Flight Attendant Interview Tips and Tricks

The interviewing process for the position of flight attendant is like no other interview you’ve ever had. Instead of a sedate interview of your past, held in the Human Resources office of a corporation, you may find yourself singing and dancing in front of a crowd of people! Because of this, successful applicants prepare for interviews with their airlines of choice by attending interviews with airlines they have no intention of working for, just for practice. That way, they’re better prepared for any question or situation an interviewer might throw at them. You can also gain valuable information by utilizing the resources listed in the “Career Resources” section in the back of the Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide. Knowledge is a good thing, and there is no such thing as enough interview knowledge.
During the interviewing process, most airlines will start with a group interview or “cattle call”. A large hall will be rented and groups of applicants will be given an overview of the airline and job requirements. You are usually asked to fill out an application at that time, so you will want to have your resume information with you. One of the surest ways to be bumped from an interview is to say, “Can I get back to you on these dates? I don’t have that information with me.” Or, the airline may have mailed you an application to your home. If this is the case, it should be completely and neatly filled out before you arrive at the interview. As we mentioned in the previous chapter of the Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide, it is even recommended to make a photocopy of the application, so you can practice filling it out, then putting that information on the original copy as neatly as possible. You should also make a photocopy of the finished application, and bring it with you to the interview.
Following the “cattle call”, small groups of applicants may be taken before a panel of interviewers. Further interviews may be given at that time or applicants may be notified of follow-up interviews by phone or mail. The second and third interviews may consist of groups of applicants meeting with a panel of interviewers, a single applicant meeting with a panel, or a one-on-one interview. Usually you will be sent a pass to travel on your prospective airline to interview in their training city. These are “on-line” passes, and are good only on that airline’s routes. If you don’t live near a city your airline flies to, you will have to pay your own way to get to the closest city where the airline operates.
So what makes these interviews so different? The fact is, the interviewers already know your personal history – it’s on your application, which has been pre-screened prior to your arrival. What the interviewers want to find out about you is your character:

How do you handle stress?
How do you conduct yourself when faced with a difficult passenger situation?
How well do you work as a team player?
How do you take direction?
Are your social graces sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the job?

These are the most important criteria toward which the focus of the interview will be shifted. Therefore, the interviewers are not necessarily going to ask you about your last job. They’re going to put you in situations and see how you get yourself out of them. For instance, in your group of applicants, you may be asked to stand up on a stage and sing the company’s slogan, or invent a new one. They may give you an object, perhaps a pen or paper clip, and instruct you to “sell” it to the rest of the group. Many will give you in-flight problem situations, for role-playing, and evaluate how you handle them.
Many of these scenarios will have no “right” or “wrong” solution, and the interviewers do not expect you to know their specific corporate policies. They want to see how well you “think on your feet” and apply common sense to your solutions.

Airlines love to throw hard questions at you, to see how you react. Some examples of these are:

“You have such beautiful long hair. Would you cut your hair short to get this job?”

“This job will require you to move to New York (or Des Moines, Walla Walla, Timbuktu…). Will this create a strain on your relationship with your boy/girlfriend?”

“You are going to have to work every holiday for the next three years, before you even have the possibility of getting one off. Are you prepared for this?”

“Why do you want to be a flight attendant?” Please don’t answer this question with the standard answer of “…because I love people and I love to fly!” Interviewers hear that response hundreds of times a day. A more correct answer would be one that demonstrates what you have to offer your prospective airline.

This is where your homework will come into play. Mention the new city that the airline is flying to, or the new nomination for CEO, etc. If you chose them for the chance to utilize your language skills, let them know that. Everyone at the interview wants to be a Flight Attendant. The airline wants to know why they should choose you over the other applicants. What skills will you bring to the airline to improve its standing in the marketplace? The pressure will be on you to perform, as there are no right or wrong responses. If you list a foreign language on your application, someone will test you, so you had better know more than “Buenos Días”!
During the entire interview process, consider yourself “on stage”. It’s not unusual for an airline to be evaluating you as you’re waiting to be called into a session. It’s a common practice for one of your fellow applicants to be a company employee working undercover. They may be talking with you before the interview, and reveal that they “heard” the airline is not a good one to work for. Never speak negatively about this company, or compare them to other companies in a conversation. These persons may convey your answers back to the company. (Some airlines even go so far as to ask the working crew how you behaved on the flight in.) They will be observing you to see how you get along with the other applicants. They may be talking with you before the interview, and reveal that they “heard” the airline is not a good one to work for. Never speak negatively about this company, or compare them to other companies in a conversation. These persons may convey your answers back to the company.
Throughout the interviews, whether it is the group, panel, or the individual interview, maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. And always, always, remember and use the interviewer’s name. If you’re in a group interview remember the names of the other applicants, and listen to what they’re saying in their responses. Then use this information in your own responses, in a scenario such as this:

INTERVIEWER: “…and what do you feel is the main reason for flight attendants on an aircraft?”

YOU: “Well, Jane, I agree with Susan when she said it’s for passenger comfort, but feel the larger reason for flight attendants on board is for passenger safety.”

