The Pros and Cons of being a Flight Attendant

First off I'd like to state that these are my own opinions and have nothing to do with anyone else. Other crew members most likely have their own list that differ from mine and so on and so forth. That being said I also love my job, this is not me complaining but merely stating things that could help you decide if you want the job or not or maybe to give you a glimpse into my life.

I'm going to start out with the Cons that way we get to finish this post off on a positive note because that's usually what I like to do. Bad stuff first and good stuff later just like dessert after a meal 😜

Cons: 

1: JET LAG. if you've ever traveled to a different time zone before you will know exactly what I'm talking about. I no longer have a functioning body clock, I think my body clock ceased to exist when I started the training for this job and I don't think I'll ever get it back anytime soon. I sleep when I want to sleep and basically live off naps which for me works because I have the gift of being able to fall asleep anytime anywhere. hashtag winning?

• EYEBAGS. Along with the jet lag come the eye bags. they will appear on your face and never leave. These bags are not chanel and no matter how much sleep you get they will stay. This is a price of freedom. 
2: PEOPLE. yes. people. you have to deal with some of the worst be they crew, flight deck or passengers. bear in mind you don't know what they are going through before they got to you but that shouldn't be in any way an excuse to be a dick or a bitch. (excuse the language) you need patience. a lot of patience in this job. you need to have thick skin and remember that no matter what is said to you is not to be taken home and dwelt upon but left at work. You also work with different people every flight so if you don't get along well with anyone or just don't like them you don't have to see them again.

3: MISSING HOLIDAYS/SPECIAL OCCASIONS. when you sign up for this job you sign up for a flying roster that will inevitably cause you to miss special occasions, birthdays, weddings, holidays, you name it. I was lucky enough last year to have Christmas off and this year a week over my birthday so I really cannot complain however I have a strong feeling I will be working over Christmas and New Year this year and well there's really nothing I can do about it. 

4: NONEXISTENT LOVE LIFE. now this one doesn't apply to me but after almost 2 years flying you get to hear how this is a big challenge. a lot of crew join with a significant other left back in the country they came from. they try the long distance thing for a while but sooner or later most of them end up breaking up. it's not easy. you have to trust each other. you have to be mature enough to trust each other and not question each other. you have to be loyal and behave like someone in a relationship or stay single if that's your thing. being crew and dating seems to be just as hard as deciding what to eat or what to wear. I'm lucky to have found someone in the same industry who is pretty much the best thing to have happened to me. we'll talk more about him later.

5: SICKNESS.  this is a biggie. If you come straight from a normal daily schedule or aren't used to shift work your body will be in shock. overnight flights, ultra long hauls, or just 14hr work days will take a toll on your body. if you aren't one of the people taking vitamins everyday, eating healthy, working out and pretty much constantly taking care of yourself you might find yourself getting sick the first few months while your body is adjusting to this new lifestyle. food poisoning from eating street food in certain countries or drinking water around the world is also very common. You live and work in an airplane, everything is dry up there so you'll need to drink a lot more water than usual to keep yourself hydrated. it's very very important. your body will get used to all of this after a while don't worry, your immune system will be able to fight off anything after a few months or you may one of the lucky ones who never get sick and if that's the case then more power to you.

6: UNSOCIABLE HOURS.  There is no standard working day in this job. you may work all day or you may work all night and then you just want to sleep after your shift. This may be a problem if you want a social life even with other crew your days off may not align so meeting up with friends happens once a month or more if you're lucky. My days off are usually spent sleeping, at the gym or being a complete bum with my other half. Some days you just have to make yourself socialize otherwise you end up being a social recluse or a crazy animal person. I've seen it happen. it's no joke. also you may work on weekends and be off during the week which would be tough if your friends aren't crew but work a normal job.

now for the Pros and all the good and amazing stuff this job has to offer.

