For my final aviation story, I did a bit of research on a career that I felt like I knew absolutely nothing about: being a flight attendant. I've probably been on ten flights in my life, and I've always been curious about the duties of the pleasant, snazzily dressed people who push around carts with free soda and pretzels. Most importantly, where do they go when they're not pushing around their cart? Don't ask me why, but I've always wondered.
According to reputable sources, flight attendants work long and unpredictable hours. Shifts that range 12-14 hours in length, longer if they are working an international flight, are the norm. Far from a normal office job, these employees are called upon to service flights on nights, weekends, and holidays. When a flight attendant first begins working for a commercial airline, they typically have the worst, most unpredictable schedules. The newbies are on call for 24 hour periods, during which time they have to be at the airport within an hour, prepared to fly anywhere for however long. As the flight attendant moves through the ranks and bumps up on the totem poll, they are usually able to land routine gigs, with hours that are planned and familiar destinations.
There are some requirements that a candidate must have before considering becoming a flight attendant. Depending on the airline, the candidate must be at least 18 or 21 years old and have a high school diploma or, sometimes, an associates or Bachelor's degree. Customer service experience is important, as the flight attendant is the person that has the most interaction with the customers of that airline. Height requirements also vary by airline, but it is important that the person be short enough to easily navigate the airplane aisles but tall enough to reach the overhead luggage bins.
As far as the duties of a flight attendant, they are responsible for doing multiple safety checks before, during, and after the flight. If the flight is longer than 30 minutes, a drink is usually offered. Longer flights will get a meal or two. Taking everyone's orders and pushing those carts around takes some time! The rest of the time is spent assisting passengers with various requests, making sure everyone has their seatbelt on when the light is on, and generally providing guidance to anyone who is anxious or questioning. Before landing, the flight attendants collect all the trash. They then assist with unloading the plane at the destination. They're sort of like waitresses that work in a giant restaurant suspended in midair, with some advanced safety training and really flexible hours!
Unfortunately, if this summary made anyone want to be a flight attendant, the research says I must advise against it. The job outlook for flight attendants through 2020 is generally poor. There's expected to be little to no change in the number of jobs through that year, so the competition will be fierce for existing positions.
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