Flight attendants only get paid when the door closes Essentially flight attendants are only paid their full hourly rate once the aircraft door closes, even though they work hard during boarding (and arguably boarding is the most stressful phase of the flight).
They are not paid for the 30 to 50 minutes when passengers are boarding, despite this being a busy and sometimes stressful time. Flight attendants receive some payment from the time they arrive at airports until the time they leave the airport at the end of a one- to five-day trip.
Over 20,000 individuals have endorsed a petition asking that flight attendants receive compensation as passengers board. Presently, they only receive an hourly wage for their work on planes.
Traditionally flight attendant union-bargained contracts pay flight attendants a higher wage for the flight itself, and don't calculate time spent boarding. Thus, many flight attendants feel they 'don't get paid' for that time.
How much does a Flight Attendant make? The national average salary for a Flight Attendant is $48,000 in Australia. Filter by location to see Flight Attendant salaries in your area. Salary estimates are based on 140 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Flight Attendant employees.
An early career Flight Attendant with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of AU$46,333 based on 7 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of AU$70,000.
Flight Attendants are currently not paid for boarding. They are paid what is deemed as “hourly rate,” which is below minimum wage.
Because until the plane closes its door, flight attendants do not get paid. While this seems like some sort of wildly illegal practice, it's not. In fact, it's industry standard and has been for decades, along with a handful of others practices that seem archaic in an industry as crucial as air travel.
The ability to get paid during boarding is a massive step for flight attendants who are working their way up in seniority. In April, Delta announced it would start paying flight attendants during boarding after June 2. This is a first for a US airline.
A Flight Attendant at Jetstar Airways can expect to make an average monthly salary of A$4,900 ($3,244) or A$65 per hour ($43), if you divide it into approximately 75 hours of duty per month.
As a flight attendant, you'll be eligible for free flights – sometimes for your friends or family, too! – and maximum time off to enjoy the destinations of your choice during your free time. You'll also get discounts on hotels, car rentals, other airlines' flights, and vacation packages.
Flight attendants get paid Per Diem for the domestic and international trips they work. However, even Per Diem amounts vary from airline to airline. If a flight attendant works for a great airline, likes to put in hours, has some accrued seniority, and is savvy at creating a schedule, they can earn a lot of money.
Welcome passengers, check boarding passes and accompany them to their seats. Prepare and serve drinks and food to passengers. Assist passengers and cabin crew during emergency situations. Provide special help to passengers with special needs.
Flight attendants are typically only paid during flight time, meaning that when flights get delayed, they're often forced to work longer days without compensation for the wait time — all while dealing with unsustainable schedules, exhaustion, and frustrated travelers.
Flight attendants are paid through flight pay and per diem. The main component of a flight attendant's salary, known as flight pay, is the total hours the flight attendant is on the plane with passengers, either navigating the taxiways or flying in the air.
They can choose their flights: Senior flight attendants may prefer to work close to home or travel extensively. They earn the flexibility to alternate between routes, layover lengths or destinations.
A flight attendant can expect to work 30–40 hours a week, but they can do more or fewer hours depending on the airline, the length of the flights they work on, e.g. short, medium or long haul and whether any problems arise. There are typically more regular hours on short-haul flights.
Hourly boarding pay rates are anywhere from $16.10 to $36.19 per hour (50% of the standard hourly pay), so an extra 40-50 minutes of pay per flight at that rate would translate to anywhere from $10.79 (for a first year flight attendant on a domestic narrow body) to $30.04 (for a 12th year flight attendant on an ...
The typical Jetstar Airways Flight Attendant salary is $49,000 per year.
The average Flight Attendant salary in the United States is $83,411 as of May 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $70,951 and $99,146.
Qantas Salary FAQs
How does the salary as a Baggage Handler at Qantas compare with the base salary range for this job? The average salary for a Baggage Handler is $23 per hour in Australia, which is 2% higher than the average Qantas salary of $23 per hour for this job.
While some airlines are more rigid once you have actually been employed, Singapore Airlines has some of the most strict processes to get a job with them. They have been known to have over five different rounds of interviews even to get close to the intense training they require for flight attendants.
The typical Virgin Australia Cabin Crew salary is $22 per hour. Cabin Crew salaries at Virgin Australia can range from $18 - $46 per hour. This estimate is based upon 139 Virgin Australia Cabin Crew salary report(s) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods.