Cabin Crew Career Advice

Know your aircraft types – Private Jets

cabincrew.com — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:13:54 GMT

This knowledge will also be useful if you work freelance, as you may work on many different aircraft types. So, here we look at five of the most popular private jets in use today:

Learjet 60
A Mid-size business jet
• Up to 7 pax
• Small galley with wardrobe
• 1 washroom
• Range 4,400 KM and 5 hours flight for example, Los Angeles to New York
• Climbs up to 41,000 ft
• Price $13 million US dollars

Features include:
• Up to 7 leather seats
• Walnut cabinetry
• Satellite phone
• DVD/CD player
• Airshow
• Partial galley with small oven, coffee maker and ice drawer

Challenger 604/605
A mid-range business jet
• Crew jumpseat in cockpit
• Average 9 seats
• 1 divan or 5 sleeping berths
• Galley, 1 wash room, baggage compartment
• Range of 7,400 KM or 7 hours eg. London to Dubai
• Climbs up to 41,000 ft
• Price $26 million US dollars

Features:
• Leather seats
• 1 washroom
• DVD/CD player
• Satellite phone
• Airshow
• Wardrobe
• Full galley including microwave, oven, sink, chiller and ice box

Gulfstream G550
Ultra long range business jet
• Can hold up to 18 pax
• Can have crew rest area
• Full Galley
• 2 washrooms
• 2 cabins with one that can be made into a private bedroom
• Large baggage compartment
• Range 12,500 km average and 14 hours flight time: Tokyo to Paris, Washington DC to Dubai or London to Singapore
• Climbs up to 51,000 ft
• Price $57 million US dollars

Features:
• Trademark panoramic Gulfstream oval windows
• Leather seats with massage feature
• CD/DVD player
• Satellite Phone
• Airshow with 3 or 4 monitors
• Wireless internet, printer, fax
• 2 wash rooms
• Seats enable 5 sleeping berths
• Full galley including microwave, oven, chiller, sink and ice box

Global 5000/XRS
Ultra long range business jet
• Holds 13-19 pax
• 2 wash rooms
• Crew rest on XRS only
• Pull out jumpseat in cockpit/aisle
• Full galley
• 2 cabins with one that can be made into a private bedroom
• Range of 12 hours flying time and 11,000 km or flight from Paris to Cape Town
• Climbs to 51,000 ft
• Price between $50 to 60 million US dollars depending on model/interior

Features:
• Leather seats
• Sleeps up to 5
• Divan in separate cabin
• 2 washrooms
• DVD/CD player
• Airshow with up to 4 monitors
• Satellite phone
• Wireless internet, printer and fax
• Full galley with microwave, oven, chiller and coffeemakers

Boeing Business Jet (BBJ)
BBJ is classically the Boeing 737
• But can be 747 or 777
• Popular choice of heavy jet
• It will hold 8-25 passengers in VIP configuration
• It is divided into 4 compartments including space for conferences, dining and sleeping
• Normally there are 2 flight crew and up to 5 FA’s
• The BBJ has a range of 11,000 km and 10 hours of flight making Beijing to New York possible
• Climbs to 41,000 ft
• Price between $60-65 million US dollars

The BBJ can be configured as grand or as simple as the owner would like but popular features are dining areas, offices, bedrooms and full bathrooms with showers. Some BBJs have conference rooms, staff areas and a galley kitchen and bar.
For most aircraft there will only be one flight attendant, although on the G550 and Global 5000/XRS it would be possible to have two. On bigger jets, like the BBJ or the ACJ (Airbus corporate jet – which could be any variant of the A318 to the A380) there will be four crew or more, depending on the type of jet.

Most private jets also have variations so the Challenger may be a 300, 604 or 850 for example. The Gulfstream may be a 250, 450 or 550. The Global may be a 5000, XRs or 6000. The smaller jets are quite difficult to tell apart on first glance – but a good tip is too look at the windows, if they are a large oval – then that is how you recognize a Gulfstream!

About the author:
Patricia Green: I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for many years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets.
Last year, I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Images: Gulfstream G550 (top) and Bombardier Global Express XRS (middle), Boeing (bottom)

Tailored your CVs but still no job interviews?

cabincrew.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:10:48 GMT

As one frustrated job seeker recently said on our forum: “Each application I submit includes a specifically tailored CV or application form. Even though I very carefully stick to the requirements of the job description and highlight successes to demonstrate my abilities and experience, I have yet to be offered an interview.”

Not getting to the interview stage – when all that effort has been put into an application – can be soul destroying. So what should be done, to increase your chances of getting invited to a cabin crew job interview?

Why is this happening?
The most likely reason for this lack of interviews is that a string of unsuccessful applications is not a sign of failure, merely the norm in the current job market. There is incredible competition for jobs in most sectors today including aviation. Every job advert will attract huge numbers of well-qualified applicants and it’s actually incredibly difficult to stand out from the crowd. The reality is that you have to apply to a great many jobs to stand a chance of progress.

Our advice is that if you are sure you’ve tailored the application, explained achievements and used the language of the job advert – then carry on as you were, assuming it will take a long time to land the right cabin crew job. Hold your nerve, and don’t try any drastically different application techniques which might ruin your chances. You’re probably not doing anything ‘wrong’. It could just be a slow process.

Tiny errors could be your downfall
Another explanation for not making the grade in the eyes of recruiters, could be that there are minor mistakes in your CV and application that are letting you down. A spelling error, bad grammar and punctuation, a slightly untidy layout could all be giving HR staff a good enough reason to reject your application.

Remember they have hundreds of applications to plough through – those not up to scratch will quickly be put aside, so don’t give them the slightest reason to bin your application. Classic mistakes include mis-spelling the company name and address, getting the job title slightly wrong, sloppy punctuation. Ask someone at home to proof-read for you before hitting the send button!

Is your Facebook profile working against you?
Remember that your application is not the only thing an employer can look at to find out what kind of person you are. Your LinkedIn page and your Facebook profile might also be scrutinized, so make sure everything on there will show you in a positive, employable light! Naturally everything on Facebook will be a reflection of you as an individual and future employee so make sure you remove the dodgy party photos, and any cryptic or unpleasant comments about previous employers. Create your online Facebook profile very carefully and that means connecting with the right people and making comments that do you justice.

Do you sound over-qualified?
There is an outside chance you are deemed over-qualified for the roles you are applying for. It’s natural to want to make the most of your qualifications and experience but have you overdone it, and made yourself sound difficult to work with, too advanced for the role in question? Before you send your application, read it through to check what tone comes across. Would the individual reading it think you sounded boastful, over-bearing, rather daunting? Chose a select few examples of your career achievements and you don’t need to go into too much detail – you can always expand on these when you are in the interview, after all.

What else can you do?
Another piece of advice is to make strategic use of your contacts as well as sending out lots of job applications. You might be wiser to contact old colleagues to tell them you’re on the lookout for a new opportunity, than spending days hammering out applications to companies you know little about. ‘Putting out the feelers’ might have a higher hit rate than the applications route –doing both would certainly make sense.

Finally, make yourself available to employers by uploading your CV to jobs boards such as www.cabincrew.com. You can’t tailor specifically this way, but you can certainly get noticed and increase your chances of being considered by employers who have genuine vacancies to fill.

Good luck and don’t give up!

Browse our cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Strategies to succeed as a pilot: A new E-book from Andy Yeap

cabincrew.com — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:21:21 GMT

Andy has now written a comprehensive downloadable guide to becoming a pilot, called FlyGosh Pilot Secrets, and much of his advice is relevant to those hoping to make it as cabin crew too.

Tapping into years of flying and industry knowledge Yeap’s aim is to help others secure a job in the current challenging economy. His view is that aviation jobs are difficult to secure, so taking a very structured approach to launching and developing your career is vital. The book is broken into four modules covering how to get started/personal attitude; CV; interviews; and networking. The only difference between success and failure is action, is his central message.

Yeap says that by writing the e-book, he will find good people to work with, and learn more himself, as well as inspiring others to make their pilot dreams a reality.
“I strongly believe that I can learn more about myself by teaching others,” he says. “I am also interested to learn more about what people in my industry are struggling with, which helps me to become a better pilot, coach and mentor.”

He adds: “Over the years, I have found it tremendously fun working with like-minded and motivated people, in the industry I love. My ultimate goal is to find stars. I’m looking for unique and special people, who bring passion to the world and share my belief that in helping others, you help yourself.”

The E-book covers:

Module 1 – Introduction and Attitude

In this module I will share with you the mindset required to succeed and you will learn :

• The right attitude and mindset (Get this wrong and half the battle is already lost)
• Actions required for success
• Where and how to start applying for jobs
• How to identify the right airline company
• Should you pay for type rating and which rating should you choose?
• How do you get a job without paying and be fully sponsored

Module 2 – Resume

I am sure you have sent hundreds or even thousands of resumes and you either did not receive any response or what you get are all rejections. In this module we will cover :

• How you can get your application noticed and not end up in the recycle bin

• Mistakes to avoid and end up losing the opportunity

• Tips on writing a proper resume which will stand out

Module 3 – Interview

If you think that by going to an interview and all you need to do is study and answer everything correctly especially the technical questions, you are dead wrong. I will teach you :

• How to perform well during your interview

• How to make the interviewer like you

• What should you prepare for the interview

• How to make sure that you stand out compared to the rest

Module 4 – Networking and Building Connections

This is by far the MOST important module as it will determine whether you will get the job or not. I am sure everyone has heard of the saying “It's NOT what you know but WHO you know”. So pay close attention to this final module.

• How to build your connections

• How do you get the airline to work with you

• Mistakes to avoid that can kill the relationship that you work very hard to build

• How to get other people to help you

• How to create your OWN opportunity

Click here for more details about the FlyGosh Pilots Secrets E-book

Browse cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Knowing your aircraft types! A quick guide to the Boeing family

cabincrew.com — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:27:11 GMT

The Boeing Family

Boeing is an aircraft manufacturer based in Seattle, USA and is one of the world’s oldest, largest and most respected aircraft manufacturers. It is probably best known commercially for the popular B737 short range aircraft and the classic B747 distinctive long range aircraft. The B787 Dreamliner is the latest addition to the family in competition with the Airbus 380.

B727 – This aircraft has a distinctive narrow body and 3 engines, one situated on top of the aircraft near the tail, making it easy to recognise. It can hold between 149-189 passengers depending on the seat and class configuration. It has a range of 4,400 to 5,000 km making it most suited to short range to mid range flights. Interestingly, none of the engines are attached to the wings making it another aircraft that stands out! It is also unique in that it has a rear exit door with stairs that come out from under the tail cone, as well as 2 over-wing exits and 2 main exit doors on each side.

B737 – one of the most used aircraft today (and best selling) and it has many ‘types’ or variations. It is a short to medium range aircraft capable of up to 5,990 km depending on type. It has two engines and a longer wing with taller winglets than average. The seat configuration is 6 seats across separated by a single aisle and on average holds between 160-200 passengers depending on class configuration. There are 2 main exit doors and 1 overwing exit on each side or 2 overwing exits on each side depending on aircraft type. It often gets confused with the A320.

B747 – The B747 is a classic design with the ‘whale hump’ holding the upper deck and the flight deck, with the main passenger deck below, instantly recognisable. It is known as the ‘jumbo jet’ and is suited to ultra long range flights. It has 4 engines, and has a range of 13,450 km on average. This twin aisle aircraft can accommodate 415-560 passengers with a economy/business/first configuration with seating in a 3/4/3 seating arrangement across the economy cabin. There are 13 exits in total, 4 main exit doors each side of the aircraft on the main deck, 2 ‘self help’ exits on the upper deck as well as a cockpit hatch exit.

B757 – the long thin ‘sausage’ aircraft which also has a large squared off tail, two engines and a tall landing gear. It is a single aisle aircraft, with the standard 6 seats across and can hold between 170-240 passengers depending on configuration. It is suited to mid to long range flights and has a range of between 5,800-7,600 km depending on type. It has 3 main exit doors and 2 overwing exits on each side mostly although the alternative is 4 main exit doors with the centre two being slightly smaller and there are no overwing exits on this type.

B767 – The B767 is a wide bodied, twin aisle, two engine aircraft suited to mid to long range flights. It can hold between 220-270 passengers mostly in a 2/3/2 seating pattern across the cabin. It typically has 2 main exit doors and 2 overwing exits on each side of the aircraft, although one type has only one overwing exit on each side. It can travel between 7,100 and 11,800 km. It is similar to the B757 in design although it has a twin aisle instead of single aisle. Its main competitor is the A330, which is also of a similar design and has twin aisles.

B777 – The B777 is a long range wide bodied jet suited to long range flights as it has a range of between 9,700 and 17,300 km. It has two engines and a triple landing gear with 3 sets of double wheels. It has twin aisles and an economy configuration of 9 seats across. There are 8 main exits doors and no overwing exits. It can hold between 300-440 passengers depending on type and is similar in design to the A330.

