How to Become a Flight Attendant? (An Ultimate Guide)

Are you an aviation enthusiast and also desire to travel a lot? If yes, you have a good career option in the airline industry which is a Flight Attendant also known as Cabin Crew, Air Host/Air Hostess or Flight Steward/Stewardess.

A Flight Attendant is a professional job which is all about welcoming and serving passengers, ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers during flight. It is one of the highest-paid and respected jobs in the aviation industry.

You must be wondering how to become Flight Attendant on reputed airlines. To become a successful Flight Attendant, you need to meet the basic requirements and pass various examinations conducted by the airlines.

In this article, we will discuss how to become a Flight Attendant in the United States. This piece of content will cover requirements, the application process, salary, benefits and various other important information.  

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Flight Attendant as a Career

Flight Attendant also called Cabin Crew, Air Host/Air Hostess or Flight Steward/Stewardess is an important position in the airline industry. Every commercial airline company require flight attendants for smooth flight operation.

For Most People, The Sky is the Limit. For Flight Attendants, The Sky is Home.

Flight Attendants are responsible for welcoming & serving passengers, ensuring optimum safety & security and comfort of passengers during the entire flight. Quality customer service is one of the major responsibilities of flight attendants.

The major responsibilities of Flight Attendants are listed below.

• Welcome and communicate with customers or passengers.
• Ensure safety and comfort to passengers.
• Provide assistance to customers.
• Conduct safety checks before departure.
• Provide information, assistance and safety guidance to passengers on board aircraft.
• Prepare and serve food and beverages to passengers.
• Demonstrate use of emergency equipment.
• Make necessary announcements as per the pilot’s instruction.
• Handle situations calmly in case of emergencies.
• Provide special assistance to those with special needs including children, differently-abled persons, elders and so on.
• Monitor, manage and secure aircraft cabin regularly.
• Assist passengers in finding their seats.
• Regulate duty in line with all aviation rules and regulations.

Can Men be Flight Attendants? Why are most Flight Attendants Female?

This is a common question among many male aviation enthusiasts who are desiring to become Flight Attendants. As per the latest report, 83.9 per cent of flight attendants are female out of 111,833 total flight attendants currently working in the United States whereas only 16.1 per cent are male flight attendants.

The majority of airlines hire more female flight attendants due to various reasons. Having said that, the opportunity for male flight attendants is not that rare. Airlines are increasing the number of male cabin crews.

Flight Attendant is taken as a glamorous and feminine job due to which females are mostly attracted towards it. On the other hand, male candidates show little interest which is the reason behind the female dominance in the flight attendant position. 

The Flight Attendant job is primarily focused on serving passengers with proper care and assistance. Females are more appropriate for this position because they are viewed as the nurturing gender and are more generous and appealing in comparison to males.

That’s why most Flight Attendants are female.

If you are a male and want to pursue your career as a Flight Attendant, you don’t need to worry about female dominance because there are enough chances. Just you need to meet the requirements and deliver the qualities of a professional flight attendant.

With that, let’s find out the requirements, application process and steps to become a flight attendant in the United States.

How to Become a Flight Attendant? (Requirements and Examinations)

You need to possess certain qualifications and personal qualities to become a flight attendant for various airlines across the globe. The requirements, application process and training differ from airline to airline.

We will discuss some common and basic requirements to apply for the Flight Attendant position.

Flight Attendant Requirements in the USA

• The minimum required age is 21 years for most airlines.
• Applicants must obtain authorization to work in the United States without restriction.
• The majority of airlines prohibit visible tattoos or piercings.
• A good level of health and fitness is required.
• Most airlines require the applicant’s height to be a minimum of 5ft and 2 inches.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) must be normal.
• Applicants must be able to pass all the medical tests.
• Swimming skill is important.
• Applicants must be fluent in the English Language. Additional language proficiency is a plus point.
• Knowledge of grooming and personality is a must.
• Having a previous experience in the airline industry, customer service department or a related field is an advantage.
• Must possess excellent communication and presentation skills.

