What Do Flight Attendant Do?

Flight Attendant Job Description Provide personal services to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of airline passengers during flight. Greet passengers, verify tickets, explain use of safety equipment, and serve food or beverages.

Daily Life Of a Flight Attendant

• Conduct periodic trips through the cabin to ensure passenger comfort and to distribute reading material, headphones, pillows, playing cards, and blankets.
• Assist passengers in placing carry-on luggage in overhead, garment, or under-seat storage.
• Collect money for meals and beverages.
• Sell alcoholic beverages to passengers.
• Attend preflight briefings concerning weather, altitudes, routes, emergency procedures, crew coordination, lengths of flights, food and beverage services offered, and numbers of passengers.
• Announce flight delays and descent preparations.

Qualities of a Flight Attendant

Flight Attendants state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Types of Flight Attendant

• Airline Attendant
• Airline Flight Attendant
• Flight Steward
• Door and Arrival Attendant
• Airplane Flight Attendant

Is There Going to be Demand for Flight Attendants?

In the United States, there were 116,600 jobs for Flight Attendant in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 11,900 new jobs for Flight Attendant by 2026. The BLS estimates 14,200 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Flight Attendant are Florida, Oregon, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Idaho, Alaska, or Connecticut. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for a Flight Attendant

Flight Attendants make between $28,950 and $80,870 a year.

Flight Attendants who work in Oregon, Texas, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.

How much do Flight Attendants make in different U.S. states?

Tools & Technologies Used by Flight Attendants

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Flight Attendants may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Windows
• SBS International Maestro Suite

How to Become a Flight Attendant

Individuals working as a Flight Attendant have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol via U.S. Air Force photo

More about our data sources and methodologies.