B787 – The ‘Dreamliner’ – capable of a range of 15,000 km, it is the newest and most fuel efficient aircraft in production. It is a long range, wide body jet with two engines. It has twin aisles and seating of 9 seats across in economy potentially accommodating up to 290 passengers. It has larger than normal aircraft windows and increased head room in the cabin and has exceeded passenger expectations in recent flights.

Now you know your 737 from your 787 and hopefully distinguish between your Airbus and your Boeing!

About the author:
Patricia Green: I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for many years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. This last year, I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying.

In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com.

Photo: Boeing

Psychometric testing: Everything you need to know

cabincrew.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:37:26 GMT

Well in fact there is little to worry about, and it is becoming increasingly common for employers to include some form of psychometric testing during the employment selection processes. HR professionals say that by combining interviewing with psychometric testing, it is far easier to judge candidates accurately.

Relax. Whether you are told you will be required to sit psychometric tests or attend an assessment centre (the non-“psy” way of saying the same thing) there is really nothing to worry about. It is highly unlikely you will lose a job opportunity on the basis of psychometric tests alone, and it may be that when you do get your next job, if psychometric tests were used during the selection process, your transition into and development in cabin crew job will be smoother.

What are psychometric tests?

Psychometric tests fall into two main categories:
• Aptitude tests: which assess cognitive capacity such as numerical and verbal reasoning ability.
• Personality tests: which assess behavioural and motivational characteristics.

So, how do you look good in these tests?
In short, prepare. It is not true that there is nothing you can do to improve your performance. Simply knowing what to expect can help you to perform better, whether in aptitude tests or in personality tests.

Aptitude Tests

Aptitude tests are relatively straightforward to prepare for. They comprise a series of multiple choice questions, each question having a correct answer. They are designed to measure an individual’s capacity to think logically and solve problems independent of prior knowledge (such as abstract reasoning tests) and the capacity to learn from past situations and apply this to new situations (such as numerical reasoning and verbal reasoning tests).

When assessments are conducted scores are derived from actual ability (as opposed to ability relative to other candidates) and are established by comparing scores to a norm group. A norm group consists of scores collected from a comparison group of individuals of a similar level of attainment.

If you have time you can take a wide ranging approach to your preparation. Ditch your calculator and brush up on your mental arithmetic. Or to improve your critical reasoning skills you could take up Sudoku or crosswords.

However, if time is short, the best way of getting up to scratch will be to practice under test conditions. This will also help to build your confidence by increasing your familiarity with the tests. Reducing test anxiety through practice and feedback has been shown to reduce errors when completing subsequent tests.

Personality Tests

But what of personality testing? The best advice we can offer is “be yourself”. However, gaining confidence through familiarising yourself ahead of the tests can be beneficial to your overall performance – not lease because it will reduce your anxiety about what is to come.

Personality questionnaires help to establish a profile of individual behavioural preferences, needs and talents. These can include motivation and perceived effectiveness. Since these are self-report questionnaires it is important that the data gathered is validated through discussion with a psychologist or someone else who is trained to accurately interpret the profile. Personality questionnaires are considered to be fair and objective tools with an established reputation for predicting performance.

Perhaps this is why they worry candidates so much: the anxiety to appear as the “perfect candidate” leads them to assume the tests are there simply to trip them up. This is how many people make the worst mistake they possibly could: they try to answer the questionnaire as they imagine the prospective employer would like to see it answered.

Don’t – really, don’t try to second guess what you say: much research has been carried out into response styles. The more robust and reputable tests incorporate multiple checks to measure response styles throughout the questionnaire. As a result, you will also be scored on how consistent you have been in your answers and to what extent you have tried to create a favourable impression.

Needless to say, trying to present a certain image which simply isn’t “you” can result in a confused or distorted profile which will ring alarm bells with the trained assessor or psychologist. In brief – be yourself, there is a lot less to remember!

What are Employers looking for?

The devil is in the detail but airline and airport employers are looking for people who are a good fit for their team and who demonstrate the right aptitudes to do the job well. What is important for the employer is how your different needs, behaviours, preferences and motives might interact with aspects of an organisation’s culture, the job and the work environment.

In other words, if you want to be happy and successful in your new role, answer truthfully. You are unlikely to have a thorough enough understanding of the organisation you’re hoping to work for to really change your answers simply for that job. Furthermore, when asked about your revealed shortcomings, by explaining what strategies you have developed to deal with them, you will demonstrate two qualities much prized by employers: strength of character and self-awareness.

Heidi Nicholson
heidi.nicholson@richmondsolutions.co.uk
www.richmondsolutions.co.uk

With thanks to our friends at Amber Occupational Psychology Solutions Ltd

Browse cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

What’s the law on redundancy and unfair dismissal?

cabincrew.com — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:33:40 GMT

Redundancy, dismissal and other rights
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, a redundancy is where someone is dismissed because their employer shuts down; stops working at a particular location (eg. airport); or where the needs of the business for certain kind of work decrease, for example flight frequency is cut reducing the need for cabin crew. In practice most cabin crew redundancies are collective, meaning more than 20 staff have to leave.

Before making collective redundancies employers must consult with workforce representatives. With cabin crew, this tends to be the trade union, for example Unite which was engaged in a redundancy consultation with Thomson last year. The consultation must cover the reason for the redundancies; ways to minimise them; and how to mitigate the impact on employees dismissed (eg. retraining).

Staff must be selected for redundancy in a clear and fair way. Examples include a “first in first out” process, or based on objective performance standards. Sometimes staff are asked to volunteer, as happened with British Airways last year. Those selected should be offered alternative employment if possible, for example the opportunity to work out of another airport.

You are entitled to a minimum notice period as well as redundancy pay, which will depend on your length of service and (in the case of redundancy pay) your age and salary. Depending on the airline, your employment contract might provide for more notice or redundancy pay.

Unfair Dismissal
If you are made redundant without the legally required procedure being followed this is unfair dismissal. This is unlawful and you can take legal action to seek compensation against your employer.
Unfair dismissal can apply to situations other than redundancy where you are dismissed either:

• Without a valid business reason
• Without a fair process being followed
• You are forced into resign because your employer behaves in a seriously unreasonable way (“constructive dismissal”).

You must normally have worked for a year (or two, if you started on or after 6th April 2012) to make a legal claim for unfair dismissal. However, this is not the case where you are made redundant unfairly, or in certain other situations like where you are dismissed for trade union activity or where discrimination is involved.

What if you have been unfairly dismissed?
If you believe you are the victim of an unfair dismissal (through redundancy or otherwise) you can claim compensation from your employer through the Employment Tribunal. There is a time limit for making the claim of three months less one day from the date of dismissal. Organisations including your trade union, ACAS (the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service) and the Citizens Advice Bureau can provide more advice. If you are considering taking legal action you should take advice from solicitors in the UK specialised in employment law.

Dominic Higgins of Contact Law wrote this article on redundancy laws for Cabin Crew. Dominic graduated from University College London in 2005 with Law degree; afterwards he worked as a legal adviser in South Africa and the UK, pursuing many different avenues of legal study. If you a looking for solicitors in the UK, then visit Contact Law for help today.

Browse cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Knowing your aircraft types! A quick guide to the Airbus

cabincrew.com — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:56:08 GMT

The Airbus Family

Airbus is an aircraft manufacturer based in France and produces half of the world’s commercial aircraft. It is known for its ‘fly by wire’ technology (computerized flying rather than manual) and the most popular A320 commercial aircraft as well as the new A380.

A318 - A stubby short aircraft, a shortened version of the A320 but with a tall tail! It has a single aisle and 2 engines and has arrow winglets on the wingtips. There are two main exits and one overwing exit on each side. It can hold approximately 100 passengers and can fly short to medium range flights up to 5,700 km.

A319 – The ‘baby bus’ is a slightly shortened A320. It has a single aisle and two engines and has arrow winglets on the wingtips. There are two main exits and one overwing exit on each side making it easy to identify from the A320. It can hold approximately 125 passengers and can fly short to medium range flights up to 6,650 km. The economy seat configuration is 6 seats across with the aisle through the centre.

A320 –The A320 is one of the mostly widely used commercial aircraft in the world. It is similar in size and capacity to a B737 but more modern with fly by wire technology in the cockpit. It has a single aisle and two engines. There are two main exits and two overwing exits on each side, making it easier to identify from the slightly smaller A319. It can hold up to 150-180 passengers and can fly short to medium range flights up to 6,150 km. The economy seat configuration is the same as the A319.

A321 – The A321 has a long body and is a stretched version of the A320. It has the usual single aisle, economy seat configuration of the A319 and two engines of much of the Airbus family. It has eight main exits and no overwing exits making it easier to identify. The two centre exits on each side are slightly smaller than the front and back exits. It can hold between 180-220 passengers and it suited to short or medium range flights. It can also be identified by its two four-wheeled main landing gear.

A330 – The A330 is a twin aisle wide body aircraft with two engines, making it easier to recognize from the larger A340. The economy seat configuration is usually two seats, aisle, four seats, aisle, two seats across but this depends on the airline and is suited to medium or long range flights. It can hold between 250-300 passengers depending on class seat configuration. There are four main exit doors each side of the aircraft and there are no overwing exits. Depending on the model it can travel between 7,400 and 13,430 km.

A340 – It is a long range/ultra long range aircraft with twin aisle and a similar seating configuration to the A330. It has a long body and has four main exit doors on each side of the aircraft. It has four engines and a double landing gear with four wheels, which makes it easier to identify from the A330, which looks very similar! It can hold between 260-360 passengers depending on the class configuration and has a range of 12,400 – 17,000 km.

A380 – The double decker aircraft and currently the largest passenger aircraft in use! It is wide bodied and has four engines. It can accommodate 555 passengers in a three class configuration with twin aisles and seating pattern of 10 seats across separated by two aisles in economy. If the aircraft was all economy it can provide 853 seats! There are a total of 16 exit doors. It also has a 20 wheel main landing gear. It has a flight range of 15,700 km – a distance of New York to Hong Kong for example.

Hopefully now you can tell your 320 from your 380 and be fluent in Airbus! Next we take a look at the Boeing family…

About the author:

Patricia Green: I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for many years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. This last year, I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com.

Images: Airbus Press Centre

What’s in your crew bag?

cabincrew.com — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:35:00 GMT

On the other hand, your suitcase items vary a lot and will depend on where you are going and for how long. Also if you are doing a long haul flight, there may be some extra items you can take to make your time onboard more comfortable.

A good tip is to always keep your crew bag and suitcase packed and ready to go. Keep a separate toiletries kit and just replace the same clothing after washing – this will save you a lot of time and ensure you never forget anything!

What to take:

As well as the things you normally carry around, purse/wallet, keys, mobile phone etc. you will need to make room for your cabin shoes (flats for working onboard - girls!) and service apron/waistcoat.

Probably the two most important items are your crew ID and your airlines cabin manual as without them you will not be allowed to fly. Some airlines will check you have them at briefing, so it is essential you have them and without an ID you won’t be able to get in the building.

You also need your passport unless you are doing a domestic flight only. It is not always an airline requirement to have a small torch/flashlight but is a very useful item to have access to, especially during night flights or when looking for items under seats etc.

You will also need a ‘freshen-up’ kit, as now you are a representative of the airline and have to look as presentable as you can at all times - this could include mini sized toothbrush/toothpaste, deodorant, make up items, comb, foot spray, facial spray etc. You may want to carry a sewing kit for quick uniform repairs and a notebook and lots of pens (it’s amazing how many you lose to passengers on flights!)

Additional items you may want to take are a small bottle of water (hydration is an absolute must - drink as much water as you can onboard!) and also you may want to take a healthy snack, as sometimes the crew meals get too much… Fruit and nuts are always good for snacks or you can even take a bag of pre-packed salad and a sachet of dressing for a healthy meal. It’s also good to have some mints in your pocket, as your mouth gets very dry during flights and it’s a quick freshen up - but please no chewing gum!

Extra items to consider

Finally, there may be extra items your company may want you to carry or sometimes you may want to take things that make your job a little easier, these are a few examples:

Duty Free Kit - A wallet with float (monies collected from base) and paperwork, perfume/aftershave samples (Sometimes the company provides these, I used to collect them from magazines or department stores etc as they were a useful way to sell more onboard), a pen and sticky notes and a calculator may be useful.

Plonky Kit - This is useful for bar service - some airlines provide these items on-board and sometimes you have to provide your own - and may include: Ice tongs, corkscrew, garnish maker and apron.

Charity Kit - If your airline supports a charity and you are one of the fundraisers, you may want to carry extra donation envelopes, your public announcement for advertising the charity, a spare donation collection bag and of course your fundraiser pin for your lapel.

