Airline Flight Attendant Careers

Flight Attendant Jobs are hard to find....right?

2012-01-05T19:22:00.001-08:00

Since September 11, the airline industry has undergone a drastic change, with many airlines downsizing or even going out of business. If you were considering a career as a flight attendant, you may as well give up, right? I mean, the majors aren't hiring, so there are no job openings, are there?

In reality, all that is far from true. When asked about the job of working for the airlines, most people are surprised to learn there are over 70 airlines in the US and Canada that hire flight attendants.

Since 9/11, the "majors" have been recalling furloughed employees, though now that they are merging together, their “off the street” hiring has been slowed. But the "majors" (United, American, Delta, and USAirways) constitute only 10% of the airlines in the US and Canada.

The rest of the airlines consist of the mid-size carriers, such as Southwest, jetBlue, Virgin America; regionals such as SkyWest, Mesa, ComAir; and finally charter and niche airlines such as Miami Air, XtraAir and Era, to name a few.

Prior to the events of 9/11, nearly all airlines were desperate for quality flight attendant applicants. When they majors had difficulty finding them at their own open houses and job fairs, they began to recruit from the mid-size and regional carriers. That left the smaller carriers with serious shortages of applicants, which has eased somewhat with the cutback of hiring at the majors.

Sure, it's enticing to go to work for a major airline, and have the chance to fly to Paris or Tokyo. But keep in mind that it may take years with your major airline to be able to work those more-desired flights. Meanwhile, you'll be working the same type of flights as the regional airlines. And with major companies like American in bankruptcy, size does not necessarily matter in the job security department.

It's easy to become just another cog in the machinery when you work for a major airline that may have over 25,000 flight attendants. With a regional airline, you have a more supportive "family" atmosphere. And with shorter flights, you may actually be home more often than you would with the major carriers. Another advantage is the possibility of being based in the town you live- especially if it is the only base for that airline. Most of the regional airlines have alliances with the majors, so you will be able to use your employee travel benefits on the majors without ever having to work for them.

Charter Airlines are also included in the mid-size airlines group. These can have you traveling to all parts of the world right out of training, as their schedules are dependant on the contract they have with the group that books their flights. The charter airlines have been looking for flight attendant applicants throughout the past decade.
Perhaps the fastest growing area of aviation is the corporate or fractional jet employment opportunities. These luxurious private and corporate aircraft cater to a high-end clientele, and also require professionally trained flight attendants. While many corporate jobs require previous corporate specific safety training, there are others that will train you as part of the hiring process. Finding corporate work requires a lot more research and networking on your part. Recommended places to start are with the National Business Aviation Association (www.nbaa.org) and Women in Corporate Aviation (www.wai-intl.org).

How do you find a Flight Attendant job? Most airline companies have employment sites on their company website, and there are many all-in-one third-party sites such as www.AviaNation.com and www.CrewVacancies.com You can also findFlight Attendant jobs listed at www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com/jobs.cfm, There are many aviation forums with inside intel on specific hiring, such as www.AirlineCrew.net, www.CabinCrew.com and www.FlightAttendants.org - to name a few.

So get out there and start applying for the job of your dreams. The truth is out there, and so are the hiring airlines. Feel free to contact me via e-mail at crew4jets@aol.com if you have any questions.

For more than 18 years, flight attendant applicants have been turning to The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide by Tim Kirkwood, a 35-year veteran of the aviation industry. Now in its 3rd Edition, celebrating the 77th Anniversary of Flight Attendants, applicants consider the Guide required reading. Kirkwood helps them choose the "best" airline to work for, and gives them the hiring requirements of over 80 US and Canadian airlines.

Contact Information:

Tim Kirkwood
(561) 843-6006
crew4jets@aol.com

Continental Airlines hiring Flight Attendants

2011-07-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

Continental Airlines

Flight Attendant Positions

This is an exciting time to be a Flight Attendant at Continental. Continental Airlines recently merged with United Airlines to form the world largest airline. For the time being, the two airlines will continue to operate separately. In anticipation of acquiring several new airplanes, including the new 787 Dreamliner, Continental is looking for talented, conscientious, safety and service-minded individuals to join our team as Flight Attendants.

At Continental, we recognize that one of our greatest assets is our people. The rich diversity of ideas, experiences, cultures and lifestyles represented by Continental employees makes it possible for us to give the best possible service to our global customers. We offer everything you need to build the career you have always wanted. Your search for a great place to work ends right here at Continental Airlines.
Why Join The Continental Airlines Winning Team?
Great Reasons for Choosing a Career at Continental

Best Employee Travel Program in the industry
Profit Sharing Plan that shares the company's success with employees
Perfect Attendance Awards recognize continuous service by employees
On-time Bonuses reward employees for meeting on-time arrival/departure targets

Some other great reasons for choosing Continental include competitive medical, dental and vision insurance programs, as well as holiday, vacation and sick time. You can also enroll in our 401(k) plan, which offers valuable resources in saving for retirement. As a Continental employee, you are also eligible to receive employee discounts on air travel, car rentals, hotels, and cruise ships.
What It Takes To Become a Continental Airlines Flight Attendant

Being a flight attendant is a multi-task job requiring many skills. Flight attendants perform important safety, security and service-related responsibilities and interact with a diverse group of customers and fellow employees.
Summary of Essential Job Responsibilities

Work independently without constant observation, yet work well with others as part of a team
Work in accordance with established procedures and performance standards
Ensure compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regulations
Prepare and serve multiple meals and beverages
Sell onboard liquor, headsets and duty-free items
Assist customers with carry-on items
Ensure safety and comfort of our customers
Respond and provide leadership during an emergency, including aircraft evacuation and unusual situations (bomb threats, hijackings, delayed flights, severe weather conditions, turbulent flights, etc.)
Respond to customer medical situations and administer first aid to ill or incapacitated customers
Maintain order and handle unruly or irate customers
Work irregular days and hours with the ability to travel to all countries to which we fly
Regular reliable compliance with attendance policy

This summary of job duties indicates the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this job classification. It is not to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all responsibilities and qualifications that may be required of employees assigned to this job classification. Additional duties may be added as required by the operational needs of Continental Airlines.
What It Takes To Be A Successful Continental Airlines Flight Attendant

Flight attendants are the most highly visible employees to our customers. The friendliness and quality of service provided by our flight attendants greatly influences our customers' perception of Continental Airlines. Therefore, applicants are expected to have specific qualifications and meet certain requirements.
Flight Attendant Qualifications

Good judgment
Excellent dependability
Exceptional interpersonal skills
Caring and nurturing disposition
Ability to accept personal responsibility for resolving concerns
Strong work ethic
Good service orientation
Excellent communication skills
Professional appearance suitable for a conservative business environment
Friendly and polite in all situations
Ability to handle pressure in stressful situations
Physical agility and strength for assisting customers and their luggage

Job Requirements

Minimum 21 years of age
High school diploma or equivalency
Secondary education is preferred
Basic computer literacy
Ability to perform basic math skills
Minimum 2 years direct customer service experience
Ability to hear, read, write and fluently speak and understand the English language
Possess and maintain a valid United States passport or foreign passport with applicable visas.
Authorized to work in the United States as defined in the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
Ability to pass a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required ten-year work history review, a criminal background check and submit to fingerprinting
Ability to comprehend and retain information pertinent to the position
Ability to pass a rigorous training program
Willing to work holidays, weekends, nights and extended hours
Willing to work "reserve" status for a long duration
Willing to reside within a driving radius of your assigned base
Willing to relocate based on company's operational needs
Willing to submit to random drug/alcohol testing
Reliable transportation to and from the airport

Flight attendants work in an environment subject to frequent changes in geography, culture, climate, cabin altitude, G-forces, dry air, high noise levels, dim lighting, turbulence and continuous and frequent contact with others in flight. Flight attendants work in confined spaces of aircraft aisles and galleys. To accomplish service and cabin equipment operation needs for periods of long duration, flight attendants must stand, walk, kneel, bend, stoop, stretch, reach, lift heavy objects from the floor to above shoulder-level and push/pull equipment.
Additional Job Requirements

Minimum height of 5'0" and maximum height of 6'3" without shoes
Height and weight proportionate to maintain professional appearance; body size cannot exceed specific aircraft dimensions (example: jumpseat, harness without modification, cabin aisle and emergency exits)
Vision correctable to 20/40 or better (uncorrected 20/200 or better)
Push and pull beverage/meal cart (150-250 lbs.)
Lift liquor kit (up to 43 lbs.)
Lift emergency window exit (up to 60 lbs.)
Open emergency door (91-126 lbs. stress)
Maintain lifestyle free from alcohol abuse and illegal drug use
Successful completion of pre-employment examination revealing no physical or mental limitations that would impair ability to perform routine or emergency duties

This summary of job requirements is not to be interpreted as a comprehensive list. Additional job requirements may be added as required by the operational needs of Continental Airlines.
Employment Conditions
Relocation

Continental Airlines will assign your initial base. You must be able to be based in any of our domiciles. Our current flight attendant domiciles are located in Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Hopkins International Airport); Houston, TX (Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport; and Newark, NJ (Newark Liberty International Airport).

You will be required to live within a driving radius of your assigned base.

All associated relocation costs are the sole responsibility of the flight attendant.

Work Schedule

New hire flight attendants will work on reserve status to be determined by company operational needs.