After the interview, be sure to thank your interviewer(s) by name. Reiterate to them how you would like to be a part of their in-flight team, and what you think is the one skill you would bring to the position. This will leave them with a good impression of you, which they will utilize when they decide who continues on to the next level of interviews, or who gets a rejection letter. If you get the opportunity, this is the time to attach a small photo to your application form or resume. It should not be much larger than 2″x2″, and should be a professional looking shot of your head and shoulders. Interviewers may talk with hundreds of applicants in a day, and make notes on their applications. At the end of the day, the interviewers will review the applications that weren’t immediately rejected, trying to further narrow down their choices. Having a photo on your application will help them remember your participation in the interview, and the impression you made.
Sometimes it’s the little details that will make or break you. Airlines have been known to have applications to be filled out at the interview. If you forgot to bring a pen, you can ask the interviewer for one, and they will give you a pencil. Later, when they’re going through the applications, they will throw out all the ones filled out in pencil, as this proves you’re not good at planning ahead for a given situation.
Are you friendly and talkative, or are you shy and keep to yourself? Your posture and how you sit, walk, and talk will all be checked. This information may be reported to the interviewers before you enter their office. You will always want to be on guard at all times, not just the time you are in front of the interviewers. Are you slumped against the wall or slouching in your seat while waiting to be called? Is this what you would consider “professional flight attendant” demeanor? Your interviewers will not! . Be friendly, talkative, and sincerely interested in the people around you. Don’t criticize the company, or any other airlines for that matter. Always be as upbeat and positive as possible. Even if it is allowed or permissible, don’t smoke during the interview process. All US and Canadian airlines are now a non-smoking environment, and one airline even requires you to be a non-user of nicotine products to apply. As a working crewmember you will have the same smoking restrictions as your passengers, so it’s best to get in the practice of abstaining from smoking now, before you are hired.
Interview attire is important also. A smartly tailored suit that is clean and pressed will give you a more businesslike attitude than a trendy or extreme outfit. Avoid wearing too much makeup, applying just enough to enhance your natural features. It’s a fallacy to believe that airlines are only looking for people who look like fashion models. Actually it’s the overall person they now hire. Age, weight, height, and appearance standards have been relaxed over the years, making this career available to a larger cross-section of the public.
It shouldn’t need mentioning, but after seeing some of the applicants who have come to interviews in the past, apparently it does:

Shower or bathe before you come to the interview!
Your hair should be clean and styled.
Perfume or aftershave should be applied lightly, and should not overpower the room.

You want to put your best appearance forward. Neat, recently trimmed hair (most beard wearers will be asked to shave if hired), clean hands and manicured nails (nail-biters seldom get hired), clear complexion, and a slim, well-proportioned figure are very important for both sexes. Women, avoiding the excessively large or dangling styles should wear simple earrings. Even though a few airlines may allow male flight attendants to wear a simple stud in their ear, it’s best to not wear any to the interview. Body piercing in other locations is not accepted, and should not be worn to the interview. Tattoos should not be visible while wearing your interview attire.
A lot has been said lately on the subject of weight requirements. Recent lawsuits against airlines by older flight attendants that were still required to maintain their hiring weight well into their later years have been settled in favor of the flight attendants. Now airlines will simply say that weight must be “in proportion to height,” as opposed to strictly adhered-to weight charts. It will, however, improve your chances at the interview if you display a figure in good physical condition. . It’s very easy to gain weight while working as a flight attendant, and maintaining a regular schedule of exercise can be difficult. Therefore, it’s imperative that you begin now to control your weight and physical condition.
The appearance criteria may be very subjective. Every airline looks for a different type of person. Some want the all-American look, others want the sophisticate. Still others will want the characteristics most traditionally associated with the regions in which they operate. Each company and each interviewer for that company has a different interpretation of what will fulfill their needs. It’s not unusual for an applicant to be turned down by an airline one day, and hired by another the next. One friend of mine was turned down three separate times by the same major carrier, was finally hired by them on the fourth try, and now has over ten years seniority.
After the interview, if you do not hear from an airline within a couple of weeks, it is an indication that you have not been accepted. Don’t become discouraged or take it personally. Sometimes it can be the personal preferences of the interviewer subconsciously affecting their judgment. Perhaps they don’t like blondes, or New Yorkers, or whatever.
Your interviewer is usually a flight attendant on special assignment, and may not be a professionally trained interviewer. Or, it may come down to five excellent candidates, and they have only four openings. This is where all the little things you could or could not do in the interview will make or break you. Turn this disappointment into a positive learning experience and go on to interview with other carriers.
Perseverance is the key to success. If you are turned down by an airline, you will seldom be informed of the reason(s) why. Any attempts to try and discover why you were rejected will most likely be unsuccessful. Again, keep in mind that an average interview series can have hundreds of applicants, and the interviewers travel to many cities to conduct these interviews. To try and speak with the decision-makers can be next to impossible. Some career counselors will advise you to send a thank-you note to the interviewers. I personally don’t advise this, as trying to connect the note with your application or the interviewer may not be possible. Simply accept the loss of this application window, move on, and apply to that airline again at your next eligible date. I remember at my final interview, we were all sitting around guessing which applicants would most likely get the job. The ones we all agreed upon as “definitely” getting the job were never hired. Many of us were amazed that we were chosen instead!

You will want to bring to your interview the following items:

Social security card
Passport
A copy of your birth certificate
Copies of your résumé
A copy of the information needed on the application
Letters of reference
Alien registration & work permit (non-citizen)
Pen
Watch

Allow adequate travel time to avoid a late arrival. Interviewers will close the doors to the interview room promptly on the specified hour. If you’re even a minute late, you will either be denied entrance until the next session, or will be allowed to enter- though you now have two strikes against you. Why this test? Airlines operate on strict timetables. You must be on time and reliable if you want to be in this industry. This is not a career for you if you are habitually late for appointments. In fact, if you are even 5 minutes late more than once for your flights, you are fast on your way to looking for a new job. So, as the interviewers see it, if you can’t arrive at the interview on time, how likely is it that you will be on time for the flights you work?

