What I wish I knew when I became a flight attendant

Living near an airport is crucial

Flight attendants are required to fly out of the major hub cities of the airline they work for. If you are lucky enough to live in the city you are based in, that’s huge. I cursed my entire two hour drive to Los Angeles International Airport until I met flight attendants who have decided they would like to live somewhere away from the airport they are based at. For some that means an hour long flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to work out of LAX. For others, that means an 18 hour flight from Shanghai to New York to fly out of JFK. These people have to go up against revenue passengers for an available seat, they have to pray that weather does not send them off course or cancel their flight to work all together, and they have to hope that the plane they are trying to get on is not transporting too much cargo to carry their weight. It’s a headache and a half to be a commuter, and I’m impressed that these people fly the friendly skies with a smile on.

It’s hard to maintain relationships

I was very surprised to discover my new job put strain many of my relationships. The lifestyle of a flight attendant is unique and can be very difficult to understand, especially for those who have never worked in the aviation industry. We have our own language, we often cannot make plans very far in advance or will cancel on you at the last minute, and we have a kind of skewed idea of what balance is. My priorities certainly altered when I started to adjust and adapt to this hectic lifestyle. Right out of training I was required to move to Chicago and fly out of O’Hare. My priorities looked something like this:

1) Work 100+ hours airtime to be able to afford my apartment (and maybe some food).
2) Visit family when I have time to go home.
3) Visit boyfriend when I don’t.

Hanging out with old friends became increasingly difficult, as trips home were always so whirlwind and I was rarely scheduled weekends off to host visitors. And if we did try our luck and make plans, I would get that call from scheduling:
“Flight attendant Jensen, we need you to go to Helsinki…”
“Dang, right now…?!” “Guys I swear, I really would rather stay and hang out this weekend…”

It really can be a dream job

The job we do is not always an easy task, but we honestly do it because we enjoy it. While we are constantly adapting and adjusting, breaking plans and making new ones, it is a fun lifestyle and it is unlike any job I have ever had. It has given me the opportunity to explore the world, whether I sacrifice sleep on a layover to explore or fly someplace new on days off. It’s liberating, it’s unique, and it’s been enriching my life by providing incredible experiences. Adventure is out there, and I’m so grateful my job helps me pursue it.