While on reserve, flight attendants must live in their base city and be able to report for duty within 2 hours notice. Reserve flight attendants must provide phone numbers where they can be reached while on duty and be available for duty assignments on a 24 hour standby basis.

Reserve flight attendants will be assigned a schedule with a minimum number of days off a month.

Flight attendants may fly domestically and internationally.

Flight attendants will be away from home for several consecutive days at a time.

Flight attendants routinely work nights, weekends, holidays and extended hours.

Salary

All flight attendant wages and other terms and conditions are governed by the contract agreed upon between Continental Airlines and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and are competitive with other major airlines. Flight attendants are required to pay monthly union dues.

Continental Flight attendants are paid the following hourly base pay rates:
1st year - $19.99 2nd year $23.35 3rd year $24.66 4th year $26.60 5th year $28.54
There are annual increases through the 16th year. In addition, flight attendants are eligible for additional incentive compensation, pay for use of designated language skills, position override pay (lead and galley positions).

All flight attendants receive per diem expense reimbursement of $1.95-$2.50 per hour for all trips which require more than one duty period.

Reserve flight attendants receive a pay guarantee of 83 hours per month or their legal alternative.

These figures are subject to change as different agreements may be reached with the Union.
Training

Employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a four and one half-week unpaid training program in Houston, Texas. Accommodations will be provided.

Background Check and Ability to Fly to All Countries Continental Serves

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires a ten-year work history review, a criminal background check and fingerprinting for flight attendants. Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the background investigation according to FAA and Continental Airlines standards.

All Continental Airlines flight attendants must be able to travel freely in and out the United States, to/from all destinations and countries that Continental serves without restriction.

Some countries place restrictions on the ability of foreign visitors to enter. For instance, Canada prohibits visitors who have been convicted of criminal offenses or who have criminal charges currently pending against them from entering Canada. Some convictions that make a person inadmissible for entry into Canada include theft, driving while intoxicated, and a number of other felonies and misdemeanors. There are procedures to seek special permission or waivers from Canada to permit entry, but these are not automatic. For more information on Canadian travel restrictions, please contact the Canadian government website and or local consulate. This is not an exhaustive list of countries with restrictions. All Flight Attendants are responsible for making sure they are able to fly to all countries and destinations that are served by Continental Airlines.

Drug Screening

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires a drug screening for flight attendant applicants. Continental Airlines requires employees to maintain drug-free lives and to submit to drug/alcohol testing randomly throughout their career. Employment is contingent upon a cleared drug screen according to FAA and Continental Airlines standards.

Uniforms

Flight attendants are responsible for the purchase of their initial set of uniform pieces and luggage. After the first year, annual replacement of uniform pieces will be provided by Continental Airlines. The initial cost for uniforms and luggage is approximately $720, which may be payroll deducted once employed by the company.

Applicants invited to attend a training class will be required to:

Present a valid federal or state issued form of photo identification
Present a photo copy of a valid passport or copy of a receipt verifying that an application for a passport has been submitted and is being processed
Present documentation authorizing work and residence in the United States

Thank you for your interest in being a Continental Airlines flight attendant.

If you meet ALL of the above-mentioned qualifications and ALL of the employment conditions are acceptable to you, please click on the link below to begin the application process. You will be asked to submit general contact information, attach a resume* and/or complete an online application, and answer job-related questions.

Important note: Ensure you have a valid e-mail address and check that you have entered it correctly. We will do all communications through e-mail.

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/company/career/flightattendant.aspx

WCA Corporate Scholarships for 2011

2011-06-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

WCA is pleased to announce the newest lineup of scholarship offerings at this years 2011 NBAA Flight Attendants/ Flight Technicians Conference. The following awards will be presented at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention October 10-12, 2011 in Las Vegas, NV (www.nbaa.org)

For more information on scholarships, go to www.wca-intl.org/scholarships.htm

Women in Corporate Aviation Career Scholarship ($2000)

The Women in Corporate Aviation Career Scholarship is offered by the members and sponsors of Women in Corporate Aviation to any person pursuing professional development or career advancement in any job classification of corporate/business aviation. The award must be used toward a specific program of education. Suggested uses include (but are not limited to): Flight training, dispatcher training, maintenance training, corporate flight attendant training and upgrades in aviation education. The award cannot be used for general business course work. Scholarship will not be awarded to previous winners of Women in Corporate Aviation scholarships. If you are a pilot please submit copies of pilot licenses, medical and logbook pages with your application.

Susan B. Friedenberg Corporate Flight Attendant & Consulting Scholarship ($3800)

Four day business aviation flight attendant training program. You will learn how to approach contract flying, how to interview for contractual and full time positions, how to manage yourself as a contract/freelance flight attendant, plus learn specific marketing techniques. Catering information, food safety International trip planning for remote global travel on our long range aircraft. How to gather information needed for menu planning, catering, ordering, intricacies catering presents for International trip planning.

FACTS Training - Initial or Recurrent Training ($4765)

FACTS Emergency Procedures Training (1 award) – http://www.factstraining.com This five-day initial or two-day recurrent emergency procedures training for business aviation crewmembers is available at any of 50-plus FACTS Training programs throughout the United States. The initial training is divided into two-day indoctrination/galley safety and service training and three-day FACTS initial emergency procedures training. All training meets FAR Part 135 requirements, industry best practices and IS-BAO standards./ Recipient must be 21 years of age. No prior aviation experience is necessary. Initial training is a full packaged deal which includes 2 days of Indoctrination/Inflight Service Training followed by three days of intensive emergeny procedures training.

Who's hiring?

2011-03-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for flight attendant job openings, try these two sites:

For US and Canadian job openings, go to www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com/jobs.cfm

For worldwide aviation jobs, go to www.AviaNation.com/student.

Ongoing F/A Smoking study

2011-03-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Hello. My name is Cecilia Yu. I am the new Flight Attendant (FAMRI) Study recruiter at UCSF. UCSF has an ongoing medical research of Flight Attendants and the effects of occupational secondhand smoke exposure in airline cabinets. Please help us in recruiting more participants for our study.

In the past you have contacted us in response to our requests for Flight Attendants to participate in our Second Hand Smoke Study. We are looking for post-ban Flight Attendants to participate in our study. Participants should expect to have either a resting pulmonary function test, and/or an exercise Pulmonary Function test (PFT), followed by an examination by one of our physicians. The study is a one-day event at UCSF in San Francisco. Participants will be paid $100 upon completion of your appointment. In addition, parking and lunch vouchers will be given.

I would like to remind you that for every Flight Attendant you refer and who participates in our study, we will send you a $5.00 Starbuck’s gift card. Keep us in mind if you have any chapter meetings or know of any conventions where we could perhaps send a guest speaker.

We have a facebook page under UCSF FLIGHT ATTENDANT STUDY GROUP. Feel free to add us and post comments on our wall.

Please contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of service to you in the future. I can be reached by phone at 1-800-767-6906 or my cell phone 415-412-0872. I can also be reached by email at famri@ucsfmedctr.org. Thank you for your help.

Email: FAMRI@ucsfmedctr.org
Web address: http://tobacco.ucsf.edu/FAMRIclinic
Questionnaire: http://www.imenet.net/UCSFQuest/
Phone # 1-800-767-6906

Sincerely,

Cecilia Yu

Cecilia Yu
University of California, San Francisco
FAMRI Bland Lane
3130 20th Street, Box 0898
San Francisco, CA 94143
E-mail: yuc@medsfgh.ucsf.edu
Phone: 415-412-0872
Fax: 415-502-4948

• Airline employment begins an ascent

2011-02-27T17:50:00.001-08:00

After 28 consecutive months of declining employment, the U.S. airline industry is back in hiring mode again, a sign that airlines are ready to add routes and flights.

The airline industry reported a 0.2% increase in employment in December, the first rise since August 2008, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"I think the airlines are moving up with the general economy," said Jan Brueckner, an economics professor at UC Irvine and expert on the airline industry.

American Airlines announced last week that it plans to hire up to 30 bilingual flight attendants for its new Los Angeles-to-Shanghai route. The route will serve the growing tourism and business travel from China over the next few years as the Chinese middle class grows and travel restrictions ease. The new American hires are in addition to the 568 flight attendants recalled to work by the airline this month.

Cabin Crew (Dubai) - LAX OPEN SESSION March 26

2011-02-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Company Name:	The Emirates Group - Emirates Airline

Position:	Cabin Crew (Dubai) - LAX OPEN SESSION March 26
Description:	When was the last time you really looked forward to going to work? You can, by becoming a member of our truly international flight attendant team. Re-posted with permission from AviaNation.com aviation jobs board. You will be based in Dubai, a cosmopolitan city that has rapidly grown into a global tourism and commercial centre that offers something to everyone. Award-winning Emirates Airline operates an ultra modern and fast growing fleet of wide bodied Airbus and Boeing long haul aircraft. Currently flying to over 100 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas, we are proud of the service delivered by our multi-national team of over 120 nationalities; all trained to the highest standards. We are currently looking for exceptional people who would like to build a career with us and be part of our rapidly growing business. Our recruitment team interviews candidates in many countries across the globe. If you are interested in an 'International Lifestyle' with a difference and want to be a part of an award winning team please register online, or apply in person and take this exceptional opportunity to meet our recruiters seeking prospective candidates to join our multicultural and dynamic In flight Services team based in Dubai: Venue: Torrance Marriott South Bay, 3635 Fashion Way, Torrance, California, 90503. Date: 26th March 2011 Time: 9:00am sharp Requirements: * Minimum age 21 years at the time of application. * Minimum arm reach of 212cms (on tip toes), which will enable you to reach emergency equipment on all aircraft types. * Educated to at least high school level with strong problem solving skills. * Fluency in written/spoken English (fluency in another language is an asset). * Medically fit to meet aircrew requirements. * Have a positive attitude with the natural ability to provide excellent service working within a team environment, dealing with people from all cultures. Please bring an updated CV along with passport size and full-length photographs. For further information click here or visit emiratesgroupcareers.com Join Emirates. Discover your future.

