Jordan
Toronto, ON
Female, 28
Space Waitress, Trolley Dolly, Stewardess...everyone has their own term for us. We are the baby-sitters, life-savers, servers, cleaners and all-around problem solvers for any and every in-flight issue. Sometimes we get a bad rep for being apathetic and miserable despite having what looks like a glamorous job, so here's a peek into the gritty details beneath the shiny surface to explain why the job - though incredible in lots of ways - is more than just snappy uniforms and matching luggage.
Haha, oh man I have to do this alllll the time and I hate it! I used to get annoyed that people refuse to put their phones down because we're all so addicted to them but it happens too often to lose my cool over it.
So I say, "Sir, just make sure you have your phone off and stowed for take-off". I emphasize "stowed" because I'm so tired of arguing with people about Airplane Mode and whether or not it's ok (it is during the flight but for take-off and landing your electronics do need to be OFF), and that way the guest will usually just tuck it in the seat pocket or in their jacket so I don't have to see it. If people keep jabbering into their phone or texting I have no problem saying, "you're now holding up a hundred other people because we can't close the door until you put that away", and then smile and say "thank you!" as sweet as pie because sometimes it's fun to be nice when people are crabby!
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Well I was a little late in getting back to you so it could be that you've already had the interview (sorry!) but if not, I can pass along what I was asked during my interview. Apart from the general job-interview questions (Why do you want to work here? What would make you an asset to the company? What are your strengths, and areas that need improvement?), the focus was primarily on my customer service skills. I remember being asked to describe a situation where a customer was unhappy and how I redeemed their experience, and what I like about being in customer service.
My interview stages were a bit different from yours, since I had a group interview with about 30 other hopefuls, and then a one-on-one interview. The only phone interview I had was a language test (which I bombed). During the group interview they observed how we interacted with one another while working together on a simple assignment, (tip: always follow the rules they give you even if they seem pointless!) and then took turns speaking in front of each other (I had 60 seconds to talk about my favourite food. Piece of cake. Or should I say, piece of chocolate! mmm), to see how comfortable we were being in the spotlight.
I think as long as you have some good customer service stories in your back pocket, and showcase how welcoming and confident you are (good attributes for an FA!) you'll knock their socks off. Good luck!
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Yes! To work for an American airline or charter, you will need a valid passport from whatever country you hail from, and you will have to apply for a work permit or visa. You can get lots of information about obtaining a visa at the US government website:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
Under some visas, you are permitted to live in the US for as long as you work for the company who has applied on your behalf. Otherwise, you can commute from an outside country. I recently worked with a woman who commuted to work in Canada from Indonesia. Definitely not a commute I would want to do but where there's a will there's a way!
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Well, the airlines won't thank me for saying so, but sure! It's a great experience to try and say that you've done it. But don't blame me if you say you'll stay for a year and end up staying ten. I see it All the time. It's just an addictive lifestyle!
Just be prepared that it can be quite a drawn out ordeal to get hired (sometimes 3 interviews and, in my case, a 7 month wait until a training slot became available) and the training is no joke. It's about a month long with a huge amount of information being thrown at you, and roughly 1/3 of that month will start with a pop quiz first thing in the morning. It might be hard to be motivated to get through training if you only plan to stay for a year and you're not that passionate about it. But like I said, you may end up liking it more than you expected, in which case it's a great investment of your time!
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Wills and Estates Lawyer
Can I leave everything to my pets?
Small Website Owner
What made you go the entrepreneur route after college instead of a typical job?
Flight Attendant
What's the scariest flight you've ever been on?
Well I hate to say this but... I have no idea what an IOD exam is! I asked some co-workers and they were as perplexed as I am. Give me a hint and I'll see if I can dig up any answers for you :)
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If the restaurant where you waitress is ok with it, I would recommend holding onto that gig! It's so easy to pick up a shift here and there, around your flying schedule. I sometimes think I should have kept my serving job as well, but when push comes to shove I'll always pick days off over money!
I answered a similar question in a bit more detail above:
"I just got hired as a FA and i have not yet started training. I have been reading a lot of blogs and it looks like other FA aren't able to pick up as much hours as they want. My question is : what types of side jobs can we do to make ends meet?"
Check it out!
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Yes and no. If it's free for the passengers, it's free for us too, so coffee, juice, pop, cookies, etc.
If it's not free for the passengers, we have to pay too - the only exception is if the flight is almost done and there are leftover items that will be thrown out anyway. Then we can rummage through and see if there's something we want, but honestly, serving the same snacks all the time renders them pretty unappetizing, to me at least.
Once in awhile I'll work a catered flight which includes meals and the caterer will set aside some for the crew. That's kind of fun, but it's like any classic "airplane food" tray - some stuff will be scrumptious and others will be unrecognizable.
Generally I just grab a crew water (1.5 litre bottles, you really gotta stay hydrated!) and only dip into the plane snacks and drinks in moments of desperation where I don't have time to sit down and open my much healthier, home-packed lunch bag!
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