Are you feeling burned out with flying? Is it the actual job or just the customer service aspect? Having flown twenty years and knowing many who have, I can tell you this is normal. I think every flight attendant goes through this many times in their career. Maybe you’ve only been flying a year or five, but trust me it doesn’t necessarily mean this isn’t the career for you. Here are a few things you can do to get back on track.

• Take a break. Many airlines afford us the luxury of taking some time off without losing our jobs or seniority. Whether it’s a few months personal leave or an educational leave, I can almost guarantee you’ll come back with a fresh new perspective. There’s also maternity leave, but I don’t recommend you get pregnant just to have some time off;)
• Remember why you love being a flight attendant. Travel? Take a trip, even if it’s a short one. Have fun! I remember feeling like I was done with this job and then I flew to Rome. In first class. I remembered the love.
• Envision yourself working in a “real” job. Monday through Friday with two weeks of vacation a year. Enough said.
• Let the daily stressors go. Does it kill you when a passenger doesn’t tell you what they’d like in their coffee? How about when they get on the plane and immediately ask for a glass of water? Guess what? These are the things that happen on every single flight, every single day to every single flight attendant. If you continue to let these everyday scenarios bother you, you won’t have room to deal with the unexpected. Acceptance is happiness.
• Get out on your layovers. It’s another way to appreciate the lifestyle!
• Remember when you are having an exceptionally difficult passenger that once the door opens, you can say, buh-bye, adios,  sayonara……

Have you just started flying or thinking about a career as a flight attendant? Check out, The Flying Pinto’s Flight Attendant Survival Guide, available on Amazon, iBooks, Vook and Nook. And, don’t forget if you’ve had a recent interview to fill out our quick survey, “here“.

Q. I’m looking at becoming a flight attendant, however I want to become a corporate flight attendant. Do you have to go for a special training to become one? Any direction would be great.

A. I am not a corporate flight attendant, but I have some friends who have amazing lifestyles as one. My friend Sara was gracious enough to share her knowledge and experience with us:

A corporate flight attendant is very different than a commercial flight attendant even though they are both primarily on board for the passengers safety, this pretty much is where the two similarities stop. You are responsible for preparing or obtaining all the catering, stocking the aircraft with bedding, snacks, newspapers, magazines, medicine and any other special request the clients or pilots might have. It helps to have a background as a chef, personal assistant or a fine dinning waiter/waitress. Some clients will hire a chef or nurse and then send them to training to learn the safety part. Being able to predict your clients needs before they even realize that they need something is invaluable.

In commercial aviation your training is paid for, but not usually in corporate. When you first start you will need to pay for your initial training yourself. There are many companies who advertise Corporate Flight Attendant training and are very glad to take your money, and will even promise you job placement at the end. Be very careful and wise on how you decide to spend your money, make sure that it is a company that is recognized and accepted industry wide, like FACTs or Flight Safety.

One downside to corporate aviation is the lack of job security, unlike commercial, there is no union and your job is only as good as today and many have found themselves jobless for many reasons, company stock went down and they sold the airplane, new CEO doesn’t want a flight attendant, the new wife feels jealous of the flight attendant, etc…

Many are attracted to corporate because of the many places you go and the time you are able to spend sight seeing and experiencing the culture, the pay is usually much higher than commercial, and you get to meet some amazing people from heads of state, leaders in the fortune 500 companies and celebrities.

If Corporate Aviation interests you, you might want to check out The NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) Flight Attendant conference, a great place to learn more about the industry, meet leaders in the field and network. It will be held in Washington DC this year, June 20-22nd. there is also a NBAA facebook page, NBAA Flight Attendant Committee as well as their website. with information.
Business aviation is very demanding, CFAs schedules are usually very unpredictable, if you are a contractor you are always looking for work, networking and flying as much as possible, you never want to say no, or you might not be called back, and that is only if you are lucky enough to get on a few companies list. If you fly full time for a corporation you might have a bit more of a schedule, but don’t count on it, as schedules often change. Many companies have soft days off and hard days off, you can be called in on your soft days so you always have to be ready. Usually when you first start you will have 18 hards days off a year, this includes sick time. Flying for one owner can be as diverse as the owners themselves, eccentric and only wants male model flight attendants or a family who wants a chef who cooks on board and watches the children. Again you will basically be on reserve for ever.

Thanks Sara! Hope that helps answer some of your questions about corporate flying! Have more questions for us? Post in the comments below. Have you had a recent interview with a commercial airline? We want to hear from you! Please fill out our quick survey, “here”  and help those coming in behind you! Thanks!

Q. Is it possible to be a flight attendant while your still in school, or do you think traveling would make it hard to do both?

A. This is a great question and it’s going to depend. As a flight attendant with some seniority under your belt it is a pretty easy feat to accomplish. I know many flight attendants who have earned their degrees while flying and many who are presently in school. In fact I just read a post from a friend who said she had gone to school years ago thinking she would pursue something other than flying. She went on to say that she is grateful for the education, but in the end she’d never give up her flying career.