Flight Attendant Applications Swamp Website

2011-02-22T19:16:00.001-08:00

Flight Attendant Applications Swamp Website

Contributed by Stefana Hermansen on Feb. 21 at 7:59 a.m.

The number of people wanting to become a Southwest Airlines flight attendant has reached a record high. On Monday, Southwest began accepting flight attendant applications in the careers section of its website. So many people tried to submit an application that that part of the Dallas-based carrier’s website went down.

“The pipeline was full,” Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said about the website’s crash. “The number of people trying to utilize those pipelines was unprecedented.”

Several people complained that they tried for hours to send Southwest their résumés, so the carrier reopened the flight attendant position post for a little more than an hour Wednesday.

In a message on its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon, Southwest said it was reviewing 1,200 applications for 200 positions. The message went on to say that the carrier interviews every qualified applicant, so it “simply can’t keep a position open indefinitely.”

Southwest also apologized to those who were unable to submit an application online.

Southwest has said it plans to boost its network capacity by 5 to 6 percent this year and will add thousands of employees if its acquisition of AirTran Airways is approved by government regulators.

Women in Aviation conference

2011-02-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

Stop by our booth at the 22nd Annual Women in Aviation Conference in Reno, NV on February 24-26. This is the best place to meet airline recruiters and other aviation professionals. More information at www.WAI.org

Have you considered a career as a corporate flight attendant?

2011-02-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

Have you considered a career as a corporate flight attendant?

One of the fastest growing sectors in the aviation industry, has been the recent upswing in Corporate Jets. While once available only to the rich and famous, the advent of the innovative "fractional jet ownership" has brought executive jets closer to non-executives as well. And growing along with the jets is the need for trained and qualified crews, including corporate flight attendants.
In the early days of business aviation, aviation managers and the chief pilots usually used a male flight technician/mechanic in the back of the airplane as the acting third crewmember. There was no emphasis on specialized or quality food service. As interiors became increasingly detail oriented in order to support the client's needs, so did the need to have a third crewmember in the back of the aircraft that could accommodate specialized culinary and amenity requests. The galley and cabin equipment became more elaborate and extensive as did the high tech electronic communication and in-flight entertainments systems.
Fractional jet ownership came into existence in the late 1990's. Simply put, a corporate jet is shared by a few companies or individuals- each owning a time-share, or fraction of the aircraft use per month. This opens up the corporate jet option to a larger group of people, and has been the catalyst to make this the fastest growth sector in the industry.
It is important to emphasize that first and foremost, the safety of the passengers and the aircraft environment is paramount. When you consider your corporate client is paying anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 per hour for the use of the corporate jet, excluding fuel burn ($30 per minute!) and food/catering costs you come to understand why a corporate flight attendant must excel in their work.
So what are the qualities that a good corporate flight attendant needs to be successful in this industry? In no particular order those qualities are:

Flexibility
Organizational Skills
Creativity
Detail Oriented
Personal Accountability
Integrity
Confidentiality
High Interpersonal Skills
No Ego
Taking Direction
Listening Skills
Resolution Skills
Confidentiality
Professionalism

In addition to those skills mentioned above, the "contract/freelance" corporate flight attendant must possess the following abilities:

Effective time management skills
Book trips & keep a cohesive monthly schedule
Manage yourself as a business
Interface with several flight departments
Adaptability to several flight departments' standard operational procedures
Stay open-minded at all times

You must always be aware of, and remain on the leading edge of business aviation industry news and trends. You will do extensive research on the corporations you are flying for, including: the corporate structure, the products or services they produce, as well as the companies they own. If you are flying the CEO of Coca-Cola on your jet, you surely don't want to order Pepsi products from your caterer, or even Frito's, which is a Pepsi-owned company. As with commercial aviation, the sources of this information can be found at your local library, on the Internet, and from such publications as Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and The Financial Times- to mention a few. It is recommended that you maintain this information in a database of your own design, so that you can review it in the event you fly the same client more than once. Client privacy and discretion are foremost, not only as a good business practice, but also for the security of your client and flight. You can't blab to your friends that you are flying Donald Trump or Madonna around the country.

Like commercial aviation, a corporate flight attendant needs to be trained in safety, emergency and first-aid training. However, some private corporate flight departments do not yet require it. These operations will place a flight attendant onboard an aircraft as a food server, and does not consider them as part of the working crew. Advocates within the business aviation industry are working hard to require that ALL flight attendants in corporate aviation receive corporate specific training as part of the career. Until that time, it is in your best interest to procure training on your own if a corporate flight department does not offer it. This will make you much more marketable to those companies who only utilize corporate specific trained flight attendants. You should have as much "current" business aviation and industry training as possible. This would include the following:

Corporate specific emergency and first aid training.
General corporate aviation training classes
Service training classes
Culinary training classes

Having as much industry training as possible will allow you to act professionally within this specialized venue of aviation should an emergency arise as well as creating an industry respect from the professionals in corporate /business aviation. Some of the training companies include:

Susan Friedenberg Corporate Flight Attendant Training
FlightSafety International
MedAire, Inc.
Survival Systems Training, Inc.
FACTS Training

You will find an extensive listing of training sources in the Appendix of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide by Tim Kirkwood, available from Amazon.com.

Contract flying is some of the hardest flying you will ever do. It is without a doubt the most difficult area of flying for many reasons and the most rewarding for the same reasons! On a daily basis you find yourself interfacing within many diversified corporate cultures and the various personalities of many corporate flight departments. You must work with, and keep happy on every trip that you fly: The CEO, their corporate and personal family, the aviation manager, chief pilot, chief flight attendant, dispatcher, chief scheduler, chief of maintenance, the FBO staff and caterers. In Corporate flying, even more so than Commercial flying, you are a vital part of the team. It is in the best interest of your company and clients for you to be highly trained and prepared as possible. In Mr. Kirkwood's book you will also find listings of various training and fraternal organizations to assist you in pursuing this growing and exciting facet of the Flight Attendant Career.