-Excerpt from THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOB FINDER & CAREER GUIDE by Tim Kirkwood, now in it’s 3rd edition. This updated resource also contains the hiring requirements and application addresses of over 80 US and Canadian airlines. Go to http://www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com

LOOKING FOR AVIATION EMPLOYMENT? Go to http://www.AviaNation.com and post your resume for FREE. Job postings for all segments of aviation can be found on the site as well. Just click on this hyperlink or copy it to your web browser: http://www.AviaNation.com

Have you considered becoming a Corporate Flight Attendant?

One of the fastest growing sectors in the aviation industry, has been the recent upswing in Corporate Jets. While once available only to the rich and famous, the advent of the innovative “fractional jet ownership” has brought executive jets closer to non-executives as well. And growing along with the jets is the need for trained and qualified crews, including corporate flight attendants.
In the early days of business aviation, aviation managers and the chief pilots usually used a male flight technician/mechanic in the back of the airplane as the acting third crewmember. There was no emphasis on specialized or quality food service. As interiors became increasingly detail oriented in order to support the client’s needs, so did the need to have a third crewmember in the back of the aircraft that could accommodate specialized culinary and amenity requests. The galley and cabin equipment became more elaborate and extensive as did the high tech electronic communication and in-flight entertainments systems.
Fractional jet ownership came into existence in the late 1990’s. Simply put, a corporate jet is shared by a few companies or individuals- each owning a time-share, or fraction of the aircraft use per month. This opens up the corporate jet option to a larger group of people, and has been the catalyst to make this the fastest growth sector in the industry.
It is important to emphasize that first and foremost, the safety of the passengers and the aircraft environment is paramount. When you consider your corporate client is paying anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 per hour for the use of the corporate jet, excluding fuel burn ($30 per minute!) and food/catering costs you come to understand why a corporate flight attendant must excel in their work.
So what are the qualities that a good corporate flight attendant needs to be successful in this industry? In no particular order those qualities are:

Flexibility
Organizational Skills
Creativity
Detail Oriented
Personal Accountability
Integrity
Confidentiality
High Interpersonal Skills
No Ego
Taking Direction
Listening Skills
Resolution Skills
Confidentiality
Professionalism

In addition to those skills mentioned above, the “contract/freelance” corporate flight attendant must possess the following abilities:

Effective time management skills
Book trips & keep a cohesive monthly schedule
Manage yourself as a business
Interface with several flight departments
Adaptability to several flight departments’ standard operational procedures
Stay open-minded at all times

You must always be aware of, and remain on the leading edge of business aviation industry news and trends. You will do extensive research on the corporations you are flying for, including: the corporate structure, the products or services they produce, as well as the companies they own. If you are flying the CEO of Coca-Cola on your jet, you surely don’t want to order Pepsi products from your caterer, or even Frito’s, which is a Pepsi-owned company. As with commercial aviation, the sources of this information can be found at your local library, on the Internet, and from such publications as Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and The Financial Times- to mention a few. It is recommended that you maintain this information in a database of your own design, so that you can review it in the event you fly the same client more than once. Client privacy and discretion are foremost, not only as a good business practice, but also for the security of your client and flight. You can’t blab to your friends that you are flying Donald Trump or Madonna around the country.

Like commercial aviation, a corporate flight attendant needs to be trained in safety, emergency and first-aid training. However, some private corporate flight departments do not yet require it. These operations will place a flight attendant onboard an aircraft as a food server, and does not consider them as part of the working crew. Advocates within the business aviation industry are working hard to require that ALL flight attendants in corporate aviation receive corporate specific training as part of the career. Until that time, it is in your best interest to procure training on your own if a corporate flight department does not offer it. This will make you much more marketable to those companies who only utilize corporate specific trained flight attendants. You should have as much “current” business aviation and industry training as possible. This would include the following:

Corporate specific emergency and first aid training.
General corporate aviation training classes
Service training classes
Culinary training classes

Having as much industry training as possible will allow you to act professionally within this specialized venue of aviation should an emergency arise as well as creating an industry respect from the professionals in corporate /business aviation. Some of the training companies include:

Susan Friedenberg Corporate Flight Attendant Training
FlightSafety International
MedAire, Inc.
Survival Systems Training, Inc.
FACTS Training

You will find an extensive listing of training sources in the Appendix of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide by Tim Kirkwood, available from Amazon.com.

Contract flying is some of the hardest flying you will ever do. It is without a doubt the most difficult area of flying for many reasons and the most rewarding for the same reasons! On a daily basis you find yourself interfacing within many diversified corporate cultures and the various personalities of many corporate flight departments. You must work with, and keep happy on every trip that you fly: The CEO, their corporate and personal family, the aviation manager, chief pilot, chief flight attendant, dispatcher, chief scheduler, chief of maintenance, the FBO staff and caterers. In Corporate flying, even more so than Commercial flying, you are a vital part of the team. It is in the best interest of your company and clients for you to be highly trained and prepared as possible. In Mr. Kirkwood’s book you will also find listings of various training and fraternal organizations to assist you in pursuing this growing and exciting facet of the Flight Attendant Career.

Airline Flight Attendant hiring on the rise

Airline hiring on the rise

Your First-Class ticket out of a depressed job market.