So, by now you must be thinking - ‘Do I really have to carry all that?’ and ‘How will I fit everything into my crew bag?’ Don’t worry, in a few months, you will have packing down to a fine art and you will always be looking out for miniature toiletries etc for your crew bag…You will always be ready to go and I promise you that you will not forget a thing!

About Patricia Green:

I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. In 2011 I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com.

What should I wear for my airline assessment day?

cabincrew.com — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:26:16 GMT

As you will be a representative of and the ‘face’ of the airline, your personal presentation must be immaculate at all times. This starts right at the assessment day, where you have to create a good impression and continue to do so right through your airline career.

When you join an airline, you have to commit to ‘uniform standards’ as outlined by the company and if you don’t, you will be reprimanded. This can be something like forgetting your tie or wearing the wrong colour lipstick – it may sound trivial, but airlines are brands and they need everybody to meet the same standards and be instantly recognisable in uniform. A good place to start is at your interview/assessment day.

Here are some useful tips:

• Do some research – see how their cabin crew dress and try and wear something similar, like the same colour tie for example and a similar haircut. For the girls, try and copy the hairstyle and make up of the cabin crew too. This will not only show the recruiter, how you may look as cabin crew with their airline but also shows you have done some research.

• As far as presentation goes, dress and look like you already have the job – this will give you confidence too as well as showing you look professional.

• Whatever airline assessment day you are attending here are some grooming guidelines, that will have you looking perfectly presented on the day:

Males – Navy, black or dark grey suit with white shirt. Simple plain coloured tie, nothing to patterned or fancy. Black belt. Clean black shoes and black socks. Make sure you are clean shaven and look polished and tidy. Well kept hair and clean nails. Simple classic watch and one ring only, no other jewellery. Smart file for paperwork.

Females – Navy, black or dark grey suit, well fitted. White shirt. Clean black high heeled shoes with bare hosiery. Classic daytime make up, not too heavy. Hairstyle should be off the face in a bun or a french pleat, accessories matching colour of suit and hair colour must be even all over. Classic handbag, nothing fancy. Jewellery should be kept simple with small ‘diamond’ or pearl stud earrings (doesn’t have to be real!) and small neat watch, one ring only. Nails should be either buffed shiny and natural or French polished.

• If you have any body piercings make sure they cannot be seen and any facial piercings must be taken out. If you have any small visible tattoos, these should be covered with a sticking plaster or make up, but please be aware that many airlines do not accept any visible tattoos, even if they are covered.

These rules may sound strict, but you will look professional and create an excellent first impression to a recruiter. These guidelines will also put you in good preparation for uniform standards with your chosen airline, where this high standard of presentation will be expected of you on a daily basis.

The airline will issue you with a uniform standards booklet prior to your training, so you know that is what you have to maintain during your career as cabin crew and as ‘face’ of the company – this will include things such as acceptable make up colours, the right style of watch, heel height for shoes and suitable hair styles. Get used to these standards now and it will be an easy breeze to get ready for your 5am standby!

About the author:
Patricia Green has been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for many years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years she has worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year Patricia moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, in order to advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, Patricia has written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

How to find your first VIP Flight Attendant role

cabincrew.com — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:47:17 GMT

The work is rarely long term or secure, and for most private jet operators, a flight attendant on average is there for around 6 months and maybe up to a year. You will always be chasing the next contract and may also want to consider freelance privately in between contracts. You may wonder if it worth giving up a full time cabin crew position for a VIP flight attendant role – it is great experience, interesting and well paid, if you can cope with the job insecurity.

I often am asked how to find a Corporate/VIP Flight Attendant job. It is tough and mostly you just have to be in the right place at the right time! Most VIP/Corporate jobs require first class or VIP flying for at least 2 years and up to 5 years. It is also not a legal requirement for private jets with under 18 passengers to have flight attendants on board, so there are even less jobs around and competition is fierce. It is quite an elite, small world and the industry is very private, so most jobs are a secret and by word of mouth only! So, where do you look for your first VIP job? There are various operators around the world with private jet charters and/or privately owned managed aircraft. Research online and you will find a lot more, especially the smaller operators which are a good way of getting into the industry. You could also register with the agencies for another chance of getting a foot in the door and occasionally you will find jobs advertised on such websites as jobs.cabincrew.com or aviationjobsearch.com.

Work on your CV
In most cases you will be sending out your CV and photos to the Chief Cabin Attendant/Cabin Crew Manager. Make sure your CV stands out about the rest as most operators are inundated with emails after advertising a job. In fact one Cabin Crew Manager I know, usually will only look at the first 20 or so that come in as she doesn’t have the time to sift through hundreds! So the moral of the story is, if you see something advertised – apply fast or your CV may not be seen. Also be aware of the 20 second rule – your CV will only be scanned for 20-30 seconds so make sure all the important information is near the top. That means mentioning aircraft types, language skills, first class experience etc.

You can attach a photo to your CV and make sure you have a good quality head and shoulders photo as well as a full length one as most operators will ask for these. You may be asked to send a letter of motivation or cover letter – in this you must sell yourself and tailor it to the operator’s requirements and include a brief profile of your flying experience. If you are a Russian or Mandarin speaker (very desirable right now!) or have an Indian work visa for example and that is what they are looking for, then you have to catch their attention immediately.

Watch out for fraudsters
Finally – buyer beware! Not all advertisements are real, use your judgment wisely and do research the operator well. If there is no information online or it looks shady, then it probably is! Beware of gmail/hotmail email addresses for example, as these are sometimes fake ‘private airlines’ and the ‘employer’ will want you to send your passport copy – for fraud purposes. Only send your passport if you are completely sure. Also, some operators now choose to interview by Skype, which is risky – I have seen many ‘operators’ out there recently who are looking for flight attendants, but not for work purposes! In most cases, a well established professional operator will ask you to attend a personal interview with their Chief Cabin Attendant/Chief Pilot/Client Representative.

Do research well and prepare for your new career carefully and it should be a successful and interesting experience!

For more information, the new ebook/course ‘Want to be a VIP Flight Attendant?’ is available online and has everything you could need starting out, for a free sample please go to: http://cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com/my-shop.html

Browse cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Personal qualities the airlines look for in new recruits – From A to Z!

cabincrew.com — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:03:18 GMT

The airline recruiters will be looking for certain qualities in their new recruits to know that they will be able to cope with a very demanding job. So at the assessment day they will be looking to see how you communicate with others, how you present yourself and your team work skills.

They are also looking for that certain ‘something’ that they know that you will be perfect for the role – each airline will look for their own ‘something’! The qualities of Cabin Crew are extensive – you have to be a safety expert, a nurse, a chef and waitress, a cleaner, a babysitter, a tour guide, a counsellor and much more! The Cabin Crew job is so diverse and multi-faceted that you will be amazed at all the skills you learn…

Two of the most important qualities are flexibility and patience – they will get you through most day to day tasks onboard, but there are many more. Here is the A to Z of qualities that will make you better Cabin Crew – how many do you have?

Attentive - to listen to and look after your passengers without being overbearing
Brave – ultimately we are responsible for saving the lives of others
Caring - look after each other
Diplomatic – this will help you in any dispute or difficult situation
Energetic – it is a demanding job, so keep a smile on your face and keep up the energy
Flexible – be prepared for anything!
Genuine – stay true to yourself
Happy – no one wants to see miserable cabin crew...
Initiative - be prepared to think differently and use your imagination
Juggling – yes, you do have to be 10 people in one!
Knowledgeable – know your aircraft and your job, it may save your life one day
Likeable – be friendly to fellow crew as well as passengers
Motivating – lead by example, always...
Neighbourly – look out for each other – you are a team
Organised – schedules change often, be ready
Punctual – late for work, wave goodbye to your job – a flight won’t wait for you
Quick-Wit – a sense of humour is essential to get you through the day/night
Reassuring – this will help the passengers feel safe and also reflect on the airline
Safe – safety is non-negotiable
Tactful – sometimes you just have to be careful what you say!
Understanding – with passengers and crew, a little understanding goes a long way
Vivacious – just a little is good!
Willingness – to help, achieve and do well
X-factor – that special something...
Youthful – stay young at heart and long may you fly
Zest – even after a 10hour night flight from hell!

How did you do? Just having a few of these qualities will improve your chances of becoming Cabin Crew. Learn these qualities and nurture them and they will serve you very well in your future career. Once you are Cabin Crew, these qualities will also help you through many a difficult day (or night) in the skies and when things get tough – the tough get going!

About Patricia Green:
I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets.

In 2011 I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Cabin crew expectations: What happens in the lead-up to landing your dream job?

cabincrew.com — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:03:28 GMT

Do you know what to expect? Probably not! There are so many misconceptions about the job itself and the process leading up to it, I thought we’d explore those a little here!

But it’s just like applying for a normal job right?

So, that’s it right – you got the job? Now it is time for background/reference checks and police checks as well as the extensive medical. If all this goes well, the next thing to pass is your training course. I wish it was so simple! Firstly, you have to apply online and see if you meet the requirements. Sometimes you will be asked to attend an open day or for a video interview (depending on the airline). Then, you will be invited to an assessment day, where you will do a series of tests and tasks to see if you show the right kind of skills and qualities the airline is looking for (not all airlines are the same!) If this part of the day goes well for you, you will have a final interview with the recruiters. Then, you start the waiting game…which seems to last a lifetime before you receive the call (success!) or email (try again later..)

Training will be just learning to serve passengers…

If you believe this, you have not done your research! Cabin Crew are responsible for the safety and welfare of the passengers and safety, above everything is paramount. During the average 5-7 week training course, 4 weeks of that will be studying safety and emergency procedures and practicing drills so that you know what to do in event of fire on board, decompression, landing on water or land, or dealing with any emergency situation. You will also spend a week learning about aviation medicine, CPR and advanced first aid. Only 1 or 2 weeks are dedicated to service training, where you will learn the basics of working in the galley and cabin, teamwork onboard and improving communication skills. You will be regularly tested and have to make the grade (85% to 98% depending on the airline). Do not risk being late or not conforming to uniform standards either as this could also cost you your job – airlines are very strict!

Anything else?

After training, you will usually perform 2 ‘supernumerary’ flights before going ‘online’ as cabin crew – these are flights where you are monitored by senior crew. After this you are on probation for 6 months and if you do not meet the standards required by the airline, or are late for work, off sick too much or do not comply with uniform standards – again you risk losing your job. To most airlines these are all unacceptable and good reasons to ask you to leave.

Being Cabin Crew is a very glamorous job…

The uniform may look the part but it is not reality. Be prepared for long hours and working at all times of day or night and you always have to look immaculate. You are on your feet for sometimes up to 13 or 14 hours and the job does affect your sleep and eating habits – you do have to be physically fit and healthy to keep up. When you are trying to clean up left over curry from your shoes at 4am, after a tray fell out of the meal cart, you will remember this!

But you get paid well!

Wages vary each month depending on how many flights we do, how much commission we make, where/if we night stop. Certainly in the USA, Europe and the Middle East it is a very average wage and often seen as quite low in comparison and not much different to working in retail or catering for example. You certainly don’t become Cabin Crew for money – it’s for the experience and the love of the job!

I want to see the world!

If you get to work for a large scheduled airline this may be the case – although mostly you only get 12-20 hours down route and you have to sleep during that too. You may get to see some of the world, but don’t expect it to be one long holiday, it isn’t! If you work for a low cost airline or charter, you may not get to night stop at all – so not all cabin crew get to see the world, just the airport.

I only want to work for Emirates!

Apply for Emirates, but understand that you may not get in first time and it may take months or years to get your dream job. Most candidates give up after that first try. You may not meet the airlines particular requirements even if you are perfect for the job, so you have to keep applying to find the right airline for you – if you limit yourself to just one airline, you are limiting your chances of finding your dream job as Cabin Crew!

Although you have to jump through many hoops to become Cabin Crew and it can be a long journey – the rewards and experience are well worth it. Some crew leave after 6 months as they find it is not the job they thought it was, or not right for them. Many crew work for a year or so and leave for more job security or for personal reasons. Once the jet fuel gets into your blood and flying becomes an addiction (usually after a year!), it is hard to leave or even imagine doing anything else! I hope from reading this, you understand more about what it takes to become cabin crew and if you meet the challenges, you can have a wonderful flying career ahead of you.

About Patricia Green:
I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets.

In 2011 I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Ask the Experts: Your cabin crew questions answered!

cabincrew.com — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:47:43 GMT

So here are the answers! They have been carefully put together by Patricia (Cabin Crew Consultant) Green with input from her cabin crew colleagues at/or previously from: British Airways, Etihad, Emirates, Viking, Sky Europe, Thomson to name a few….

We hope the article sheds some light on key issues, and will help you as you progress your cabin crew career.

Elaine: How many cabin crew are currently employed in the UK?

It’s hard to say… British Airways employs in the region of 15,000 cabin crew and Virgin Atlantic has over 4,000 so with all the charter companies and low cost carriers and regional airlines, I would suggest somewhere around the 25,000 mark.