PROS: 

1: TRAVEL BENEFITS. This one is awesome. you get discount tickets to fly to any destination with your own company or any partner companies. It's amazing. You also get discounts on hotels around the world so you can travel on a budget to places you wish you could. The world is pretty much your oyster.

2. SOCIAL EXPOSURE. You work with different people every flight. People from all around the world who have different jokes, different customs, speak different languages, eat different foods and have different ways of working. you get to learn and grow (if you let yourself) you get to know and respect different cultures and religions (at least you should) you don't have to stay stuck in your little bubble. 

3. HOTELS AROUND THE WORLD. I get to stay in some amazing hotels around the world, they aren't all 5 star hotels but they are still really good. You get discounts on the hotel food, free gyms and pools, a ridiculously comfy bed to fall into when you're done with the flight, discounts on tours for that particular city and there's always a discount for the bar. You can't say no to that.

4. Flight Benefits. You yourself are entitled to discount tickets but so are your immediate family. I also get a certain amount of tickets for close friends and relatives. I mean you can't not be happy about that

5. FREE TRANSPORT AND ACCOMMODATION.  This one applies for a few Middle Eastern airlines. You get a flat, usually a shared accommodation with 1 or 2 other girls. Utility bills are covered by the company you only need to pay for internet and your mobile phone as well as food which really isn't much. You get picked up from your accommodation and dropped off at headquarters for your flight then taken from headquarters and back to your flat after the flat. You get your uniform dry cleaned for free. Medical is free. Dentist stuff is also free to an extent. You are practically babied. It's freaking awesome. Also if you decide you no longer want to live in company accommodation you can take live out which is pretty much a lump sum of money to pay for your rent in a place of your choosing (this one applies to my company and I'm not sure if other companies do this) 

6. FREE ACCESS TO GYMS, BEACHES AND HOTEL POOLS. This one is probably my favorite. being able to go to some of the top gyms or hotel pools whenever I want is awesome. I'm a gym rat/fitness addict so being able to workout daily is a must for me. some of the gyms I've been to are freaking awesome and have pretty much anything you could possibly need. If you're like me then you will definitely be happy about this one. 

7. SALARY. This one had to be put in here somewhere. You get paid and you get paid well. How much you save from this is entirely up to you and the lifestyle you wish you lead.  

8. UNIFORM. There go the days of having to decide what to wear to work.You are given a full uniform, handbag, cabin bag and luggage. all you have to do is make sure you're wearing everything your supposed to be wearing and off to work you go. Ok sure it may not be the outfit you would prefer to wear but if you're seriously going to complain about that then somethings not right.

9. NEW SKILLS. You get to learn how to ask chicken or beef in 3 or more languages or coffee or tea. You get to learn how to make cocktails, pour drinks and serve drinks in a fancy way, get to perfect your poker face when dealing with certain events or people. You may even teach yourself how to swear in many languages so people can't understand you.  

10. PRINCE CHARMING. you may get to meet the man/woman of your dreams if you haven't already. Pilots, fellow cabin crew, passengers, with the amount of people you work and fly with you're bound to meet someone. Don't for the love of God make this your goal in life but it is a possibility. 

11. YOU ARE FED. Yes you are given food on the flights, may not always be the healthiest food or the most delicious but there is food. There's also fruit and salads and chocolate and other snacks you can munch on when you're bored and have nothing to do while the passengers sleep. This is generally why a lot of crew go up a uniform size or two. 

On a serious note though we aren't trained to simply serve food and drinks. We are trained to evacuate a plane in under 90 seconds if need be. To deliver babies onboard, deal with medical cases and pretty much to get you from point A to point B safely and in one piece. This is not a hard job. Certain people have the tendency to make the job harder than it is. It can be a dangerous job at times you know with turbulence and the fact that you're working in a flying metal tube high above the ground but it's a great job with amazing benefits and for me the pros far outweigh the cons. I mean I moved out to a foreign country and managed to find the love of my life out here. Definitely winning.

x

Chloe (aka Esther)