Job description
Air cabin crew are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of passengers on a flight.
They carry out a range of pre-flight duties:
- welcoming passengers as they board the aircraft;
- directing passengers to their seats;
- ensuring luggage is safely stowed away;
- demonstrating emergency procedures and equipment
Air cabin crew attend to passengers' needs throughout the flight, serving refreshments and selling duty-free goods, so customer service is vital. They are expected to be friendly, enthusiastic and courteous at all times.
The work of air cabin crew can be stressful and demanding, but it can also be a varied, interesting and rewarding role.
Typical work activities
Tasks typically involve:
- attending a pre-flight briefing, during which crew members are assigned their working positions for the upcoming flight (crew are also informed of flight details, the schedule and if there are passengers with any special requirements, for example being diabetic or a nervous flier - such information is vital to cabin crew members as it enables them to react more quickly to any potentially dangerous situations);
- carrying out pre-flight duties, including checking the safety equipment, ensuring the aircraft is clean and tidy, ensuring that information in the seat pockets is up to date and that all meals and sufficient supplies are on board;
- welcoming passengers on board and directing them to their seats;
- demonstrating safety procedures and ensuring that all hand luggage is securely stored away;
- checking all passenger seat belts are secure prior to take-off;
- making announcements on behalf of the pilot and answering passenger questions during the flight;
- serving meals and refreshments to passengers;
- selling duty-free goods and advising passengers of any allowance restrictions in force at their destination;
- reassuring passengers and ensuring that they follow safety procedures correctly in emergency situations;
- giving first aid to passengers where necessary;
- ensuring passengers disembark safely at the end of a flight;
- completing paperwork, including writing a flight report.
- Basic salaries for air cabin crew are generally low, with new recruits expecting to earn £10,000 - £12,000 a year (salary data collected May 06).
- Air cabin crew with experience can expect to earn £14,000 - £18,000 a year. Senior crew members (eg, after 10-15 years in the role) can earn up to £22,000 - £25,000 a year (salary data collected May 06).
- A subsidised travel allowance is often available and sometimes a living costs allowance when working away from home. These allowances can often raise the salary level by about £3,000 - £5,000 per annum.
- Cabin crew can work long shifts involving irregular and unsocial hours. This may often include weekends, nights and public holidays.
- Opportunities for part-time work exist, but this will still include unsocial hours.
- Airrline carriers recruit on a temporary and permanent basis. Airlines catering for the package holiday market tend to recruit temporary cabin crew on a seasonal basis, only retaining a reduced number of staff for low season skiing and winter sun holidays. During this time, some cabin crew may obtain employment in holiday sales outlets, but many will take temporary work outside the industry until the following season. National carriers and low-cost airlines tend to recruit on a permanent basis, but expansion and contraction is dependent on external economic factors.
- Some airlines may require staff to live within a certain radius/easy travelling distance of the airport (flexibility is vital as staff may need to be on stand-by for work at short notice). Some air cabin crew may be based in locations abroad.
- Jet lag may be a problem when crossing time zones, and working under air pressure can sometimes cause tiredness. Work schedules, fatigue and disturbed sleep patterns can cause disruption to home and social life.
- Cabin crew often work in confined spaces and have to spend a lot of time on their feet. The work is physically demanding, particularly on long-haul flights. Dealing with difficult passengers in an enclosed space can be stressful.
- Cabin crew are required to wear a uniform and are expected to be smart in appearance. Visible tatoos and piercings are discouraged.
- Although more men are attracted to the profession as a whole, women are still in the majority amongst cabin crew.
- The amount of time spent away from home may vary depending on the flight. Some nights away from home may be necessary.