Nada: Is wearing dental braces allowed?

No, it is preferable not to wear braces even if they are invisible as image is very important to the airline. The best option would be to have removable ones that you wear only at night and then take them out for assessment day/work.

Jenny: Do you have to have a training course on your CV to apply for roles?

Absolutely not! I would discourage anyone from spending a lot of money for a cabin crew course when it is not necessary and most of the information can be found online, for example on this site… Airlines will offer their own training courses and like their crew to be taught their own way and having a cabin crew course on your CV will not change anything about your application. I would only recommend a cabin crew course if it is the standard NCFE further education course. You may wish to attend a 1-2 day course if you really need to boost your confidence or interview technique, but most of it can be learnt through research.

Tasos: Do you know the height to weight proportion for a male 183 cm, for EK and EY?

Height and weight proportion for all the airlines in the Middle East are based on bmi scale therefore for a male it should be between 22-25 and you can find body mass index calculators online if you want to check the actual weight range. However, I would not get hung up on these figures, as long as you are physically fit and look in proportion weight and height wise, there is nothing to worry about!

Anastasiya: Why do you think some passengers take their frustrations out on cabin crew, even though the cabin crew are trying to help them?

We think this is largely because most people are walking into an unpredictable environment that they may not have experienced before, or have little experience of. For many business men/women for example, they are used to being in control at work but then put them in a metal tube in the sky, they have total lack of control and this can make for very difficult passengers. There is also a total lack of understanding of the role of cabin crew which is ill perceived and unfortunately will probably never change.

Keiron: How long do airlines take to consider an application? I have applied for roles at both EXS and EZY. EXS got my application and an hour later asked for extra references and another hour later asked me to complete a maths and English online exam which I completed. I have yet to receive any feedback though.

How long is a piece of string? It really does vary airline to airline and can take anything from a few days to a few months. You might hear from the smaller airlines (regional or charter) a little quicker than for example Emirates or Etihad as the recruitment catchment area is so huge and the number of applications extremely high (hundreds of thousands…). You will not normally get feedback – this is just due to sheer numbers, there is not time to respond individually about the application.

Anisa: I am currently 17 years old and I'm studying a Cabin Crew course in which I will receive a certificate. I have previously worked for 6 months (Customer Service). I was just wondering with just 6 months experience along with the certificate, would it be of any use to apply as soon as I turn 18 next year? I'm very determined to gain this dream job and I really do not want to waste my time by not applying.

Some airlines do accept applications from 18 years old and some are from 21 so it will be worth you researching to find out who you can apply for. You can apply just before you are 18 as it usually takes a while to get as far as assessment days etc. During the waiting time between assessment days you can always gain more customer service experience. Be prepared to attend quite a few and apply for many as it usually is quite a long journey…

Graham: Do all airlines do background checks? Will we have to provide references and how far do they go back?

Yes, airlines do background checks as they need to know that you have never committed a criminal offence and you need this in order for them to apply for your airside pass. Especially with security being so important these days, it is a must! References may be asked for, about individual jobs but mostly it is just a service letter or phone call to prove that you were in a certain place at a certain time, a kind of security check. Some airlines also do a police check, especially if you have lived in other countries. These checks are usually for between 5 and 10 years depending on the airline and the country they are based.

Liz: How do you avoid colds and flu from passengers and stay healthy to fly?

The first 6 months you will probably get every bug going, but after that you do build up a good natural immunity. Vitamins are a bonus and trying to eat well and not eating too much airline food will really help – take healthier options with you. Sleep whenever you can too on your off time, as the body needs to repair itself. Onboard, using a antibacterial hand gel and hand cream will really help ward off bugs too.

Byna: Why are passengers not allowed to sit with a bag on their seats? (reader Jezleen has posted: ‘so whenever there would be an emergency evacuation your bag would not be an obstruction or hindrance to you and people around you.)

Exactly so! Also, a bag can become a lethal missile in an emergency landing or aborted take off, so every bag has to be secure and stowed safely away. In a decompression or even severe turbulence a bag can do a lot of damage to a person!

Madeira: Why do so many cabin crew moan about passengers and their jobs (when they could give someone else a chance to do the job!)

Sometimes, I guess it’s just having a bad day and sometimes after a long flight and difficult situations, some crew members may want to let off steam. Often with airlines there is a lot of ‘politics’ and it is difficult to not get involved in that. Tiredness is often a big factor too – we call it the ‘tired and emotional’ stage and it gets to everyone once in a while. If it is all the time though, they are definitely in the wrong job!

Great questions everyone, so thanks for getting involved. Cabincrew.com would like to say a big thank you to Patricia Green and her friends for taking the time to provide such insightful answers. We will run this feature again later in the year, so will put out a request for more questions soon. Good luck to everyone embarking on, or building up, their cabin crew career.

Browse our jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Tackling those tricky interview questions: ‘What would you do if…’

cabincrew.com — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:53:45 GMT

We put this to a panel of experts including Cabin Crew Consultant Patricia Green, and other cabin crew colleagues at/or previously from British Airways, Etihad, Emirates, Viking, Sky Europe, and Thomson.

Their advice is that really you can only find out by asking an experienced crew member for advice. But they say, don’t worry too much about trying to have one correct answer – often there is no such thing. Questions like this may be asked at interview stage to get an idea of how you respond to stressful or unusual situations onboard – the airline probably does not expect the perfect answer on the spot.

Here are a few such questions to give you some ideas of what to say in cabin crew interviews:

What would you do if you saw one of your colleagues being deliberately rude to a passenger?

This would be very rare, but can happen. Personally, I would try and soften things by offering extra drinks or snacks later and apologise but without saying it was because of the crew member but something like ‘I understand you have had a bit of a problem on this flight and I am really sorry.’ If you feel it to be serious matter, I would tell the Senior Crew Member onboard, just for her reference should the situation get worse…but I would not report a crew member just for the sake of it.

What would you do if a commercially important passenger complained that another commercially important passenger is snoring too loudly behind him?

Apologise and see if you have any seats spare further away from the unfortunate sleeper! If no seats are available, you could offer earplugs…or headphones for noise cancelling (some first class) or ones used for the IFE so he can watch a film instead.

If, for example, there are 60 children on the flight, but you only have 40 toys. How would you deal with this situation?

This would be a very rare situation too, to have so many children onboard. Most airlines carry a mixture of toys/games for different ages – so it may be a case of giving the youngest the soft toy and a little bit older a colouring set – that kind of thing, so you may use all the toys by not sticking to the age brackets. You should also be very discreet in this kind of situation, so as not to cause disappointment. If there was a large shortage, I would probably walk backwards working from the back of the aircraft to the front, so I could see when the toys run out but without being seen too obviously by the passengers at the front.

What would you do if the seat belt signs were on and the aircraft is about to take off, but a passenger insists that he has to kneel down to conduct his prayer due to religious reasons?

Firstly, it would be sensible to make an announcement (or ask a colleague to) asking for passengers to remain in their seats while the seatbelt signs are on. You could then approach the passenger ( if safe to leave your seat…) and ask them to take their seat as it is a safety issue and if they do not the captain will make the decision to return to stand and the flight will be delayed. Obviously, it is a huge safety issue to have a passenger unsecured for take off therefore if the passenger refuses, you would have to inform a senior who will contact the captain and it's likely the plane will have to return to stand, and crew will then have to deal with the delay.

For safety purposes during a flight, it would make sense to ask a senior crew member for their advice on what they would do and why? But for interview purposes, this is more about how you as a person deal with stress and organisation, so don’t over think it and just treat it as an ordinary scenario. There is no wrong or right answer, only if it's a safety related question during training or work – you would never be expected to know this at an assessment day.

Formulated by Patricia (Cabin Crew Consultant) with input from cabin crew colleagues at/or previously from: British Airways, Etihad, Emirates, Viking, Sky Europe, Thomson to name a few….

We hope these insights are helpful. Good luck at your interview, and don’t forget to use www.cabincrew.com for your job searches.

Employment rights for airline crew and staff

cabincrew.com — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:36:36 GMT

All employees have rights, although these do vary depending on the length of time spent in a position, and the type of industry you work in. There are some unique elements to employment rights for cabin crew, and this article outlines what those are.

Basic employment law rights

Basic employment law rights are found in statutory law, that is law passed by Parliament, and may not be broken even by agreement with the employee. In other words, you are entitled to a basic level of protection regardless of what is written in your employment contract.

Examples of the basic protections include a right to a written statement of employment particulars (within two months of starting your job), the right to the national minimum wage, the right to receive a pay slip and the right not to have unlawful deductions from your wages.

Discrimination in the workplace

In addition to these technical rights, you also have the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of what is known as a ‘protected characteristic’. These include age, gender, ethnic origin or race, religious belief, sexual orientation, disability status or pregnancy. These rights are acquired from day one, and even apply during the interview and recruitment process.

Working time and rest breaks

Where airline crew and staff differ, is that in being part of the passenger transport industry they are subject to certain variations on basic employment law rights. Most workers are covered by the Working Time Directive, which states that no one can be forced to work more than 48 hours per week. Cabin crew and mobile airline staff are covered by separate legislation that restricts annual block flying time to 900 hours, and total working time to 2,000 hours, accumulated over a twelve month period.

Airline crew are further protected in this regard, by a legal entitlement to at least seven rest days (not working and not on standby) each month, and 96 rest days per annum. Where as most workers are entitled to a rest break for every six hours worked, airline crew however are entitled to ‘adequate’ rest before and during shifts. This varies from airline to airline and is a regular cause for concern among airline crew.

How to protect your rights

Protecting your employment law rights is important, not least as it will have major bearing on your well being as airline crew, but also as it is a fundamental feature of your rights as an individual. Airline crew are well represented by unions, and your union would be a very good place to start when seeking employment advice. Although airlines are exempt from some employment law provisions, and enjoy concessions in others, they must still adhere to laws that prohibit bullying, discrimination and breaches of health and safety among other things.

If you are suffering at work and believe that your employment law rights may be breached you should seek employment advice from a solicitor or your union at the earliest opportunity. It is highly likely that others will be feeling the same, or may have suffered the same treatment, and this will only cease if the issue is raised with the airline in the appropriate way.

About the Author
In 2004 Nick Branch obtained his LLB from UWE; Nick then worked as a director of two businesses. Nick’s expertise cover a range of legal areas like employment, family and commercial law. If you feel you need employment advice, visit Contact Law for information and advice.

Browse for cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Photo: By rosarito_82 on flickr

Think you’re due a cabin crew promotion? Here are 7 steps to success

cabincrew.com — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:20:18 GMT

You may decide to be a purser/senior crew member or cabin manager on board and take responsibility for your crew and a successful flight.

Or maybe you are thinking about going into training new crew or even recruiting new candidates… It doesn’t have to stop at flying and you may even be able to combine some of these roles and fully get the most out of your job. How can you make a good impression and increase your chances of promotion? Here are a few ways to put yourself ahead of the game…

1. Never be complacent about safety – after you have been flying a while it is sometimes easy to forget the real reason we are onboard and get caught up in the never ending meal service, problem passengers and fatigue. With so many problems in the world post 9/11 we are more aware that negative situations can happen, so we must never forget to be aware of our safety onboard as well as the passenger’s safety. Don’t ever ‘forget’ to check your safety equipment and make sure you know your safety procedures well. Always.

2. Go the extra mile and exceed expectations – always do that little extra and make someone’s day whether it is a passenger or a fellow crew member. They will appreciate it and it will make you feel good too and a good impression is always remembered.

3. Lead by example – never ask anyone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. Be committed to the team as well as being able to work on your initiative. Remember that respect is earned not just given and every day onboard, if you choose, can be ‘a good day out’!

4. Look after your crew and they will look after you – be honest and open and always share the workload. If someone is struggling, go and help them. Offer support, a smile and encouragement and motivate your crew to do their very best.

5. Cultivate integrity and discretion with your passengers and crew. Know when to take control and when to back off. Be understanding – we can all get ‘tired and emotional’ sometimes… kind words and a discrete nature will be rewarded in the long run.

6. Passion for your work – after 6 months, you will know whether you want to continue flying or not. Seasoned cabin crew will tell you that flying has got into their blood, some would say it is aircraft fuel and some may call it an infection! It is a lifestyle choice, not a job and you have to love it and give it 100% or not at all. It is hard to take a leap into a ground role but usually the transition is there as many crew want to give something back to their peers.

7. Never stop learning! Always know that you can improve, you can make a difference and achieve more. You can learn something from almost everyone you meet. This will keep your job alive and fresh every day and help you to enjoy the experience – even if you are having a rough day.

I hope this inspires you to move forward in your career and consider other options when you need a new challenge. To make a good impression and get promoted it is not about being bossy or having a huge attitude. It is the softer skills that will get you noticed and people will remember you for all the right reasons and want to work with again and you have already earned their respect. When your name is mentioned, you want people to speak well of you, it is a small world and word does get around.

