Flight attendants may be away from home for several days in a row including weekends and holidays and therefore must be flexible. The maximum number of flying hours per day is set by union agreement, and on-duty time is usually limited to 12 hours per day, with a daily maximum of 14 hours.
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.
Flight attendants receive a minimum of 11 days off per month.
Crew members are required to have a 10-hour rest period within each 24-hour cycle. The maximum duty day is 14 hours and must be followed by a 10-hour rest period at their hotel. When scheduling a flight, operators usually account for 12 hours of rest instead of 10.
The amount of time spent away from home varies depending on the airline you work for, and whether you're working on short or long-haul flights. In short-haul you'll typically be back within the same day while long-haul flights will require nights spent away from home.
Flight Attendants can live anywhere in the world, provided they can get to base for the start of their shift. CommuteAir pays for parking. Commuting By Plane: You can commute by plane for free on United, however, you will fly STANDBY. This means you are NOT GUARANTEED a seat and risk being late for your shift.
The national average annual wage of a flight attendant is $56,630, according to the BLS, slightly more than the average annual salary for all occupations, $51,960. The average flight attendant salary can vary substantially from state to state.
Do Flight Attendants fly every day? No, flight attendants do not fly every day. This is against aviation regulations due to the flight attendants' need for rest. If flight attendants do not receive their required rest, it means they could be jet-lagged and therefore will be unfit to fly and perform their duties.
Flight attendants on long-haul flights are provided with spaces to rest. Here's a photo of the crew rest area on a Boeing 787. Crew rest areas exist on all airplanes, but what these rest areas look like depends on the airline, aircraft and the length of the flight.
Once everyone is onboard and seated, the flight attendant will give a safety demonstration. They will then remain aboard the aircraft during the flight in case any passengers need assistance. Upon landing, they will help passengers disembark and will prepare the cabin for the next flight if it's a turnaround flight.
Do flight attendants get free hotel accommodation? Yes, flight attendants often receive complimentary hotel stays during layovers (also called a stopover) as part of their job benefits. However, this only applies when the flight attendants are on duty and are required to layover in a different city or country.
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.
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.
While these benefits are definitely enticing, it is important to consider the drawbacks to a career as a flight attendant as well. One of the biggest cons is the fact that you travel all of the time. This means that you are gone a lot and will go for long periods of time without seeing friends or family.
The flight attendant bunks are located near the back galley. A staircase leads to six beds — one of which is reserved for the chief purser. The pilot crew rest is located at the front near the flight deck, and inside that one are two bunk beds and a recliner chair.
New flight attendants typically work a reserve schedule and must be close to the airport, or sometimes wait at the airport for a call to duty. Senior flight attendants enjoy more flexibility in their schedule and choice of destinations. Both roles enjoy the same travel benefits with about 12 days off per month.
Cabin crew are highly trained to do everything possible in an emergency situation and have as many survivors as possible. Some events have been unthinkable and uncontrollable but are thankfully incredibly rare, one in billions. Remember that the most dangerous part of your journey is the drive to and from the airport.
It would depend on the airline. I was operating out of the city I live in so if I wasn't flying, I was home. The routes I operated were not turnarounds, so I get layovers every trip. I bid medium hours (roughly 80hrs a month) and was home around 2 weeks per month.
One of the biggest issues is fatigue due to long hours away from home during certain times of the year such as holidays or peak travel periods when more flights are available. Another problem that can arise is dealing with unhappy or unruly passengers, which can make a flight attendant's job much more stressful.
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 the responsibilities of a typical flight attendant don't require strenuous physical labor beyond stowing items, they're still on their feet a majority of the time. They spend much of their time boarding planes, walking the aisles to check on passengers and moving through airports to get to their next flight.
How long is a typical flight attendant layover? A typical flight attendant layover is 24 hours. This allows the cabin crew ample time to rest and explore the destination before their next flight. However, please be advised that there are some cases wherein layovers are less than 24 hours.
"Being a flight attendant is freaking lonely. It's hard on your emotions, especially if you're not constantly talking to people or seeing people," she said.