Getting payed to travel around the world, wearing sophisticated uniforms, glamorous make up and meeting different people every day…what an amazing job!
But being a flight attendant is not so easy how you might think. Physical work, stress associated with flying, irreversible damage that radiations produce in our body and problems with sleeping due to the different time zones are just few of the facts less known about our job.
Curious to find out more?
Schedule
First of all we don’t have a regular schedule which means that we have to look fresh and beautiful at any time of the day/night. Every month, a computer based program is randomly choosing our flights and days off, working for Christmas, New year or our birthday being part of the job.
This is how a week of my life looks like. You might think those are hieroglyphics or ancient Chinese text but once you get used to it it’s quite simple to understand. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right from the beginning…I also missed my flights or reported for the wrong duty several times.
Airport
We arrive for the flight way before our passengers and we make sure that everything is ready for their safety and their comfort. We start the day by answering few safety questions related to the aircraft type that we are operating, we get to know our colleagues (as we fly with different set of crew every single day) and thoroughly check the aircraft for any suspicious objects that might put the safety of the flight on risk.
Your tea and coffee? Our last concern.
Training
Our knowledge is tested periodically and we know by heart hundred’s pages of standard operating procedures and emergency drills.
Every 6 months we practice real scenarios based on fire fighting, evacuation techniques and first aid, we are trained to save your life even by putting ours on risk so please think twice next time when you call you flight attendant…just a waitress in the air.
If you have the wrong idea that we are just pretty but dumb and we cant do any other job, then you will be surprised to find out that most of us have at least one bachelor/master degree in different fields (journalism and nursing in my case) but the passion for traveling its grater than it all.
Ready to follow your dreams?
Layovers
The idea that flights attendants are partying all the time it’s just a myth. I wont deny that the best cure after a flight its a glass of wine, which helps us release the stress accumulated and contribute to a peaceful sleep but the truth is that we spend most of the time alone in our hotel rooms, watching Netflix and enjoying the room service. After being stacked for few hours in a flying tube with hundreds of people we are craving for some time alone, without nobody poking at us or asking for something.
Personal life
In numerous occasions I have been asked if I have a boyfriend in every country that I visit. My answer:I wish I had.
In fact none of us does. For a flight attendant personal life its the last one on the priority list, not because we don’t want to, but simply because we don’t have time for love. We feel tired all the time and we prefer to spend our days off sleeping other than wasting our time on romantic dates which most probably wont take us anywhere. And lets be serious, who wants do date a girl who is never at home?
Depression
Another dark side of cabin crew life is loneliness, depression and sickness, being a job with a high suicidal rate.
The airlines are trying to support their employees having departments in charge with well being of the crew available 24/7 but sometimes its just not enough.
Our heart is divided in so many places in the same time (our home country, family, friends and pets) and for some of us its just hard to put all the pieces together, finding death as last resort.
Fun
But hey! We are actually having lot of fun at work. Cute passengers, stories from the previous flights, memories of the last trip, funny pictures or a cheating partner getting caught…are just few of the subjects discussed on the flights.
Gone with the wind 
No doubt it is a demanding career. We thank you for all the dedication and hard work to serve and keep the traveling public safe. Thank you! 🙂
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Thank you for reading. Safe traveling!
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Great info miha.
Some of my friends are in aviation industry and I know how hard the job is. Working tirelessly with sometimes less or no sleep, to be away from family for a longer period of time than you want for and not to be able to be there at home when required are just the few things I can think of.
Great going. Keep sharing.
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It is a difficult job, and none of you is dumb. My good friend has been a flight attendant for a number of years, she is one of the brightest young women I know.
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I m glad to hear that 🤗 some people have an wrong opinion about us
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It’s a hard job but the best in the world! I loved your post, there’s a lot more that nobody knows. But it’s true, so difficult to balance with personal life.
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What a wonderful post! You have an incredibly difficult job, but I am confident you do it well!
Happy holidays!
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Really interesting Miha.. but shocking read was on the suidical information.. really sorry to hear about that , the rate is higher in this field.
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Its sad but true…check out the story of our colleague from Emirates who jumped out of the plane in Seychelles.
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Yes.. it was really sad..
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