To succeed further you may have to move airlines or try living in a different country or you may decide to venture into corporate flying on private jets – there are always new options out there if you keep an open mind. Being cabin crew is a fantastic job that many people only ever dream of doing and if you can pay back with your experience and want the challenge of something new, you will be helping others to achieve their dreams, which is something well worth the effort.

About the author:

Patricia Green has been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years she has worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year Patricia moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, in order to advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying.

In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, Patricia has written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Photo: British Airways image library

What exactly are airline recruiters looking for?

cabincrew.com — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:38:41 GMT

Each airline looks for something a little different in their crew to make their airline unique, this could be about individual service style and high safety standards or it could be more of a ‘cookie cutter’ approach with emphasis on company image.

However, the basic role of cabin crew is the same and needs the same qualities no matter which airline they work for. From the application form through to the assessment day, this is generally what we are looking for in our new cabin crew:

Passion for the job – Wanting to travel the world is not enough…You need to be an empathetic caring individual who genuinely wants to help people and provide excellent service as well as being the career and rescuer when things go wrong.
Professionalism – Communicate with your colleagues, always have a smile and work as a team, this can change a whole day onboard. Understand your role, go the extra mile and never stop learning from each other. Be discreet when you need to be and don’t intentionally put another person down.

Image – You must look the part and be aware of how your own image is in uniform as you will be a representative and an ambassador for the airline. You will be working long hours and have to look as fresh as you did at the start of the flight right through to the end of the day. Standards are high and we have to be able to see how you will present yourself in uniform.

Customer service experience – We have to know that you can problem solve and know how to listen to a passenger and deal with enquiries positively.

Good timekeeping – Never ever be late, this is a good way to lose your job. If you arrive late for the interview, you just won’t make the grade. If you are late during training, say goodbye to your colleagues. If you are late and miss your flight (with good reason), this will put you on the blacklist and you may only get one more chance. Timekeeping is an absolute essential, the aircraft will not wait for you!

Responsibility – You take responsibility for your own actions and work on your initiative and admit it, if you made a mistake. You must cope well under stress and extreme pressure as this is something you will face almost on a daily basis. You need to be of a certain strength of character too, to be able to deal with emergency situations and deal with all the scenarios on your training course, which will prepare you for every eventuality.

Flexible and adaptable – Everything can change in an instant and often does! You have to be able to ‘run with it’ and carry on… Remember you will have standby duties too, so you may have to leave within 20 minutes of being called.
Understanding and caring nature – Look after your passengers on a daily basis, the best you can – excellent service and a smile can make or break someone’s day. This also reflects on the airline and how passengers see them and return for future business (or not).

Teamwork and communication – These are essentials onboard in everyday practice and most certainly during any difficult situation/emergency. We are a team and that team can change every day, so you need to be able to work well with strangers you have never met before and all be working towards the same goal.

I hope that this article gives you a little insight into what we look for in our candidates for cabin crew. Experienced crew can see the potential in new crew and can work out quick quickly whether someone has the right capabilities. At the assessment day, you will be being monitored the whole day, whether you realize it or not – so make sure you are networking, smiling and have a professional attitude.

The group tasks and discussions are especially devised to bring out many of the qualities listed above and we can see how well (or not) you work in a team. The final interview is a way of seeing you as an individual and your chance to sell yourself and prove to us that you could really be great cabin crew.

If you don’t have some of these qualities now, learn them and nuture them and they will serve you well in the future. Remember that the road to becoming cabin crew is often a long one and if one particular airline doesn’t work out for you, there will probably be another that will – you just have to find the right one for you. It takes very special people to become cabin crew and one day you should be proud of your airline and all that you have achieved to get there.

About Patricia Green:

I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Photo: Air Asia

How to cope with cabin crew job rejections

cabincrew.com — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:41:32 GMT

The only real opportunity is to ask for feedback, and not all feedback is meaningful. So think carefully about how best to get really useful advice about where you went wrong, or what was lacking in the cabin crew interview.

Sometimes the person doling out the bad news is so abashed by it that they barely make sense. However, it is in your interests not to let the opportunity slip by, especially if you got as far as interview.

The trick is to drill down into what you are being told. Of course, that call may not be the best time for you to do the talking. You're not exactly thinking straight or you may not be in a position to talk openly. Whether or not you are invited by the person on the other end of the phone to ask questions, at the end of the call ask if you can drop them a line with any questions you might have once you've had time to let things sink in. If you can, agree a good time to call and stick to it.

Listen carefully to feedback from the airline

When you do speak, be calm and listen. You are gathering information on which your future decisions will be based – about interview conduct, or what steps you need to take to secure a certain kind of job. Address the issues that the other party originally raised in their feedback and ask for advice. Most people are flattered if their opinion is sought!

If you are nervous doing all of this by telephone, see if you can email some questions ahead and then follow this with a phone call. However, if you do that, restrict yourself to no more than a few questions: you want answers, not a place on the "I'll deal with that later" pile.

Do not be aggressive or defensive. If you genuinely feel that you have been rejected because of something you did as a result of the way the assessment was set up, offer it as constructive feedback.

Most of all, do not expect people to admit to anything incriminating. It may well be that you lost out to a younger or older candidate, someone who had more experience, or someone whom they considered would be offer a better return on the investment of training but digging for this kind of information should not be your objective. The person at the other end will just fear a dispute and clam up. At the end of the day, it may simply be that they liked the person they gave the job to more.

Once you have your feedback, assess it as objectively as possible and decide how that will help you going forward. If at first you don't succeed, keep trying but don't just keep doing the same thing: learn and improve the odds that next time you'll be offered the cabin crew job you’ve set your sights on.

Heidi Nicholson
heidi.nicholson@richmondsolutions.co.uk
www.richmondsolutions.co.uk

Browse cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

Interview Focus: Five popular cabin crew interview questions

cabincrew.com — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:55:06 GMT

It is certainly not easy and the process takes time – it is not like a normal job interview, where there are just a handful of candidates, you will be up against thousands of candidates all over the world, so it well worth preparing well.

Should you be lucky enough to attend a cabin crew assessment day, there is still a lot of work to do, so practice your interview look, make sure you know how to get to the venue and make sure you arrive early. If you can prepare some interview answers in advance that will really improve your confidence on the day. Try not to be nervous (that’s the most difficult bit for most!) However, if you put the work in and don’t give up after the first rejection email, you will get there, you just learn from each assessment day. Never take a rejection personally, it is just that it is not the right airline for you at this time – this is why you can reapply after six months or a year.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions asked at the airline interview and how we can respond to impress the recruiter. The questions are taken from a whole range of airlines all around the world, so you are likely to come across them, whichever airlines you apply for. So, prepare your answers now, to be fully prepared for your next assessment day and improve your chances of getting your dream cabin crew job.

Why should we employ you as cabin crew at XXX Airlines?

Say positive things about the airline and if possible mention something you had seen in the news – for example: ‘The airline has ordered many new aircraft and is progressing well and I want to be part of that’. Or if true ‘One of my friends worked for you and recommended I apply as she thought I would fit in with the company ideals’.

Why do you want to be cabin crew?

Here use your personal experience to sell yourself. For example: ‘I enjoy teamwork and am used to shift work. I think I would adapt well to the role’. You could show you’ve done your research and say ‘I am looking for new challenges and I know I would learn a lot as cabin crew, not just about people and places, but skills like first aid too’.

Are you applying for other airlines?

Be honest about it, if you are... it shows that you have commitment to finding a job as cabin crew but also try and turn it into a pro-active statement towards the airline, saying something like ‘Although I have applied for other airlines – this is the airline I want to work for most as it has a professional image and I always hear positive comments about the airline, so that would be a great place for me to start as cabin crew’.

Can you give us an example of when you have provided excellent customer service?

Give an example of ‘going the extra mile’, when have you exceeded someone’s expectations. E.g. ‘In the café, the lady didn’t know what to eat for dessert, so I described each dish to her and she was trying to decide between two so I asked the chef if it was ok for her to have a small piece of each – she was very happy with that!’

How would you deal with being away from your friends and family for long periods of time when working as cabin crew?

Be honest and say that you know it is not easy, but you understand that it is necessary for the job. Also let them know you can cope with being away from home, saying it is a good excuse to have some time away and learn new things, for example.

When answering these questions, make them your own, stay true to yourself and sell yourself to the airline at the same time. The recruiters want to see how you communicate, so remember to maintain eye contact and keep good posture too – the more you prepare the better you will be!

I hope these few examples of interview questions will help you prepare for your next assessment day and good luck!

About Patricia Green:

I have been cabin crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

What does an airline assessment day look like?

cabincrew.com — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:17:18 GMT

Assessment days are by invitation only, if you just turn up, unfortunately they will not be able to see you. These are normally held in a city near to you in a hotel conference centre or at the airline's training centre.

The assessment days start early, so you may have to travel the day before and stay in a hotel the night before, so make sure you leave plenty of time, you don’t want to be late! Your assessment invite will tell you where to go and what to bring with you.

Be prepared to be there the whole day (if you are lucky!). However eliminations are made throughout the day so you may have to leave earlier. There can be anything from 30 to 300 people attending these assessment days, so you have to try hard to stand out.

Here is how an assessment day may be arranged:

Assessment day:

08.00
Meet colleagues at hotel conference room/assessment centre and register with reception. Here you may have to fill in a short form, asking if you have attended an interview with the company before, if you have tattoos etc. This is handed in with a photo and then you will be given a name tag or number.

08.30
Next you line up for the reach test of 210cm. This is to check that you can reach emergency equipment in the aircraft. You can stand on tip-toes and just reach as high as you can…

09.00
You may be asked to complete an English and maths test.

10.00
Presentation by the airline to give you more information about working for them. Question and answer session for anything else that you want to ask.

10.45
Group activity – you may have to build something or decide what to do in a scenario. This is to test your teamwork and communication skills.

11.45
Roleplay in small groups – for example, how to deal with a difficult customer.

12.45
Break and first eliminations – many people go home at this stage.

13.30
Final interviews – one to one, or two recruiters to one. Here you will be asked questions about why you think you should work for the airline, what skills you have to be cabin crew and to give examples of when you given exceptional customer service. This is just for starters!

14.00
Paperwork – security papers, references etc

16.30
End of day – phew! Time to go home and prepare for the long wait…

Of course, every airline has slightly different assessment days these could include group presentations, playing games and psychometric tests. But be warned, they like to change them around too, so no-one gets too used to ‘set’ assessment day!

Sometimes you can find out more on the airlines website about what to expect or take a look at the Cabincrew.com forums. The more you prepare, the more confident you will appear and a little inside knowledge will always help.

Waiting for the final email or ‘golden call’ is nerve-wracking and the best thing to do is get on with normal life and try not to worry about it too much. You will still also have to take a medical and pass security checks, so the waiting game is not over and until you get your date of joining for your training course, you can never be 100% sure.

If you don’t pass the eliminations or the assessment day, don’t dwell on it! Sometimes airlines will look for certain ‘faces that fit’ for example, so don’t take it personally it may just not be the right airline for you. Keep trying with other airlines, the more assessment days and interviews you do, the more experience you will have to pass the next one. And don’t forget, you can still apply again for the same company in 6 months to 12 months time and try again. Good Luck!

About Patricia Green:
I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets.

Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying.

In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com

What if I'm not successful at my cabin crew assessment day?

cabincrew.com — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:35:33 GMT

The most important thing is that you don’t give up! The road to becoming Cabin Crew is often long with lots of twists and turns on the way. I am always surprised when people contact me and say that they want to be Emirates or Etihad Cabin Crew, for example but then stop trying after being unsuccessful after their first or second assessment day.

Realistically, it may take five or six attempts and maybe more... On average only around 2% of Cabin Crew will get a job after just one assessment day! Competition is very fierce and the airlines get thousands of applications every week – for example for one recruitment drive for a major airline in Europe, they received over 75,000 applications in a month, in which 800 were asked to assessment days and of those only 120 were actually taken on for a 6 month contract. Even after that, half of those crew left after six months, failed training or just didn’t meet the grade.

It is not like a normal job, where there are just a handful of applicants and it is a job for life, you have to work hard to get the job and your first six months are the most important, as you will find out whether it is the right job for you and you will also be on probation, to see if the airline think you are suitable.

These are just a few of the reasons why applicants are unsuccessful, as you can see, it is not always that you did anything wrong...

1. No preparation for interview or their appearance does not meet airline requirements. Know and research your airline and join the forum on cabincrew.com for advice on assessment days.

2. Numbers – sometimes at assessment days recruiters can only recruit for a number of spaces at training school, so even if you got to the final stage, you may still not get through just to lack of availability of places.

