130.AIRLINE FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOBS

The flight attendant is the most highly visible employee to passengersof an aircraft. Flight attendants spend more time with passengers than any other airline employee, and tend to a wide variety of needs and requests. The flight attendant must offer the most personalized service possible to each and every passenger for the duration of flights.While the flight crew in the cockpit is responsible for getting the passengers to their destination safely and comfortably, the flight attendants are in charge of the cabin, and they too, are responsible for the safety and comfort of the passengers.

A flight attendants primary objective is the safety of the aircraft cabin and the comfort of its passengers in-flight. Flight attendants spend most of their time in the passenger cabin of an airliner. In addition to passenger safety, flight attendants provide either elaborate service to a small number of first-class passengers or, less elaborate
service to a large number of passengers. Service includes tending to a wide variety of needs and requests. The flight attendant must offer the most personalized service possible to each and every passenger in the time allotted.In-flight service to passengers and the operation of cabin equipment requires the flight attendant to stand, walk, kneel, bend, stoop, reach,lift heavy objects from the floor to above shoulder-level heights, and push and pull equipment.

In-flight duties keep flight attendants on their feet most of the time. To accomplish all tasks during the few hours in the air, flight attendants frequently must work at top speed.At times, they must serve meals and pour beverages under rough and uncomfortable flying conditions. (No hot beverages are served in turbulent air.) While passengers can be annoying and demanding, it is the flight attendants responsibility to remain pleasant, and provide quality service.Most flight attendant duties are performed onboard an aircraft, although you may be asked to assist station agents during boarding, or assist passengers to connecting flights. All of these duties are very important since passengers commonly choose their airline based on the quality of service and comfort throughout the duration of their flight.

Schedules and hours vary greatly since most airlines operate 24 hours. Hours are irregular, determined by the flight assignment and vary per day. Flight attendants may be away from home for several days in a row including weekends and holidays and therefore must be flexible. The maximum number of flying hours per day is set by union
agreement, and on-duty time is usually limited to 12 hours per day, with a daily maximum of 14 hours. Generally, flight attendants fly from 65 to 85 hours per month. Some days you may fly as few as one leg, although it is not uncommon to fly between 7-8 legs in one day. In most cases, agreements between the airline and the union determine the total monthly working time.Flight attendants must be present for check-in to crew scheduling and briefing at least one hour before flight time. If the flight leaves at 5A.M., the flight attendant is expected to report to the captain by 4 A.M.In addition to flight time, about 35-50 hours a month duty time between flights are required.