If you’re are just starting out it will be more challenging, but not impossible. Especially these days when you can get go to school on line at your own pace. I do have a friend who is a reserve flight attendant, a mom and attending a bricks and mortar university full time! Trust me, when they created the phrase, “where there’s a will there’s a way!” they had flight attendants in mind.

Good Luck with all your endeavors! Got questions? Let us know in the comments below! Have you recently attended a flight attendant interview? Want to help a fellow interviewee out? We’d love you to take our quick survey “here”.

Q. If you had the choice, what airline would you choose to be a flight attendant for and why?

A. I love the airline I fly for and would choose the same airline if I had to do over. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal to you who I fly for because of social media policies. What I can do is offer you some advice on how you can choose the right airline for you.

• Do your research. Find out anything and everything you can about the airlines you’re interested in. How are they viewed by the public? Do their passengers seem happy with them?
• Ask on public flight attendant forums if people like working for the airline you’re interested in. You may find someone who is willing to private message you and give you an honest opinion.
• Figure out what your goals are. Are you planning to be a flight attendant for a few years or is this a career path? Do you want to fly domestic or international?
• Think about your flight benefits. Even if you’d prefer to work domestically, you may plan on traveling internationally on your off days. Working for an airline that flies everywhere you’d like to go will make traveling easier.
• Do some research on flight attendant pay scales. Some airlines make a significant amount more than others.
• Decide whether you’d like to work for a regional carrier or a mainline carrier. Are you better solo or with a team? At the regionals they’ll most likely be no more than you and sometimes one other flight attendant on your flights.

Are you already a flight attendant? How did you choose your airline? Did you just go with who ever was hiring or did you do your research and wait for the airline of your dreams? Let us know in the comment section below!

Happy Flying!

Q. my dream since i was a kid was to be a flight attendant. Its all ive ever wanted and was wondering if you would have the time to give me some advice on the proper steps to becoming one. thank you!

A. This is a great question because there are so many people who want to know how to prepare to get hired as a flight attendant. I’m going to pick on you a little, but don’t take it personally as I just need to make a point since it is such a common theme these days. Watch your grammar and your punctuation. I understand that it’s a lot more lackadaisical when posting on facebook or other social media outlets, but if I were asking for career advice, I would make sure my my i’s were dotted and my t’s were crossed. The problem will arise when you’re filling out applications and you’re used to writing in this lazy manner. You’re bound to make a mistake out of habit.  The airlines are extremely conservative so make sure you go over everything with a fine tooth comb. Ok, enough on that, here are a few steps you can take now to get hired when the opportunity arises:

• Research the flight attendant career. The more knowledge you have the better equipped you’ll be to write your resume and answer their interview questions.
• Research the airlines you are interested in. You may be asked specific reasons you chose to pursue airline “xyz.”
• If you’re not working in a customer service industry already, start applying for jobs that will give you this experience. The more the better.
• Self reflect and figure out why you’d like to be a flight attendant. Again this will be of great benefit when answering questions at your interview.
• Think of life experiences that you feel would make you a great flight attendant.
• Apply for and get your passport if you don’t already have yours.
• Learn a second language. Maybe you have a background in Spanish, but never went further with it? Now is the time to pick it back up. Even if you aren’t fluent enough to be a language speaker, it can’t hurt to have the experience. It will benefit you once you have the job and you can at least understand a little of another language.
• Peruse information sites on line, but never pay for an in person flight attendant academy. At least not in the United States. Once the airline hires you, they pay for your training.

When you feel you’re ready and you find an airline of your choice is hiring, apply. I believe that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Check the airlines career or employment sites often. They sometimes only open up for applications for short periods of times due to the high volume of applicants they receive.

Good Luck! Have any other questions? Are you a flight attendant already? What advice would you offer? Let us know in the comment section below!

Happy Flying!

Q. I have a bad scar on my neck, could I be penalized during the selections because of it?

A. That’s a great question. I truly don’t believe that would be a factor for a U.S. carrier, but I can’t answer for some of the foreign airlines. If it is something that you think may distract from the interview or cause you to be self conscious, wear a scarf. You will look like a flight attendant walking in!

Q. I am a type 1 diabetic on an insulin pump. Do any of you know any Type 1′s? I’m trying to see how they deal with jet lag. That is my only concern. I may do corporate flying. My health is not ready for me to fly over seas just yet.

A. I posed this question to some colleagues, but unfortunately could not find anyone who had any insight. My suggestion would be to talk with your doctor. There are things that all flight attendants should do to maintain their health and well being such as yoga, eating whole healthy foods and getting your rest when you can.

Q. What can you expect for the medical examination for a flight attendant? Is the requirement different in Europe/Scandinavia? (if you know)

A. The physical that you’ll be required to take for a U.S. airline consists of an eye exam, a hearing exam and fitness. The fitness exam will likely consist of timed squats, ab crunches and a few other light physical activities. Unfortunately, I don’t know about Europe.

Keep the questions coming! And, if you are already a flight attendant and would like to “pay it forward” fill out our survey “here.”