3. Quotas - in some cases, at an assessment day recruiters may be informed that they can only recruit for a certain quota – this could be for a certain nationality or age or appearance. Although, no one will ever tell you this.

4. Fail at group tasks – this is a difficult one and it needs practice. Make sure you never speak over anyone else and never say that someone is wrong. Keep things positive and encourage your team but never take over the tasks. Remember team work and communication are the key things here.

5. Lack of confidence – Do mix with other potential crew members from all nationalities and smile and be friendly. You may think that no-one is watching but they are! Also, try and keep good posture and keep positive thoughts for the whole day.

Unfortunately airlines do not give feedback as to why you are unsuccessful, this is mostly just down the amount of applicants and that it would be impossible to provide everyone with feedback. Remember that over 85% of all applicants do not get through the application stage or pass the assessment day, so you want to be in that 15% and any assessment day experience is only going to make you a better applicant.

So, what can I do if I am unsuccessful?

1. During the application process, you have to be patient – it will take time and a lot of energy. You have to persevere and learn from each assessment day.

2. Do keep applying for as many airlines as you can (never limit yourself to just one or two as this is narrows your chances of becoming Cabin Crew. Remember you have lots of competition!) Also, one particular airline might not suit you at this stage, but another one will.

3. Make sure you reapply to the airlines after the six month or year waiting time is over. By reapplying you are showing that you are committed to getting the job and it shows your interest in the airline. This is why they allow you to reapply, as in this time you may have gained more experience and improved your potential and have more to give them the next time round.

4. You can also considering doing things to help your next application, for example, getting some work experience at the airport, learning a new language, taking a tourism or cabin crew course , if you feel that it would help you be more confident.

5. Believe in yourself – remember that this is a learning curve and it will take time. Do not be discouraged by what happened at your assessment day, it is nothing personal and does not mean that you would not make a great crew member.

Sometimes you just have to find the right airline for you or wait until the right time whether it takes 2 times or 10 times at assessment day. Don’t just give up – if you really want to be Cabin Crew, then you will get your dream job, but be determined!

About Patricia Green:
I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today on www.cabincrew.com.

Photo: SiSter PhotograPher

Starting Out – I want to be Cabin Crew!

cabincrew.com — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:38:16 GMT

So, you want to be Cabin Crew but are not sure how to go about it? If you are not sure what the airlines are looking for or what requirements you need to meet, you can find some answers here.

There is also some advice on what you need to do before your application. Here we have an easy mini-guide to help you on your way.

Being Cabin Crew is a dream job for many people and only a few actually make the grade – this is usually because so many people give up. It certainly takes a lot of time, patience and determination to get through to day one of your cabin crew training course! It is also seen as a glamorous job that is unachievable, and fear of failing puts a lot of people off and remains only a dream. Take your first steps now towards your dream job and be confident that you too, will one day be working in the skies...

What are the basic requirements?

This is a list of basic requirements that most airlines ask for, for new recruits. Please research your chosen airline and check that you meet their individual requirements. These requirements may also change depending on the country where you will be based and the type of aircraft that they have.

- Minimum 18 years old although some airlines will set a minimum of 21 years old

- 4 GCSEs grade c or above to include English and maths or equivalent to high school diploma

- Good health and eyesight of 6/9 (these will be tested at a medical)

- Must be between 1.58m and 1.90m in height (a reach test of minimum 212cm (usually) will also be conducted at your assessment day, this in order to be able to reach safety equipment onboard the aircraft)

- Weight should be in proportion to height

- You should have no visible tattoos or piercings (some airlines allow tattoos that can be covered by a sticking plaster or band aid)

- Must be able to swim 25m (you will have to prove this during your training...)

- Must have an eligible passport

- Must have no record of criminal offences

- Customer service experience of between 6 months or up to 2 years, depending on the airline

- Good standard of spoken English (the first language in aviation is always English, vital for emergency procedures)

What next to become Cabin Crew?

If you meet all the requirements, now is the time to make your applications. Research all the airlines in your own country first, they can be scheduled airlines, charter airlines, budget airlines and regional carriers and make a list of those who are recruiting now, this you will find out on their websites. Then look for those further afield that accept foreign candidates for example, Emirates and Etihad who also list their open days and assessment days online.

Open days or ‘walk in’ days, you just take your CV and photos on the day to the assessment centre and meet the recruiters (but do check online first, as you may have to register!) Assessment days are by invitation only and you will be invited if the airline is interested in your application. Some airlines recruit all year round, some recruit only once a year for seasonal work and some recruit once in a blue moon, so you have to keep watching the airlines websites and the job section of this website.

Make sure that your CV is up to date and includes all relevant experience – things like first aid certificates, language skills and customer service experience (especially within the hospitality or catering industry) are all a bonus. Taking a Cabin Crew course is not essential and not really an advantage to getting a job and vary widely in quality and content.

However, if you feel that you want to find out more about the job or lack confidence it will not do any harm, after all, the airlines will give you all the training that you will need.

Photographs are very important so make sure you look like you are Cabin Crew already, professional and friendly and in business clothing. No casual photos or photos taken with other people allowed!

It is good to practice filling in the application form a few times, so that you make it your very best effort.

What questions will they ask?

Think hard about the questions they may ask for example ‘Why do you want to be Cabin Crew?’ and try to answer in a way that makes them want to employ you. Sell your ability to do the job! Research the airline and know what type of aircraft they have and where they fly to and a little of their history, this will be of great help, when you attend the assessment day and shows that you really have an interest in working for the airline. Think about why you want to work for them, this is one of the most asked interview questions...

Once you are happy with your application and you have hit the ‘send’ button – forget about it, for now. The application process is long and can take anything from a few weeks to a year or two, so don’t pin all your hopes onto that one application. Do not limit yourself to picking just one airline – this is almost always a guaranteed route to failure! It is not like an ordinary job, where there are only a few applicants, thousands of people apply and the competition is tough, so if you really want to be Cabin Crew, apply for as many as you can and give yourself a real strong chance of finding a Cabin Crew job.

Beware of Cabin Crew scams

Beware of scams – never pay any company money in advance for assessment days, application fees or training fees. A reputable airline will never ask you for money and you should never ‘pay’ for a job.
Unfortunately there are a lot of scams out there now, who are willing to take your hard earned cash for their fake airlines. If in doubt, ask on the forums of cabincrew.com where an experienced crew member will know if the airline is real or not and can find out if it is a scam.

Finally, if your application for gets rejected and you don’t get an assessment day, don’t just give up! You can apply again after 6 months or a year and try again. It may just be that the airline isn’t quite right for you now or that you live in the wrong area or that they have enough recruits lined up already and there is no space in training school... so don’t be disheartened.

In one recruitment drive, one airline received 75,000 applications in a month period, 800 of those were invited to assessment days and in turn, only 120 got the job, so you have to work at it. The road is long, but if you really want a job as Cabin Crew you keep trying until you get there!

About the author: Patricia Green

I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets.

Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse cabin crew jobs on www.cabincrew.com today.

What should I expect on my cabin crew training course?

cabincrew.com — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:30:02 GMT

It’s exciting and it’s a bit scary – but what really happens on your first airline training course? Here, I hope to give all potential cabin crew, the chance to see what really happens behind the scenes and what they should expect to do on their training course.

Some airlines may send you workbooks or an online course to study, a few weeks before your course starts. This will include things like aircraft terminology and airport codes as well as the phonetic alphabet. This will save some time on your airline training course as well as showing your commitment to the course, so it’s best to study! Once you arrive at your new base or training school, you will attend a 4-6 week course that will meet the safety standards of the airline and of the aviation authorities.

This course will cover everything you need to know from first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to how to evacuate an aircraft and how to fight a fire. You learn about all the things that may go wrong onboard an aircraft and how to deal with all kinds of emergency and how to use all the equipment of board. Service is just a small element of your training, which is surprising as that is what our passengers see – they would never believe the things we have to do on our training! Here is a quick run down of just some of the things you will do:

- Safety and Emergency Procedures: This is where you learn emergency drills, jump down the aircraft slides and practice door operation. This is just for starters! This is the most important and the most difficult part of the course and normally covers at least 2 weeks.

- Safety Equipment: This is where you learn about all the safety equipment on each aircraft including smoke hoods, fire extinguishers, life rafts, oxygen systems etc

- Fire Fighting: Probably for the first time in your life, you will practice putting out fires and simulate different scenarios. There is also a smoke filled chamber where you may practice finding ‘people’ trapped inside.
- Wet drill: This is often the most dreaded… You must swim, practice survival techniques in the water and climb onto the life raft!

- Aviation Medicine: Here you will learn about first aid onboard, how to use the medical kit and medicines and also most importantly CPR and use of the defibrillator.

- Aircraft Specific: You learn about the aircraft types you are working on eg. Boeing 737, Airbus 320 etc. You have to know the door operation, layout and emergency equipment locations onboard. You also have to visit the aircraft and practice using the doors.

- Survival: Learning about surviving on water, land, desert and snow with your passengers.

- Crew Resource Management: This is an element often forgotten about. It concerns crew communication and studying scenarios to understand what went wrong during an emergency and how we can stop the potential for accidents.

- Service Style: Here you may learn how the service is performed and different types (sometimes you will learn economy and business for example).

- Inflight Retail: How to promote sales onboard.

- Grooming: How to represent the company by having good appearance and wearing your uniform correctly.

- Other topics studied include: Security, Dangerous Goods, Conflict Management, Manual Handling and sometimes Self Defence!

During your first week of training, there will be lots of administration to do and you will attend presentations by the airline that will give you detailed information about the company and your role – so make sure you take plenty of notes! You will also have a uniform fitting and probably a medical.

After this, that is when it starts to get tough! You will be taking on masses of information in a short space of time as well as taking part in practical exercises. You will be tested on a regular basis and the pass mark is high – it can be as high as 98% with some airlines! If you fail, you normally get one more chance and then you will be asked to leave, so do your homework…If you don’t understand something, ask your instructor or ask a colleague who has flown before as it is crucial you know what you are doing.

Hard work will pay off

Some people will drop out of the course and decide it isn’t right for them or some people do not make the grade with the exams. You have to look after yourself and your colleagues, get plenty of sleep and study hard. The days are long, it is tough, you will feel exhausted and there will be plenty of tears during training – I promise! That is normal during this stressful time… but in the end it is all worth it!

After the training course (and you get you first roster!) you will work on two supervised flights to complete your training, before becoming fully fledged Cabin Crew and getting your wings… Every 12 months, you will have to return to training for 2-3 days to do a refresher course, just to keep your knowledge and training up to date. Again you will be tested and have to prove to the authorities that you are safe to fly as Cabin Crew.

Joining another airline

If you decide to join another airline in the future, unfortunately you still have to take the initial training course of the new airline as not all safety procedures are exactly the same with each airline. Within Europe, there is now the ‘attestation’ which is a ‘passport’ for Cabin Crew that shows all the previous courses completed. This can be very useful in the future, for example in the case of a short contract it may be possible to be exempt from some of the initial training and you may only need to take a refresher or aircraft specific course beforehand.

Just as a side note, in Asia, sometimes the airline training courses are longer and can last up to 4 months. This is down to the fact that airlines such as Singapore Airlines concentrate a lot on their extensive customer service style and Japan Airlines for example, include Japanese language and culture classes in their training course.

I hope you have found this introduction to your Cabin Crew training course useful and informative. Of course, not all airlines are the same and there maybe some elements here that you may or may not study. This outline is based on courses that I have studied and instructed with airlines in Europe, UK and the Middle East.

About the author: Patricia Green
I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse cabin crew jobs on www.cabincrew.com today.

Cabin Crew survival guide: 10 tips to make life easier

cabincrew.com — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:17:12 GMT

There are highs and lows to working as cabin crew, just as in any job. The highs will include seeing new places and making good friends and hopefully doing a job you love. The lows include fatigue, missing birthdays and family events and having little social life outside of work.

It is what you make of it and it can be the most rewarding job you will ever do. After 6 months, you will know if it is the career for you, you will either love it or hate it and if you do choose to leave, if within 6 months you still think about flying – then it’s time to go back! It will change your life. It’s not just a job, it’s a whole lifestyle.

Here are my top ten tips for survival on the road and down-route:

1. Drink lots of water onboard, you will need it to stay hydrated. Your skin won’t dry out so much and it will improve your digestion.

2. Sleep whenever you can – working long shifts at unusual hours can be very difficult, so be kind to yourself and get a few more Zzzzzs.

3. To get the most out of your suitcase space and still stay presentable, fold and then roll your clothing and put in the centre of the case with shoes and other items around the sides.

4. Leave problems at home, keep a positive attitude and enjoy your work – this will rub off on the rest of the team and make a long day a whole lot easier.

5. Have a ‘freshen-up’ kit in your crew bag, so you can always look immaculate. It also makes you feel better during a long flight. Start collecting those mini toothbrushes/toothpaste and foot sprays now!

