What are some facts about being a cabin crew member that no one tells you?

I think both sides of the coin are true. I left my job as a cabin crew member about a year ago, and I can say with confidence that I both loved it and hated it simultaneously.

Pros:

• It was the experience of a lifetime, I got to travel to all kinds of great places and get paid to lie on a sun lounger by a pool.
• The pay was really good (In New Zealand and Australia it is - I believe it’s not so great in other countries) and I always had disposable income
• Staff travel was really, really, good. I could get anywhere in the world on less than $300USD or so return.
• I became an expert at making friends on the spot. You are with a different crew each week (sometimes each day) and wherever you go - they are your friends for that day. You work together, then often eat together, stay at the same hotel, go out for drinks together.. rinse and repeat. You learn quickly to become buddies even though you’ve all often just met for the first time
• Thanks to the point above, you quickly develop a large network of friends. Wherever you go, you will be able to find people to catch up with, or recommend great places or things to do all across the globe.
• You get to see parts of the industry that nobody else gets to - behind closed doors at the airport, in the cockpit during a take-off or landing, there are lots of cool bits of the job that nobody else gets (due to security requirements etc)

Cons:

• Gaining weight - It is much harder to manage your health when you fly. Crew meals tend to be high in fats & sugars, and depending on where you are flying, quarantine requirements can really limit what snacks you can bring on board. Shift work and irregular sleep patterns do nothing good for your body either, not to mention trying to go to the gym when you feel like an absolute zombie
• Sleeping - I know way too many cabin crew who rely on sleeping pills to get to sleep. After a year or two of having absolutely zero routines, your body finds it harder and harder to know when to sleep and when to wake up.
• Stomach issues - digestive problems are rife amongst cabin crew. Much like the point above, not having regular eating patterns really messes with your bodies ability to know when to release digestive acids. Irregular eating patterns can lead to all kinds of nasty digestive issues, stomach ulcers, etc.
• Stress - It depends when, and who you work for, but sometimes having massive delays, getting shouted at by irate passengers, mixed with some sleep deprivation, can lead to high levels of stress.
• Feet! - High heels do some odd things to your feet. Hot, painful, stabbing feelings sometimes. If you are with a good airline, you will have some flexibility over

I am glad that I no longer fly. My body loves me for it, my health has recovered. However, It was incredible - I wouldn’t change my experience as cabin crew for anything in the world and I would recommend anybody interested in the job give it a try!