In my career as a Flight Attendant I get asked a lot of the same questions. Friends, family, passengers, and strangers I’ve met want to know all the info and gain some insight into the life of an airline crew member.
It seems as if my job is so mysterious. Between the work schedules, benefits, and being away from home you all have questions…
Here is a list of the TOP 5 FAQs answered!
Do you get free flights?
Technically yes. My flight benefits allow me to fly standby, so as long as there is a seat open on the plane I get to go for free. The only flight I ever pay for is if I am traveling from an international destination back to the US. In that case you pay the taxes and it varies from country to country.
This is a HUGE perk of the job. It can at times be very difficult to get on a flight; there is never a guarantee you will get on. Most of the time you do not know until minutes before!
Do you work the same routes?
In terms of schedule no, I fly different trips and layovers every month. There can be a lot of variety in what my schedule looks like.
I do fly through a lot of the same airports, but the routes are different each time.
Example: I fly through DFW a lot. Sometimes my trip takes me from LAX-DFW other times ORD-DFW.
Do you get your own hotel room on layovers?
I think this question is kind of funny, but yes everything is prearranged and we do not share rooms. We normally stay at the same 1 or 2 hotels in each city. The airlines have contracts with various hotels and that dictates why we stay at certain hotels.
When you arrive to a city for a layover there is a hotel shuttle or a contracted car that will drive you to the hotel. Each crew member signs in and get a separate room key.
Do you ever fly international trips?
Yes I do! My airline has international flights but most months I fly all domestic trip because I am junior. Everything in the airline industry is assigned by seniority. People we consider senior have been flying for the company 20-40 years.
If I fly international trips that means I picked it up from another flight attendant.
Do you like your job?
I feel so lucky to have this job and I absolutely love every moment. Just like any job it has its ups and downs, but I love being in the sky and traveling everywhere.
Being in an airplane is home, its where I feel I belong. This job is not for everyone, but with the right mindset an attitude your life will forever be changed.