6. Make sure you have a spare set of uniform and at least one outfit in your wheelie – you may have an unexpected night-stop due to the aircraft having a technical issue or you may get red wine on your shirt during the service, so it is best to be prepared.

7. It can get lonely as cabin crew, and sometimes you might just want a little piece of home. Take a couple of photographs of those you love or some candles or your favourite music – anything that makes you feel good. If you can take a laptop/I-pad, you can use it for Skype, playing games or to watch your favourite movie – sometimes it is essential if you are away for a long time.

8. Long haul cabin crew may find a few comforts essential for crew rest onboard. A mini hot water bottle will make you feel better and your own little travel pillow and a children’s size quilt (they roll up small) will be your best friend.

9. Look after yourself – try and eat healthily and avoid meals onboard when you can as they are loaded with fat and preservatives. Use the gym or go for a walk, but take a little exercise down-route you will feel better for it.

10. Be aware of your surroundings down-route and don’t take any risks – unfortunately even if we are not in uniform we can still be identified as crew by locals and sometimes this can be a negative thing. Watch out for scams, drink spiking and keep jewellery and cash to a minimum. Keep your hotel keycard and crew ID with you, to identify yourself. If possible tell someone where you are going or go out with others.

These are just a few tips to help you whether you are thinking of being cabin crew or taking your first steps in the skies. I have learnt from trial and error, my colleagues and a lot of experience on short haul and long haul flights as well as working as sole crew member on private jets. These can be adapted to suit everyone, even in ‘civvie’ life outside of your uniform. Stay safe, take care and have fun!

About Patricia Green:
I have been Cabin Crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Photo: Virgin Atlantic

Lacking confidence? These six tips will give you a boost

cabincrew.com — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 10:15:29 GMT

Bearing all of this in mind, it’s no wonder that the interviews and assessment days for cabin crew jobs are equally tough! As a result, the cliché that preparation is key could not be truer.

In these circumstances, what can you do to boost your confidence?

1. Look the part

Smart personal appearance is intrinsic to the job and this should be reflected in your personal presentation for the assessment day or interview. Avoid any panics by sorting out your outfit well ahead and don’t leave it to the last minute to choose a tie, buy a pair of tights or any other part of your outfit. Iron your shirt or blouse the night before and make sure your suit is crease free. I’ve also seen many people suggest you research how the airline’s cabin crew present themselves and reflect their look in your hair and makeup.

2. Do your research

The assessment day will start with an introduction to the airline. This is the airline’s chance to sell itself to you as a candidate. Avoid getting swept away by the patter by doing some research and forming your own opinions. This job is a way of life, so you need to choose the right airline for you. Learn about the company and its values. Check out the press on it. Another good source of information is Skytrax (http://www.airlinequality.com ).

Prepare some questions which demonstrate that you’ve done more than simply sit through the talk – though you should evidently tailor any questions you do have based on what you’ll have heard.

Doing your own research also means that you will be able to respond to the recruiter’s questions with confidence, be clear about your motivations for wanting the job, and show that you are really interested in working for that airline. Bear in mind that some airlines will require you to live away from home for a period because of where they are based. If that is a possibility, reflect on how you feel about this and be prepared to give truthful and mature answers when you are asked about this.

3. Practice for tests

You are very likely to be asked to do an English test. This could take a number of forms: a short essay, a reading comprehension, a grammar test or a combination of all three. You are also likely to do a numeracy test and possibly also an abstract reasoning test. Samples of these kinds of test can be found online and if you’re not used to them, you’d be well advised to look some up.

If you have stated that you are fluent in another language, be ready to have that fluency tested.

You may also be asked to sit a personality test. Do not try to second guess the “right” answers – you need a lot of knowledge to beat the system in this way and may even end up making yourself look less suited to the job than you really are.

4. Think teamwork

The group exercises are an important part of cabin crew assessment days. This is your chance to show you have the qualities of a good flight attendant – namely, that you are diplomatic, friendly, a good listener, calm under pressure and inclusive of others in the team. The team needs to help one another to succeed at this task. You won’t pass by dominating the group.

Most of all, you must not use negative language. Never say, “No, you’re wrong”. Couch any disagreement in more positive terms, such as “I can see your point but I think…”.

Scenarios where your superior is clearly wrong are among the most frequently used. You will be faced with deciding whether you need to correct the person then or later. This is a question of judgement: not if you tell them but how and when you tell them.

5. Prepare for the Interview

Think through the type of questions that you might be asked. A quick search on the internet will present you with a lot of examples. The recruiters will want to know what you would do in certain situations and how you’d react. Be prepared to outline what happened; what options you had; what course of action you took and why; and what were the outcomes. Don’t be tempted to make answers up: the recruiters will drill down with a view to unearthing anything that is less than truthful.

6. Body language

Be aware of your body language – and make sure it’s positive, meaning upright, shoulders back, plenty of eye contact. Remember this will be judged during the day, even at points when you are relaxing, such as during a break.

Finally, don’t be disheartened if you don’t succeed first time around. This is not unusual. It may be that you would be better suited to another airline, or you might succeed if you try again. Whether you decide to reapply or move on, make sure that you learn the lessons to improve your performance at your next assessment day. After all, there is no better preparation than experience.

Heidi Nicholson is a partner at career advice agency Richmond Solutions
heidi.nicholson@richmondsolutions.co.uk

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Photo: Lisa Rosario Photography

Turbo-charge your cabin crew job application

cabincrew.com — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:44:27 GMT

The interview process is very different to any other job, and you will learn how the assessment days and interviews work, the more that you go to. It is, most definitely a learning process and if you really want to be cabin crew, don’t just give up after a couple of attempts. Start by improving your application and get noticed - here are some useful tips on how to upgrade your application:

1. Make sure you ‘tailor’ the application form and make it work for you. Use your education and work experience to sell yourself and make the employer want to interview you. Persuade the recruiters that you are the most suitable person for the job.

2. Add any duties that you have done at work that may be appropriate to the role of cabin crew – dealing with the public, handling cash, administration, food service etc.

3. Also consider adding things like, ‘I have worked as part of a team’, ‘I am used to working unsocial hours’ or ‘I am very adaptable and am used to changing circumstances very quickly’, but only if you have done so!

4. Languages, First Aid and catering are also good skills to add, if you have them. Remember you may be tested on your language skills at the interview, so be prepared.

5. Other questions may need more detail and although they seem like hard work – this is where you really get to shine and tell them how your experience is perfect for the role of cabin crew. Here are a few examples you may see:

[B]- Why do you want to work as cabin crew for our company?
- What makes you think you would be a good crew member?
- Give an example of when you have provided excellent customer service.[/B]

Your photograph is very important too and could make or break your application immediately. Think of what the recruiters are looking for – polished, immaculate looking and professional crew members. So, that’s half the job there just with your photograph, so make it a good one!

The perfect photo for your application

1. Never send a holiday photo or photo taken with your friend for example, as these will be discarded immediately. If you are current crew, it is better not to send a photo of yourself in uniform, as recruiters want to see beyond the uniform.

2. If possible have a professional photo done, this can be done cheaply and you only need a handful of photos not a whole photo shoot. Ask the photographer for a head and shoulders shot and a full length photo as that is what you will need.

3. Don’t forget to take a flash drive/USB stick to download your photos too, ready for your next application.

4. Dress as you would for the interview – first impressions are important – look like you already have the job!

5. Finally, for the head and shoulders shot, try and smile a little (look friendly) and for the full length photo, don’t slouch (imagine you are greeting your passengers at the aircraft door!)

Hopefully, now armed with your professional looking photos and a newly upgraded application, you can improve your chances of getting the invitation to your assessment day or open day. Good luck!

About Patricial Green:

I have been cabin crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets.

Last year I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

A typical day in the life of Cabin Crew

cabincrew.com — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:49:30 GMT

These are the basic duties of cabin crew while onboard:

- Pre-flight cabin checks for security, safety equipment and meals
- Boarding passengers and storing luggage
- Safety demonstration, prepare cabin for take off
- In-flight service of meals and refreshments
- Duty Free service
- Announcements
- First Aid
- Dealing with difficulties such as turbulence or difficult passengers
- Preparing for landing
- Disembark passengers
- Security check and clean cabin
- Finally, during all of these duties you have to be aware at all times of safety and security and your actions in case of an emergency situation.

As for working hours, there is no set number only in terms of the maximum hours you can work in a month, as per safety regulations. Cabin crew work ‘shifts’ which can be any time of day or night and will include weekends and holidays such as Christmas and New Year.

These will be rostered 4-6 weeks in advance. A working day can be anything from 6 hours to 14 hours and maybe there and back (London-Barcelona-London) or a nightstop/layover where you may have time at the destination. There are also ‘standby’ days which may be at home or at the airport, where you may be called upon to do a flight at short notice.

Here’s what a day can look like:

04.30 – 05.15 Good Morning
Good Morning! Time to get the uniform on and make yourself presentable – make sure you are immaculate and grab some breakfast if you can. Check-in at your base, needs to be at least 1 hr 30 minutes before the aircraft departs so make sure you leave enough time! Take transport or drive to the airport.

06.15 – 06.30 Arrive at airport base
Check your pigeon-hole for any updates and also your rosta for any changes to schedule. Take a quick look at your cabin manual/first aid manual before briefing.

06.30 – 07.00 Crew Briefing
Your senior crew member will inform the crew about all the details of today’s flight including what role each crew member has and if there are any passengers who need extra assistance. You may also talk about the service – if anything needs to be done differently to suit this flight. You will also be asked questions about safety and emergency procedures and first aid, to check your ability to work on today’s flight. Now, take crew transport to the aircraft.

07.00 - 07.30 Check aircraft
Once you are onboard, now it is time to check your safety equipment is all present and correct. When you have completed this, you must so a security check of your part of the cabin – including overhead lockers, seat back pockets and floor area, to make sure nothing suspicious has been left onboard. Check there are enough meals and supplies for the number of passengers onboard. Finally check the toilets for security and that they are stocked up with necessities.

07.30 – 07.50 Passenger boarding
Put a smile on your face and stand in your crew position, this maybe by a door or over-wing exit or at the front of the aircraft. Greet the passengers, direct them to their seat and help them find space for their luggage. Make sure luggage is always stowed properly for safety reasons.

07.50 – 08.00 Preparation for take-off
The aircraft is about to push-back, so this is when the safety demonstration takes place. This is where you let the passengers know how to use their seatbelt, oxygen mask and life jacket and also to inform them where the floor lighting is that will guide them to the nearest exit, which you will point out. So, now you do your final checks and you must ensure that all luggage is correctly stowed away, seatbelts are fastened and the cabin is ‘secure’. Now, take your seat for take-off.

08.10 – 11.45 In-flight service
Once the aircraft is airborne and the seatbelt signs have been switched off, you can start the in-flight service. This will differ from airline to airline and depending on whether all items are sold or are free as part of the service. Also, the service will be different if your airline has business or first class.

Here are some services you may provide:

*Headsets for the in-flight entertainment system
*Hot towels
*Bar service
*Meal service
*Tea and coffee
* Clearing passenger trays
* Duty Free sales
*Handing out immigration cards

During this time, you will also check the toilets for security and cleanliness and also deal with any passenger enquiries or first aid.

11.45 – 12.00 Prepare for landing

Time to land, so once again we do our checks that all seatbelts are fastened and all luggage is stowed and cabin is ‘secure’ and ready for a safe landing. Once this is complete is time to return to your crew seat.

12.00 – 13.00 Landing in Athens - Turnaround

The passengers can now disembark and you help them with luggage and say goodbye. Once all passengers have left the aircraft you must do another security check of the cabin and make sure no items have been left behind. New catering will be loaded, so once again you check if there is enough onboard and also you have enough drinks onboard. Also you may have to clean and restock the cabin and toilets – this depends on each airline. Again one more check of the cabin for security purposes and get ready to board the passengers, show them to their seats and get ready for the safety demonstration.

13.00 – 17.00 Return flight to Heathrow

Do it all again!

17.00 – 18.00 Landing at Heathrow
So, back on the ground once the passengers have disembarked, it is the final security check of cabin and maybe some cleaning. From here crew transport will take you back to base and then you can pay in duty free monies and check your rosta for any changes. Then you are free to go home!

About the author:
Patricia Green has been cabin crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last 6 years she has worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. Last year Patricia moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, advising potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying. In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, Patricia has written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit www.cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Photo: Air France

How much do cabin crew earn?

cabincrew.com — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:30:21 GMT

One question that often comes up on the Cabincrew.com forum, is the subject of salary for cabin crew. Due to the fact that current members of crew are advised by their airline not to discuss their salaries online, it is a subject that remains a bit vague.

However, we can estimate from previous crew members at different airlines in the UK and Middle East, figures that should only be used as a guideline. In this article we will also be looking at other factors such as benefits and contracts. All of these will vary airline to airline and country to country and you will be able to find some of the information on the airline’s recruitment page or at the assessment day.

