How to become a Flight Attendant...

l.u.c.k.

I wish I could tell you what the “secret¹” is or if there truly was a secret on just how to become a Flight Attendant. The honest truth is that it is sheer luck. This I swear by and know it has to be true because I was selected not once but twice, out of the nine times I have applied throughout the years.

Maybe it’s the resume, maybe it’s the smile, maybe it’s the interaction with other candidates as the interview process always tends to be in a group setting. This is my best advice. Dress the part, smile, be kind, and never ever criticize your current employer or the airline in which you are actively interviewing for, be friendly and engage even if it’s over the top and puts you out of your comfort zone. This career will without a doubt push you to and out of your comfort zone more often than not. It’s all part of how rewarding it can be.

I get asked all the time if it’s because I’ve had previous Flight Attendant experience. Maybe this time it helped; I truly do not know. But I can tell you it also has not helped me. From 2010-2018 while I was a SkyWest FA. I interviewed numerous times with Alaska each time making it up until the final round. Once I was cut after 14 hours of being interviewed; it was the longest drive back to Portland from Seattle in 2015 and would be the final time I would try with them. With in this time frame, I tried for Delta as well. I got the call to interview on an overnight in San Diego and was told to be in a full business suit and given specific details on dress, time, and location. I bought my interview outfit in San Diego at Nordstroms as I wouldn’t have time from the time I got home to the day of interview. The day before I was to fly to Atlanta, I received a call at 0900 telling me I needed to be on a flight at 1300 that day to Atlanta as they didn’t account for my travel and interview time. I swear they will see how many hoops you can and will jump through and how you handle it all being thrown at you. The interview was about 8 hours I made it thru until the end when they give the offers and then let the others go with the promise of hearing from us soon. They will not always follow up, remember that if you have applied or apply. I’ve tried two other times since 2021 with Delta with letters and internal references I CAN NOT get an interview. So, does experience help? Nope. Can it help? Maybe.

Most people who enter into the Flight Attendant “career” have no aviation background, limited travel experiences, and most of the time have no idea what Flight Attendants actually do. Aside from serve drinks and travel around and stay in “fancy²” hotels. That is the very least of what we do. While yes that’s what you see every day and is regularly portrayed and unless you know us what we also show.

You do not hear our stories of saving a passenger’s lives or for some losing them in flight. I know I’ve saved at least one; only to have him not remember me but his wife did and weeks later they were back on my flight and her and I start crying and hugging and I hear all about what has happened in the past month and thanked endless for all I did because she is certain I played a role in him once again sitting beside her on this flight. Or sitting on the floor holding a passenger as she cries and tells you about the loss of her son and on his way to identify his body, you sit there with tissues on the ready never moving never waiving. The time you were laying on top of an unconscious passenger with an AED ready to shock (just in case) as the pilots made an emergency landing and your flying down the runway bracing yourself and her and hoping you’ve done everything you could have to ensure she is going to be okay. You’ve rocked babies down the aisle, you’ve had things thrown at you, you’ve been puked on, puked yourself from extreme turbulence, been thrown against the fuselage for the same reason then being sent to ER for X-rays. Having an entire aircraft of Special Olympic Athletes as they show off their medals and tell you all about their wins and adventures and doing the wave as you touch down on the runway. These are just a few of my fondest and most cherish memories that I hold with me all these years later. Am I crying while typing this? I am. Have I seen incredible places and stayed in some fancy hotels? Also, yes. But also, dumpy hotels…have you ever been to Fargo, ND and had Thanksgiving dinner at a Golden Coral with a wind chill advisory in effect? I mean that is living the dream at its finest!!

I say all of this to say…the month(s) long of training we go to isn’t on how to poor sodas and on customer service. You have to bring that to the table. Instead, it is an intense time of learning about Federal Aviation Regulations and other policies and procedures. In addition to learning how to fight fires, perform CPR and other medical emergencies, evacuate an aircraft with 100s of people under 90 seconds, learning aircraft specifics and equipment and more. Aviation is known for its “water hose” method of training and you must adapt quickly and absorb as much as you possibly can while being blasted with new information daily. No two situations are ever going to be the same you can not train or be taught every possibility that could arise; but must use the skills you have been given and use them to the best of your ability and have confidence in yourself in knowing exactly what to do, when to, and how to. Its not for everyone. Not everyone can do it.

The lifestyle is not for everyone. Its long days away from home, holidays alone, and missing out on other life events. But the experience and the adventures are endless and memorable even the bad ones. I have always said for every bad story I have two good ones that make up for it. We all have to be a little crazy to do this job and be in the industry because no fully sane person would do it. It’s hard work and like everything if it was easy everyone would do it.

So, apply. Take the risk. Have an adventure. Enjoy the ride! You wont forget it either way!

1. Lifestyle: A way off life with unpredictable schedules, extended time away from home, missing out on holidays and life events, eating alone and being lonely all while getting to experience life at 38000 ft in the sky.

2. Fancy is also know as Holiday Inn, Marriott, Hilton, Double Tree etc….