Working as a Flight Attendant
Private jets offer an alternative to commercial airlines
Since 9/11, the image of flight attendants has changed, but so have the demands of the job.
For years, working as a flight attendant had a glamour factor that was hard to beat. In the late sixties and early seventies, young women who assumed these positions were the envy of all of their friends. Schmoozing with passengers and traveling the country for free seemed so romantic.
Even today, young men and women are drawn to the profession in the hopes of satisfying their wanderlust. For others, the appeal of a flexible schedule, and a career where no two days are the same, feels like a breath of fresh air when compared to the nine-to-five world.
Yet our understanding of flights attendants and their job responsibilities has changed over the past several decades. Once esteemed as the becoming young women--dressed in attractive uniforms--who cater to passengers’ in-flight needs, flight attendants have carved out a new image.
The events of September 11, in particular, shed light on what it means to work as a flight attendant. The heroic efforts of some of the cabin crew members on the four planes that crashed that day served as the ultimate reminder of a flight attendant’s chief responsibility: To ensure the safety of passengers.
Patricia Friend, President of the Association of Flight Attendants, said, “We’ve struggled for many years to change the image of cabin crew from frivolous airheads and after 9/11 it is clearer than ever that we are safety professionals and first responders” [1].
Unfortunately, this newfound understanding between flight attendants and passengers came at a cost. Since 9/11, the profession has changed. Cabin crew members across the industry are now faced with an increasingly complex work environment, where safety restrictions seem to change and multiply by the week, and where new threats such as liquid explosives stand to jeopardize the welfare of passengers.
Nonetheless, there are still plenty of young men and women out there on the brink of their careers who are enticed by the notion of getting paid to travel. The good news is that it’s possible to achieve this aim without turning to commercial airlines. An alternative is to work onboard a private (or executive) jet.
Private jets that include a galley are usually staffed by one flight attendant. Since preparation of gourmet meals is often a staple of these flights, companies like NetJets prefer that applicants have experience in yacht, concierge, or five-star dining services [2]. In some cases, a college degree is also required.
For corporate flight attendants, the experience is more personal, and many of the stressors associated with working on a commercial flight are nonexistent. For a list of private jet operators visit: http://www.corporateflyer.net/PJCO.htm
References:
[1] Patricia Friend
[2] NetJets
