Airline hostess...glamour job or glorified skivvy?

[anonymous-user]

Brother D said:

ChocolateFrog said:

I imagine that's nice for maybe the first 10 times or so but not when it's the 100th.

It strikes me as a pretty stty job if I'm honest.

Erm.... you get to fly an incredible piece of engineering into the sky - I can't imagine that ever gets boring especially the start and end bits (even the bit in the middle you have the best office view ever). Even the oldest most jaded pilots must get a twinge of excitment on take off and landing. I'm not sure Joe Bloggs has the same feelings coming into the office in Slough for the day to look at a PC screen for 8 hours.

Despite what all the experts here tell you, I still love going into work and flying an aircraft, I love taking off and landing and the views from up in the sky. iI feel very proud when I take hundreds of people across the world safely and efficiently. I work with a great group of people I wouldn't dream of doing anything else. Regardless of how stty PHers always seem to think it is,

The trouble we have at work is all the old pilots won't retire, the job is that good and lifestyle so excellent that people keep wanting to do it into their 60s. There are all kinds of part time work arrangements the old guys go away for a nice trip a few times a month, many even take their wives or girlfriends or even children with them.

[Brother D]

GG89 said:

Only on pistonheads would an airline pilot be described as a pretty stty job.

FFS.

Nah it's the same as driving a Formula one car. After the first 10 laps its gets a bit boring, and then all the girls, glamour, yatchs and massive wages at the end of the day. Poor sods, wouldn't wish that boring mundane job on anyone.

[Wacky Racer]

I think we are going a bit off topic here...

There is a world of difference between a "flight attendant" and a highly skilled pilot.

Like comparing a West coast main line train driver to a ticket inspector/guide.

But no doubt flying a large jet becomes a bit "mundane" after ten years.

(Or maybe not)

[Joey Ramone]

el stovey said:

Nah it's a great job, I get away during the winter for a few days each month, I don't work very hard and really enjoy it when I do go in. I can live anywhere in the UK or even commute from Europe if I wanted. I see my family loads and have more quality time with my kids than any of the other dads at school. Cheap holidays and flights. Great salary and final salary pension plenty of time off. Great life work balance.

What's stty about thaT?

Edited by el stovey on Thursday 26th May 21:36

Agreed. I'd fking love your job. Skilled, position of responsibility, good pay, great view out of the window etc.

[iphonedyou]

0000 said:

s/flights/trips

Two round trips is a busy month for him?

Again, can you elaborate?

[anonymous-user]

Wacky Racer said:

I think we are going a bit off topic here...

There is a world of difference between a "flight attendant" and a highly skilled pilot.

Like comparing a West coast main line train driver to a ticket inspector/guide.

But no doubt flying a large jet becomes a bit "mundane" after ten years.

(Or maybe not)

It seems a bit odd starting a thread about how crap you think someone else's job is. TBH.

[iphonedyou]

el stovey said:

It seems a bit odd starting a thread about how crap you think someone else's job is. TBH.

You've put it more politely than it deserves.

[Skyedriver]

Orchid1 said:

In the old days if you were a flight attendant you could walk down the aisle and say "Coffee, Tea or Me?".

Now it's "Sir if you and you're drunken scheme goblin mates don't sit down and shut up we're diverting to France."

Would sir like some TWA Coffee or would you prefer TWA Tea
The old ones are the best so they say....

[eltax91]

I'm sure every job gets mundane, and some of the crap cabin crew deal with must be tedious.

One question to our resident pilots. Do the cabin crew (on long haul I'm thinking) get vastly different schedules to pilots? I'd sort of assumed the whole crew go together? Is that not the case? How does scheduling work?

[Spare tyre]

I fly a bit with work, I often look at the girls doing it, I'd imagine it's fun for the first couple of months then it must get a bit mundane

[Sheepshanks]

el stovey said:

I can live anywhere in the UK or even commute from Europe if I wanted.

Can you fly FOC to and from work wherever you're based? Was quite surprised to be sat next to a BA air hostess on the shuttle to Manchester and she was based at Heathrow but on her way home to Leeds. She did say there was pressure to relocate to nearer base.

It's all very well only working a few days a month, but there'd be a lot of commuting time if getting home involved another flight.

[anonymous-user]

Sheepshanks said:

el stovey said:

I can live anywhere in the UK or even commute from Europe if I wanted.