82nd Anniversary of the first female Flight Attendant

2011-01-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

The first flight attendants were called "couriers," and their ranks included the young sons of steamship, railroad, and industrial magnates who financed the airlines. Stout Airways was the first to employ stewards in 1926, working on Ford Tri-Motor planes between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Western (1928) and Pan Am (1929) were the first US carriers to employ stewards to serve food. Ten-passenger Fokkers used in the Caribbean had stewards in the era of gambling trips to Havana, Cuba from Key West, Florida.
During the early days of commercial aviation, a pilot or first officer on flights would often serve as cabin attendant, as well as assisting in flying the plane. But this splitting of duties proved inefficient, and airlines began to consider other options.
Boeing Air Transport, a forerunner of United Air Lines, was the first airline to hire women, beginning with Ellen Church on May 15, 1930. Airline executives believed that the presence of a female attendant on board would reassure passengers of the increasing safety of air travel. It would be difficult for potential travelers to admit fear of flying when young women routinely took to the air as part of an in-flight crew. Further, it was believed that women would cater to their predominantly male passengers. (Not everyone was enthusiastic about the idea, though. Pilots claimed they were too busy flying to look after "helpless" female crew members.)
Flying on Boeing 80s and 80-As, stewardesses would serve their ten passengers a cold meal, usually consisting of fried chicken, apples and sandwiches, which they would pick up at the hanger prior to passenger boarding. On flights out of Chicago, the famous Palmer House catered the food. In 1931, Eastern Air Transport hostesses served passengers in a hanger at Richmond, VA. On Curtiss-Wright Condor aircraft (which had no galleys) hostesses served their eighteen passengers coffee, tea, Coca-Cola, biscuits and coffeecake from a picnic hamper. United used fine bone china until turbulence made that economically unsound. Coffee was served from thermos bottles.
In addition to meal service, stewardesses were also responsible for winding clocks and altimeters in the cabin, and ensuring that wicker passenger seats were securely bolted to the aircraft floor. They were also required to advise passengers not to throw lighted cigars and cigarettes out aircraft windows while over populated areas and to ensure that passengers didn't use the exit door instead of the lavatory door! All this for an exciting salary of $110 (Eastern) to $125 (UA/Boeing) per month. As this was during the depression, no one received raises. At the start of the New Year in 1933, there were only thirty-eight stewardess in the United States. Twenty-six worked for United, on Boeing aircraft, another twelve for Eastern, flying on Curtiss-Wright Condors. On May 3, 1933, American Air Ways, predecessor of American Airlines, hired their first four hostesses and a week later, hired two more registered nurses. By the time Trans-Canada Air Lines (later renamed Air Canada) was created in April, 1937, the stewardess concept was firmly established.
In the beginning, airlines preferred to hire only registered nurses, not just for their medical experience, but also because it was believed that nurses led a disciplined life which would transfer well to the rigors of airline travel. During World War II, the airlines hired only men to work on the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) flights, thereby opening the market for women on non-military commercial flights.
The stewardess career went through many transformations over the decades. This job changed from something one only did for a few years prior to marriage, to a long-term career worth retaining until retirement. This has largely been a result of better wage and benefits packages secured by unions on behalf of various flight attendant work forces. In times past, stewardesses were required to quit when they married or became pregnant.
Airlines hired only young women and some preferred them to retire or transfer to a ground job when they reached a ripe old age between thirty-two to thirty five! During the 1960s and 1970s, through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines and various lawsuits, these barriers gradually fell. Now airlines must hire people of all races, ages, marital status, and gender. As more men entered the workforce, the job title was changed from "steward/stewardess" to the current "flight attendant." There are some countries that continue to call them "steward/stewardess" or even "host/hostess," but even these are gradually changing to reflect a genderless job title. Now the average age is late twenties to mid-thirties. Average seniority is ten years with a very low attrition rate. Approximately one half are married, while many are single, divorced, widowed, parents and even grandparents!
The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 was a significant milestone, opening the way for corporate greed. Airlines attempted to push salaries back to 1970 levels, bargaining power was weakened and over fifty-percent of airlines which existed in pre-deregulation times went bankrupt, merged, or were forced out of business. Outlook for the new millennium is uncertain, as more airlines are filing for protection under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code, even as this guide is printed. For persons considering a position of flight attendant as a long-term career, it is of utmost necessity that you study listings in this guide to make the most informed choice possible when selecting a carrier. Then research the history of the airline you're considering. Possible sources of information are business newspapers and magazines. You can find these at your local library and you may also discover your library has free internet access- if you're not yet connected at your home, school or business. The World Wide Web can be an excellent source of information on individual airlines, merely by visiting their web sites. This information can be valuable to you in the interview process- as you will learn later in this guide.
One of your best and most accessible sources can be flight attendants who work for your preferred airline. Spend a day out at your local airport, interviewing flight attendants while they're waiting for their flights. Ask them about working conditions, rates of pay, management attitude, job security, etc. They can tell you which of their domiciles are the most junior, or the most senior. Show them your copy of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide and ask them any questions you might have about their airline's listing. (You will soon discover many flight attendants have used this guide when they were job hunting.)
For further reading on the subject of flight attendant history, there is no better book than Helen McLaughlin's Footsteps in the Sky. (See Appendix) Her collection of first-person accounts from the first stewardesses to present-day flight attendants, can give you a better insight and awareness of our rewarding career.

Meet Airline Recruiters face-to-face at WAI

2010-11-17T06:06:00.001-08:00

If you're looking to get into aviation, or continue your career in aviation, then you should be planning on attending the Women in Aviation Conference in Reno, NV in February 24-26 2011.

Open to men and women, it is one of the best venues to meet face-to-face with recruiters from the major US airlines, and well as regional, charters and other aviation recruiters.

For more information, go to www.WAI.org

Airline hiring on the rise

2010-11-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

Your First-Class ticket out of a depressed job market.

Many regions of the country experience slumps in the local job market, making it difficult for applicants to acquire quality jobs. Long periods of time spent looking for a career can render the applicant unable to uproot themselves to a new city or state, in which to pursue a healthy career market. Low-income families may also find these costs out of the reach of their limited resources. Consider then, the career as an airline flight attendant, as a first-class ticket out of a depressed local job market.

During the past two decades, vast changes have come about in the airline industry, especially in the area of flight attendant hiring practices. Previously, applicants were required to be under 30, single, childless, and skinny. Changes brought about by flight attendant unions and equal opportunity legislation has brought an end to these discriminatory practices. Now the airlines are hiring flight attendant applicants in their 30's, 40's, and 50's, and they're no longer required to quit when they marry, or have children. Weight restrictions, while more vague, have also been relaxed.

Delta Air Lines, USAirways and American have begun hiring or recalling their furloughed flight attendants. Meanwhile mid-size airlines such as jetBlue and Virgin America have been hiring during the past year, along with regional airlines such as Mesa, SkyWest, Alaska, Mesaba, Pinnacle and others.

Tim Kirkwood, author of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide, a career guide for flight attendant applicants, displays current job openings for US and Canadian airlines on his webpage: www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com/jobs.cfm.

For world-wide flight attendant jobs, he recommends: www.AviaNation.com/student.

Most airlines conduct their recruiting process in various cities across the country, and many will offer space-available passes on their own route system, to enable qualified applicants to attend interviews in out-of-town locations.

Once hired, these applicants are assigned a domicile city, and housing guidance is provided by the airlines. Most applicants group together with the friends they've made in training and rent apartments.

The minimum requirements of the job are basic:

A high school diploma or G.E.D.
Minimum of 18 years of age
US citizen or resident alien with a work permit
Fluency in English

While additional education and public-contact work experience is preferred, it is not a requirement for employment. Knowledge of a foreign language is also beneficial, but not required.

After a short probationary period, travel benefits are available to the employee, offering free or reduced-rate travel on other airlines as well as their own. These benefits also may extend to the employees' immediate family- thereby offering another first-class ticket out of a depressed job market.

Tim Kirkwood is in his 34th year as an airline flight attendant. He is the author of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide -a step-by-step career guide for flight attendant applicants.

For more information e-mail Tim: crew4jets@aol.com.
www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com

