What You Go Through to Become a Flight Attendant

Things may seem easy until you’re there. When we see successful people, we think “sinwerte lang yan” or “madali lang yan pag may backing”. They don’t realize the challenges that a person went through to achieve such a goal. Same thing with becoming a flight attendant. Many people think it’s easy because all they see are safety demos and services. However, they don’t see the reality of it all. Here, I will share with you what someone has to go through to become a flight attendant.

It is Not as Easy as You Think

The path to becoming a flight attendant is long, rigorous, and demanding. Every seasoned flight attendant will attest that earning their wings was no simple task. Some liken the experience to passing through the eye of a needle. Anyone who claims that becoming a flight attendant is a breeze likely has never walked that path themselves. It’s akin to receiving driving lessons from someone who can’t drive. Airlines hold their flight attendants to incredibly high standards, with no room for compromise.

To fully grasp why it’s so challenging to join the ranks of cabin crew, we first need to understand what a flight attendant’s role truly entails.

What is a Flight Attendant?

A flight attendant, also known as cabin crew, is a crucial member of an airline’s flight team. Their main responsibility is to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of all passengers aboard an aircraft, whether it’s a commercial, business, or certain military flights. If you search online, you’ll find similar definitions. While pilots are in control of the flight controls from the cockpit, flight attendants operate all the cabin equipment. Their role is as vital as the pilots’ in ensuring a safe journey for all passengers.

Safety is non-negotiable in this role, as even the smallest error can have catastrophic consequences. History bears witness to instances where a minor oversight such as a loose washer or a tiny piece of tape obstructing a sensor led to the downfall of an entire aircraft, costing hundreds of lives. Flight attendants must be prepared for any eventuality, particularly during takeoff and landing. They must be able to react swiftly, as they have a mere 90 seconds to evacuate over a hundred passengers in the event of a critical incident like an emergency crash landing. They must also be ready to respond to any medical situation a passenger might experience.

At an altitude of 40,000 feet, it’s not feasible to land an aircraft immediately, and it’s never guaranteed that a medical professional will be aboard any given flight.

Flying can often be uncomfortable for many, particularly for those new to air travel or who have a fear of heights. Flight attendants are equipped to ensure that every passenger enjoys a comfortable and enjoyable flying experience, delivering a first-class service without compromising on safety, as safety remains the top priority.

Face of the Airline

Flight attendants are also the face of the airlines. Have you noticed how airlines frequently use their flight attendants as their brand representatives and models? It’s rare to see famous celebrities; more often than not, it’s the flight attendants. Therefore, they need to truly embody their company’s core values.

Considering these factors, it’s no surprise that airlines have high expectations for their flight attendants, leading to the demanding process of becoming one.

So, let’s delve into the extensive process one has to go through to become a flight attendant.

Recruitment

In many of my posts, I’ve highlighted the fact that the attrition rate during cabin crew recruitment events or open days often reaches 90% or even higher. This is because the bar is set exceedingly high right from the recruitment process. Despite the substantial demand for flight attendants, airlines are unlikely to compromise their standards just to fill the vacancies. If necessary, they would rather host more recruitment events. Typically, out of 1,000 applicants, fewer than 50 are chosen for training. From 100 who apply in the conventional way by submitting resumes, less than 5, or sometimes only one candidate, make the cut. So, what do airlines search for in these cases?

Firstly, candidates must meet their physical requirements. Your weight should be in line with your height, as measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI), you should fulfill the height or arm reach requirements, have good vision, clear skin with no visible tattoos when in uniform, an impeccable set of teeth, and other physical prerequisites stipulated by the airline. Let’s be clear, most airlines we know of do not stipulate a specific skin color. Whether you have light skin or darker complexion, it doesn’t matter for our local airlines.

Next comes the personality requirement. They seek individuals who can maintain enthusiasm consistently, those with exceptional interpersonal skills, and those who demonstrate a compelling desire to become a cabin crew member. The question “tell me more about yourself” is a crucial component of a cabin crew recruitment event, and recruiters can discern whether you possess the qualities of a flight attendant.

Airlines employ various methods in their search for potential cabin crew members. Here are some of the steps or processes each candidate undergoes, not necessarily in order. Note that these steps are not airline-specific as the recruitment process varies from one airline to another.