Many regions of the country experience slumps in the local job market, making it difficult for applicants to acquire quality jobs. Long periods of time spent looking for a career can render the applicant unable to uproot themselves to a new city or state, in which to pursue a healthy career market.  Low-income families may also find these costs out of the reach of their limited resources.  Consider then, the career as an airline flight attendant, as a first-class ticket out of a depressed local job market.
During the past two decades, vast changes have come about in the airline industry, especially in the area of flight attendant hiring practices.  Previously, applicants were required to be under 30, single, childless, and skinny.  Changes brought about by flight attendant unions and equal opportunity legislation has brought an end to these discriminatory practices.  Now the airlines are hiring flight attendant applicants in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s, and they’re no longer required to quit when they marry, or have children.  Weight restrictions, while more vague, have also been relaxed.

 

Delta Air Lines, USAirways and American have begun hiring or recalling their furloughed flight attendants. Meanwhile mid-size airlines such as jetBlue and Virgin America have been hiring during the past year, along with regional airlines such as Mesa, SkyWest, Alaska, Mesaba, Pinnacle and others.

 

Tim Kirkwood, author of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide, a career guide for flight attendant applicants, displays current job openings for US and Canadian airlines on his webpage: www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com/jobs.cfm.

 

For world-wide flight attendant jobs, he recommends: www.AviaNation.com/student.
Most airlines conduct their recruiting process in various cities across the country, and many will offer space-available passes on their own route system, to enable qualified applicants to attend interviews in out-of-town locations.
Once hired, these applicants are assigned a domicile city, and housing guidance is provided by the airlines.  Most applicants group together with the friends they’ve made in training and rent apartments.
The minimum requirements of the job are basic:
A high school diploma or G.E.D.
Minimum of 18 years of age
US citizen or resident alien with a work permit
Fluency in English
While additional education and public-contact work experience is preferred, it is not a requirement for employment.  Knowledge of a foreign language is also beneficial, but not required.
After a short probationary period, travel benefits are available to the employee, offering free or reduced-rate travel on other airlines as well as their own.  These benefits also may extend to the employees’ immediate family- thereby offering another first-class ticket out of a depressed job market.

Tim Kirkwood is in his 34th year as an airline flight attendant.  He is the author of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide -a step-by-step career guide for flight attendant applicants.

For more information e-mail Tim: crew4jets@aol.com.
http://www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com

