The airline industry is high paced and exciting. It is the most difficult industry I’ve worked in and the most rewarding (I don’t count the military because that’s an outlier). If you’re an adventurous person, definitely seek out the airlines. You’ll fall in love with the freedom the flight benefits give you! If variety and spontaneity are the spices of life for you, you may have found your industry.
I’ve had some airline experience as the following:
I would say the biggest piece of advice I could give is to determine whether or not if you want to make a career with the airline industry as early as possible. In my very first airline interview, a former flight attendant got in front of the group and stated, “Once you get the airline blood in you, it’s impossible to get it out.” Shortly after I left the airlines the first time, I completely understood what she meant. Currently, I’m not in the airlines and that airline blood still pumps through me!
When looking into this industry, keep in mind the difference between the regional and major airlines. Both have their benefits and drawbacks. If necessary, I would suggest getting a regional job because it’s much easier and will give you experience that the major airlines will appreciate.
There just isn’t anything I’ve experienced that is quite like it.
Regional and Major Airline Comparisons
- Generally, major airlines pay more.
- Flight benefits are vastly better on major airlines. Some regional airlines only get you benefits on their airline, but you may get discounts for the major airlines they serve.
- Especially in smaller, regional airports, work schedules may not be convenient. See my time as a cross-utilized agent for more information.
- As a member of the flight crew on a major airline, you’ll most likely be working fewer flights daily since flights can be much longer. The longest flight I had on a regional was just about 3 hours, whereas major airlines go internationally or cross-country.
Flight Attendant
Since the airline I was a flight attendant for is no longer in existence, I’ll tell you Comair was my first airline!
Being a regional carrier, Comair flew mostly within the Middle to Eastern United States when I was there. I was hired well after their hay day, but I did get to have many trips out to Eastern Canada.
What I did
It’s important to remember a flight attendant’s primary purpose is safety. During my training, there was maybe one and a half days of customer service training.
I performed safety checks on aircraft equipment every time they got on and off a new plane. I served passengers snacks and drinks, listen to their complaints, and made light conversation as time allotted.
Positive Takeaways
- The flight benefits were great. Normal airline employees generally only get flight benefits for the airline they work for, but as a flight attendant, I was able to fly on about ten or so different airlines as long as there was an empty seat. This included both regionals and majors.
- It allowed me to work both by myself (flights require one flight attendant per 50 passengers) on the CRJ-200’s and with another flight attendant on CRJ-700’s & CRJ-900’s.
- Some could say this is a good or bad thing, but having to work with a different crew every week or so added spontaneity to the job. You could have a great, fun crew one trip and have a miserable crew the next.
- Being single with almost no bills, I was able to essentially live out of my car. On my days off (which I usually tried to get in blocks of 3 to 7 so I could travel), I would usually fly somewhere, even if it was just for a day.
- If first class was available, I got it. This spoiled me beyond belief.
- I actually loved the job.
Negative Takeaways
- For me, the most hectic time on the job was during boarding. Under a strict time deadline, you have to get everyone in their seats and items secured. During this time, I was not paid. Some airlines started to pay when the boarding door closed while others paid only when the plane got off the ground. American Airlines in September 2024 started to pay their flight attendants during boarding, while Delta in 2022 starting paying 50% of their hourly wage.
- At one point, the writing was on the wall for Comair. Morale plummeted. Near the end of my time there, I started to work up to 7 flights a day, some as short as 20 minutes. Other flight attendants were calling in “sick” so they could catch a flight home, so there were times when I would get called in from Reserve to work a short flight or two.
- First year pay was pretty miserable, but seeing that the turnover was so high, it was somewhat understandable. The investment airlines make into their flight attendants is pretty hefty. For example, Comair put in a month’s worth of training into each flight attendant and paid for each of us to stay at the Holiday Inn the entire time. Some airlines even have dorms for their trainees.
Final Words on Being a Flight Attendant
This job is perfect for someone who is able to stand on their own, single, and young. It also bodes well for older adults whose kids have all grown up and moved out. To take full advantage of the travel benefits, learn to live out of your suitcase and/or car!
