by Kiki Ward
Duty time varies at each airline, but you would definitely work less sequences per day at a major airline due to longer flying time between cities served. For example, an international flight attendant working a trip from New York to Paris would only work one flight in a duty day as the flying time is so long. Or, a flight attendant at a major airline working the sample trip works only about two or three legs a day. Whereas a commuter flight attendant may work ten or more flights in each duty day due to shorter flying times. No two trip sequences are exactly the same and not all trips go according to plan. A scheduled trip may turn out to be longer or shorter due to weather conditions, operational needs or duty regulations. On my first trip as a flight attendant, huge thunderstorms occurred over the airport at Chicago and we ended up sitting on the runway for several hours waiting to take off. The many skills I learned in training were instantly put to the test with a very full aircraft of passengers and an airplane that wasn’t going anywhere. Not at all what I was expecting, but a testament as to how quickly things can change in the airline industry.
Fortunately, the majority of airline trips do go according to schedule but when they don’t, your flexibility, professionalism and ability to make the best of any situation is essential. You could easily have your assigned trip extended, cancelled or even be reassigned to a different trip due to weather, operational or manning requirements.
Bidding
The schedule and therefore the life of a flight attendant operates on a monthly basis. As a flight attendant you will bid for your schedule each month from a company published bid sheet containing all of the possible trip selections available for that particular month. The bidding for each months selection is bid for and awarded at the end of the previous month. For example, your schedule for of July would be bid for and awarded the latter part of June. Trip selections are always awarded in order of seniority beginning with the most senior flight attendants to the most junior. This isn’t to say that as a new flight attendant you will always have the worst schedule! It simply means you will not have the range of bidding choices that a more senior flight attendant will have. You can also expect to work some of the major holidays and weekends the first year or two of your flying career. Keep in mind that we have all been new and spent a holiday or two in the air! The upside to being junior is that you get a sampling of all kinds of trips.
The bidsheet is easy to navigate and broken down into areas of preference so that bidding goes fairly quickly once you decide on your own criteria. For example, parents of small children may wish to fly all-nighters so as to be home during the day with their children, some flight attendants prefer only to fly three day trips, some prefer turn arounds or two day trips and some prefer trips that allow them to commute easily to base. The bidsheet is generally broken down into:
Tvoe of aircraft: As a flight attendant you may only bid to work trips on aircraft that you are qualified to work aboard. The major airlines operate many types of aircraft in their respective fleets which greatly increases bidding choices. You will normally be trained on each aircraft the airline operates during your initial training. Flight attendants usually develop a preference for a particular aircraft and may use that as part of their bidding criteria.
Positions: Each flight attendant aboard an aircraft is assigned very specific duties. These include designated duties while in the air as well as on the ground. One of the biggest criteria for flight attendants is the choice of onboard position. For example, on a narrow body Boeing 727 aircraft there would be three or four flight attendants. One flight attendant would be assigned first class, two would be assigned to coach class. One of those flight attendants would be assigned the duty of making the P.A.s, each would be assigned a specific door to arm and disarm. Each would have specific duties in an evacuation and each would have specific emergency equipment that they would be responsible for. Each would have specific boarding positions and safety demonstration positions. One of the flight attendants would be assigned to serve the cockpit crew, one would be responsible for liquor or headset money and each would have a specific position during the meal or beverage service. Once you are assigned a position aboard an aircraft you are responsible for the assigned duties for the duration of the trip. Most airlines assign the position by number. For example, number one would work first class, while positions two, three and four work coach. Some airlines use letters for positions, such as, position A works first class, B, C and D work coach. Each position has a certain amount of work so that each flight attendant is certainly carrying their share of the responsibilities on board throughout the trip.
As a flight attendant you will likely favor one onboard position over the others, as we all do, and the bidsheet allows you to bid for your favorite positions in order of preference.
International or domestic: Domestic flying includes all trips flown within the country of origin of the airline. International refers to trips flown outside the country of origin. As a new hire flight attendant at most major airlines you won’t be seeing those long Paris or Rome layovers for quite a while as those coveted trips are normally awarded to more senior flight attendants. However, some major U.S. airlines train all new hires to work aboard international flights and utilize new hires on a reserve basis on those trips. Some major U.S. airlines still operate international and domestic as two separate divisions. These airlines publish separate bidsheets and implement separate training for international and domestic flying. Flight attendants with fluency in more than one language will likely be flying internationally very early in their career since major U.S. airlines require at least one flight attendant aboard each international flight who speaks fluently the native language of the country of destination.
As a flight attendant you will learn to take many factors into consideration when bidding for your monthly assignment. Some of these include:
-Trip duration, or how long you desire to be away from home on a trip. Trips normally range from one to four days. A one day trip is referred to as a turnaround as you leave your base and arrive home again the same day. Some trips require two nights away from home and a few airlines have in place trips as high as four to six days.