Flight Attendant training information

Airlines must schedule training classes well in advance, so pay particular attention to your assigned starting date. It may be within a week or anywhere up to six months away. Upon notification of your proposed training date, allow time to attend to personal affairs. If you are presently employed, plan on a date when you will submit your resignation. And then, if possible, give yourself a couple of weeks to get your life in order and study your pretraining materials.
Training classes have, on rare occasions, been cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond the control of the industry. A good example of this was the Gulf War of ’90-91. Passenger air travel decreased so much during the confrontation that many airlines had to cut back on personnel. If you had been waiting your training date, your airline would have notified you of it’s postponement, or even cancellation date. In some cases, it could be a year later when your class is rescheduled. Thankfully, these are not common occurrences.
Training is held in the airlines’ home city or hub, and most airlines either provide lodging for trainees, or will assist you in finding suitable lodging. Some will begin paying you a salary when you start training, some when you complete it. Others will only pay you a per diem for food and expenses. In some cases, you will have to pay for your food and lodging yourself. (Check the listings in this guide for these individual situations.) Nevertheless, you should come to training with sufficient money for food and expenses for the three to six weeks’ duration of training.
Pack enough clothing for the duration, as well. Business attire is required while in the classroom and common areas of the training center. More casual clothes and even a swimsuit may be required for training in evacuation and wet ditching (water landings). The training center may have laundry facilities available for your use, or you may need to frequent a local Laundromat.
You will usually share a room with one, two or three other trainees. For the next three to six weeks the flight attendant training academy will be your home away from home. Instructional facilities vary with each airline, but for the most part they are modern and multifaceted. It is here that each new trainee is transformed into a professional flight attendant.
Classroom training is held from 8am until 5 or 6pm, six days a week, for the duration of your training. If you live in the city where training is held, you may be allowed to spend the nights in your own home. Otherwise, expect to be at your training center the entire time. If you become homesick and wish to fly home for a visit, the airline may give you a pass to get home, but may not allow you to return. As there are thousands of applicants willing to take your place, there’s no reason for an airline to make special exceptions for any student.
The general flying public holds the belief that a flight attendant is only on board an aircraft to serve coffee and food. But as far as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is concerned, meal services and airline public relations are secondary duties for flight attendants. The FAA requires flight attendants to be on board for one reason only, and that is passenger safety. Flight attendants have been called upon to render first aid for cuts, bruises, burns, choking, and airsickness, as well as broken bones. There have been instances of flight attendants assisting with childbirth on some flights.
The U.S. Government requires you to be fully safety trained for each type of aircraft your company operates. You will be forbidden to work on an aircraft you haven’t been trained and tested on. Every year you will be retested, and failure can mean loss of duty time, and/or your job. You will need to know the type, number, location and use of the fire fighting equipment on board, including the newly installed smoke hoods. Competence is also required in the operation of all emergency exits and evacuation techniques. Basic first aid, CPR and oxygen administration, and anti-hijacking training will be included as well.
The majority of your training day will be spent learning and being tested on these safety requirements. You will have hands-on training with all the oxygen, fire fighting, and first aid equipment. You will practice evacuating a simulated flight, and may even jump into a swimming pool to experience working with the life rafts and life vests. The remainder of your classroom training will consist of company policies and procedures, the paperwork required for every flight, as well as dining and service. You will practice on your fellow classmates, how to set up and serve meals and drinks from aisle serving carts, and then how to stow it all away again for landing.
To achieve certification by the FAA, every airline must demonstrate that its crews can evacuate an entire aircraft full of passengers in ninety seconds or less, with only half of the available exits functioning. The lives of the passengers and crew can depend on the training of the flight attendants. Your airline, therefore, will concentrate heavily on this area. You will be tested constantly on this information, and you must be proficient in all of it to complete training and begin flying.
The FAA requires you to carry a flashlight at all times while on duty, so bring one to training. The “Mini-Maglite™” type has become the preferred flashlight for flight attendants. The Emergency Procedures Manual (EPM) your airline issues to you is also required equipment. This manual serves as your constant guide to company rules, regulations, the handling of unusual situations, and emergency procedures. You can be fined five hundred dollars if a FAA spot check finds you without your flashlight or up-to-date EPM. A reliable, working watch of a conservative style is also a necessity.
At the completion of training you will be fitted for your uniform and accessories. Flight attendant uniforms are unique to each airline. Airlines employ leading fashion designers to create uniforms for their flight attendants that are durable, practical, and versatile, all the while satisfying current fashion trends. The primary objective of having flight attendants wear uniforms is that they are easily recognized as leaders in an emergency situation. The uniform also sets the flight attendant apart as the individual responsible for providing service and comfort. You will, in most cases, be expected to purchase your first uniform, though some airlines will split the cost with you. The average five-hundred-dollar cost is deducted from your paychecks over your first year of employment. All replacement uniform items are generally paid for by the airline.
Standards are also established for the flight attendant uniform. From the time you check in to work a trip, and during the performance of all duties, you are expected to be in full uniform. Business attire may be substituted while deadheading, but there are no excuses for not having a complete and clean uniform on hand before each trip. It is mandatory for flight attendants to maintain a professional manner and appearance when wearing the uniform. This rule applies not only on the airplane and in the airport terminal, but also while in uniform on public transportation and in layover facilities. You will not be allowed to substitute or accessorize your uniform to suit your tastes.
By now you should have learned that seniority rules in almost any work-related situation in the airline. When you graduate from training, you will be assigned a seniority number that gives you a rank among all other flight attendants flying for your airline on a system-wide basis. This could be determined by your age in training, or by the last four digits of your Social Security number. You accrue flight attendant seniority as long as you remain on active flying status. Most companies allow their flight attendants to continue to accrue seniority during leaves of absence, and while on special assignment with the company or union. A decision to quit flying permanently means forfeiting all your rights as a flight attendant, including your seniority status. In other words, if you have five years seniority with ABC Airlines, and you quit to go to work for XYZ Airlines, you start all over again with zero seniority. In the same manner, if you then quit XYZ Airlines with five years seniority, and reapply a year later, you will once again start with zero seniority.
After training, you may be given a choice of cities from which you will begin and end all your flights, or one may be chosen for you by your airline. This will be your home base station, or domicile. Some airlines have only one domicile for flight attendants; others have as many as twelve. Not all cities will be available to you. Some domiciles are more “senior” than others- or in other words, more preferred. You will start in a “junior” domicile, and can then transfer out at a later date. You will be required to remain at your domicile for a set period of time (usually six months) before you can put in a request to transfer to another. Your transfer request will be processed in seniority order. If you’re not senior enough for a particular base, or there are no openings there, your request will be denied. It may take many years of service with your company to be based in some of their more senior domiciles. This is a reason airlines ask you in the interview of you are willing to relocate. If you don’t get assigned the base of your choice after training, you can always quit and go home, but I wouldn’t try applying for that airline again. As mentioned earlier, even though you may be fully trained, other airlines don’t recognize that training, nor give hiring preference to you if you are. And if you tell them you quit your last airline because you didn’t get your domicile of choice, then this airline won’t want to hire you either.
Many flight attendants and pilots commute from the cities they live in, to their respective domiciles. My airline has New York-based flight attendants commuting from as far away as Hawaii and Israel. Many commuters will share a “commuter apartment” in the domicile for use when they are spending a night or two between trips. All commuting is done at your own expense, and is not considered an excuse for not making your assigned working flight on time. You will have to use your airline’s pass system for commuting, and you may only have a limited number of passes per year. Other airlines will sell you reduced rate tickets, but these may cost you $100 or more per commute. When you multiply that by four or five trips in a month, the expense can add up quickly. In all cases, you will be travelling on standby, and are not guaranteed a seat. If you are on reserve, you will have to live in your base city during the days you are on call, as you may be given only an hour’s notice to appear for a flight.
Airlines look at dependability very closely. As an aircraft is unable to depart if it’s not fully staffed, flight attendant absence or tardiness can be very costly to hundreds of passengers, as well as to your airline. If you are one of those people who is constantly late for appointments, then perhaps this career is not for you. Excessive incidents of illness, tardiness, or missed flights can lead to discipline and/or dismissal.
After training, you may be given time to return home before starting work in your new city, or you may start working right away. You should be prepared for this when you enter training, keeping in mind the potential cost factors of moving to a new city. You may share an apartment in your new city with the friends you made while in training, or move in with family or friends. Your flight schedule will make it easier for you, as you and your roommates may seldom be in the apartment at the same time. Some airlines allow you travel privileges when you complete training, others when you complete your probationary period. Again, this period of probation is a time when you must be extra diligent. Any infraction of the rules, such as missing a flight, showing up late, etc., can be cause for immediate dismissal.

