Responsibilities
Tasks may vary slightly depending on whether it is a short or long-haul flight and the size of the team you are working in. However, duties include:
- attending a pre-flight briefing, during which air cabin crew are assigned their working positions for the upcoming flight. Crew are also informed of flight details, the schedule and if there are passengers with any special requirements, such as diabetic passengers, passengers in wheelchairs or the number of infants on board;
- carrying out pre-flight duties, including checking the safety equipment and security checks, ensuring the aircraft is clean and tidy, ensuring that information in the seat pockets is up to date and that all meals, drinks and stock are on board;
- welcoming passengers on board and directing them to their seats;
- informing fliers of the aircraft safety procedures and ensuring that all hand luggage is securely stored away;
- checking all seat belts and galleys are secure prior to take-off;
- making announcements on behalf of the pilot and answering questions during the flight;
- serving meals and refreshments;
- selling duty-free goods and advising passengers of any allowance restrictions in force at their destination;
- reassuring passengers and ensuring that they follow safety procedures correctly in emergency situations;
- giving first aid where necessary;
- ensuring passengers disembark safely at the end of a flight and checking that there is no luggage left in the overhead lockers and no stowaways or suspicious items on board;
- completing paperwork, including writing a flight report.
Salary
- Basic starting salaries for air cabin crew are around £12,000. Additional allowances may be received on top of this, which could take the salary to around £14,500.
- Air cabin crew with experience can expect to earn £15,000 to £18,000 a year.
- Starting salaries at senior cabin crew level (which can be reached after a few years of experience) are around £20,000.
Some airlines will offer additional allowances on top of base pay for number of languages spoken. Many airlines also offer overnight payments for nights spent away from home.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
Employee benefits
The majority of airlines offer free flights to cabin crew on domestic flights and some offer free or heavily discounted international flights. There is usually a policy for discounted travel for immediate family and spouses.
Working hours
Cabin crew work shifts that usually involve irregular and unsocial hours. It can include working early mornings, through the night, at weekends and on public holidays. Short-haul flights may provide more regular hours than long haul. You may also have to work or be flexible on your days off if your return journey is cancelled or delayed. This is normally compensated however.
Part-time opportunities are available but this still involves unsocial hours.
What to expect
- Airlines catering for the package holiday market tend to recruit air cabin crew on a seasonal basis.
- Some airlines require staff to live within a certain radius/easy travelling distance of the airport. (Flexibility is vital as staff may need to be on stand-by for work at short notice.) Some air cabin crew may be based in locations abroad.
- The work can be demanding as cabin crew have to deal with and often work through tiredness and jet lag if crossing over different time zones.
- The airline provides air cabin crew with a uniform and they are expected to be smartly dressed at all times and well groomed. Many airlines do not allow visible tattoos or piercings.
- Air cabin crew often work in confined spaces and have to spend a lot of time on their feet. The work is physically demanding, particularly on long-haul flights. Dealing with difficult passengers in an enclosed space may be stressful.
- The amount of time spent away from home varies depending on the airline and whether you are working on short or long-haul flights. Spending nights away from home is especially common with long-haul work.
- You'll work with a variety of people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Qualifications
A degree or HND/foundation degree is not required for entry into work as a cabin crew member. Instead, most airlines require a good secondary education, with some asking for grade C or above in English and maths.
Studying a degree/HND/foundation degree in one of the following subjects may be useful, however, in showing the airline you have an interest in this area:
- languages;
- travel;
- leisure and tourism management;
- hospitality management.
Being able to speak other languages may be particularly useful and this could put you at an advantage against other candidates.
A postgraduate qualification is not required.
Vocational qualifications (NVQs and BTECs) are available at different levels in various cabin crew topics. They are awarded by bodies such as:
Taster one and two-day courses, which give an indication of what cabin crew work is like, and other introduction courses for people who are new to cabin crew work are also available. For details, see course providers like GoCabinCrew.com andCabinCrew.com.
While completion of these courses and qualifications will demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest in the career, it will not guarantee a job. They may give you an edge over other candidates, but most airlines do not require them to be completed in order to consider you for a vacancy.
The majority of airlines do have a certain list of requirements, however, which candidates must meet. This includes some or all of the following:
- minimum age of 18, in some cases 21;
- good standard of health and fitness with the ability to swim 25 metres unaided;
- minimum height requirement (this may differ depending on airlines) and usually that height be in proportion to weight - in the UK it is often measured as reach rather than height;
- good hearing and eyesight, although glasses and contact lenses are allowed;
- valid passport permitting unrestricted travel worldwide;
- Disclosure and Barring Service check;
- medical examination (some airlines may not require this).
Skills
You will need to show:
- communication skills;
- exceptional customer service;
- confidence in dealing with a range of people;
- team working skills (different teams may be worked with every day) and be able to be supportive of colleagues;
- discretion when dealing with VIPs/royalty;
- competence in handling difficult situations and the ability to remain calm under pressure and in emergency situations;
- the gift of being tactful and diplomatic but also assertive when necessary;
- commercial awareness and sales skills;
- flexibility in working unsocial hours on any day of the year;
- the capability to work quickly and efficiently, often to tight time constraints;
- numeracy skills for handling cash, including foreign currency;
- the capacity to work in a confined space;
- the ability to diffuse situations calmly and quickly.
Work experience
Airlines may wish to see evidence of relevant work experience rather than qualifications, as they are keen to see that candidates have the required skills. Part-time or temporary work in customer service roles will be particularly useful, as will any work that demonstrates skills in teamwork and communication.
Employers
Airlines operate on a chartered or scheduled basis, with some operating a mixture of both. Chartered flights usually run during the summer and/or skiing seasons to the most popular tourist destinations, whereas scheduled flights operate at regular times all year round and go to a wider range of destinations.
Typical employers include large and medium-sized British airlines and international carriers. For a list of member, passenger and cargo airlines, consisting of around 240 airlines in over 115 countries see International Air Transportation Association (IATA). Individual airports also usually have a list of the airlines and tour operators operating from their airport on their website.
Temporary seasonal opportunities may be available through airlines and tour operators to cover the peak summer period (May to October).
Permanent contracts are rare and competition for them is fierce; it may take several years of seasonal work before cabin crew can apply for a permanent contract.
Business and corporate jet companies also hire cabin crew, sometimes for VVIP positions for their prestigious clients.
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