Flight Attendant training info

2010-10-12T08:05:00.001-07:00

Airlines must schedule training classes well in advance, so pay particular attention to your assigned starting date. It may be within a week or anywhere up to six months away. Upon notification of your proposed training date, allow time to attend to personal affairs. If you are presently employed, plan on a date when you will submit your resignation. And then, if possible, give yourself a couple of weeks to get your life in order and study your pretraining materials.
Training classes have, on rare occasions, been cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond the control of the industry. A good example of this was the Gulf War of '90-91. Passenger air travel decreased so much during the confrontation that many airlines had to cut back on personnel. If you had been waiting your training date, your airline would have notified you of it's postponement, or even cancellation date. In some cases, it could be a year later when your class is rescheduled. Thankfully, these are not common occurrences.
Training is held in the airlines' home city or hub, and most airlines either provide lodging for trainees, or will assist you in finding suitable lodging. Some will begin paying you a salary when you start training, some when you complete it. Others will only pay you a per diem for food and expenses. In some cases, you will have to pay for your food and lodging yourself. (Check the listings in this guide for these individual situations.) Nevertheless, you should come to training with sufficient money for food and expenses for the three to six weeks' duration of training.
Pack enough clothing for the duration, as well. Business attire is required while in the classroom and common areas of the training center. More casual clothes and even a swimsuit may be required for training in evacuation and wet ditching (water landings). The training center may have laundry facilities available for your use, or you may need to frequent a local Laundromat.
You will usually share a room with one, two or three other trainees. For the next three to six weeks the flight attendant training academy will be your home away from home. Instructional facilities vary with each airline, but for the most part they are modern and multifaceted. It is here that each new trainee is transformed into a professional flight attendant.
Classroom training is held from 8am until 5 or 6pm, six days a week, for the duration of your training. If you live in the city where training is held, you may be allowed to spend the nights in your own home. Otherwise, expect to be at your training center the entire time. If you become homesick and wish to fly home for a visit, the airline may give you a pass to get home, but may not allow you to return. As there are thousands of applicants willing to take your place, there's no reason for an airline to make special exceptions for any student.
The general flying public holds the belief that a flight attendant is only on board an aircraft to serve coffee and food. But as far as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is concerned, meal services and airline public relations are secondary duties for flight attendants. The FAA requires flight attendants to be on board for one reason only, and that is passenger safety. Flight attendants have been called upon to render first aid for cuts, bruises, burns, choking, and airsickness, as well as broken bones. There have been instances of flight attendants assisting with childbirth on some flights.
The U.S. Government requires you to be fully safety trained for each type of aircraft your company operates. You will be forbidden to work on an aircraft you haven't been trained and tested on. Every year you will be retested, and failure can mean loss of duty time, and/or your job. You will need to know the type, number, location and use of the fire fighting equipment on board, including the newly installed smoke hoods. Competence is also required in the operation of all emergency exits and evacuation techniques. Basic first aid, CPR and oxygen administration, and anti-hijacking training will be included as well.
The majority of your training day will be spent learning and being tested on these safety requirements. You will have hands-on training with all the oxygen, fire fighting, and first aid equipment. You will practice evacuating a simulated flight, and may even jump into a swimming pool to experience working with the life rafts and life vests. The remainder of your classroom training will consist of company policies and procedures, the paperwork required for every flight, as well as dining and service. You will practice on your fellow classmates, how to set up and serve meals and drinks from aisle serving carts, and then how to stow it all away again for landing.
To achieve certification by the FAA, every airline must demonstrate that its crews can evacuate an entire aircraft full of passengers in ninety seconds or less, with only half of the available exits functioning. The lives of the passengers and crew can depend on the training of the flight attendants. Your airline, therefore, will concentrate heavily on this area. You will be tested constantly on this information, and you must be proficient in all of it to complete training and begin flying.
The FAA requires you to carry a flashlight at all times while on duty, so bring one to training. The "Mini-Maglite™" type has become the preferred flashlight for flight attendants. The Emergency Procedures Manual (EPM) your airline issues to you is also required equipment. This manual serves as your constant guide to company rules, regulations, the handling of unusual situations, and emergency procedures. You can be fined five hundred dollars if a FAA spot check finds you without your flashlight or up-to-date EPM. A reliable, working watch of a conservative style is also a necessity.
At the completion of training you will be fitted for your uniform and accessories. Flight attendant uniforms are unique to each airline. Airlines employ leading fashion designers to create uniforms for their flight attendants that are durable, practical, and versatile, all the while satisfying current fashion trends. The primary objective of having flight attendants wear uniforms is that they are easily recognized as leaders in an emergency situation. The uniform also sets the flight attendant apart as the individual responsible for providing service and comfort. You will, in most cases, be expected to purchase your first uniform, though some airlines will split the cost with you. The average five-hundred-dollar cost is deducted from your paychecks over your first year of employment. All replacement uniform items are generally paid for by the airline.
Standards are also established for the flight attendant uniform. From the time you check in to work a trip, and during the performance of all duties, you are expected to be in full uniform. Business attire may be substituted while deadheading, but there are no excuses for not having a complete and clean uniform on hand before each trip. It is mandatory for flight attendants to maintain a professional manner and appearance when wearing the uniform. This rule applies not only on the airplane and in the airport terminal, but also while in uniform on public transportation and in layover facilities. You will not be allowed to substitute or accessorize your uniform to suit your tastes.
By now you should have learned that seniority rules in almost any work-related situation in the airline. When you graduate from training, you will be assigned a seniority number that gives you a rank among all other flight attendants flying for your airline on a system-wide basis. This could be determined by your age in training, or by the last four digits of your Social Security number. You accrue flight attendant seniority as long as you remain on active flying status. Most companies allow their flight attendants to continue to accrue seniority during leaves of absence, and while on special assignment with the company or union. A decision to quit flying permanently means forfeiting all your rights as a flight attendant, including your seniority status. In other words, if you have five years seniority with ABC Airlines, and you quit to go to work for XYZ Airlines, you start all over again with zero seniority. In the same manner, if you then quit XYZ Airlines with five years seniority, and reapply a year later, you will once again start with zero seniority.
After training, you may be given a choice of cities from which you will begin and end all your flights, or one may be chosen for you by your airline. This will be your home base station, or domicile. Some airlines have only one domicile for flight attendants; others have as many as twelve. Not all cities will be available to you. Some domiciles are more "senior" than others- or in other words, more preferred. You will start in a "junior" domicile, and can then transfer out at a later date. You will be required to remain at your domicile for a set period of time (usually six months) before you can put in a request to transfer to another. Your transfer request will be processed in seniority order. If you're not senior enough for a particular base, or there are no openings there, your request will be denied. It may take many years of service with your company to be based in some of their more senior domiciles. This is a reason airlines ask you in the interview of you are willing to relocate. If you don't get assigned the base of your choice after training, you can always quit and go home, but I wouldn't try applying for that airline again. As mentioned earlier, even though you may be fully trained, other airlines don't recognize that training, nor give hiring preference to you if you are. And if you tell them you quit your last airline because you didn't get your domicile of choice, then this airline won't want to hire you either.
Many flight attendants and pilots commute from the cities they live in, to their respective domiciles. My airline has New York-based flight attendants commuting from as far away as Hawaii and Israel. Many commuters will share a "commuter apartment" in the domicile for use when they are spending a night or two between trips. All commuting is done at your own expense, and is not considered an excuse for not making your assigned working flight on time. You will have to use your airline's pass system for commuting, and you may only have a limited number of passes per year. Other airlines will sell you reduced rate tickets, but these may cost you $100 or more per commute. When you multiply that by four or five trips in a month, the expense can add up quickly. In all cases, you will be travelling on standby, and are not guaranteed a seat. If you are on reserve, you will have to live in your base city during the days you are on call, as you may be given only an hour's notice to appear for a flight.
Airlines look at dependability very closely. As an aircraft is unable to depart if it's not fully staffed, flight attendant absence or tardiness can be very costly to hundreds of passengers, as well as to your airline. If you are one of those people who is constantly late for appointments, then perhaps this career is not for you. Excessive incidents of illness, tardiness, or missed flights can lead to discipline and/or dismissal.
After training, you may be given time to return home before starting work in your new city, or you may start working right away. You should be prepared for this when you enter training, keeping in mind the potential cost factors of moving to a new city. You may share an apartment in your new city with the friends you made while in training, or move in with family or friends. Your flight schedule will make it easier for you, as you and your roommates may seldom be in the apartment at the same time. Some airlines allow you travel privileges when you complete training, others when you complete your probationary period. Again, this period of probation is a time when you must be extra diligent. Any infraction of the rules, such as missing a flight, showing up late, etc., can be cause for immediate dismissal.

-excerpt from The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide by Tim Kirkwood. For more information, go to www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com

LOOKING FOR AVIATION EMPLOYMENT? Go to http://www.AviaNation.com and post your resume for FREE. Job postings for all segments of aviation can be found on the site as well. Just click on this hyperlink or copy it to your web browser: http://www.AviaNation.com

Hiring outlook improving for Flight Attendants

2010-09-20T16:05:00.001-07:00

Delray Beach, FL The biggest and best news this year from the aviation sector was the announcement that Atlanta-based Delta Airlines will be hiring up to 1,000 new flight attendants. Delta, who recently merged with Northwest Airlines, is the first of the “legacy” airlines to hire flight attendants in recent years.

“Normally, after a merger, there is a lag in hiring as both work groups are absorbed into one.” says Tim Kirkwood, author of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide. “This hiring gives an optimistic trend to airline employment”.

The industry has been trending up in 2010.

- International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that passenger traffic climbed by 9.2 percent in July on an annual basis, with the Asia-Pacific region showing the highest gain at 10.9 percent. Also, cargo volume gained 22.7 percent.

- Boeing predicts that nearly half-a-million new pilots and almost 600,000 in support-staff will need to be trained over the next 20 years to accommodate higher travel demand – up from about 233,000 pilots and 100,000 mechanics/engineers who are currently employed by airlines worldwide.

- Dahlman Rose's weekly airline and aircraft lessor report indicates most of the airlines continue to see double digit revenue growth for 3Q2010 and strong forward bookings at least through mid-November.

- Minneapolis Airlines/Airport Examiner reports August revenue continued to show double-digit increases at United Airlines, though the increase was slightly lower than in previous months. Passenger revenue rose by nearly 19 percent while the year-to-year capacity increase at the Chicago-based carrier was 1.7 percent. System-wide load factor for the month rose to 86.7 percent, an increase of 0.6 percent from a year ago.

While the legacy carriers are showing growth in employment needs, the Mid-Size and Regional airlines have been hiring pretty much non-stop. Virgin America, jetBlue, AirTran, SkyWest, Alaska, Pinnacle, Mesaba are only some of the companies looking for new in-flight crewmembers.

Applicants can see who is hiring in the US and Canada on Mr. Kirkwood’s website, at www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com/jobs.cfm. He also recommends the page-after-page of all jobs available at www.AviaNation.com/student.

Contact info:

Tim Kirkwood, Author

The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide

Crew4jets@aol.com

Be an Airline Flight Attendant

2010-07-19T06:31:00.001-07:00

Have you ever dreamed of flying to exotic places or foreign cities? Or perhaps have a desire to see more of the USA or Canada? If so, then you should consider the career as an airline flight attendant. There are over eighty scheduled, regional and charter airlines in the US and Canada, and they are in need of qualified applicants the year round.
Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 the "Major" airlines had not been hiring, and some had furloughed their current flight attendants. The prospects of getting hired by a Major were relatively slim until recently, but it is now getting better.
But the Majors are only 10% of the airlines operating in the US and Canada. The other 90% include the mid-size airlines, regional and commuter carriers and charter airlines. These airlines continue to need and hire flight attendants on their flights.In addition, the fastest growing sector of aviation is the corporate or executive jet Flight Attendant employment opportunities. These luxurious private and corporate aircraft cater to a high-end clientele, and require professionally trained flight attendants as well.
If you think you must be a young fashion-model type to be considered for this much sought-after job, you would be mistaken. So says Tim Kirkwood, author of the best-selling career book, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOB FINDER & CAREER GUIDE. Airlines today are looking for women and men between the ages of eighteen to sixty, who have the desire to travel and work with people.
This broader acceptance of applicants opens the career up to persons who had never considered themselves qualified. It also, therefore, increases the competition for potential applicants. Every airline has a different set of requirements, and some will even look for the characteristics of the region in which they fly.
A high-school diploma or GED is a must, so if you're in school now, STAY IN SCHOOL. If you have quit or dropped out, it's never too late to go back and get your diploma. For all airlines, it is a requirement for employment. Additional schooling, which can improve your chances of acceptance, includes sociology, psychology, history, geography, and foreign languages.
Nearly all airlines will train you as a part of the hiring process, even if you've worked for another airline, or attended one of the expensive airline "schools". I recommend you look for an inexpensive local community college or adult education course that offers class in Travel & Tourism, or an introduction to the Flight Attendant Career, such as the one offered by Cypress College (http://votech.cypresscollege.edu/~atc/).
Most airlines set height requirements to correspond with the size of the aircraft they operate. Too tall, and you're bumping your head on the ceiling. Too short, and you may not be able to reach the overhead compartments. If you're between 5' and 6', you'll be within the range the airlines are looking for.
Weight restrictions have come under fire lately, brought on by lawsuits against the impossibly strict standards set decades ago. The phrase you will hear now is "weight must be in proportion to height". Being in good physical condition is important, as the job can be physically demanding. Combine unusual hours, time zone changes, strange hotel rooms and the dry atmosphere of the airplane, and you have the making of physical exhaustion. Applicants are tested for drug use when hired and then randomly after that for the rest of their career. Even if you are using illegal drugs on a sporadic or "recreational" basis, you must quit now. You can also be alcohol tested throughout your career, as drinking is not permitted at anytime while on duty or in uniform.
The traveling public has the general impression that flight attendants are on board the airplane simply to serve food and coffee. The Federal Aviation Administration, a government organization that oversees aviation safety, sees it completely different. Their role is to ensure that the flying public is safe when they fly, and requires flight attendants on board to provide assistance in flight, and to get the passengers out of the aircraft in an emergency. You will learn basic first-aid, CPR, fire-fighting techniques as part of your training. In fact, the majority of training you will receive will have more to do with safety, than how to pour a glass of wine.
What is it then, which makes this job one of the most sought-after in America and Canada? Flexibility, variety, and travel are the top three reasons.

