover, which provides plenty of time to watch the sun rise or set over the ocean, explore historical places, or just sit and sip a cup of coffee on a cobblestone sidewalk.
- Your job takes you to other cities – can explore on overnight trips
- Family and sometimes friends can fly for free
- Do not need a college degree
- Many advancement opportunities
- Schedule can be flexible
- Ability to pickup extra flights to increase hours
- Opportunity to meet new people
- Per Diem – extra compensation to cover your meal costs (add: $1.70 – $2.15 per flight hour)
- Medical, dental, and life insurance
- 401(K) retirement plan
- Long-term disability coverage
- Performance-based bonuses
- Paid vacation and holidays
- Discounts on cruises, car rentals, hotels, and other hospitality services
Apply Online or give us a call at 952-854-7161 and see for yourself how much of a difference we can make in your career and help you realize your greater potential!
Search and Apply for Flight Attendant Jobs
This step may not be as easy as it sounds. Thousands of applicants without training never land an interview with an airline. Moreover, once you enter the interviewing process, the competition is fierce. That is why you must be completely prepared for your interview. Our school specializes in training you for interviews and airlines will often interview students while they’re still in class.
Being skilled at training isn’t the only thing to consider when you’re applying for work. It’s just as important to know how to make a positive impression on your potential employer during the interview process. Competition is tough and you must know everything from the proper way to dress for the job to the best way to answer hard interview questions.
- Delta receives 270,000 applications for only 2,000 positions, only the most qualified candidates even make it to an in-person interview.
- Many airlines use a computer screening process to reject a large number of candidates solely based on their résumé.
- The Travel Academy provides the secrets to help you get past the computer screening process. We shortcut the hiring process from months to just weeks, many of our students are interviewed while they are still in class and receive multiple job offers.
The application process for most airlines is intense. It can take 1-2 hours to complete a single application and questions may feel confusing or intimidating. Always provide a cover letter and résumé with your application. Since airlines receive thousands of applications, cover letters, and résumés, yours really needs to stand out.
If you are one of the lucky ones to get a call for an interview, you will arrive and likely find many people in front of you and a new group waiting to interview when you leave.
Experienced airline representatives interview thousands of people and has probably decided if you’ll be offered a position in the first 5 minutes. They look at your professionalism, manners (airlines are “old school”), how you talk, how you sit, eye contact…everything is judged.
The Travel Academy runs you through multiple practice interviews to help you master the in-person interview. This gives you real world practice, that will help you get hired fast.
Congratulations! Your hard work paid off and you’ve been hired by an airline!
Once you pass the pre-employment screening, the airline will require you to go through orientation and be trained on their own aircraft under their own FAA approved policies.
Many first-time flight attendants aren’t aware that, when you’re hired with an airline, the offer may be temporary until permanent. It is still possible to be fired at this stage. About 30% to 50% of new flight attendants never make it on an airplane. The most common reasons are tardiness, attitude, lack of flight attendant training or aircraft knowledge.
Most airlines have a probationary period where they test your skills and training.
HOW TO BECOME A FLIGHT ATTENDANT 2023 ✈️
How to become an air hostess?
A course in air hostess training is offered as a diploma, undergraduate, and also as a postgraduate program. If you have a degree in hospitality, travel, and tourism, then you will be given the first priority, and this will also give you an extra preference. Skills required to become an air hostess Detail-oriented and organized to work in a team.
What skills do you need to become an air host?
Candidates must first know about the relevant skills that are required to become an Air Hostess. Some of the soft skills that are required for a career as an Air Hostess are problem-solving, teamwork, professionalism, and attention to detail. We have mentioned these skills in detail in the Skills and Trait section of this article.
Should you start a career as an air host?
If you’re looking for a job in which you can help people while traveling to exciting places, consider starting your career as an air host, also known as a flight attendant. In this article, we discuss what an air host is, what their daily responsibilities are and how you can start your career as one. What is an air host?
What is an air host?
An Air Hostess or flight attendant or cabin crew is typically a member of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the comfort and safety of passengers aboard airline flights, commercial flights, business jet craft, or military aircraft.
