Diary: The Real Truth About Flight Attendant Life

It’s been about 4 years since I started being a flight attendant, a career that most dream about. I would be lying if I said I’d always dreamed about this career. In fact I went to university and got my degree in business marketing but after working in the corporate world I felt like my life was just passing me by. That’s when I met with a childhood friend of mine who had started working as a flight attendant and encouraged me to apply. I’ve always loved to travel, like many others who get into this career, and for the past 4 years I’ve been doing just that. Traveling. But let’s get real about what nobody else will tell you that I’ve learned.

1. You might get tired of living out of a suitcase. At first flying constantly was exciting. It was new, but as you continue to fly and encounter cancellations, reassignments, and delays you will start missing a more stable work environment and spending time at home.

2. You might realize you are not a valued team member. When you first get hired you’re excited to be part of a company that verbally thanks you for your hard work, your commitment to the job. But as many have said actions speak louder than words. And the actions I’ve seen over the past 4 years are disheartening. It doesn’t matter which Arline you work for at the end of the day you’re the only one that has your own back don’t expect the company to actually see you as a valuable team member.

3. You will experience fatigue. The reality is that 80% of the time you will get less than 6 hours of sleep. The FAA only requires that flight attendants have 8 hours behind the door. Now obviously when you first arrive to your hotel you need to shower and decompress, maybe eat if you haven’t had time to do so. No one just walks into their hotel room and sleeps immediately, that’s why most of the time you’ll find yourself getting less than 6 hours of sleep, waking up early, and doing it all over again the next day.

4. You only get paid for flight hours. The hourly pay might seem appealing till you realize how much time you actually spend working and not getting paid. It’s typical to work an 11 hour day but only get paid for 5. That hourly pay is only for flight hours it doesn’t include the time you sign in for work, sit at the airport, or board.

5. You will miss out on important holidays and events. When you first start out you’re at the bottom of the barrel. You will not get weekends off, you will not get holidays off, and you might not get off the days you request. Getting a good schedule takes years.

These are just some of the things I’ve learned at the job that wasn’t necessarily told to me upfront. Every job has its pros and cons and at the end of the day there’s still a goal I wish to achieve with this career but it’s definitely not for everyone. I’m learning to not focus so much on the present and instead focus more on how with a new contract our work environment should improve. I’m also working on trying to regain my appreciation for this job which I had when I first started.

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