If you want to work in a glamorous environment, being a flight attendant sounds like one of the greatest possibilities. You have a jet-set lifestyle, you get to travel all over the world, and you receive a lot of privileges. However, a closer examination reveals that working as cabin staff on passenger airline flights isn’t all it’s built up to be. Here are a few reasons why you should avoid working as a cabin crew member. Before we end, we’ll go over cabin crew job descriptions and examine at some real-life instances.
If you just want to work as cabin staff for a year or two, it might be a decent alternative. If you want to create a long-term career out of the employment, you should wait until you’ve been there for a while before making a decision. It is good to think that way, but keep in mind that your mind can shift after a few months.
Several airline staff claim that the public regards you like a flying waiter, and that you don’t earn their respect. The work itself isn’t really difficult, management seldom appreciates you, and one of the primary rewards – getting to travel around the world – may be limited when visits are cut short, as is frequently the case.
Drawbacks
– Let’s start with the bad news: there are a few drawbacks to working as an air hostess or host:
– The task is demanding, and you are always on your feet.
– The hours don’t allow for a social life, so you could miss holidays and birthdays.
– Being in such close touch with so many people put you at risk for health problems.
– From your vantage point, airline management is frequently tough to work with.
– The initial glitz and dazzle of the work quickly wears off.
– Flight delays may severely upset your life and routine.
– The aviation sector is changing, making it more difficult to see this as a long-term vocation.
– You are in charge of cleaning up terrible spills, vomit, and other messes.
– If you travel great distances, you will experience the debilitating symptoms of jet lag.
– It’s no joy dealing with unpleasant, irritable, aggressive, and miserable passengers. Many passengers look down their noses at you.
– It is quite simple to get colds and diseases on a regular basis.
The Time Has Changed
While working as a flight attendant may still pique your interest – and let’s face it, it’s quite fantastic to think about continually travelling to new destinations while working above the clouds – you’re likely to get as annoyed as some of the people you serve.
Air hostesses donned white gloves and served lobster thermidor at the table in the 1950s. You’re more likely to put rubber gloves on passengers and imprison them now than to offer them lobster. The reality of the work has altered as a result of various reasons, including terrorist attacks and the problems of an airline sector that is struggling to stay afloat. Whereas many flight attendants like certain aspects of their professions, they often face physical and mental exhaustion as a result of their lack of respect.
Long Workdays,
Because airlines have begun parking planes to save money, this results in more passengers being carried on fewer planes, resulting in busier trips. Furloughs, layoffs, and other cost-cutting measures are being implemented at the same time, resulting in one unavoidable reality: fewer flight attendants are caring for more passengers on board the plane.
At the same time, salary cuts have caused many flight attendants to work longer hours in order to make up the gap between what they used to earn and what they now receive. Even as their responsibilities became more difficult, some attendants made more a decade ago than they do now.
Crewmembers frequently work fourteen hour shifts on domestic flights, and they might work even lengthy shifts on overseas voyages. Flight attendants said they frequently have to battle with hunger during their layovers, which can be as brief as the workday. Because airlines have discontinued serving meals to customers on shorter flights, even flight attendants have limited meal options. When there isn’t enough food on the plane and the airline is trying to turn a flight around fast at an airport, flight attendants must bring their own snacks to stay awake.
Passengers who are causing a ruckus
Cabin crew members are only paid while the plane’s engines are working, despite the fact that they fly seventy to a hundred hours every month. This means they aren’t paid for the onerous boarding procedure, in which they frequently play police officer, babysitter, and referee as travellers try to cram too much into carry-on luggage in order to avoid paying the price for a checked bag. As customers vent their displeasure on the flight attendants, this might lead to conflict and delays. Passengers seldom respond to an attendant’s efforts to establish a congenial atmosphere with a grin and kind remarks.
Running boots are required.
Many parts of an air hostess or air host employment are governed by seniority — the person who has worked at the position the longest receives the finest privileges, such as which routes they fly and which sections of the plane they work in the most. Interestingly, some flight attendants prefer economy over premium class.
Despite serving a larger number of passengers, their job mostly entails pouring beverages, whereas first-class attendants are always engaged in serving meals and drinks as well as catering to other customer requirements.
Another disadvantage you may not have considered is that because you spend so much time on your feet, your shoes will wear out rapidly. There’s even a condition known as “cart toe,” in which the leather on the toe of your shoe wears off from constantly pressing the brakes on the carts that carry food and drink.
Unnoticed Work
Also, there is a significant amount of work that flight attendants are responsible for that you are likely unaware of because it occurs behind the scenes. Pre-flight briefings are common for flight attendants, and they normally include oral tests onboard operations. In between flights, they do safety checks, prepare the galley, and clean the plane. They are self-defence training and know-how to handle themselves in the event of a security breach or rowdy passengers. Although many flight attendants have college degrees and sometimes even graduate degrees, some passengers still consider them servants. Because flight attendants are expected to listen to passenger complaints and reply respectfully in the spirit of excellent customer service, unless the issue is for safety and security, they are frequently faced with borderline hostile comments.
Closing
There are a few advantages to becoming an air hostess (or an air host job). You meet a lot of people, develop independence, and have the opportunity to travel for free or at a reduced rate, among other things. However, as we’ve already mentioned, the job’s drawbacks come at a high price. Whether you’re thinking about becoming a flight attendant, do some research to see if it’s right for you. If that’s the case, best of luck! If you’re undecided, find something else to do; life is too short to put up with the trouble.