Flexibility. Most people work all week, with perhaps one or two days off over the weekend. Most receive one to two weeks of vacation per year. As a flight attendant, you have the ability to group your flights together in a given month, and have 1-2 weeks off every month! And that is in addition to your regular vacation time. You can use this free time to utilize your travel benefits, continue your education, or run your own business.

Variety. Since you are able to move your schedule around to suit your personal life, you are also able to escape the nine-to-five, Monday through Friday drudgery. And each flight is to a different city, with different crews, and different passengers. It's very hard to get bored.

Travel. Most airline employees receive passes to fly on their own airline for free, or for a small fee. In addition, other airlines will offer you 50-75% discounts on their tickets. Hotels, rental cars, cruises, tour packages all have some discount schedule for airline employees also. Put it all together, and you have the flexibility to travel to a variety of places, at an extremely low cost. How could anyone not want to be an airline flight attendant?

Well, to begin with, the hours can be long and irregular. The work can be tiring, the passengers demanding or even abusive. The atmosphere in the aircraft at altitude is extremely drying. Snowstorms, labor disputes, or mechanical breakdowns can disrupt schedules. Perhaps your plans to attend your friends' wedding will be spoiled by a storm that traps you in Des Moines. And there is the constant fear of a crash, although statistics say you have a better chance of being hit by lightening than experiencing a plane crash. This is more than a career choice. This is a lifestyle change to which you must give careful thought.
And what do the airline recruiters look for? Once again the big word is flexibility. If you are able to be flexible in your attitude and lifestyle, and work well both alone, and with a group of people, then you have the basic building blocks to pursue your career in the skies. Spend some time in your local library, researching the airlines, or reading the books available on flight attendant careers. You can also find a wealth of information on the Internet, or World Wide Web. When you have chosen the airlines that match your career criteria, contact them by mail and request an application. Then, START PACKING!

TIM KIRKWOOD, currently in his 32nd year as an airline flight attendant for a major US carrier, is the author of THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOB FINDER & CAREER GUIDE. For more information on the Guide, visit us on the web at www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com.

LOOKING FOR AVIATION EMPLOYMENT? Go to http://www.AviaNation.com and post your resume for FREE. Job postings for all segments of aviation can be found on the site as well. Just click on this hyperlink or copy it to your web browser: http://www.AviaNation.com

Women in Corporate Aviation to Award $16,000 in Scholarships at 2010 NBAA Convention

2010-06-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

Women in Corporate Aviation
CONTACT: Elizabeth Partie
Women in Corporate Aviation, Secretary
ecpartie@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[May 31, 2010]
Women in Corporate Aviation Announces Six Upcoming Scholarship Offerings
Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA) is pleased to promote personal career development through the awarding of six scholarships at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual Convention, October 19-21, 2010 in Atlanta, GA. The scholarships will be presented at a WCA sponsored event during the convention. For convention information, please visit the NBAA website.

The scholarship offerings are varied, representing the diverse opportunities available within corporate aviation. The Women in Corporate Aviation Career Scholarship ($1,000) is sponsored by WCA members to assist a person pursuing professional development or career advancement in corporate/business aviation. The career scholarship may not be awarded to a previous WCA Career Scholarship recipient.

The WCA Aviation Management Scholarship ($500-$2,100) is sponsored by WCA Corporate members: The Home Depot and Jeff Reich, CAM, of Elevon Consulting. The scholarship assists those currently in corporate aviation with the costs of professional courses/programs toward aviation management.

The Susan C. Friedenberg Corporate Flight Attendant Scholarship ($3,800) consists of a four day training program designed to teach individuals entering into the industry how to approach contract flying.

The Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. Dispatcher License Training Scholarships (2 available at $3,445 each) are available to individuals who desire to pursue their FAA Dispatcher Licenses.

The University of Southern California Viterbi Aviation Safety & Security Scholarship ($2,250) is offered to an individual who has demonstrated interest in aviation safety or management in corporate/business aviation. The award covers the cost of tuition of the 4.5 day Human Factors in Aviation Safety Course offered by USC Viterbi.

Applications and detailed guidelines for the listed scholarships may be found on the WCA Scholarship website. Applicants should be actively working toward their goals in business/corporate aviation and demonstrate financial need. With further questions on application guidelines please contact WCA Scholarship Chair Sandra Clifford at sjclifford.clifford@gmail.com.

About Women in Corporate Aviation
WCA, a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization, is the premier mentoring association for both men and women in corporate/business aviation. WCA promotes aviation careers and supports diversity by providing information, networking, mentoring, scholarships and education for current and future industry professionals. WCA is open for student, individual, and corporate membership. For more information about WCA or to donate towards our scholarship program please visit the website at http://www.wca-intl.org, contact our WCA Headquarters at 4450 Nicholas Lane, Southaven, MS 38672, or email to WCAHQ@cs.com. If you would like to be removed from our press contact list, or have a change to your information, please email Elizabeth Partie, Secretary for WCA at ecpartie@gmail.com.

AviaNation Reaches Out to Displaced Airline Personnel Worldwide

2009-05-18T07:38:00.001-07:00

AviaNation Reaches Out to Displaced Airline Personnel Worldwide

While airlines around the world are shutting down and laying off workers, AviaNation is reaching out to help displaced airline employees locate new positions in the industry by granting free access to its world wide database of job postings.

Delray Beach, FL (PRWEB) -- In response to financial turmoil that has gripped the global aviation industry, leading airline job firm AviaNation is opening up its database of job postings to airline personnel around the world. Job seekers can post their resumes on the website for free as well as access thousands of current international job positions.

For the second time in a decade, there is turbulence in the field of aviation. In 2001, massive layoffs resulted after 9/11. Airlines downsized and underwent bankruptcy protection as passengers stayed home out of fear and uncertainty.

Five years on, the rising price of petroleum delivered another severe blow to the industry. In the US, Aloha Airlines, Trans Air, Champion Air, Eos, Maxjet, and Skybus have all shut down operations and released thousands of employees into an already slumped job market. LAvion in France has done the same, Air Canada is closing crew bases, Alitalia is in bankruptcy, and Indian and Asian airlines are experiencing comparable pressure.

According to Tim Kirkwood of AviaNation.com, finding a job in todays precarious airline industry is challenging.

We have been in online aviation job placement for over 15 years, and we know how hard it can be to find an aviation career in an environment such as we have today," he says.

Our responsibility is two-fold: to provide the most and best jobs for our members, and to provide sufficient applications to our member companies in order to ensure that they continue to post their openings on our website."

Job searchers have free access to position listings two weeks after they are posted on AviaNation.com, giving paid members first read. However, many of these jobs remain active long after being posted.

Additionally, job seekers can post their resumes on the website for free, thus allowing any company around the world that searches the database to see applicants resumes and contact them directly.

AviaNation does not come between the applicant and company during the hiring process, nor do they take money from either the employer or applicant once a hire has been made. AviaNations entire revenue stream comes from active members who pay to see jobs within two weeks of their original posting, as well as additional search enhancements. Consequently, these tend to be the motivated applicants that employers look for.

Employers are also able to register and post their aviation job openings for free on the website. In doing so, employers have the ability to ask pre-screening questions, post blind ads, and even simultaneously post on their companys own employment web page.

Recently, AviaNation reached a milestone in their membership with 1,700 paying job seekers and nearly 60,000 members taking advantage of the free search option.

To view AviaNations posted jobs, please visit www.avianation.com/student or simply click on the FREE JOBS link at the bottom of the homepage at www.AviaNation.com.

Applicants seeking to post their resumes can access the resume input form at www.avianation.com/resumes or by clicking on Free Services" in the FOR JOB SEEKERS box on the home page.

ABOUT AVIANATION.COM: AviaNation.com is one of the premier job posting web sites for pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, and all other aviation jobs. With their world-wide database of companies posting jobs, and 54,000 resumes from around the globe, AviaNation is the one-stop location for an aviation career.

