Flight Attendant Friday: Training

Today’s question comes from Zoe, who is interested in the training process that we go through before qualifying as a Flight Attendant.  She asks:

Q.  During the training, what will be taught by the training center?  Do they have evaluations tests every day?

A.  Training differs among various airlines, but the two basic areas covered are Safety and Service.

For US airlines, the Safety part of training encompasses the bulk of the training process.  It will cover such things as learning about the various aircraft you will fly, emergency equipment and procedures, how to evacuate a plane, first aid, safety and security, FAR’s (Federal Air Regulations, the law governing commercial air travel that sets forth the rules and regulations for commercial air travel), and company policies.  This covers everything from the time you check in at the airport for your duty assignment until your return at the end, and governs everything that happens in between.

The Service side of training will encompass the components of customer service, from setting the boarding music, to serving cocktails and cutting off passengers who appear to be intoxicated, to announcements made during flight.

Competency tests occur regularly, although not necessarily every day.  You’ll need to demonstrate written proficiency as well as hands on proficiency at various stages of training.  Plan to study every night to learn what you’ll need for the following day, as not everyone will pass.

Hope that helps let you know what you’d be in for, Zoe.  And if you have questions about a particular airline’s training program, you can seek out someone who works for that airline and ask specific questions.