#FlightAttendants #LowWages #AirlineIndustry #PerksOfBeingAFlightAttendant
Dear flight attendants, why do you do it with the low wages? ✈️
As a passenger, I often wonder about the life of a flight attendant. The job seems glamorous and exciting, but I can’t help but question why anyone would choose it, especially with the reputed low wages. 🤔
Let me clear this up for you right away – the financial aspect is certainly a valid concern. However, there are many reasons why people choose to become flight attendants despite the low starting pay. Let’s dive in and explore the perks and challenges of being a flight attendant in the airline industry.
## The Truth About Flight Attendants’ Wages
It’s true that the starting pay for flight attendants may not be as high as in other industries. Some sources claim that the starting pay for Air Canada flight attendants is around $24 per hour. However, it’s essential to consider other factors that contribute to overall compensation, such as benefits, allowances, and opportunities for career advancement. Also, it’s important to note that each airline has its own pay scale and benefits package for flight attendants.
### Factors Affecting Flight Attendant Wages
– Seniority and experience
– Union agreements
– International routes may offer higher pay
– Additional allowances for meals, accommodation, and layovers
## The Perks of Being a Flight Attendant
Now, let’s talk about the reasons why some individuals are drawn to a career as a flight attendant.
### Travel Opportunities
One of the most attractive perks of being a flight attendant is the opportunity to travel. Flight attendants get to visit various cities and countries, stay in different hotels, and experience diverse cultures. This is a significant draw for those who have a passion for exploring the world and meeting new people.
### Flexible Schedules
Flight attendants often have irregular work schedules, but this can be a benefit for those who enjoy the flexibility. It allows for more free time to pursue personal interests, hobbies, or spending time with loved ones. Some flight attendants enjoy having a few consecutive days off after completing a series of flights, which can provide extended breaks for relaxation or travel.
### Career Advancement
While the starting pay may not seem as appealing, many flight attendants see it as a stepping stone to advance their careers within the airline industry. With experience and dedication, flight attendants may have the opportunity to move into supervisory roles, training positions, or even transfer to other departments within the airline.
### Unique Work Environment
Working at 30,000 feet above ground certainly offers a unique perspective. Flight attendants appreciate the ever-changing work environment, meeting new passengers, and the thrill of being on different aircraft every day. The sense of adventure and variety in the job can be highly rewarding.
## Addressing Concerns About Working Conditions
It’s understandable that concerns about low wages and working conditions may deter some individuals from pursuing a career as a flight attendant. However, there are certain aspects to consider when evaluating the overall compensation and job satisfaction.
### Additional Compensation and Benefits
While the starting pay may be lower, flight attendants often receive additional compensation in the form of allowances for meals, accommodation during layovers, and transportation. Some airlines also offer healthcare benefits, retirement plans, and employee discounts on travel.
### Job Satisfaction
For many flight attendants, the satisfaction of providing excellent customer service, ensuring passenger safety, and making a positive impact on travelers’ experiences outweigh the monetary compensation. A sense of fulfillment and meaningful interactions with passengers can make the job incredibly rewarding.
### Opportunities for Personal Growth
The challenges and responsibilities of being a flight attendant can contribute to personal growth and development. Dealing with diverse passenger behaviors, mastering emergency procedures, and working as part of a team to ensure smooth flights can enhance personal skills such as communication, problem-solving, and adaptability.
## Conclusion
In conclusion, the decision to become a flight attendant is not solely based on financial compensation. The perks, unique work environment, and opportunities for personal growth attract individuals to this career path. While the starting pay may be lower, the potential for career advancement, travel opportunities, and job satisfaction are significant factors to consider.
How much day off do you get? The answer to this question varies depending on the airline, seniority, and individual schedules. Flight attendants typically have access to vacation days and personal leave, which offer opportunities for rest and relaxation.
Overall, the life of a flight attendant is a unique blend of challenges, excitement, and fulfillment. The decision to pursue a career in this field ultimately comes down to individual preferences, priorities, and values. Despite the low starting wages, the rewards and experiences that come with being a flight attendant may be worth it for some.
That god damned pay should start the second you walk into an airport and continue until the second you walk out of the airport (at LEAST)
Travel the world?
Company discounts for their own travel?
Above minimum wage. Not as much stress as average jobs. Why wouldn’t you do it?
Sure, the pay might not be Hollywood-starry-eyes amazing, but flight attendants get to travel the world and experience all different types of cultures. They also save a ton of money on flights themselves because airlines often give their employees big flight discounts. Now isn’t that a perk worth considering? Also, let’s not forget the responsibility and honor that comes with taking care of passengers’ safety and health thousands of feet in the air. It’s a job that demands skill, diplomacy, and a pretty thick skin, and I’d venture to say that those who do it, do it for the love of the skies and the people they help along the way.
I know two people who have done it and both of them did it because they love to travel. You get to see all kinds of places you would probably never get the chance to otherwise (compared to if you were making that money at a different job).