How to apply to be a Flight Attendant?

If you fulfil the above requirements, you are eligible to apply for a Flight Attendant vacancy. The application process depends on the standard operating practices of airlines. However, the selection process is almost common among various airlines.

Steps to apply to become a Flight Attendant in the United States

Step 1: Find a vacancy.

First of all, you need to find vacancies for flight attendants which are posted on the official website of airline companies.

Step 2: Check Requirements and Apply.

All the requirements are published on the website. You need to check whether you are eligible or not. If yes, you can apply online by filling out the application form.

Step 3: Wait for the response from HR Department.

After you submit your online application, the HR Department will screen your details and contact you for further steps.

Step 4: Appear various tests.

If your online application gets shortlisted, you will be called for various tests that may include group discussions, presentations, initial interviews, skill tests, aviation product knowledge tests, physical tests, pre-employment checks and final evaluation.

If you successfully pass all the assessments, you will be selected for the initial flight attendant training program that is conducted for 6 or more weeks depending on the airline. For instance, United Airlines provides an 8-week initial flight attendant training program to the selected candidates in its training centre located in Chicago, Illinois.

The training program includes classroom work, aviation product knowledge, aircraft familiarization, emergency procedure training, first-aid skills and much more. Trainees must pass the written examination and practical evaluation to finally become eligible for working on real flights.

If you are confused about the process of applying for a Flight Attendant at various airlines in the United States, please refer to the articles listed above where we have already published a detailed guide on becoming a successful Flight Attendant on all airlines of the United States.

How to become a United Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become an American Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become a Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become a Delta Air Lines Flight Attendant?
How to become a Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become an Allegiant Air Flight Attendant?
How to become an Avelo Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become a Breeze Airways Flight Attendant?
How to become an Eastern Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become a Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become a JetBlue Flight Attendant?
How to become a Spirit Airlines Flight Attendant?
How to become a Silver Airways Flight Attendant?
How to become a SkyWest Flight Attendant?
How to become a Sun Country Airlines Flight Attendant?

How long does it take to become a Flight Attendant?

The time period required to become a Flight Attendant depends on the application process and training period which differ from airline to airline. In common, it may take months or even years to become a professional flight attendant.

The initial flight attendant training program is mainly conducted for six weeks and it may be more or less depending on the airline you are applying for. But, the selection process may take a considerable amount of time. For example, if the selection process completes within a month and you go through 6 weeks of training, the total time required is 3 months.

How to Become a Flight Attendant with no experience?

Basically, you don’t require experience to become a Flight Attendant because airlines provide initial flight attendant training to the selected candidates conducted at the airline’s training facility. However, if you have previous experience working as a flight attendant, customer service agent or similar positions, it is an advantage.

The most important thing to consider while applying for the flight attendant position is the quality you possess. You need to have a good personality, excellent communication skills, perfect health and physical conditions, grooming skills, language proficiency, problem-solving skills and so on to become a strong and competitive candidate.

Flight Attendant Salary

Flight Attendant is one of the good-paying jobs in the airline industry. As per the latest report, Flight Attendants in the United States earn an average of US$20.53 per hour. Besides, they receive flight allowances and various benefits. 

The yearly salary can range from $55,000 to $99,349 depending on the experience, seniority level, airline policies, working schedules and various other factors.

Benefits of becoming a Flight Attendant

In addition to the basic salary and flight allowances, flight attendants get the following benefits.

• Flexible Working Hours
• Training and Career Growth Opportunities
• Travel Opportunities and discounts for airline staff and their families
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Health Service Plans including Health Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Paid Vacations
• Food Expense Reimbursement
• Retirement Plans and much more.

Conclusion

We are at the end of this blog where we discussed How to become a Flight Attendant along with the requirements, application process, steps, salary and benefits.

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a flight attendant, exploring new places, meeting new people and gaining new experiences, you can apply for the position whenever airline companies publish their vacancies and make your dream come true.

You can go through the articles shared above to apply for the specific airlines in the United States. For any queries, you can comment below or contact us.

FAQs on How to Become a Flight Attendant