ABOUT TIM KIRKWOOD: Tim has been an aviation professional for over 30 years, active in aviation job placement for over 15 years, and is the author of The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide, a career guide book for US and Canadian flight attendants- now in it's third edition.

Contact information:

Tim Kirkwood
AviaNation.com
561-843-6006

Assistance for Aloha/Skybus/ATA employees

2008-04-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

AviaNation.com, the on-line aviation job placement service for aviation is offering its assistance to displaced Aloha/Skybus/ATA employees. AviaNation is offering free resume posting in its applicant database, as well as free access to their world-wide job aviation job postings.

"Out hearts go out to these loyal employee groups who, through no fault of their own, now find themselves out on the street" says Tim Kirkwood, AviaNation.com representative. "We average 20-30 new job postings on our site every day, and we want to make these available to any Aloha/Skybus/ATA employee. Recruiters can search our database of applicants for free, and locate any Aloha/Skybus/ATA employee who utilizes our free resume posting service."

Job seekers can get an idea of the quality of jobs we get on our site, clicking on "Free Jobs" in the links at the bottom of our home page, or by this direct link: http://www.avianation.com/aviation_jobs/showjobs.cfm?jobFilter=FREE.

Aloha/Skybus/ATA employees and post their resume for free on our homepage at www.AviaNation.com by clicking on 'Free Service' in the FOR JOB SEEKERS box, or via the direct link http://www.avianation.com/mem_resumeonly_p1.cfm.

AviaNation.com is also working with the Aloha/Skybus/ATA unions to assist their members.

The BEST airline to work for

2005-07-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

People are constantly asking me, "Which is the best airline to work for?" Because of all the variables involved, I can't answer that question for you without more information; you have to answer it for yourself. I can give you some guidelines to consider when choosing the airline you would most like to work for.

LOCATION: Do you want to remain living where you currently reside? If so, you should look for airlines that have a domicile in your town. While there is no guarantee that you will be based there right out of training, you will at least have that option in the future. If they don't have a domicile in your town, then you will always have to commute to your domicile to begin your workday, and may even have to travel there the day before and spend the night in a hotel at your own expense, just to ensure you can check-in for your working flight on time.
Or are you ready to explore new places and new locales? Perhaps you've always wanted to live in New York City, but knew you would never be able to afford to move there without first having a job. You could select airlines that have flight attendant bases in JFK, EWR, LGA or ISP. All these airports would be within reach of the New York City area.

SCHEDULE: Do you want to be home every night, if possible, and not spend any nights away from home? Do you have children or spouses/family/significant others who you want to spend as much time with as possible? Then you would want to concentrate on the Regional carriers that usually have shorter runs, and fewer overnights.
If travel is what you desire, then the larger international airlines or charter airlines would be a better choice. Their longer trips and foreign destinations will give you more layovers and interesting destinations. You may be gone for longer periods of time, but you will be seeing parts of the world that your friends can only dream of.

SKILLS: Do you speak a foreign language? Then choose the airlines that fly to destinations where your language skills would be an asset. If you're a resident alien from Germany, you might choose an airline with flights to Germany so you can easily visit your relatives.

INTERESTS: Are you a South American history major? Do you collect Asian Art? Are you a professional surfer, rock climber, runner or biker? All these are things to consider when choosing your ideal airline. Once you have chosen the airlines that best meet your desires, you can go to their websites and investigate the companies further and refine your choice.

HIGHEST PAID: This is actually the last reason to choose an airline. As stated throughout this guide, there are no guarantees in this industry. You may start working for the airline that pays its Flight Attendants the highest salary in the industry, only to have your salary reduced by cutbacks or pay cuts due to slumps in the industry, bankruptcy or corporate takeover. If you live in an area with a low cost of living, and choose an airline that pays more, but requires you to live in an area with a high cost of living, such as New York City, or San Francisco- then your higher salary is being lost to your food and lodging. Keep in mind that just because an airline pays more, doesn't necessarily mean it's a better company to work for.

So which is the best airline to work for? The one that you choose to best satisfy your personal needs, skills, and interests.

Tim Kirkwood, Author
The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide
www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com

LOOKING FOR AVIATION EMPLOYMENT? Go to http://www.AviaNation.com and post your resume for FREE. Job postings for all segments of aviation can be found on the site as well. Just click on this hyperlink or copy it to your web browser: http://www.AviaNation.com

Airline Interview Tips

2005-05-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

The interviewing process for the position of flight attendant is like no other interview you've ever had. Instead of a sedate interview of your past, held in the Human Resources office of a corporation, you may find yourself singing and dancing in front of a crowd of people! Because of this, successful applicants prepare for interviews with their airlines of choice by attending interviews with airlines they have no intention of working for, just for practice. That way, they're better prepared for any question or situation an interviewer might throw at them. You can also gain valuable information by utilizing the resources listed in the "Career Resources" section in the back of the Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide. Knowledge is a good thing, and there is no such thing as enough interview knowledge.
During the interviewing process, most airlines will start with a group interview or "cattle call". A large hall will be rented and groups of applicants will be given an overview of the airline and job requirements. You are usually asked to fill out an application at that time, so you will want to have your resume information with you. One of the surest ways to be bumped from an interview is to say, "Can I get back to you on these dates? I don't have that information with me." Or, the airline may have mailed you an application to your home. If this is the case, it should be completely and neatly filled out before you arrive at the interview. As we mentioned in the previous chapter of the Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide, it is even recommended to make a photocopy of the application, so you can practice filling it out, then putting that information on the original copy as neatly as possible. You should also make a photocopy of the finished application, and bring it with you to the interview.
Following the "cattle call", small groups of applicants may be taken before a panel of interviewers. Further interviews may be given at that time or applicants may be notified of follow-up interviews by phone or mail. The second and third interviews may consist of groups of applicants meeting with a panel of interviewers, a single applicant meeting with a panel, or a one-on-one interview. Usually you will be sent a pass to travel on your prospective airline to interview in their training city. These are "on-line" passes, and are good only on that airline's routes. If you don't live near a city your airline flies to, you will have to pay your own way to get to the closest city where the airline operates.
So what makes these interviews so different? The fact is, the interviewers already know your personal history - it's on your application, which has been pre-screened prior to your arrival. What the interviewers want to find out about you is your character:

How do you handle stress?
How do you conduct yourself when faced with a difficult passenger situation?
How well do you work as a team player?
How do you take direction?
Are your social graces sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the job?

These are the most important criteria toward which the focus of the interview will be shifted. Therefore, the interviewers are not necessarily going to ask you about your last job. They're going to put you in situations and see how you get yourself out of them. For instance, in your group of applicants, you may be asked to stand up on a stage and sing the company's slogan, or invent a new one. They may give you an object, perhaps a pen or paper clip, and instruct you to "sell" it to the rest of the group. Many will give you in-flight problem situations, for role-playing, and evaluate how you handle them.
Many of these scenarios will have no "right" or "wrong" solution, and the interviewers do not expect you to know their specific corporate policies. They want to see how well you "think on your feet" and apply common sense to your solutions.

Airlines love to throw hard questions at you, to see how you react. Some examples of these are:

"You have such beautiful long hair. Would you cut your hair short to get this job?"

"This job will require you to move to New York (or Des Moines, Walla Walla, Timbuktu...). Will this create a strain on your relationship with your boy/girlfriend?"

"You are going to have to work every holiday for the next three years, before you even have the possibility of getting one off. Are you prepared for this?"

"Why do you want to be a flight attendant?" Please don't answer this question with the standard answer of "...because I love people and I love to fly!" Interviewers hear that response hundreds of times a day. A more correct answer would be one that demonstrates what you have to offer your prospective airline.

This is where your homework will come into play. Mention the new city that the airline is flying to, or the new nomination for CEO, etc. If you chose them for the chance to utilize your language skills, let them know that. Everyone at the interview wants to be a Flight Attendant. The airline wants to know why they should choose you over the other applicants. What skills will you bring to the airline to improve its standing in the marketplace? The pressure will be on you to perform, as there are no right or wrong responses. If you list a foreign language on your application, someone will test you, so you had better know more than "Buenos Días"!
During the entire interview process, consider yourself "on stage". It's not unusual for an airline to be evaluating you as you're waiting to be called into a session. It's a common practice for one of your fellow applicants to be a company employee working undercover. They may be talking with you before the interview, and reveal that they "heard" the airline is not a good one to work for. Never speak negatively about this company, or compare them to other companies in a conversation. These persons may convey your answers back to the company. (Some airlines even go so far as to ask the working crew how you behaved on the flight in.) They will be observing you to see how you get along with the other applicants. They may be talking with you before the interview, and reveal that they "heard" the airline is not a good one to work for. Never speak negatively about this company, or compare them to other companies in a conversation. These persons may convey your answers back to the company.
Throughout the interviews, whether it is the group, panel, or the individual interview, maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. And always, always, remember and use the interviewer's name. If you're in a group interview remember the names of the other applicants, and listen to what they're saying in their responses. Then use this information in your own responses, in a scenario such as this:

INTERVIEWER: "...and what do you feel is the main reason for flight attendants on an aircraft?"

YOU: "Well, Jane, I agree with Susan when she said it's for passenger comfort, but feel the larger reason for flight attendants on board is for passenger safety."

