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.
It is a great way of visiting places, although the stay is somewhat brief in most cases. Nevertheless, crew members may get to see some sights, do some shopping locally and eat the regional delicacies. Staff travel is a bonus; cabin crew mostly get discounted flights for family members and sometimes friends.
Flight benefits for family and friends
Flight attendants usually receive a certain number of passes within a year, and they can give them to friends or other family members.
Some airlines use what is known as Buddy Pass Travel that allows family and friends to also travel using an airline employees discount. The reduced travel can only be used if there is room available and those using the Buddy Pass are the lowest priority on every flight.
So what should you give a flight attendant? Roemer says cash and gift cards make for great gifts (although some airlines do not allow flight attendants to accept cash, and tipping is not considered a standard travel etiquette protocol). She's received both as well as makeup, perfume and gift bags of food or candy.
Typically, a buddy pass comes in the form of a credit that is adjusted every time the employee books a flight for a friend or family member. An employee may get up to 10 buddy passes per year that expire annually.
For a lot of companies, you can only use your employee discount for somebody that you can claim on your taxes or somebody that can claim you on their taxes. If caught using it for somebody other than those people, you can get in trouble and if you continue to do it afterwards, you can even get fired.
Buddy Bid means Flight Attendants who want to be paired up together during a bid run.
How is the Agent Rebate (AD) Travel Fare Calculated? The discount offered is either 50% (AD50) or 75% (AD75) of the published Y class or J class fare for your itinerary and is not applied to the class of travel in your booking.
Buddy Passes are standby passes. Essentially you are borrowing your friend's or family's flight benefit. Flying on a buddy pass, you are flying standby. This means you only get on the plane if there are empty seats after all paying customers have boarded. Buddy passes are NOT a confirmed seat.
Average Flight Attendant Pay vs.
Flight Attendants earned an average salary of $62,280 in 2021.
Flight attendants typically receive from two weeks to a month of vacation time per year. However, this vacation time may be increased or decreased depending on the airline, passenger demands, and the employee's seniority.
While many airlines still require female flight attendants to wear high heels as part of their uniform, there is no industry-wide requirement for this footwear. In recent years, some airlines have relaxed their dress codes to allow more comfortable shoes, such as sneakers or flats.
While experts don't recommend asking for a discount from a friend, if it feels appropriate in the situation, be sure to do so in a polite manner.
Only the employee and their spouse are eligible for the employee discount. Don't go shopping with your mom or boyfriend, use your discount, AND let them pay.
Be Firm and Persistent – Be confident in your way of asking. Say, “Will you give me 10% off my purchase since I'm buying two pairs of pants? That would help me afford this and be able to buy both” rather than “Do you think I'd maybe be able to get a little discount? If it's ok with you?” Be firm!
Time away from your kids also means there will be plenty of time when you are there for them. You may miss some school pick-ups or parents evenings, but chances are you will be around for a lot more of the day to day of your child's life than someone with a 9-5 job might.
Friends with Benefits (2011) - Courtney Henggeler as Flight Attendant - IMDb.
The Passenger Information List (PIL) and Passenger+ systems began as a way for cabin crew to identify passengers with a tight connection and help them rebook while still mid-flight. Today, cabin crew are able to see a wealth of data points on each passenger in the cabin.
Male flight attendants are called hosts while female ones are referred to as hostesses. Cabin crew is selected in accordance with the certain rules of aviation organizations and they are also subjected to the rules set by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.
The Daily Star reports that the worker wrote on a cabin crew forum: “There's the cheerio game you can play when passengers disembark. “When you're standing there going 'bye, thank you, take care', when you see someone you fancy, you say 'cheerio'.
They may spend several nights per week or per month away from home. In most cases, a contract between the airline and the flight attendant union determines the total daily and monthly workable hours. On-duty shifts per day may vary from 4 to 18 hours or longer, such as for international flights.