-Departure time, or the time you wish to report for duty to begin your sequence. You will definitely find a time of day that you prefer. Many flight attendants prefer to bid trips that begin very early in the morning, which is normally referred to as an early sign in or an A.M., whereas others, especially commuters, prefer an afternoon or evening sign in, know as a late sign in or a P.M. Most commuters fly into their base city the day of their trip and fly home from their base city the day they return. Arrival time or the time that you are scheduled back into your base city at the end of a trip is an important factor for commuters.
-Layover citv. or where you desire to spend your overnights. Flying for a living makes it very easy to visit friends while working or simply squeeze in a mini vacation. Many flight attendants will bring along their families or children on long layovers in fun cities. -Pav. or whichever selection will afford you the highest income for the month. These selections will normally work more days per month. Other flight attendants will bid trips that work the fewest days in a month.
The process of bidding may sound confusing. I rememberthinking while having it explained in training that I would never understand it. But once you establish your own personal bidding criteria it becomes relatively simple. The bidding is at worst, time con suming, especially at the majors since there are a wide range of trip and aircraft selections available. The bidsheet at most airlines is highly organized and very user friendly. The bidding itself is normally computerized and you will simply enter your numbered selections via company or home computer with results awarded and posted within a few days of bidding.
Seniority
As you have most likely surmised, seniority within the flight attendant means everything. The rate at which your individual seniority will accrue is determined by two factors. Attrition, or the rate at which other f
light attendants senior to you are retiring or resigning is one factor. The other is of course the number of flight attendants being hired at your airline and added in below you on the seniority list. As new flight attendants are hired and brought in, the relative seniority of existing flight attendants increases. During times of heavy hiring, seniority accrues quite rapidly.
Each flight attendant is assigned a seniority number while in training. Airlines use different methods of assigning these numbers. Some airlines assign them based on social security number, some assign randomly as you arrive at training and some assign them from oldest to youngest within the training class. Your personal seniority number will increase and change as more senior flight attendants resign or retire and as new flight attendants are hired behind you. It is still amazing to me that when I was hired at American Airlines, my relative seniority number was around 9,000. There are now nearly 24,000 flight attendants at American and counting! Seniority is also determined within your base. For instance, each base within a system is usually considered a junior or a senior base. At a more junior base where new hires are usually sent, for example New York or Miami, your seniority within that base will often give you many more options in bidding choices. For example in New York, most new hires are able to bid for and be awarded international trips within nine months to a year of flying. At bases like Dallas or Los Angeles, it often takes up to ten or more years to be awarded an international trip. Seniority also dictates scheduling choices and rates of pay. Each year of service will bring a pay increase. Vacation time is also bid for and awarded according to seniority so the more senior flight attendants will be awarded the more coveted vacation months as well. As your seniority increases you will also be able to arrange your schedule to suit your personal lifestyle. Many flight attendants choose schedules in order to afford themselves maximum time off. I have often arranged my schedule to have up to two weeks off in a row while still working a full month. It is very common for flight attendants to have second businesses or busy families. Many flight attendants who are skilled in some other profession often use the days off to substitute teach, substitute nurse or work in retail stores. Still others take advantage of the many days off to include extra flying in their schedule and many simply take advantage of the extraordinary free travel benefits and marvel over what a great job this is! Income
Most airlines have in place a monthly guarantee ranging between 65-85 flight hours. You will receive this guarantee whether you work those hours or not. Which brings us to the really big question, how much does a flight attendant actually make? Income of course varies from airline to airline but generally ranges from $10.00 to $50.00 per hour. These numbers are based on current airline pay scales and do incorporate commuter airlines. Like many careers you are not going to start out making a lot of money. Average starting salary at a major airline is around $16,000-22,000 a year. This combined with relocating to a major city and often paying expensive rent can make for a difficult first year. It does improve! With each year of service comes a pay increase and normally an increase in seniority. All flight attendants begin at the same rate of pay regardless of past experience and all pay increases are based on year of service, not performance. Most airlines allow the option of flying additional hours per month and even the trading or swapping of schedules between flight attendants. Flight attendants who wish to fly less time can give away or drop their trips to another flight attendant who wishes to increase their monthly income. An entire little cottage industry has been formed within airlines by enterprising flight attendants who have begun ’’trip trading” services. These trip trade services will take your flying preferences and for a small fee, find and perform trades and drop or pick up trips for you. A flight attendant who works “high time” to earn additional income can often times fly 100 hours a month or more as opposed to a flight attendant who chooses to go “low time” and drop down to the minimum flight hours allowable by the airline.
You will also receive a per diem allowance of $1.00-2.00 for each hour spent away from base. The per diem is in place to cover meal expenses and other expenses incurred while on your trip. International flight attendants are generally paid more per flight hour and have the highest per diem allowance. Flight attendants with special on board qualifications such as the designated speaker or the purser, who is the flight attendant in charge aboard international flights, are also paid more per hour due to their special qualifications. Those flight attendants with on board positions requiring additional paperwork or responsibility are generally given an increase in hourly pay as well. Many airlines offer increased holiday pay, overtime pay and extra pay for night flying or working a flight that is understaffed. So even though the flight attendant profession doesn’t rank among the highest paying professions, the inherent flexibility of the job will allow you to easily add to your income each month and still work half as much as someone working nine to five, plus you’ll be doing it in a much more exciting environment. And don’t forget about the benefits! Although travel benefits won’t add tangibly to your income they will save you and your entire family untold expenses in travel!
Travel Benefits
The question I am asked above all others is…do you really get to fly for free? Well, just about! Most airlines allow flight attendants and their families to travel in coach for free. For first and business class travel, the airline may assess the employee a very small fee. These service charges or fees or calculated at a flat rate at some airlines and based on mileage flown at others. But in comparison to actually purchasing a full fare ticket, it is virtually free. You’ll find yourself hopping on airplanes like most people hop on buses or subways. You’ll be issued a travel card at most airlines that you simply present to the agent for the flight you wish to be accommodated on and you are then accommodated on a stand-by basis. The perks and benefits of the flight attendant career are amazing. You can easily jet off to the mountains and warm up at the beach all in the same week. Most airlines extend the unlimited worldwide travel benefits to the flight attendant, the spouse/significant other, dependent children and parents. Grandparents and extended relatives are often included and airlines are now commonly allocating a certain amount of passes each year that you may allow your friends to travel on. Some airlines require a minimum length of employment before allowing access to the travel privileges, normally three to six months depending on the airline. Other airlines allow you pass privileges immediately upon being hired. The incredible perks are not limited to travel aboard your own airline. As a flight attendant you will also receive deeply dis-travel aboard other airlines, usually about 75-90% off their full fare rate. Incredible discounts at luxury resorts, cruise lines, restaurants and car rental agencies worldwide enhance the benefits even more. An entire industry has begun to service airline employees or “non-revs” with their travel. Non-rev travel agencies bring deeply discounted travel to airline employees via special web sites, books and magazines offering the latest from vacation destinations around the globe. All of the luxury hotels and cruise lines participate and generally offer 50-90% off their rates to the non-rev traveler on a positive space basis. This means you make your reservation identifying yourself as a non-rev traveler and are treated just like a full fare guest, only you pay about half as much as other guests. My family and I recently traveled in a huge suite aboard a major luxury cruise line for a mere fraction of what others were paying. I am eternally amazed at the incredible discounts extended to flight attendants and their families when traveling. It is difficult to imagine ever purchasing an airline ticket or paying full price at a resort after you have become accustomed to the generous perks!
Additional benefits
In place at nearly every airline are dental and health care plans, retirement plans, disability, workers compensation, 401K plans and paid vacations. Most large airlines operate credit unions offering in house banking, loans and checking accounts. Some airlines offer stock option purchasing plans and profit sharing. Many offer part time program
s, leaves of absence for educational purposes, personal leaves of absence and maternity leaves of absence. Many airlines offer career advancement programs allowing you to train for and move to other positions within the company. U.S. airlines also follow government regulations allowing leaves under the Family Leave Act.
Personal benefits
As I’ve repeated many times throughout the guide, becoming a flight attendant is a wonderful, exciting career choice. In no time at all the schedule becomes routine and the mere idea of working in a nine to five job seems restrictive and impossible! You may have to work a few holidays, get up a little early and maybe even be deprived of some much needed sleep, but you’ll also have a fascinating job meeting new people every day and making a pretty good living traveling the world.
When you have the opportunity to offer a pair of wings to an excited child or receive a grateful hug from a nervous passenger, you’ll realize the personal benefits the career offers as well. You will also be working as a team with the professional, fun loving group of individuals that make up the flight attendant work force and that is definitely one of the most rewarding aspects of the career.
Chapter four How to apply
Now that you are informed about the career, meet the requirements and are anxious to begin taking advantage of the benefits, it is time to begin applying! The application process will be your initial contact with the airline of your choice. It is a fact that the airline flight attendant career is one of the most sought after careers in the airline industry. The field of applicants is staggering and the competition is competitive. That said, it is important that realize that it is not an impossibility to be hired. Many airlines will intimidate you with numbers during the career overview at your interview. They will tell you that only a small percentage of applicants are hired and that there are literally thousands of applicants for every one flight attendant position. Don’t let the numbers overwhelm you. First, not every applicant is qualified for the position, so that reduces the field, and most flight attendants will tell you, myself included, that they thought they never had a chance of being hired, but they applied and got the job! Also, many flight attendants are not hired on the first attempt but they kept applying and found success. You are going into your interviews armed with valuable information and you will be fully prepared, so your chances will be greatly enhanced. So many of my readers have told me that the paragraph you just read helped to calm them during the initial stages of their interview, I hope it will do the same for you. Choosing your airline