-excerpt from The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide by Tim Kirkwood. For more information, go to http://www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com

LOOKING FOR AVIATION EMPLOYMENT?  Go to http://www.AviaNation.com and post your resume for FREE.  Job postings for all segments of aviation can be found on the site as well.  Just click on this hyperlink or copy it to your web browser:  http://www.AviaNation.com

Hiring outlook improving for Flight Attendants

Delray Beach, FL  The
biggest and best news this year from the aviation sector was the announcement
that Atlanta-based Delta Airlines will be hiring up to 1,000 new flight
attendants.  Delta, who recently merged
with Northwest Airlines, is the first of the “legacy” airlines to hire flight
attendants in recent years.

 

“Normally, after a merger, there is a lag in hiring as both
work groups are absorbed into one.” says Tim Kirkwood, author of The Flight
Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide. 
“This hiring gives an optimistic trend to airline employment”.

 

The industry has been trending up in 2010. 

 

–            International
Air Transport Association  (IATA)
reported that passenger traffic climbed by 9.2 percent in July on an annual
basis, with the Asia-Pacific region showing the highest gain at 10.9 percent.
Also, cargo volume gained 22.7 percent.

 

–           Boeing
predicts that nearly half-a-million new pilots and almost 600,000 in
support-staff will need to be trained over the next 20 years to accommodate
higher travel demand – up from about 233,000 pilots and 100,000
mechanics/engineers who are currently employed by airlines worldwide.

 

–            Dahlman
Rose’s weekly airline and aircraft lessor report indicates most of the airlines
continue to see double digit revenue growth for 3Q2010 and strong forward
bookings at least through mid-November.

 

–            Minneapolis
Airlines/Airport Examiner reports August revenue continued to show double-digit
increases at United Airlines, though the increase was slightly lower than in
previous months. Passenger revenue rose by nearly 19 percent while the
year-to-year capacity increase at the Chicago-based carrier was 1.7 percent.
System-wide load factor for the month rose to 86.7 percent, an increase of 0.6 percent
from a year ago.

 

While the legacy carriers are showing growth in employment
needs, the Mid-Size and Regional airlines have been hiring pretty much
non-stop.  Virgin America, jetBlue,
AirTran, SkyWest, Alaska, Pinnacle, Mesaba are only some of the companies
looking for new in-flight crewmembers.

 

Applicants can see who is hiring in the US and Canada on Mr.
Kirkwood’s website, at www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com/jobs.cfm.  He also recommends the page-after-page of
all jobs available at www.AviaNation.com/student. 

 

 

Contact info:

 

Tim Kirkwood, Author

The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide

Crew4jets@aol.com

Be an Airline Flight Attendant

  Have you ever dreamed of flying to exotic places or foreign cities?  Or perhaps have a desire to see more of the USA or Canada?  If so, then you should consider the career as an airline flight attendant. There are over eighty scheduled, regional and charter airlines in the US and Canada, and they are in need of qualified applicants the year round. 
       Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 the "Major" airlines had not been hiring, and some had furloughed their current flight attendants.  The prospects of getting hired by a Major were relatively slim until recently, but it is now getting better.
       But the Majors are only 10% of the airlines operating in the US and Canada.  The other 90% include the mid-size airlines, regional and commuter carriers and charter airlines.  These airlines continue to need and hire flight attendants on their flights.In addition, the fastest growing sector of aviation is the corporate or executive jet Flight Attendant employment opportunities.  These luxurious private and corporate aircraft cater to a high-end clientele, and require professionally trained flight attendants as well.
If you think you must be a young fashion-model type to be considered for this much sought-after job, you would be mistaken.  So says Tim Kirkwood, author of the best-selling career book, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOB FINDER & CAREER GUIDE.  Airlines today are looking for women and men between the ages of eighteen to sixty, who have the desire to travel and work with people. 
This broader acceptance of applicants opens the career up to persons who had never considered themselves qualified.  It also, therefore, increases the competition for potential applicants.  Every airline has a different set of requirements, and some will even look for the characteristics of the region in which they fly.
A high-school diploma or GED is a must, so if you’re in school now, STAY IN SCHOOL.  If you have quit or dropped out, it’s never too late to go back and get your diploma.  For all airlines, it is a requirement for employment.  Additional schooling, which can improve your chances of acceptance, includes sociology, psychology, history, geography, and foreign languages.
Nearly all airlines will train you as a part of the hiring process, even if you’ve worked for another airline, or attended one of the expensive airline "schools".  I recommend you look for an inexpensive local community college or adult education course that offers class in Travel & Tourism, or an introduction to the Flight Attendant Career, such as the one offered by Cypress College (http://votech.cypresscollege.edu/~atc/).
Most airlines set height requirements to correspond with the size of the aircraft they operate.  Too tall, and you’re bumping your head on the ceiling.  Too short, and you may not be able to reach the overhead compartments.  If you’re between 5′ and 6′, you’ll be within the range the airlines are looking for.
Weight restrictions have come under fire lately, brought on by lawsuits against the impossibly strict standards set decades ago.  The phrase you will hear now is "weight must be in proportion to height".  Being in good physical condition is important, as the job can be physically demanding. Combine unusual hours, time zone changes, strange hotel rooms and the dry atmosphere of the airplane, and you have the making of physical exhaustion.  Applicants are tested for drug use when hired and then randomly after that for the rest of their career.  Even if you are using illegal drugs on a sporadic or "recreational" basis, you must quit now.  You can also be alcohol tested throughout your career, as drinking is not permitted at anytime while on duty or in uniform.
The traveling public has the general impression that flight attendants are on board the airplane simply to serve food and coffee.  The Federal Aviation Administration, a government organization that oversees aviation safety, sees it completely different.  Their role is to ensure that the flying public is safe when they fly, and requires flight attendants on board to provide assistance in flight, and to get the passengers out of the aircraft in an emergency.  You will learn basic first-aid, CPR, fire-fighting techniques as part of your training.  In fact, the majority of training you will receive will have more to do with safety, than how to pour a glass of wine.
What is it then, which makes this job one of the most sought-after in America and Canada?  Flexibility, variety, and travel are the top three reasons.