Pre-Screening Phase:

During this phase, recruiters evaluate your physical appearance and demeanor. They may ask you to stand or walk and communicate something to assess you. Your height, weight, any skin marks, hair, eyes, and teeth are all under scrutiny. Your walk, and sometimes even your body frame, may also be assessed. Some airlines have a pre-screening process, while others combine the pre-screening with the impact interview right away. Occasionally, they also evaluate your speech during this phase.

They assess your voice, pronunciation, and potential speech issues, like mixing up “P & F” or “B & V”. Your documents and credentials will also be reviewed at this stage. They scrutinize your attire and how you present yourself. Importantly, they will observe your smile and how consistently you maintain it throughout the day. They won’t instruct you to smile; they’ll simply note whether you’re doing so. The attrition rate can be quite high even at this stage, with only about 30% of the total number of applicants typically progressing beyond this point.

It’s also worth noting that from the moment applicants step into the assessment or interview venue, they are already under observation.

Impact Interview Phase:

In this stage, recruiters gauge the level of impact you can make. They typically ask, “tell me more about yourself,” followed by additional questions that may arise from your responses or resume. Here, they evaluate your overall impact, which includes your confidence, smile, communication style, and self-presentation. Moreover, recruiters aim to learn more about you and determine whether and how you could be a valuable addition to the company. While airlines may have different standards, they all maintain high expectations. The attrition rate at this phase typically ranges from 80% to 90%.

The next phase is not commonly implemented by most airlines. However, in case you do encounter such, here is its description and why you need to be prepared for it.

Group Dynamics:

This phase assesses your teamwork skills and ability to interact with colleagues and others. It’s a chance for recruiters to observe your interpersonal skills. You might be asked to engage in a variety of activities, such as performing a talent in a group setting. The aim here is to evaluate your group dynamics: how you work as a team and communicate with others. Activities might include collaborative tasks like preparing a presentation or discussing a given topic while being observed by recruiters.

Final Interview Stage:

Despite reaching this phase, your acceptance is not guaranteed. The elimination rate here can still be as high as 50%. Generally, airline managers and executives form a panel and conduct individual interviews. They might repeat questions from your initial interview, or present you with unrelated scenarios to assess your response.

Medical Check:

This stage is crucial and can be so thorough that some airlines, such as Philippine Airlines, conduct two medical checks during the recruitment process. The aim here is to ensure that you’re physically capable of handling the demands of the job. As you may know, a flight attendant’s work environment can be challenging, with exposure to solar radiation, dry air, pressure changes, and erratic work schedules.

Written/IQ/EQ Exams:

Certain airlines require applicants to take written exams, such as IQ and personality tests, typically before the initial interview. Some airlines may strictly adhere to the results of these tests while others may not, but it’s always best to prepare for anything.

With all these steps, applicants undergo a comprehensive screening process before being selected for training. Typically, out of around 1,000 applicants, fewer than 50 make the cut. But the process doesn’t end there – a more rigorous phase awaits: training!

Training Proper

Many individuals focus so much on the recruitment process that they fail to adequately prepare for the actual training. This misconception that the training is easier often leads to complacency and, consequently, failure. Let me be the one to tell you that the rigors and trials you experience during recruitment are just a fraction of what you’ll endure during training.

Firstly, the Cabin Crew Operations Manual (CCOM) is a core part of the training. This voluminous manual, often as thick as a Bible, is considered the ‘bible’ of training, and trainees are expected to bring it to every session. The image above depicts an actual CCOM.

Secondly, the training duration is quite condensed, often ranging from 2 to 3 months. It might seem short, but compressing a college term’s worth of learning into a few months can make it feel like the longest term of your life. In the Philippines, most airlines follow this training timeframe.

Thirdly, the passing grade for all exams is generally 90% or above, with some going up to 95%, and others allowing no mistakes at all. You have up to three lifelines with only one retake permitted. Fall short of the 90% mark and you lose a lifeline. Remember, an 89% score is still a failure – you must achieve a 90% or higher. Deplete your three lifelines, and you’re out.

Next, the examinations are a constant occurrence, including both written and practical tests. Despite the rigorous schedules, you must consistently hit the 90% mark. Cheating is impossible as most airlines now employ computer-based testing.

The fifth point refers to the physical drills, specifically safety drills, which demand significant strength and endurance.

Combine these elements and you’ll be navigating a whirlwind of sleepless nights, missed family gatherings and events, tears, stress, and countless prayers for 2 to 3 months.

