How to become airline cabin crew

Have you ever considered working as airline cabin crew? Many people perceive the job of cabin crew being glamorous and easy; however, like all other professions, being a flight attendant has its own challenges. Well, putting the challenges aside, this article focuses on how to become airline cabin crew.

How to become airline cabin crew

Different airlines have different requirements for air cabin crew. While some airlines require cabin crew to have previous face to face customer service experience, many others don’t. However, there are some usual requirements you need to meet in order to apply for the job of air cabin crew. For example, you need to be over the age of 18 to become an air cabin crew.

Airlines usually require you to have a good standard of education which includes GCSEs (grades A* to C) or equivalent in English and maths. You need to have a good level of physical fitness and the ability to swim. You will also need to have a valid passport (The National Careers Service, 2017). It will be really useful if you have studied subjects such as customer service, travel and tourism, or hospitality management to some extent.

You need to have excellent communication skills as the job involves face to face oral communication. You must also have the ability to stay calm under pressure (The National Careers Service, 2017). Some customers may turn out to be very challenging occasionally; however, you need to ensure that you are polite while maintaining a firm approach. As airlines usually have a number of members of staff on board, it is inevitable that you will be expected to have good team working skills. While it is not a requirement, knowing a second language may give you competitive advantages over other applicants.

It will be useful now if we look at some industry examples. Virgin Atlantic considers cabin crew the face of Virgin Atlantic. The airline looks for cabin crew who are resilient, friendly, collaborative, proactive, supportive and caring (Virgin Atlantic UK, 2017). Easyjet requires cabin crew to play their part within a close-knit team. Cabin crew need to work well when the pressure is on and keep smiling whatever challenge they face (easyJet, 2017).

Now, if you think you meet the requirements above and would like to become a cabin crew, it will be very good if you browse the official websites of the airlines you are interested in. Similarly, you can browse websites of relevant recruitment agencies. Hope, the question of how to become airline cabin crew has been answered. It’s time to apply for the job!

The article publication date: 23 October 2017

Further reading/references

Easyjet (2017) Cabin crew careers, available at https://careers.easyjet.com/cabin-crew/ (Accessed 21 October 2017)

The National Careers Service (2017) Air cabin crew, available at https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/air-cabin-crew (Accessed 21 October 2017)

Virgin Atlantic UK (2017) Cabin Crew Roles, available at https://careersuk.virgin-atlantic.com/customer-services/cabin-crew (Accessed 21 October 2017)

Photo credit: www.shutterstock.com

Author: Joe David

Joe David has years of teaching experience both in the UK and abroad. He writes regularly online on a variety of topics. He has a keen interest in business, hospitality, and tourism management. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management.