Upon landing, they will help passengers disembark and will prepare the cabin for the next flight if it's a turnaround flight. For layover flights, they will disembark soon after passengers disembark, once they have completed their post-landing duties.
Commercial flight attendants and pilots generally do not make enough money to have homes in multiple cities. They have home bases and when they have overnight layovers their airline puts them up in a hotel. Sometimes they explore the city a bit.
They're called Crew Rest Compartments and their location on the plane varies. On newer aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A350, they are located above the main cabin, in the upper fuselage.
Typically, flight attendants employed at major airlines in the United States will not receive flight pay until all customers are boarded, the doors have been closed and the pilots have released the aircraft brakes in preparation for pushback from the gate.
Free flights and travel opportunities
Flight attendants get to travel as part of their job, and there may be time between flights when attendants can explore new locations. Flight attendants may have hours or even days between flights to travel and see local attractions.
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.
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.
They often work nights, weekends, and holidays because airlines operate every day and have overnight flights. 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.
The current longest flight in the world
Its longest flight path, which connects Singapore's Changi Airport with New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, 9,585 miles away, takes 18 hours and 40 minutes. The carrier has been flying the route since 2021.
There'a a few reasons for this: Safety: During takeoff and landing, everyone should be buckled into a secure seat. They have these seats in the cockpit, and in large aircraft, they're actually very comfortable. Laying down in a crew bed would not be allowed during takeoff or landing (though it happens, off the record).
Many flight attendants live together in large apartments or houses called "crash pads" located very close to the airport in the particular city where their airline's regional hub is located.
Pilots and flight attendants don't always stay at the same hotel. Depending on the airline and the city, crews might remain in the same accommodation or split the flight attendants and the pilots into different hotels. This is done with reference to the different contracts between the two groups.
Cabin crew tend to live close to their base, but it's not the only option. Many airlines say that crew must live within 45 minutes to 90 minutes traveling time of their base. This is due to 'standby' duties, where cabin crew are called out last minute to operate a flight where someone has gone sick or is late for duty.
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 being a flight attendant isn't the highest-paying job, you're almost always guaranteed to fly for free. Flight attendants can ride in coach for free or fly with a companion for about 90 percent off plus tax and fees on international flights. Additionally, you'll receive benefits, like health and dental insurance.
New flight attendants typically receive paid training after being hired by an airline, but flight attendant training schools do exist and some choose to pay for their own training before seeking a 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.
Most airlines complete three flights per day with layovers anywhere from 10 to 24 hours long, though longer layovers may extend into a three-day stay. Three-day trip: Three-day trips require flight attendants to complete more than one leg per day. They may experience multiple layovers, or a very lengthy one.
It is usually a 24-hour stay and can be longer than two days or more, if it is a long-haul or ultra-long-haul flight. That gives the crew time to rest and relax and also explore the destination where they are at. However, they must stay within a certain distance of the airport.
Flight attendants are required to be seated and strapped in during critical phases of flight for their own safety, and the jump seat provides a designated seat for them to sit in while performing their duties. Note: Only flight attendants are allowed to sit on a jump seat – because they are trained to use it.
They also get to travel around the country and even the world. An easy job with awesome perks, right? That would technically be right–but it is not the whole story. In reality, smiling and attending to all our needs in-flight is just one of many important duties that flight attendants have.