Cabin crew training is a holistic process involving numerous classroom lectures, physical drills, and written and practical exams. This is because a cabin crew member plays several roles: a nurse, a firefighter, a lifeguard, a police officer, a server, a caregiver, a brand ambassador, and, of course, a friend.

Flight attendant training covers an extensive range of modules, some of which are as follows:

• Aeronomenclature – This includes the terminology, parts, and a general overview of airplanes, along with a basic understanding of how they function.
• Personality Development – Trainees have their interpersonal skills honed. They learn how to initiate and maintain conversations with a variety of people, respond to diverse behaviours and personalities, boost their confidence, improve their personal grooming, and enhance their communication skills, among other things.
• Ditching – Also known as survival swimming, trainees learn how to stay alive in water and perform passenger rescues following an emergency water landing. The training can be quite gruelling, involving swimming in a 10-foot deep pool for 15 minutes without a life vest.
• First Aid – Basic first aid knowledge is imparted to trainees for emergencies like choking, fainting, heart attacks, strokes, and even childbirth. Having a nursing background can be advantageous in this context.
• Fire Fighting – Since fires can break out at 40,000 feet, either due to a malfunction in the aircraft’s system or due to a passenger’s belongings, trainees learn to tackle different fire situations.
• Aircraft Tour and Familiarization – Trainees tour each aircraft type in the airline’s fleet and familiarize themselves with important features and emergency equipment.
• Door Training and Emergency Procedures – Trainees learn to evacuate passengers through the aircraft’s emergency exit doors in less than 90 seconds. This includes the well-known “emergency bend down” procedure and others.
• Meal and Business Class Service – Trainees are taught to serve passengers with utmost professionalism. This involves memorizing each dish’s composition, origin, and taste. Cocktail mixing skills are also taught.
• Self-Defense and Security Training – Post 9/11, flight attendants are trained to protect the cockpit from intruders and defend themselves against disruptive passengers. They also learn how to manage passengers causing discomfort or posing a security threat to others onboard.
• Standard Safety Operating Procedures – These include basic in-flight tasks like checking boarding passes, ensuring passengers are in the correct seats, demonstrating safety procedures, and checking if passengers are complying with all safety rules.

There are many more detailed topics, such as handling a “Death On Board” (DOB), dealing with dangerous goods, managing unruly passengers, understanding the conditions of carriage, and more.

Lastly, Check Rides and Supervised Line Experience in actual flights pose the greatest challenge. Trainees board a flight with real passengers and are assessed on their performance. There are two types of experiences: Supervised Line Experience (SLE), where the trainee is guided by a trainer, and a Check Ride, where the trainee operates as a full cabin crew member under the assessment of a trainer.

Check Ride then Release

Before officially becoming cabin crew members, these trainees undergo a final assessment flight. The wing-shaped nameplate of a flight attendant signifies their official status as a crew member, eligible to operate within an aircraft, with their primary duty being to ensure passenger safety, followed by comfort.

Hence, at cabin crew graduation ceremonies we have attended, it is common to see many new flight attendants moved to tears. They reflect on the rigorous trials and tribulations they’ve faced to reach this point in their journey to becoming flight attendants. While the process might appear straightforward to an outsider who has never experienced the training, it is far from it!

Training to take on various roles requires a significant amount of dedication. I have interviewed numerous flight attendants about how their journey has transformed their lives. They unanimously agreed that it taught them the value of tenacity, the commitment to achieving their goals, the strength to never surrender, the ability to value every individual they encounter, and the realization that nothing is truly unattainable in this world.

When questioned whether their path to becoming flight attendants was worthwhile, their responses were unanimous and resounding – it exceeded their expectations.

​It is Not Easy to Become a Flight Attendant.

To others, a flight attendant’s life seems full of glamour, amplified by the perks of their occupation. However, the journey to reach that point is comparable to scaling the tallest mountain – demanding, perilous, and filled with challenges. Nonetheless, the panoramic view from the top truly illustrates the beauty of the world.

So, the next time a flight attendant greets you with a smile, reciprocate it. When they serve you a meal, express your gratitude. When they advise you to buckle your seatbelt, acknowledge and comply. They have maneuvered through incredibly tight spaces to assume the role of a flight attendant, a role dedicated to ensuring your safety on board. In the event of an unexpected or unfortunate incident during your flight, rest assured that your cabin crew is prepared to protect your life, even at the risk of their own.