Flexibility.  Most people work all week, with perhaps one or two days off over the weekend.  Most receive one to two weeks of vacation per year.  As a flight attendant, you have the ability to group your flights together in a given month, and have 1-2 weeks off every month!  And that is in addition to your regular vacation time.  You can use this free time to utilize your travel benefits, continue your education, or run your own business.

Variety.  Since you are able to move your schedule around to suit your personal life, you are also able to escape the nine-to-five, Monday through Friday drudgery.  And each flight is to a different city, with different crews, and different passengers.  It’s very hard to get bored.

Travel.  Most airline employees receive passes to fly on their own airline for free, or for a small fee.  In addition, other airlines will offer you 50-75% discounts on their tickets.  Hotels, rental cars, cruises, tour packages all have some discount schedule for airline employees also.  Put it all together, and you have the flexibility to travel to a variety of places, at an extremely low cost.  How could anyone not want to be an airline flight attendant?

Well, to begin with, the hours can be long and irregular.  The work can be tiring, the passengers demanding or even abusive.  The atmosphere in the aircraft at altitude is extremely drying.  Snowstorms, labor disputes, or mechanical breakdowns can disrupt schedules.  Perhaps your plans to attend your friends’ wedding will be spoiled by a storm that traps you in Des Moines.  And there is the constant fear of a crash, although statistics say you have a better chance of being hit by lightening than experiencing a plane crash.  This is more than a career choice. This is a lifestyle change to which you must give careful thought.
And what do the airline recruiters look for?  Once again the big word is flexibility.  If you are able to be flexible in your attitude and lifestyle, and work well both alone, and with a group of people, then you have the basic building blocks to pursue your career in the skies.  Spend some time in your local library, researching the airlines, or reading the books available on flight attendant careers.  You can also find a wealth of information on the Internet, or World Wide Web.  When you have chosen the airlines that match your career criteria, contact them by mail and request an application.  Then, START PACKING!

TIM KIRKWOOD, currently in his 32nd year as an airline flight attendant for a major US carrier, is the author of THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOB FINDER & CAREER GUIDE.  For more information on the Guide, visit us on the web at http://www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com.

LOOKING FOR AVIATION EMPLOYMENT?  Go to http://www.AviaNation.com and post your resume for FREE.  Job postings for all segments of aviation can be found on the site as well.  Just click on this hyperlink or copy it to your web browser:  http://www.AviaNation.com

Women in Corporate Aviation to Award $16,000 in Scholarships at 2010 NBAA Convention

Women in Corporate Aviation
CONTACT: Elizabeth Partie
Women in Corporate Aviation, Secretary
ecpartie@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
                     
[May 31, 2010]
Women in Corporate Aviation Announces Six Upcoming Scholarship Offerings
Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA) is pleased to promote personal career development through the awarding of six scholarships at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual Convention, October 19-21, 2010 in Atlanta, GA. The scholarships will be presented at a WCA sponsored event during the convention. For convention information, please visit the NBAA website.

The scholarship offerings are varied, representing the diverse opportunities available within corporate aviation. The Women in Corporate Aviation Career Scholarship ($1,000) is sponsored by WCA members to assist a person pursuing professional development or career advancement in corporate/business aviation. The career scholarship may not be awarded to a previous WCA Career Scholarship recipient.

The WCA Aviation Management Scholarship ($500-$2,100) is sponsored by WCA Corporate members: The Home Depot and Jeff Reich, CAM, of Elevon Consulting. The scholarship assists those currently in corporate aviation with the costs of professional courses/programs toward aviation management.

The Susan C. Friedenberg Corporate Flight Attendant Scholarship ($3,800) consists of a four day training program designed to teach individuals entering into the industry how to approach contract flying.

The Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. Dispatcher License Training Scholarships (2 available at $3,445 each) are available to individuals who desire to pursue their FAA Dispatcher Licenses.

The University of Southern California Viterbi Aviation Safety & Security Scholarship ($2,250) is offered to an individual who has demonstrated interest in aviation safety or management in corporate/business aviation. The award covers the cost of tuition of the 4.5 day Human Factors in Aviation Safety Course offered by USC Viterbi.

Applications and detailed guidelines for the listed scholarships may be found on the WCA Scholarship website. Applicants should be actively working toward their goals in business/corporate aviation and demonstrate financial need. With further questions on application guidelines please contact WCA Scholarship Chair Sandra Clifford at sjclifford.clifford@gmail.com.
 
About Women in Corporate Aviation
WCA, a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization, is the premier mentoring association for both men and women in corporate/business aviation. WCA promotes aviation careers and supports diversity by providing information, networking, mentoring, scholarships and education for current and future industry professionals. WCA is open for student, individual, and corporate membership. For more information about WCA or to donate towards our scholarship program please visit the website at http://www.wca-intl.org, contact our WCA Headquarters at 4450 Nicholas Lane, Southaven, MS 38672, or email to WCAHQ@cs.com. If you would like to be removed from our press contact list, or have a change to your information, please email Elizabeth Partie, Secretary for WCA at ecpartie@gmail.com.