I’m not sure I understood those flight attendants who were “slam-clickers” – one who gets to their hotel room on a layover and stays in the hotel room for pretty much the entire trip. There are plenty of jobs where you can do flight attendant-like duties on the ground. Whenever a (major) airline opens up applications, they usually fill up their quota for applications extremely fast, so it’s not like someone more motivated isn’t ready to go.
Some of the most miserable people I’ve ever worked with have been flight attendants, so be prepared for that. That should be expected after dealing with plenty of insensitive passengers all day. As with any other career, it probably is a good thing if you have a much more negative than positive outlook on your job to start looking for other work!
Cross-Utilized Agent
In a larger airport, ground agents are usually separated into three jobs:
- Ramp Agent: Marshals planes, performs security checks around planes, and works baggage. Passenger interaction is minimal. Works outside, no matter what the weather is.
- Gate Agent: Responsible for boarding and deplaning of passengers, communicates with flight crew to resolve issues, must be able to handle last minute changes and irate passengers who are mad at the weather and airline shortcomings.
- Counter Agent: First representative of the airline who greets passengers who are checking bags. Must be knowledgeable about many policies and regulations, especially with international flights.
Size Matters
In contrast, at a smaller airport, a cross-utilized agent will fulfill some of these Agents’ positions. The number of passengers and tasks are greatly reduced. For example, the regional airport I worked at only had about two arrivals and departures each day. Each flight would have up to 50 passengers. Tom Boon reported in 2022 that there were 4,151 Boeing 737-800 planes in operation that year. Some sources state that the 737-800 can seat a max of 189 passengers. Delta’s variant can seat 160.
In one full flight, a Delta Boeing 737-800 can take 80% of what would have been a whole day’s flights for me!
With a typical flight, I would work as a Counter & Gate agent or as a Ramp agent. Counter & Gate agent duty was generally more stressful, especially when you had a flight that would be outbound right after it arrived.
As far as tasks are concerned, an example of reduction is the fact that I didn’t have to deal with pets at all because the aircraft we operated didn’t take them. There were also cargo limitations, so having to deal with all that paperwork wasn’t necessary.
Positive Takeaways
- You get to test out many airport positions in one job. If you want to move to a bigger airline or airport, this is a great place to get your feet wet and see if you like certain duties more than others.
- Although not as great, you still get flight benefits. Make sure you are clear about them in your interview so you’re not blindsided later on with what the benefits are.
- If you have a significant other or children, they may even be able to fly for free.
- Part-Time Positive: Check the times flights arrive and depart at regional airports. They usually are early morning, mid-day, and later in the evening. Many of my coworkers worked 9-5 jobs and took care of the early morning/night flights.
Negative Takeaways
- We had to do so many trainings for things we didn’t even do, such as the handling of pets as mentioned above.
- The pay was abysmal. $10/hour was a joke for all the responsibility one has. It’s best to look at this position as an experience grab.
- Since flights in and out of the airport are minimal, it may be better to drive to a larger airport to use your flight benefits (if one is nearby). The nearest airport to mine was nearly three hours away. There was a 2-3 month stint where getting on flights was very tough because of high passenger loads.
- Part-Time Negative: We all know delays with flights are more common than we like, and there is almost no way someone without support or a second income can be a cross-utilized agent. Those delays could make you impede on your probably-better-paying normal job.
Final Words on Being a Cross-Utilized Agent
Even though the number of passengers and planes are usually much fewer at smaller airports, it still can be kind of chaotic. A flight can get delayed by hours, leaving frustrated passengers stuck in a small area with nothing to do (or even eat). If a passenger wants to take a different flight, they may have to wait for hours or even until the next day. Some passengers even rent cars to drive hours to the nearest airport if they need to. In other words, don’t take the reduction of passengers and responsibilities lightly; things can get just as rough as the larger airports.
More on Working in the Airline Industry
In today’s world, you can make a side income while working for the airlines. Looking back, I wish I would have started a travel blog or YouTube channel while I was a flight attendant. If you’re making a smaller wage than you can really afford, start sharing your experiences if you like it. Who knows? It might lead to some advertising or sponsorships. Be careful, though. Some corporations don’t like you making money on the side. For example, say you’re a videographer. It may be against company policy to fly to different clients in your off time to work for them.
If you want to meet and work with people from all over the world, the airline industry is the way to go!
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