My friend even gets to fly his husband out for a day or two to some of these places at low to no cost.
Bangin random pylotes in strange cities?
And no one is gonna admit that they can resell duty free stuffs or part of some smuggling ring
Last year i traveled for what would have cost me about 20k in flights. It cost me 2k total. So that’s an 18k perk (and that’s after tax so it’s more like a 25k perk)
I’m on paid holidays during stopovers.
The pay only starts low and gets higher quite quickly
This may not apply to all airlines though
My mum works for air new Zealand and makes great money. They get an annual salary, plus paid hourly from the minute they report for duty at the airport. Allowances while they’re overseas. Great staff benefits too. Not sure about air Canada but the check in people are called ground staff and they get an hourly wage.
The travel benefits are insanely good. I can fly for free on my own airline and get extremely discounted standby tickets with other airlines, including international.
The flexibility is another big factor for a lot of people. You can fly as little or as much as you want. Some airlines have monthly/yearly minimums, but I’ve talked to a lot of people who will only fly like, one trip a month.
Also getting to skip security with KCM is probably my favorite perk 🙂
My mum’s friend was one. In international flights they’d get 1/2/3 days in the destination before they had to fly back again. The pay isn’t minimum wage. Alot of people love to travel and its one of the best jobs for it
Starting pay is low but top out pay is pretty great if you work for a major airline, $68-70 an hour. Lots of travel and flight benefits. And you can fly as much or as little as you want once you are no longer reserve.
Covid circumstances forced me back into a 9-5 as a tech project manager.. but I’d 100% go back to flying if the stars align again.
What hasn’t been said is that a full schedule is like 10 days of flying a month. Now it is hard work and exhausting, but once your pay starts increasing, what other job would pay you $70k to only work 1/3 of the month? I suppose that isn’t unheard of but it’s probably rare.
Additionally, the flexibility of schedule building means you can take time off without burning vacation time.
For me it’s the flexibility in my schedule. If I decide I want to work a bunch one month, make as much as 2 months pay in that 1 month, then take the next month off I can. If I want to cut back my hours and only work 2 days a week (doing this now while my kids are young) I can. I never miss anything special with my kids because it’s pretty easy to swap days and get off whatever you need.
I can also decide between an easy 3 or 4 day trip with a long layover to a high time 2 day trip worth the same amount of pay but I’m home more. I can do something different with my schedule every trip! For a while I wanted to maximize my pay so I was only doing 1 day trans-con turns. That was absolutely exhausting though so I changed to a month with 4 day trips with a long Hawaii layover. That didn’t work with my home life schedule though so I changed to high time 2 day trips with a short layover in whatever random domestic city.
I don’t know any other job that could give you that.
The comment that flight crew only get paid when the doors are closed is partially accurate but also misleading.
At most airlines flight crew are paid a for a minimum amount of hours for every month regardless of how much they fly. It’s different for each airline but it’s typically in the 70-85 hour range.
So this means that if crew scheduling only schedules you to fly 65 hours, you still get paid for the minimum. So in that regard you are paid a salary and you are paid for 10 hours that you don’t work (if the min guarantee is 75).
Where the no pay until doors closed comes into effect is when you are above the minimum. If your company pays a minimum of 75 hours for example, and you’re above that, then yes, you will only accrue extra hours when the doors are closed. The good news is that most airlines will have a threshold above which you will be paid at time and a half or even double time.
At my airline we are paid for a minimum of 75 hours but anything above 85 is paid at time and a half.
I love my job is the simple answer. I could never imagining doing a 9-5, I would constantly be burnt out and hate that I couldn’t take the time off that I would want. I love flying but I also get these unexpected breaks like right now, I haven’t been bothered by scheduling for a week for a trip so I’ve been able to work my side job and get schoolwork done. When I am working I get to travel and end up somewhere different all the time, my last trip gave me 24 hours in San Juan on the beach, which was nice after all these snow storms where I live. I honestly hate how the pay works but my union and others are fighting tooth and nail to change the antiquated laws that allow it, and fight for real compensation in our contracts.
My cousin is a flight attendant. She gets to travel all over the world and twice a year she gets to bring a friend with her. So the reason she does it is travel. Her life looks super exciting and I think she made an amazing decision.
Wages are low at first, but you’re guaranteed increases on a scale, so eventually it’s quite good. Many flight attendants at the top of the scale at their airlines earn six figures.
This job is more flexible than any other job I’ve ever had. I work when I want to, and I’ve never had trouble getting a day off I need. I’ve also never had to miss out on a special event, no matter where in the world it took place. And it’s significantly less stress than my previous career as a teacher while paying more.
Not to mention the rest of the benefits package: free standby flights, and discounted confirmed seats for yourself and your family; vision, dental, and health insurance, and also LTD and life insurance; paid vacation and sick leave; depending on the airline, up to a year of maternity leave; 401k company match; profit sharing; the opportunity to see the world…
YYZ based crew here… 17+ years seniority (38 now I had just turned 20 on my first flight after completing the training).
