What Goes On During an Airline’s Flight Attendant Training?

An airline’s flight attendant training is very challenging, and I have been reiterating that flight attendant aspirants should prepare well for it. Trust me, it does not end when you pass the recruitment process. I have seen many cabin crew trainees fail for various reasons, but most who do not make it were not fully prepared. So, let me give you an idea of what goes on during an airline’s flight attendant training.

However, note that all airlines have distinct training programs. Some don’t focus heavily on safety, while others emphasize safety over service. Regardless of the process, it is always best for flight attendant aspirants to prepare for the training provided by the airline.

The details below cover general areas, as each airline’s training program varies. Regardless, you must prepare for this mentally, physically, and even emotionally.

Aeronomenclature

This is where you will study technical aviation terms. This includes different parts of an aircraft, aircraft types, and other technical terms. This knowledge is important because if pilots need to communicate something crucial during an emergency, you have to be able to understand them. You must also know the parts of an aircraft in case you need to report something to the pilots. For example, if you say “the little folded thing at the end of the wing is broken,” pilots might not understand right away. But if you say, “there is damage on the winglet, right side,” they will understand. A lot of memorization is involved here, and you have to memorize all the terms, as these will appear in exams.

Emergency Procedures

Emergency procedures cover water and terrain landing procedures and handling medical emergencies on board, such as choking, loss of consciousness, anxiety attacks, and more. You will go through both written exams and practical drills for this. You will also learn where emergency equipment is located and how to use it. The phrase “emergency, bend down” is just one part of it all. This also includes firefighting on board, such as in the case of lithium battery explosions, evacuating passengers in under 90 seconds, survival swimming, and more.

Civil Aviation Laws

Some airlines include a country’s civil aviation laws in the training to ensure flight attendants understand the legal aspects of certain procedures, like handling passengers with disabilities, dealing with unruly passengers, and other civil aviation laws from various countries.

Safety Standards

In aviation, safety is always the top priority. Some airlines, therefore, include safety standards in flight attendant training. Most of the time, this is a lecture-based section that requires memorization and exams. All flight attendants must pass this part.

Aircraft Familiarization

In addition to an aircraft tour, flight attendant trainees must know by heart how to operate everything in the cabin. They must also know the location of safety and medical equipment, how to use galley ovens and chillers, and how to operate the dispensers and lavatories. Flight attendants must be able to distinguish between aircraft types. For example, there are differences between the A320ceo, A320neo, A321ceo, and A321neo. This section can get technical, but it is very important in a flight attendant’s training.

Grooming Standards

Flight attendant trainees go through training in grooming and properly wearing their uniform. This includes the standard makeup for women, uniform presentation, skincare, hair care, and more. A flight attendant’s grooming is very important, as they also serve as the airline’s brand ambassadors and need to project confidence while upholding the airline’s image and branding.

Service Training

Flight attendants learn how to properly serve meals and beverages to passengers, communicate effectively, address passenger concerns, and handle various passenger personalities. They are also taught how to serve in a way that ensures efficiency and that everyone is served well. This part of the training is mostly practical. Again, service training varies widely by airline. For example, full-service airlines serve meals to every passenger, while low-cost airlines only serve pre-ordered meals.

Supervised Line Experience

During this phase, flight attendant trainees go on an actual flight and either observe or join the active crew in serving passengers. Consider this like their “practicum” or “OJT” before check rides. This is usually when they first experience flying in full uniform.

Check Ride

This is the final test for all cabin crew trainees, and being released to the line depends on their performance during the check ride. Trainees will be on an actual flight as part of the active crew, evaluated and graded by their checkers. Trainees must give their best here—at 101%! The check ride often has the most weight in determining whether a trainee becomes part of the regular cabin crew. Some airlines only require one check ride, while others may require up to five. This depends on the airline and varies.

This is why you must prepare well for flight attendant training after passing the recruitment process. While you will give your best during training, you will need to give even more once you start flying. If you want to pass the airline’s flight attendant training program, you must focus, face sleepless nights, and memorize a lot. It is definitely difficult, but it’s worth all the sweat and tears.