Q. Any advice for preparation of inflight training? Specifically wanting to know if there are any books to read or any other things that will help being prepared to do well in training.

A. This is a good question, being prepared is the sign of a great flight attendant! You will receive a packet from your airline with all kinds of things that you’ll need to get done before you arrive at the training center. Most airlines will send you the airport city codes to study beforehand. I wouldn’t recommend getting too far ahead by trying to study what you’ll be learning in training. I would use the weeks or month that you have to get the paper work done that the airline will need from you.

You may have to go digging for documents such as your high school diploma or your birth certificate. I think you’ll find your time is taken up with these tasks. What you can do is get any loose ends tied up in your personal life. Schedule bill payments, sort through and pack things up that you’ll be bringing to whatever city you end up being based. And, don’t forget to get in touch with any friends and family that you’d like to spend some time with before you head off on your new adventure. Those are the things I would be doing. Leave training for training. Study the codes and be prepared for your first test on the first day. Yes, they like to get the ball rolling fast! Training is fast and furious so it wouldn’t hurt to catch up on your sleep and make sure your health is in tip top shape too!

Good Luck!

Have more questions about the flight attendant career? Let us know in the comment section of this post!

Happy Flying!

Q. I have an upcoming interview with a major airline and I’ve heard having tattoos will automatically disqualify me. I can hide most, but I’m afraid they’ll see the one on the back of my neck since I also heard I should wear my hair up. Which is more important, hiding my tats or wearing my hair up?

A. This is a great question that affects many these days since a lot of people have tattoos. To be considered for a flight attendant position you do need to look the part. There are a couple of things you can do to cover your tattoo. If a scarf will cover your tattoo, this would be an easy fix, a scarf looks professional and definitely gives you that “flight attendant” look. If that doesn’t quite work, I would still recommend the scarf, but also using some heavy make up. I believe they have make up that will cover a tattoo. Merle Norman actually has an ad for this very thing. Good Luck!

Have questions about an upcoming interview or anything about being a flight attendant? Ask us in the comments below! Thanks for sharing!

Happy Flying!

Q. What can all of you tell me about what it is like after you first become an FA? What about the Reserve, how long are you on it?

A. Most likely you will sit reserve when you begin your career as a flight attendant. A reserve flight attendant is a flight attendant that fills in for sick calls, vacation time, crews that go illegal and a myriad of other purposes that the original flight attendant is no longer on a trip. The reserve system varies from airline to airline and can be a straight reserve system or a rotating system. A straight reserve system is when a percentage of the flight attendants, starting at the bottom of the seniority list sit reserve until attrition, hiring and/or growth of the airline allow for them to hold a line, meaning a schedule. A rotating reserve system is a shared reserve system which can mean many things. Some airlines have a set time period of say five years for sitting reserve and if you still don’t hold a line then a rotation of sitting reserve every other month begins. Or it could be that all but the top ten or twenty percent of flight attendants sit a few days of reserve every month.

Q. Do you get paid for being on reserve?

A. Yes. You are paid for your time on reserve. Again, it varies from airline to airline, but generally you are guaranteed a certain amount of flight hour pay whether you actually fly those hours or not. Some months you may only fly half of your guarantee while during busy times such as the holidays or spring break you may break your gaurantee and get paid above and beyond that.

Q. What’s reserve life like?

A. I believe reserve is what you make of it. It is true that you don’t have a lot of control of your everyday life when you are on reserve, but you also never know when you’re going to get a call to fly to Paris or Honolulu! You may not have holidays or birthdays off for a while, though if you ask me everyday is a holiday with a career as a flight attendant.

Hope that answers some of your questions about reserve. Have any others? Let us know in comments and we’ll be happy to answer them for you!

Photo courtesy of Jetlagged Comic. Be sure to check out the Jetlagged Comic Store for bags, travel mugs, t-shirts and more adorned with their awesome flight attendant cartoons!

Happy Flying!

Q. If I have a strong foreign accent can I still be hired?

A. This would depend on the airline and their requirements. I’m sure if you meet all the requirements to be hired for any particular airline and you speak their required language, an accent would not prevent them from hiring you. There are plenty of flight attendants at my airline with a foreign accent.

Q. What do you do if there is a crying baby that a customer is complaining about?

A. I try to be sympathetic to all passengers needs, in this case I would assist the care taker of the baby any way I could. That being said, babies cry sometimes and flying is public transportation. I always recommend that people travel with some form of noise cancellation even if it’s just ear plugs.

Q. If one has been diagnosed with mental Illness, not bipolar but say like Depression , borderline personality disorder. But one takes meds and is in counseling can someone still make their dreams come true?

A. I don’t know the answer to this question, but I would say to contact the airlines you are thinking of and ask their policies. I would think that certain things would be considered discrimination and certain things would prevent one from preforming the duties of a flight attendant. I don’t know which would be considered which however. And, to answer the last part of your question, I am a believer that everyone can make their dreams come true!

Have more questions? Post them to the comment section and we’ll answer them!

Happy Flying!