Should say I wanted to be a flight attendant my whole life… I was born and raised in Italy (speaking multiple languages helped me). I wanted to work for Alitalia since that was the only airline I knew but immigrated to Canada when I was 13. I do have a lot of family in aviation so that was part of it. My aunts were flight attendants in the 80s/90s and I thought they were the coolest ppl on earth in their uniforms (they married pilots too lol!).
Pay wise, I was so young when I started but the hours and flexibility allowed me to have a second job. I’ve worked in hotels, worked at nightclubs as a waitress was even able to work in my home country (Italy) at my family’s business. Also within the company I work for I have had second roles: training new hires (still do this), worked in the airport and was also promoted to the lead/cabin “manager” (every airline calls this something different).
Now married with a family (and no my husband is not in aviation and no we didn’t meet at work). We’ve travelled the world (lost count- maybe 80 countries?). We have and still do randomly hop on a flight for the weekend (24-48 hrs) down to the Caribbean to escape Canadian winter, airline employees also get deals for hotels too. All of our families still live in Europe despite us living in Canada. So with my benefits, we go back and forth to Europe a lot.
Seniority is SO important in this job, so after so many years I do get paid more than new hires (we are unionized). So after a few years and now even more so with a family it’s easier to schedule around my life. My husband has his own very successful career (and the primary breadwinner) and I’m still able to work around him and be with our child. I’m out of the house at 3am sometimes, will fly a turn (ie. Toronto – Barbados – Toronto) and be home by dinner hour and my day is done I’m home making dinner for my family.
The job and the general public has def changed over the years. You wouldn’t *believe* the stories I have! Flying during the beginning of COVID while pregnant was interesting and one I hope to never revisit. For everyone 1 a*hole there’s a lot of wonderful people who I’ve had the pleasure of flying. Flying is public transportation so you never know what’s going on in the personal lives of each pax as they get onboard. I’ve flown pax who needed to travel elsewhere to have life saving surgeries and treatment, little kids to Disney on “make a wish” trips, grieving family members going to see a sick person or sadly for a funeral. Happy moments of honeymooners or older recently retired couples on their bucket list trip they have dreamed of. Celebrities, so normal you wouldn’t know who they were (I see their names on the manifest) and others who would I add to my a*hole file lol
There’s lots of unforgettable unglamorous stories too, I’m sure that needs no explanation. But everything I mention above overrides it. Every day the job is different and the pax are different.
It’s def a lifestyle and not for everyone.
“Southwest has one of the very best and most lucrative contracts in the industry, but the beginning can be draining on a new Flight Attendant’s cash reserves. We recommend New Hire Flight Attendants being well prepared for the time they are in training, having enough cash reserved to pay all bills, as well as prepared to take time to rebuild their reserves after training. They will most likely need to pick up extra trips on their days off to supplement their income. They may be sharing a crash pad (an apartment or hotel where several Flight Attendants share the expenses) if they choose not to live in their base city and decide to commute.”
https://careers.southwestair.com/flight-attendants
Mainly for flexibility and travel benefits. I can on a whim arrange my schedule to have a week and a half off, or work more hours than usual for a paycheck. The pay does get better with years of service, just takes a while. At 5 years with one of the big 3 in a major city, I’m finally pretty comfortable in my salary. In all honesty, if you can handle the stress of constant change, it’s an insanely easy job. I don’t think about work at home except to do my schedule bids.
All that to say, contract negations are grueling rn and we’re well overdue for a cost of living raise. Support your local FA unions and be nice to us on board, times are tough out here
Ex flight attendant here. In developing countries, it is actually well paid relative to many people. I got paid the salary of a junior manager for a job that doesn’t require any qualifications.
Also, some airlines pay very well. Singapore Airlines is known for having a very high salary- many of my friends there got SGD5000 (USD3700)/mo for their first paycheck, if they do a bit more flights they can break SGD6000(USS4400)/mo.
My cousin started doing it because she really enjoyed the job and liked the international travel. She got to see places and have experiences she never would have had otherwise. She also made a small fortune selling Levi’s in Moscow before the collapse of the Soviet Union but that’s another story. After having children, she stuck with it for the fringe benefits (healthcare, retirement, and travel for her and the family.)
Most pilots, and flight attendants are paid like shit outside of the US, this is [United Airline’s FA pay scale from their union](https://unitedafa.org/contract/2016-2021/wage-charts/), it doesn’t sound like a lot more but 24 CAD is 17.83 USD so they are getting about 10$/hr more in the US. Air Canada FOs get paid 56CAD(41.61 USD)/hr, Delta FOs get paid 96/hr across the board. There are also a lot of intangibles like lower priced flights (sometimes even free), fewer hours worked a year flight crew members are limited to 1000 hours over an entire year about half of what a normal officer worker would do, some over nights are cool, etc.
Similar to work offsites. The trips are paid for and the meals are paid for. Thats worth some compensation.