Can you fly FOC to and from work wherever you're based? Was quite surprised to be sat next to a BA air hostess on the shuttle to Manchester and she was based at Heathrow but on her way home to Leeds. She did say there was pressure to relocate to nearer base.

It's all very well only working a few days a month, but there'd be a lot of commuting time if getting home involved another flight.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Thursday 26th May 22:26

Most of our pilots live in the UK but on my fleet we also have lots of pilots that love abroad. France is very popular as are the Chanel islands which are both easy enough to get to and from and the weather and tax are obviously more favourable. Some do it for tax reasons, others prefer the lifestyle. As ever each to their own and half a days travel might not be for everyone.

[Wacky Racer]

iphonedyou said:

el stovey said:

It seems a bit odd starting a thread about how crap you think someone else's job is. TBH.

You've put it more politely than it deserves.

Read the thread title again..

I asked for other's thoughts.

Thanks for your contribution anyway.

My personal view is it's a job with very unsocial hours, that is not as glamourous as is usually perceived.

[anonymous-user]

eltax91 said:

I'm sure every job gets mundane, and some of the crap cabin crew deal with must be tedious.

One question to our resident pilots. Do the cabin crew (on long haul I'm thinking) get vastly different schedules to pilots? I'd sort of assumed the whole crew go together? Is that not the case? How does scheduling work?

Cabin crew work much harder than pilots and have very different employment contracts. In many airlines they operate a multitude of aircraft types whilst pilots tend to fly just one type.

On a single trip though, you tend to keep the same crew for the duration of the trip but they might be doing more flights with less days off and possibly on different fleets so even doing a mixture of long and short haul, depending on the airline obviously. often cabin crew get worse rooms in hotels or in some airlines, even worse hotels than the pilots.

[anonymous-user]

Wacky Racer said:

iphonedyou said:

el stovey said:

It seems a bit odd starting a thread about how crap you think someone else's job is. TBH.

You've put it more politely than it deserves.

Read the thread title again..

I asked for other's thoughts.

Thanks for your contribution anyway.

My personal view is it's a job with very unsocial hours, that is not as glamourous as is usually perceived.

That's exactly what I meant, why start a thread putting down someone else's job? Seems weird to me.

[anonymous-user]

Wacky Racer said:

they are basically glorified waitresses serving food in an extremely confined space

Cabin crew are there for one reason. Safety.
Everything else is fluff to fill the time and keep the punters (reasonably) happy and sedate.
In the event of an evacuation it's the glorified waitresses who have to stay in the aircraft until all the pax are off. Even Biggles and his mate up front can often be out before them.
One of the fatalities in the Manchester British Airtours ground fire was one of the cabin crew girls. She died in the process of pushing other people down the slides.

[Wacky Racer]

el stovey said:

That's exactly what I meant, why start a thread putting down someone else's job? Seems weird to me.

In my OP I said:-

This is no reflection on the ladies concerned, they all do a great job. (Male staff as well)

Hardly "putting them down".

[Calletrece]

As a former crew member (preferable to 'hostess' anyway) I can confirm that it is neither glamourous nor skivvy work.

The hours are long, the pay isn't great and there are lots of pressures put on people by the 'nice people' in the industry, however, I only did short haul. So I always ended up back at the same place every day, usually having flown 4 times.

Once you've done your service at an entry level, moving onto the bigger carriers is a fairly easy progression and then you do get the benefits. However, otherwise, I don't really think it's worth it, unless you are that kind of person who really wants to have that 'glam' projection of life. You know, the 1000 filters on Instagram types.

[anonymous-user]

Wacky Racer said:

el stovey said:

That's exactly what I meant, why start a thread putting down someone else's job? Seems weird to me.

In my OP I said:-

This is no reflection on the ladies concerned, they all do a great job. (Male staff as well)

Hardly "putting them down".

What's no reflections not the ladies concerned? The fact that you've just pointed out all you think is wrong with their job and asked if they might be glorified skivvys in the thread title?

[antspants]

Crossflow Kid said:

Cabin crew are there for one reason. Safety.
Everything else is fluff to fill the time and keep the punters (reasonably) happy and sedate.
In the event of an evacuation it's the glorified waitresses who have to stay in the aircraft until all the pax are off. Even Biggles and his mate up front can often be out before them.
One of the fatalities in the Manchester British Airtours ground fire was one of the cabin crew girls. She died in the process of pushing other people down the slides.

You never really appreciate them in that regard, thankfully because I've never had to see them in action!