Aspiring flight attendants can explore diverse career paths in 2024.
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787-9 economy class cabin (Photo: Hawaiian Airlines)
The allure of professional flight is attractive to many, and people across the country and around the world dream of getting paid to live in the flight levels. While many people decide to go the pilot route, others – whether due to a diverse skill set, differing values, or inability to become a pilot – decide to become a flight attendant.
Cabin crewmembers play essential roles in maintaining the safety and comfort of a flight. They oversee dozens, or hundreds, of passengers and work in a closely-knit team to ensure continued safety in all phases of flight.
Just as with pilots, flight attendants can go a number of ways in their careers. Airline flight attendants are the most visible, as they interact with the general public on a daily basis. However, some flight attendants work in corporate flight departments and charter companies.
There are a number of ways that flight attendants can pick which company they want to work for. The process varies a bit from pilot hiring, as flight attendants tend to get hired directly by an airline or other operator that provides their training. This varies from pilots, who tend to pay for their initial training out of pocket and build time for years to be eligible for airline work; even then, some pilots still pay for the advanced training – Airline Transport Pilot certificates and type ratings – that airlines would otherwise supply.
The different process makes some aspects of finding work easier for flight attendants. A new applicant can more easily hand-pick companies that they want to work for, either based on quality of life or nearby bases. It also lowers the barriers to entry for flight attendants so that some even use the job as a stepping stone into the flight deck.
Generally speaking, besides bases and quality of life, applicants can choose who to fly for based on how long trips are – do you want to stay near home with a regional airline or travel far away on a legacy airline – or what each company values. Some also pick based on the clientele they want to work with.
Airlines look for flight attendants with good interpersonal skills and customer service backgrounds. It is important that flight attendants can work well in a team environment and think on their feet in critical safety situations.
Some airlines look for specialized skills in their hiring pool. Companies that fly internationally hire cabin crew fluent in the languages of various foreign countries to make it easier to communicate with locals. Special focus will be placed on languages in countries that airlines have large presences in or close relationships with.
United Airlines is currently hiring flight attendants with special emphasis on people who speak foreign languages. Positions are available in most bases across the country – most openings are available on both coasts as well as in the Midwest – with the latest job listings posted just this week.
GoJet, a regional carrier that flies exclusively for United, is also currently hiring with a number of bases. Most are centered in the Midwest and East Coast at major United hubs. Also present is a St. Louis base.
Delta and its wholly-owned regional subsidiary, Endeavor Air, are also hiring. Endeavor offers flight attendants a direct pathway to Delta for those interested in flying bigger aircraft over longer distances.
Though mainline American Airlines is not hiring flight attendants, regional partner PSA Airlines is. Though currently advertising a Charlotte base, PSA has multiple domicilies across the country.
On the West Coast, Alaska Airlines subsidiary Horizon Air is hiring flight attendants in Anchorage and Portland. For those who live nearby and don’t want to commute across the country, the Alaska Air Group could be a good way to launch a career close to home.
A Horizon Air Embraer E175 operating for Alaska Airlines.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
Besides those that work closely with legacy carriers, other independent regional airlines are also hiring. SkyWest Airlines, the largest regional in the United States, is currently hiring cabin crew at multiple locations. With bases across the country and two aircraft types, SkyWest crews get excellent flexibility to define their careers as they choose.
Denver Air Connection, another independent regional that specializes in Essential Air Service travel, is hiring predominantly in the Midwest. DAC connects major cities like Denver, Chicago, and Minneapolis to small, underserved communities in the United States.
Low-cost airlines are hiring just as aggressively as other major airlines. They tend to serve popular vacation destinations across the United States, and their bases are disproportionately concentrated in destination states like Florida, Arizona, and California. Some low-cost carriers focus on secondary markets like Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Delaware.
Allegiant Airlines is hiring for a number of bases across the country. They operate a fleet of Airbus and Boeing airplanes and have four bases spread across the Tampa and Orlando areas alone. They take people from smaller areas – like Rockford and Peoria in Illinois, both at least two hours from Chicago – to popular destinations in Florida, Arizona, and beyond.
Frontier Airlines, among the largest low-cost carriers in the U.S., is also hiring flight attendants. It has a wider range of bases than Allegiant as well as more daily departures. As Allegiant already does, Frontier is shifting to an out-and-back business model that will allow their crews to be at home most nights instead of at outstations.
Picking the right airline to work for can make a big difference in your perception of the career. Consider what you value in your aviation career and which job will get you to your goals the soonest. Some crews are willing to take a pay cut to be at home more, while others want to fly big jets to far-away destinations.
Ultimately, as you start your career as a flight attendant, be sure to prioritize safety above all else. Though flight attendants do play a significant role in customer service, they also work with the flight crew to ensure the safe completion of each flight. The job can be quite rewarding and inspiring – and the first step to success is to apply.
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