Flight Attendant Friday: Job Security

I received an email from Lorelei, who has been hired on with an airline and is just awaiting the start of her training class.

She had lots of questions, and I’ll be sharing them here over the next few weeks because they are questions I regularly here asked about the job.

Q.  I’m concerned about job security and wondered what you think about the future in the airline industry as a flight attendant?   I have a pretty decent job, but I just want to fly.

A. If you’re looking for an industry with job security, I doubt that the airline industry would rank very high up the food chain.

That said, I have been employed in the industry for over 20 years and have never been furloughed (industry term for laid off).  Although many of my friends have gone through the furlough process, I happened to get hired at a time when the industry was expanding and hiring.  I was ahead of the curve, and when the tough times hit, I had enough seniority to get through.

Many long time Flight Attendants who have been concerned about job security, have opted to take early retirement and move on to another career. The industry has changed a lot over the years, and while the job duties have changed, it’s still a job that I enjoy.  I don’t plan to hang up my wings any time soon.

But life is much different for a new hire Flight Attendant than it is in the mid-seniority range where I am.  And since I’ve promised honesty in answering these questions, here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Starting pay is crummy, usually around minimum wage.
• New hires will likely not get their first choice of domicile (the airport they will fly out of).  This means re-locating to a new city.  And even if you choose to have a crash pad and commute, you will have to deal with this added expense, commuting issues involved in getting a seat on a plane, and the time it takes to get to and from work.
• You will have crummy schedules, and have to work weekends and holidays.  Flying is a 24/7 business, and schedules are based on seniority (longevity).  As a new hire, you’ll be working the stuff that no one else wants.
• You will get to fly some good trip.  As a new hire, you will be on “reserve” which means you will cover any uncovered trips.  Usually there is an assortment of crummy stuff that no one else wanted, but you will also cover sick calls.  Flight Attendants flying those great trips will occasionally have to call in sick, and you may get them to cover.

Now before you think I’ve just made it sound like being a Flight Attendant is the worst job in the world, let me reassure you that it will get better.  You will start getting some weekends off, and eventually a holiday or two (though probably not Christmas for a long while).  The schedule and trips will get better, and the pay scale will slowly (very slowly) improve.  We all had to go through it, and if there wasn’t light at the end of the tunnel, we wouldn’t have stuck with it.

If you’re looking for a high paying position with job security, this probably isn’t the job for you.  But if you’re looking to make a change, want the challenge and excitement of working in an environment where no two days are the same, then just could be what you’re looking for.

Image credit:  istockphoto