I used to be management at a major airline.

Here's my secret advice: look for the lowest paying most part time job you can find at any local airport with an airline you are interested in. The shittier the job the better. Try to find one that ideally only needs you to work some oddball flight on a Sunday every other week.

Why?

You'll enjoy flight benefits, amazing health insurance, etc. The flight bennies are serious business, as they extend to your spouse, kids AND parents. Most airlines also offer companion passes for those not married. The benefits are generally reciprocal on other airlines too - can't get on an AA flight? No sweat, try southwest. You also get industry rack rates at hotels. Sofitel for $39 a night. That type of stuff.

Bottom line: work at an airline to get the flight benefits, minimizing your hours as much as possible and your comp as much as possible (this makes you a less attractive furlough choice, although most airlines go by seniority). Then get a real job that pays better and enjoy both.

Had a friend who was a flight attendant, told me it was competitive and there was a loooong training process. Pretty thankless job. The only perk to him was seeing new places (he flew internationally). When I met him we were working in a restaurant, which he preferred (!).

Do airlines still have height requirements?

OP, keep in mind you only get paid for the hours the plane is in the air and flying. Also, keep in mind you have to wear a polyester uniform.

Anonymous wrote:$20k makes no sense. Her hours must be extremely low.

Not when the tenured attendants flying cross country or long haul make 3-4 times that. United.

NP here but you only get paid for hours in the air, so no one gets enough hours anymore. It's a very low paying, thankless job.

Anonymous wrote:She works for the real United. She does have some health benes. Retirement went up in smoke a while ago. I too was surprised when she told me. She was considering taking their recent buyout offer of 35k. I thought that was way too low, and she told me how much she made.

Are you sure she wasn't sandbagging you? I don't necessarily tell every friend my accurate salary either. Sometimes higher sometimes lower, sometimes a range.

Get more data points, not on scum. See when the application or training cycles are and start there.

$20k makes no sense. Her hours must be extremely low.

Not when the tenured attendants flying cross country or long haul make 3-4 times that. United.

She works for the real United. She does have some health benes. Retirement went up in smoke a while ago. I too was surprised when she told me. She was considering taking their recent buyout offer of 35k. I thought that was way too low, and she told me how much she made.

Anonymous wrote:My friend is a flight attendant for United. She works full time and gets paid about $20k a year. She's been there close to 15 years, and is not yet senior in her ranking. No retirement benefit. Only good benefit is free (or close to it) flights. All of the mergers etc. have really f-ed the non-management employees.

She probably works for one of the regional carriers, not the main line. Main line flight attendants make more than that and have benefits, albeit not very good benefits anymore.

My friend is a flight attendant for United. She works full time and gets paid about $20k a year. She's been there close to 15 years, and is not yet senior in her ranking. No retirement benefit. Only good benefit is free (or close to it) flights. All of the mergers etc. have really f-ed the non-management employees.

Not sure why you would want to become a flight attendant, OP.

It really is the equivalent of being a glorified waitress, IMO. Yes, I know they are involved in overall safety of passengers, etc but it really is a thankless job and even the compensation is not what it used to be.

I travel a lot and the flight attendants I've spoken with seem to be increasingly unhappy (based both in their general demeanor and what they say). I think it's a tough time to be in the airline industry and they are feeling the pinch in a number of ways. based on the above I also wonder if it's harder to break into than it was in the past.

It's as hard as waiting tables. Why don't you try that ?

Both people I know who were flight attendants retired young, well before 45. Makes me think it's a tough job.

I am ready for a career change. I can afford to take some time off and figure out what is next. Can anyone on here comment on training to be a flight attendant, being selected/hired, and the actual job? I wonder if I am too old. My youngest leaves for college in August. I am 45 years old and in good shape. I have just always thought it would be fun to be a flight attendant. I was a counselor, and then a teacher, for most of my life. Any input would be great!