After the interview, be sure to thank your interviewer(s) by name. Reiterate to them how you would like to be a part of their in-flight team, and what you think is the one skill you would bring to the position. This will leave them with a good impression of you, which they will utilize when they decide who continues on to the next level of interviews, or who gets a rejection letter. If you get the opportunity, this is the time to attach a small photo to your application form or resume. It should not be much larger than 2"x2", and should be a professional looking shot of your head and shoulders. Interviewers may talk with hundreds of applicants in a day, and make notes on their applications. At the end of the day, the interviewers will review the applications that weren't immediately rejected, trying to further narrow down their choices. Having a photo on your application will help them remember your participation in the interview, and the impression you made.
Sometimes it's the little details that will make or break you. Airlines have been known to have applications to be filled out at the interview. If you forgot to bring a pen, you can ask the interviewer for one, and they will give you a pencil. Later, when they're going through the applications, they will throw out all the ones filled out in pencil, as this proves you're not good at planning ahead for a given situation.
Are you friendly and talkative, or are you shy and keep to yourself? Your posture and how you sit, walk, and talk will all be checked. This information may be reported to the interviewers before you enter their office. You will always want to be on guard at all times, not just the time you are in front of the interviewers. Are you slumped against the wall or slouching in your seat while waiting to be called? Is this what you would consider "professional flight attendant" demeanor? Your interviewers will not! . Be friendly, talkative, and sincerely interested in the people around you. Don't criticize the company, or any other airlines for that matter. Always be as upbeat and positive as possible. Even if it is allowed or permissible, don't smoke during the interview process. All US and Canadian airlines are now a non-smoking environment, and one airline even requires you to be a non-user of nicotine products to apply. As a working crewmember you will have the same smoking restrictions as your passengers, so it's best to get in the practice of abstaining from smoking now, before you are hired.
Interview attire is important also. A smartly tailored suit that is clean and pressed will give you a more businesslike attitude than a trendy or extreme outfit. Avoid wearing too much makeup, applying just enough to enhance your natural features. It's a fallacy to believe that airlines are only looking for people who look like fashion models. Actually it's the overall person they now hire. Age, weight, height, and appearance standards have been relaxed over the years, making this career available to a larger cross-section of the public.
It shouldn't need mentioning, but after seeing some of the applicants who have come to interviews in the past, apparently it does:

Shower or bathe before you come to the interview!
Your hair should be clean and styled.
Perfume or aftershave should be applied lightly, and should not overpower the room.

You want to put your best appearance forward. Neat, recently trimmed hair (most beard wearers will be asked to shave if hired), clean hands and manicured nails (nail-biters seldom get hired), clear complexion, and a slim, well-proportioned figure are very important for both sexes. Women, avoiding the excessively large or dangling styles should wear simple earrings. Even though a few airlines may allow male flight attendants to wear a simple stud in their ear, it's best to not wear any to the interview. Body piercing in other locations is not accepted, and should not be worn to the interview. Tattoos should not be visible while wearing your interview attire.
A lot has been said lately on the subject of weight requirements. Recent lawsuits against airlines by older flight attendants that were still required to maintain their hiring weight well into their later years have been settled in favor of the flight attendants. Now airlines will simply say that weight must be "in proportion to height," as opposed to strictly adhered-to weight charts. It will, however, improve your chances at the interview if you display a figure in good physical condition. . It's very easy to gain weight while working as a flight attendant, and maintaining a regular schedule of exercise can be difficult. Therefore, it's imperative that you begin now to control your weight and physical condition.
The appearance criteria may be very subjective. Every airline looks for a different type of person. Some want the all-American look, others want the sophisticate. Still others will want the characteristics most traditionally associated with the regions in which they operate. Each company and each interviewer for that company has a different interpretation of what will fulfill their needs. It's not unusual for an applicant to be turned down by an airline one day, and hired by another the next. One friend of mine was turned down three separate times by the same major carrier, was finally hired by them on the fourth try, and now has over ten years seniority.
After the interview, if you do not hear from an airline within a couple of weeks, it is an indication that you have not been accepted. Don't become discouraged or take it personally. Sometimes it can be the personal preferences of the interviewer subconsciously affecting their judgment. Perhaps they don't like blondes, or New Yorkers, or whatever.
Your interviewer is usually a flight attendant on special assignment, and may not be a professionally trained interviewer. Or, it may come down to five excellent candidates, and they have only four openings. This is where all the little things you could or could not do in the interview will make or break you. Turn this disappointment into a positive learning experience and go on to interview with other carriers.
Perseverance is the key to success. If you are turned down by an airline, you will seldom be informed of the reason(s) why. Any attempts to try and discover why you were rejected will most likely be unsuccessful. Again, keep in mind that an average interview series can have hundreds of applicants, and the interviewers travel to many cities to conduct these interviews. To try and speak with the decision-makers can be next to impossible. Some career counselors will advise you to send a thank-you note to the interviewers. I personally don't advise this, as trying to connect the note with your application or the interviewer may not be possible. Simply accept the loss of this application window, move on, and apply to that airline again at your next eligible date. I remember at my final interview, we were all sitting around guessing which applicants would most likely get the job. The ones we all agreed upon as "definitely" getting the job were never hired. Many of us were amazed that we were chosen instead!

You will want to bring to your interview the following items:

Social security card
Passport
A copy of your birth certificate
Copies of your résumé
A copy of the information needed on the application
Letters of reference
Alien registration & work permit (non-citizen)
Pen
Watch

Allow adequate travel time to avoid a late arrival. Interviewers will close the doors to the interview room promptly on the specified hour. If you're even a minute late, you will either be denied entrance until the next session, or will be allowed to enter- though you now have two strikes against you. Why this test? Airlines operate on strict timetables. You must be on time and reliable if you want to be in this industry. This is not a career for you if you are habitually late for appointments. In fact, if you are even 5 minutes late more than once for your flights, you are fast on your way to looking for a new job. So, as the interviewers see it, if you can't arrive at the interview on time, how likely is it that you will be on time for the flights you work?

-Excerpt from THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOB FINDER & CAREER GUIDE by Tim Kirkwood, now in it's 3rd edition. This updated resource also contains the hiring requirements and application addresses of over 80 US and Canadian airlines. To order, go to http://www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com, or call 1-800-7-FLIGHT.

LOOKING FOR AVIATION EMPLOYMENT? Go to http://www.AviaNation.com and post your resume for FREE. Job postings for all segments of aviation can be found on the site as well. Just click on this hyperlink or copy it to your web browser: http://www.AviaNation.com

50 Airlines still hiring Flight Attendants

2005-04-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

50 Airlines STILL hiring flight attendants-

-just not the 6 you were thinking of.

Since September 11, the airline industry has undergone a drastic change, with many airlines downsizing or even going out of business. If you were considering a career as a flight attendant, you may as well give up, right? I mean, the majors aren't hiring, so there are no job openings, correct?

In reality, all that is far from true. When asked about the job of working for the airlines, most people are surprised when I tell them there are over 60 airlines in the US that hire flight attendants. Since 9/11, the "majors" have furloughed many employees, and yes, they are not looking to hire in the near future. But the "majors" (United, American, Delta, Northwest, USAirways) constitute only 10% of the 60 airlines in the US.

The rest of the airlines consist of the "mid-size" carriers, such as Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier; "regionals" such as SkyWest, Mesa, ComAir; and finally charter and niche airlines such as Sunworld, Pace, Casino Air and Era.

Prior to the events of 9/11, nearly all airlines were desperate for quality flight attendant applicants. When they majors had difficulty finding them at their own open houses and job fairs, they began to recruit from the mid-size and regional carriers. That left the smaller carriers with serious shortages of applicants, which has only eased somewhat with the cutbacks at the majors.

Sure, it's enticing to go to work for a major airline, and have the chance to fly to Paris or Tokyo. But keep in mind that it may take you years with your major airline to be able to work those more desired flights. Meanwhile, you'll be working the same type of flights as the regional airlines. And with major companies like USAirways and United on the borderline of bankruptcy, size does not necessarily matter in the job security department. It's easy to become just another cog in the machinery when you work for a major airline that may have over 25,000 flight attendants. With a regional airline, you have a more supportive "family" atmosphere. And with shorter flights, you may actually be home more often than you would with the major carriers. Another advantage is the possibility of being based in the town you live in- especially if it is the only base for that airline.

Charter Airlines are also included in the mid-size airlines group. These can have you traveling to all parts of the world right out of training, as their schedules are dependant on the contract they have with the group that books their flights. The charter airlines have been looking for flight attendant applicants since 9/11 as well.

In addition, the fastest growing area of aviation is the corporate or fractional jet Flight Attendant employment opportunities. These luxurious private and corporate aircraft cater to a high-end clientele, and require professionally trained flight attendants as well.

For more than 10 years, flight attendant applicants have been turning to The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide by Tim Kirkwood (Planning/Communications), a 27-year veteran of the aviation industry. Now in its 3rd Edition, celebrating the 77th Anniversary of Flight Attendants, applicants consider the Guide required reading. Kirkwood helps them choose the "best" airline to work for, and gives them the hiring requirements of over 80 US and Canadian airlines. No other career guide has the information and features available.

3rd Edition Publishing Date: Nov 15, 2002
Available from your local bookstore, Amazon.com,
or directly from the author at:
Tim Kirkwood, Author
P.O. Box 6455
Delray Beach, FL 33482-6455

www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com
crew4jets@aol.com