How to Become an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant?

Are you preparing to start your career in the aviation field? If yes, then there are lots of fields you can enroll in as an aviation professional, and flight attendant is one of them.

Flight Attendant is a fundamental job for every commercial passenger airline company. You have an opportunity to apply for a flight attendant on various airlines across the globe however, we will be focusing on how to become an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant in this article.

Before knowing the requirements, processes, salary, and other information on becoming an Alaska Airlines Flight attendant, let us find out some basic information about the airline.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines is one of the major carriers in the United States with its headquarter in SeaTac, Washington. Alaska is the fifth largest airline in the U.S. in terms of passengers served, fleet size, and the number of destinations.

The airline operates flights to various domestic and international destinations from its five hubs at different airports across the United States. It also conducts flights with regional partners; Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines.

Alaska Airlines Hub Airports

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport

Portland International Airport

San Francisco International Airport

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Among these hubs, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the primary hub for Alaska Airlines. The airline is also a member of the third largest airline alliance in the world known as Oneworld Alliance.

Talking about the fleet size, Alaska Airlines operates major flights with Boeing 737 series aircraft and some Airbus A320 series. Besides, the regional flights are operated with Embraer E175 and Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft.

How to Become an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant?

To become an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant, you need to fulfil the airline’s requirements and apply for the job whenever vacancies open. 

There are various requirements including age, education, experience, physical appearance, personality and much more which you have to have in order to be eligible for applying.

In this informative article, we will be discussing all the requirements, processes and tips to become an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant. So, stay till the end to find out the overall information.

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Requirements

The minimum requirements to apply for Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant are listed below.

• The Minimum Age requirement is 21 years

• Applicant must possess a high school diploma or equivalent level of education

• 2 years of customer or community service is also required 

• Applicant must obtain authorization to work in the United States and enter/exit Canada and Mexico

• Applicant must be able to reach 80 vertical inches that be almost 5 feet 2 inches in height

• Must be able to pass swimming test and airline internal training

• Candidates must have the ability to represent the brand and live the values of the company with pride and integrity

• You need to show love and enthusiasm for travel

• Must be able to cope with hectic flight schedules in the beginning of your career

Processes to apply for Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant

Applicants need to go through various processes to finally become Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant.

• First of all, you need to find vacancies on the Alaska Airlines official website. If you fulfill all the requirements mentioned in the vacancy, you can apply for the post by filling the application form.

• Alaska Airlines concerned Human Resources department will analyze and review your application. After successful review, selected candidates will be invited to attend an interview event.

• The interview events feature various high-energy activities including group activities, one-on-one interviews, and an orientation. Candidates must give their best possible to pass these events.

• The HR department will finalize the selection after you complete all the tests. If you pass all the tests and outrank other candidates, you will be accepted for the flight attendant position. 

• After being selected, you will be eligible for Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant training.

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Training

Alaska Airlines provides initial flight attendant training to newly selected individuals. This tuition-free intensive initial training is provided to prepare fresh flight attendants for upcoming flights.

Some key aspects of the airlines’ flight attendant training are listed below.

• The initial flight attendant training is conducted by Alaska Airlines for 6 weeks and Horizon Air for 4 weeks.

• Flight attendants will learn fire-fighting skills, life-saving techniques, obstacle handling, and many other technical skills.

• Initial Flight Attendant trainees will also work real-time in flight with current flight attendants for on-the-job experience.

• The airline provides shared hotel rooms for the duration of training.

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Job Description & Schedule

After successful completion of the initial flight training and passing various tests, fresh flight attendants are ready to join flights. 

As per the Alaska Airlines policy, new flight attendants are kept on reserve which means a block of time is scheduled in advance. You will be called out for duty anytime with a 2-hour notice.

The duration of reserve status for new flight attendants will be finalized by the senior base officer working at your respective base. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will automatically make you part of The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) union.

Talking about the base assignment, as a flight attendant trainee, you will be assigned to a home base. Alaska Airlines with a regional partnership operates flights to over 115 destinations so, your schedule starts and end at your base. You are required to relocate and be available at the assigned base after the completion of training.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will allow you to bid for different bases as you gain ample experience and seniority.

How much does an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant make?

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Salary depends upon your experience and seniority. On average, flight attendants at Alaska Airlines and Horizon make almost $25 per hour and it can range from $9 to $67.

As per the Indeed.com website, Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant make an average of $40,628 per year which is 22 per cent above the United States national average.

Besides normal salary, Alaska Airlines offers various benefits listed below.

• Yearly bonus

• Monthly bonus

• Performance bonuses

• Health Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• Dental Insurance

• Retirement Plan

• Paid Time off

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Interview Questions

Some common and important Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Interview Questions are listed below.

General Questions

Tell us about yourself.

What is the Alaska Airlines slogan?

How have you offered excellent customer service?

Why do you want to work for Alaska Airlines?

What qualifies you for this role?

Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict.

How would you deal with an angry or unhappy passenger?

What is your biggest weakness and strength?

What do you like best about working here?

How would you describe your ideal candidate for this position?

What about this position is the most important?

How would you measure my success and what could I do to succeed in your expectations?

Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What can I do in order to get up to speed quickly?

What opportunities will I have to learn and grow?

Video Interview Questions

Applicants applying for the Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant job are provided with 2 minutes to answer each question at a 30-sec interval during the video interview. The general questions mentioned above are enough to get you success for the video interview.

Group Interview Questions

Please introduce yourself?

What did you like about your last job?

What is one unique thing about yourself?

How would you deal with an upset customer?

Name a time you had a conflict with a coworker and describe how you resolved it?

One-on-One Interview Questions

What languages do you speak?

How have you gone above and beyond for a customer?

How would you describe excellent customer service?

What to wear as a flight attendant?

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Job Opening

You can visit the official website of Alaska Airlines to find out job openings for the flight attendant.

Alaska Airlines jobs website publishes all the vacancies available with location and other details. So, you need to check regularly for updates.

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Contract

To find out the Flight Attendant Contract for Alaska Airlines, you can visit afaalaska website where the AFA Alaska Airlines Contract, One Year Contract Extension, and Letters of Agreement can be obtained.

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Tattoo Policy

Almost every airline companies restrict applicants with visible tattoos. Alaska Airlines also wants candidates without tattoos however, if you have one don’t forget to verify it is not visible while in uniform.

How much money do Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants make?

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants make roughly $40,628 yearly which is 22 percent more than the national average. This pay scale changes depending on experience, seniority, working hours, and other factors.

What is it like to be a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines?

Alaska Airlines is one of the major airlines in the United States that operates flights to over 115 destinations globally. Working as a flight attendant for such a huge company is a matter of pride and glory.

Where does Alaska Airlines do flight attendant training?

Alaska Airlines provides initial flight attendant training to its new cabin crews at the headquarters in Seattle, Washington.

Do Alaska airline employees fly for free?

Employees of Alaska and Horizon Air, their parents and their eligible dependents enjoy unlimited free, standby travel on Alaska and Horizon, as well as discounted travel on other airlines.