How To Become A Flight Attendant

The primary responsibility of a flight attendant is to ensure that all the safety procedures are followed on the airplane. They also try their best to make sure that the passengers stay comfortable during their flight.

Flight Attendant Job Description
Flight attendants normally perform the following tasks:

• Attend pre-flight briefings to know the flight details.
• Make sure that adequate refreshments and emergency equipments are on board.
• Demonstrate how to use the emergency equipment.
• Serve beverages, meals, or snacks.
• Assist passengers with special needs.
• Reassure passengers during flight turbulence.
• Provide first aid to passengers and guide them in case of an emergency.

How to Become a Flight Attendant?

Education and Experience
To become a flight attendant, a high school diploma is required. However, the employers prefer flight attendants with a college degree in tourism, public relations, hospitality, or communications. Online education is also an option for individuals looking to become flight attendants, as it is both convenient and cost effective. Most airlines also have a requirement of one to two years of customer service experience.

Certification
All flight attendants require certification from Federal Aviation Administration. In order to get this certificate, flight attendants have to go through the  training for a few weeks and then pass a proficiency check. The training for each aircraft varies from the other, and flight attendants require various trainings in order to maintain their certification.

Essential Traits
Following are the essential traits for flight attendants:

• Attentiveness to passenger's needs in order to make sure they have a pleasant experience.
• Skill to communicate clearly and effectively with the passengers.
• Listening skills to pay attention to what the customers are saying and ability to ask the right questions.
• Professional appearance is also a must for flight attendants.
• Vision is also essential, which can at least be correctable to at least 20/40.

Working Conditions
The work of the flight attendants carries various physical demands. They work most of the time in the cabin of an airplane. They may have to stand for long hours, push carts and help passengers in opening overhead compartments. Their work can also get stressful as they have to calm the passengers during turbulent flights.

The work schedules of the flight attendants vary. They usually have to work at nights and also on weekends and during holidays. A typical on duty shift for flight attendants lasts for around twelve to fourteen hours. Flight attendants usually spend two to three nights in a week away from home. During their stay away from home, the employers provide them with meals and accommodation.

Career Outlook and Salary
There is very little or no change expected in the employment opportunities between the years 2010 and 2020. The competition for flight attendants is expected to be tough. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for a flight attendant is around $37,000 in May 2010. The data from the Association of Flight Attendants indicates that the average annual wage for an entry-level flight attendant was around $16,000 in 2011.