AviaNation Reaches Out to Displaced Airline Personnel Worldwide

While
airlines around the world are shutting down and laying off workers,
AviaNation is reaching out to help displaced airline employees locate
new positions in the industry by granting free access to its world wide
database of job postings.

Delray Beach, FL (PRWEB)  — In
response to financial turmoil that has gripped the global
aviation industry, leading airline job firm AviaNation
is opening up its database of job postings to airline personnel around
the world. Job seekers can post their resumes on the website for free
as well as access thousands of current international job positions.

For the second time in a decade, there is turbulence in the field of
aviation. In 2001, massive layoffs resulted after 9/11. Airlines
downsized and underwent bankruptcy protection as passengers stayed home
out of fear and uncertainty.

Five years on, the rising price of petroleum delivered another severe
blow to the industry. In the US, Aloha Airlines, Trans Air, Champion
Air, Eos, Maxjet, and Skybus have all shut down operations and released
thousands of employees into an already slumped job market. LAvion in
France has done the same, Air Canada is closing crew bases, Alitalia is
in bankruptcy, and Indian and Asian airlines are experiencing
comparable pressure.

According to Tim Kirkwood of AviaNation.com, finding a job in todays
precarious airline industry is challenging.

We have been in online aviation job placement for over 15 years, and we
know how hard it can be to find an aviation career in an environment
such as we have today," he says.

Our responsibility is two-fold: to provide the most and best jobs for
our members, and to provide sufficient applications to our member
companies in order to ensure that they continue to post their openings
on our website."

Job searchers have free access to position listings two weeks after
they are posted on AviaNation.com, giving paid members first
read. However, many of these jobs remain active long after being
posted.

Additionally, job seekers can post their resumes on the website for
free, thus allowing any company around the world that searches the
database to see applicants resumes and contact them directly.

AviaNation
does not come between the applicant and company during the hiring
process, nor do they take money from either the employer or applicant
once a hire has been made. AviaNations entire revenue stream comes from
active members who pay to see jobs within two weeks of their original
posting, as well as additional search enhancements. Consequently, these
tend to be the motivated applicants that employers look for.

Employers are also able to register and post their aviation job
openings for free on the website. In doing so, employers have the
ability to ask pre-screening questions, post blind ads, and even
simultaneously post on their companys own employment web page.

Recently, AviaNation reached a milestone in their membership with
1,700 paying job seekers and nearly 60,000 members taking advantage of
the free search option.

To view AviaNations posted jobs, please visit www.avianation.com/student
or simply click on the FREE JOBS link at the bottom of the homepage at www.AviaNation.com.

Applicants seeking to post their resumes can access the resume input
form at www.avianation.com/resumes
or by clicking on Free Services" in the FOR JOB SEEKERS box on the home
page.

ABOUT AVIANATION.COM: AviaNation.com is one of the premier job posting
web sites for pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, and all other
aviation jobs. With their world-wide database of companies posting
jobs, and 54,000 resumes from around the globe, AviaNation is the
one-stop location for an aviation career.

ABOUT TIM KIRKWOOD: Tim has been an aviation professional for over 30
years, active in aviation job placement for over 15 years, and is the
author of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide, a career
guide book for US and Canadian flight attendants- now in it’s third
edition.

Contact information:

Tim Kirkwood
AviaNation.com
561-843-6006

Assistance for Aloha/Skybus/ATA employees

AviaNation.com, the on-line aviation job placement service for aviation
is offering its assistance to displaced Aloha/Skybus/ATA employees. 
AviaNation is offering free resume posting in its applicant database,
as well as free access to their world-wide job aviation job postings.

"Out hearts go out to these loyal employee groups who, through no fault
of their own, now find themselves out on the street" says Tim Kirkwood,
AviaNation.com representative.  "We average 20-30 new job postings on
our site every day, and we want to make these available to any
Aloha/Skybus/ATA employee.  Recruiters can search our database of
applicants for free, and locate any Aloha/Skybus/ATA employee who
utilizes our free resume posting service."

Job seekers can get an idea of the quality of jobs we get on our site,
clicking on "Free Jobs" in the links at the bottom of our home page, or
by this direct link:
http://www.avianation.com/aviation_jobs/showjobs.cfm?jobFilter=FREE.

Aloha/Skybus/ATA employees and post their resume for free on our
homepage at http://www.AviaNation.com by clicking on ‘Free Service’ in the FOR
JOB SEEKERS box, or via the direct link
http://www.avianation.com/mem_resumeonly_p1.cfm.

AviaNation.com is also working with the Aloha/Skybus/ATA unions to assist their members.

Deadline approaching for WCA scholarships

The Women in Corporate Aviation Career Scholarship

The Women in Corporate
Aviation Career Scholarship is offered by the
members and sponsors of Women
in Corporate Aviation to any man or
woman pursuing professional development
and/or career advancement in
any job classification of corporate/business
aviation. The award must
be used toward a specific program of
education.

Suggested uses include:
Flight training, dispatcher
training, maintenance career training,
corporate flight attendant training,
upgrades in aviation education,
NBAA Professional Development Program (PDP)
courses, and college
aviation degree courses. The award cannot be used for
general business
course work.

Scholarship Value: $2,000
USD

This scholarship will be presented at the NBAA 60th Annual Meeting
and
Convention to be held in Atlanta, GA on September 25-27,
2007.
Applications must be postmarked by July 23, 2007.
Application
guidelines and forms can be found at
http://wca-intl.org/WomeninCorporateAviationScholarships.cfm.