Contracts may be offered on a temporary basis, say for six months. This can be to premeditate a lack of available crew at a scheduled airline or to prepare for a very busy summer season at a European charter airline. Not all benefits available to full time crew may be available to contract crew, for example, things like annual leave or discounted tickets.

Although six months may not seem long, it is great if you want to just try out working with a different airline or if you are not sure that the job is right for you. There may also be a chance that you may be kept on, during the slow season if crew are required and you may be called back for the next seasonal contract. For scheduled airlines, for example British Airways, Virgin, Qantas or Emirates, you will mostly be offered a permanent full time contract. This will have a six month trial period, where you may choose to leave the company if you decide it’s not for you or the airline may not renew the contract. Part time contracts are only really available to full time cabin crew who have already been with the airline for a number of years and for things like maternity leave or extended sick leave.

As a rough guide, salary is made up of different payments according to the airline:

- Basic salary on average per year from £12,000, 12,000 Euro and $15,000. This figure is taken across a range of scheduled/charter airlines. Although, in this difficult financial climate I have heard of cabin crew working for less than 450 Euro a month!
- Flight pay – an hourly rate for hours from take off to landing. This is a small figure based on actual hours flown onboard – not all airlines have this.

- Allowance payment for nights spent away from base (may differ from country to country visited, for example a meal in Tokyo will cost more than in Mombasa, therefore payments will reflect this.) Again, not all airlines pay for allowances and some have a set figure, for example 25 Euro per night away.

- Language payment – some airlines will pay a small monthly allowance for language speakers. If you speak a language fluently and can do the public announcements etc onboard regular flights, you may get paid a little extra, but you may find you will also be working the same routes regularly!

- Commission from duty free sales onboard. This may be between 5-10% of total sales on board shared by the whole crew – every little bit helps!

It is also worth knowing that during your training course, you will only be receiving a basic salary – so for a usual 4-6 week period, you will be on a limited budget! This is normally received a month behind at the end of the month and allowances and extras are usually paid two months behind. The longer you stay with a company is also of benefit, as you should receive a yearly increment /bonus of up to 5% plus a yearly rise after a qualifying period.

So, what other benefits are there?

Annual leave of between 14 and 30 days a year is usually available to you, for your holiday or those special occasions. Many airlines also offer personal or medical insurance in case you get taken ill or have an accident, but this kind of cover can vary company to company. Pension schemes are sometimes available and if you happen to be sick there is a limited period of sick leave where you will be just paid a basic salary. Most scheduled airlines and some charters also offer reduced price tickets or staff travel on standby (if there is a seat available last minute!) which can be helpful if you wish to commute or travel during your annual leave.

You may be lucky and also receive discounts on gym membership, restaurants and transportation. Down-route, you may get discounts on internet fees and food at your hotel and discounts at the duty free shop at the airport. As your uniform is so important to company image, the company will normally pay for you to have it dry cleaned and some have laundry facilities at base for you to drop off your uniform.

Many of the airlines in the Middle East, for example Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Gulf Air offer their cabin crew, free transport (by crew bus to and from airport) and free accommodation (shared apartments with up to 3 other crew members) which can be a huge advantage. They also offer a tax free salary, so is a good option if you have no ties and are willing to move to a new country.

So, all in all – that gives you an idea of how a cabin crew salary adds up. Every airline has different salary structure so it is hard to give an accurate single figure here.

On a practical note, it is always a good idea to weigh up the pros and cons of the contract. Consider if you have housing and transport costs to pay for or existing bills at home to cover, as these should be factored in. If you are successful at your assessment day and are still in doubt as to your approximate monthly salary and contract offer then do not hesitate to contact the Human Resources department for clarification on this information.

About Patricia Green:
I have been cabin crew for major airlines in the UK and Middle East for six years and also a SCCM. For the last six years I have worked as a VIP Flight Attendant working for very high profile clients and world leaders on their private jets. This last year, I moved to flying on a freelance basis in order to concentrate on working as a freelance instructor as well as setting up as a Cabin Crew Consultant, so that I could advise potential crew how to get their dream job and help experienced crew move from commercial to corporate flying.

In response to many requests from fellow crew and students, I have written a series of E-books to help guide new crew with lots of insider advice and useful hints and tips.

For more information please visit cabincrewconsultant.weebly.com

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.

Photo: Alan Cleaver

Cabin Crew jobs: Latest opportunities

cabincrew.com — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:00:43 GMT

We hope you find what you're looking for, but don't forget you can always upload your CV to help cabin crew recruiters find you, and it's also recommended to sign up to our email job alerts so that you don't miss opportunities as they crop up.
Good luck!

Ryanair seeks friendly, outgoing people
Ryanair is looking for enthusiastic, friendly, outgoing people to join its ranks and enjoy “a job that gives you wings”.

Ryanair currently has a team of more than 8,500 people and expects to carry 75 million passengers in the current fiscal year.

The airline is looking for enthusiastic, friendly and outgoing people to join its winning team. Ryanair’s training company, Ryanair St James, runs regular recruitment days at London Stansted and is currently recruiting for positions in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.

Please click here for further details of Ryanair’s cabin crew training courses, requirements and an online application form.

Emirates hosts Global Open Days

Are you ready to join Emirates? ‘Tomorrow the world could be your office’ says the airline’s recruitment marketing, and there are certainly some exciting opportunities for those with the right language skills and customer service capabilities. Successful candidates will be based in Dubai and can expect to work within a dynamic cabin crew team, travelling across Emirates selected routes – Emirates currently operates in 130 countries.

Emirate’s cabin crew recruitment team conducts interviews in numerous countries worldwide, but first you must attend an Open Day and be selected. Emirates has a busy schedule over the next few weeks, and below are just some of the planned Open Day events. As outlined in our recent article there is demand for people in very specific parts of the world who will be able to help Emirates on key routes. So make a note of the dates below if you’re in the right place, and start planning for your attendance at one of these life-changing Open Days.

The Open Days are information sessions that give candidates the opportunity to meet our recruitment team. Sessions tend to begin at 9:00 am and carry forward through the day depending on the number of candidates. Applicants are required to present an up to date CV along with full length and passport size photographs in business attire.

“In the event that you are successful, you will be obliged to attend a selection interview during the course of the week,” says the Emirates recruitment team. Places are limited, therefore you need to book your place early.

Click through to find out more about the many Emirates cabin crew recruitment days planned - there are other locations planned beyond this list!

Emirates Cabin Crew – London - 23 July, 1 and 7 August
Emirates Cabin Crew – Leeds - 22 July
Emirates Cabin Crow – Sao Paulo – 28 July
Emirates Cabin Crew - Johannesburg - 11 August
Emirates Cabin Crew – Liverpool – 18 August
Emirates Cabin Crew – Kiev – 11 and 12 August
Emirates Cabin Crew – Kolkata – 11 August

SEP Instructor needed at Mega Maldives Airline

Mega Maldives provides international scheduled and charter operations from Mal international airport in the Maldives. “This is a wonderful opportunity to become part of our team that shares an enthusiasm and a spirit that are the core of creating a strong company,” says the recruitment team. You will be responsible for the delivery of the approved Safety and Emergency Procedures training for the in-flight service team. An attractive salary package with allowances, medical and travel benefits is offered.

Qualifications needed include a minimum of five years experience as a Cabin Crew, or two years as a Purser. To land this Maldives-based job you must also have a minimum of two years teaching/instructor experience, be highly proficient on safety issues, and an effective communicator.

Browse all our cabin crew vacancies today.

Upload your CV here and let the recruiters find you!

The Ultimate Interview Guide for Cabin Crew

cabincrew.com — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:17:15 GMT

So what’s the answer? Preparation of course, and that means planning answers to popular interview questions well before you slip on your smart suit.

So Cabincrew.com has compiled the ultimate guide. We take a look at the different types of interview question you can expect, and provide advice on giving answers that will help you land your ideal cabin crew job.

Preparation

So you have secured an interview for your dream cabin crew job. That’s a great achievement in itself. The golden rule of being interviewed is to be prepared! It sounds simple but so many jobseekers make the mistake of arriving for interviews without preparing properly in advance, expecting their past experience to help them walk into the job.

Some useful hints and tips

Whether it’s Virgin Atlantic, BA, Emirates or Easyjet, do as much research on the airline that you can. Spend time going through the airline website and if possible ensure you understand where they fly, who they serve, which aircraft they use, and the kinds of people they like to employ.
“What do you know about our company?” is one of the most commonly asked interview questions. If it is on their website, there is no excuse for not knowing about it!

Key facts you must know
• The airlines routes
• Customer service ethos
• Growth plans for the future
• Main competitors
• Financial performance
• Recent published news

Ask the recruiter!

If you are working with an external recruiter ask them for the information! The recruiter should be able to give you all the information you need, ensuring you go into the interview prepared. If there is anything you are not sure about - ask.

Find out about the interview process, company culture, team size, current management, working conditions, and the challenges faced by the manager, team or business for example. The better prepared you are, the better your chances of impressing the interviewer.

Presentation

First impressions count especially for cabin crew roles! Ensure that you are dressed for the job you want, rather than the job you already have. Always overdress rather than risk being underdressed and if you are at all unsure about the dress code ask the recruiter.

Punctuality

Find out where you are going and plan how you are going to get there. If you are unsure of the exact location of the cabin crew interview print out a map, again often found on the airline’s corporate website or available online from one of the many online map providers.

Allow plenty of extra time in case of travel delays. If you arrive very early find a nearby café and collect your thoughts and make any final preparations e.g. ensuring you have your mobile phone turned off before you go into the interview etc.

It’s good practice to show up 5-10 minutes early, as this shows you are keen and ensures you don’t hold proceedings up (also remember it can take up to 10 minutes to get signed in as a visitor in some buildings).

The interview

You’ve arrived! When you first meet the interviewer, greet him or her with a firm handshake and try to smile. Break the ice by asking them how they are or how their weekend was etc, some interviewers are better than others at making job seekers feel at ease.

Take out any papers, notes, questions etc and your pen before the interview starts. This will save you having to look for them later during the interview.

Sit upright looking alert and giving the interviewer your full attention. Leaning back in your chair while twirling your pen will not create the best impression so is best avoided.

The Questions:

Andy Yeap, founder of FlyGosh the cabin crew and pilot blog, suggests some questions to expect and the kinds of answers to give.

Tell us about your hobbies?

Everyone has their own hobbies so this question is pretty straightforward. Just don’t mention anything which a cabin crew shouldn’t be interested in, such as telling them you love getting tattoos done, and partying all night! Sports and fitness, travel and sight-seeing, film, music, languages are all good to mention.

Do you like children?

When you fly, there will definitely be children on board. Some can be naughty and mischievous. Just mention that you love to be around children and it’s not a burden attending or to play with them so as to make sure that they are not disturbing other passengers or inflate an emergency vast accidentally. Say whatever you are comfortable when dealing with kids.

Tell us about your current or your previous job?

Whatever previous jobs you have had, just mentioned those that are related to cabin crew. They love to hear things like how you solve a problem in a team, how you’re committed to your job, how well you handle your colleagues or customers, have leadership skills. The goal here is to convince them that you previous experience will be useful and will complement the role of a flight attendant.

What languages can you speak?

Not only will you be travelling to different parts of the world but you will also have different nationalities on board. The more languages that you speak, it will definitely be an advantage for you.

Tell us the aircraft that we fly?

It’s essential to do some research on what kind of planes they fly. Definitely don’t tell them you’ve never even heard of a Boeing 777 or an airbus.

Why did you choose our airline and not others?

You can say that being a cabin crew team member is your ambition and you do not mind working in any airline so long as you achieve it. You can also say that you chose to apply to that airline because it is one of the best around that region, if not the world. The goal here is to show them that you are being hired by the best airline and have no intention to resign and join others. No airline or any company would like to train someone only to lose him or her to a competitor.

We think these specific insights from Andy are really helpful. Here are a few more classic questions that will remind you of what to expect and what kinds of answers to give.

How would you describe yourself?

This is where the interviewer wants to get an idea about YOU as a person. Although you can mention your career strengths it is better to use this to talk about your personality. Whatever you say you need to be honest and genuine. You want the interviewer to feel confident that they are seeing your true personality rather than telling them what you think they want to hear.

Study the job specification carefully before you go to the cabin crew interview. Often the airline will describe exactly the type of person they are looking for – organized, a team player, dedicated to delivering good service, friendly, positive-minded. If you fit what they want then make sure you say so. If you forget then you may be shooting yourself in the foot.

Where do you want to be in five years time?

The interviewer wants to know that, if they hire you, you will stay with the company. After all, nobody wants to hire a flight attendant who will switch to a different airline after a couple of months.
Although you want to show ambition, your answer must be realistic. If it’s a trainee position, or junior cabin crew, it would be expected for you to aspire to a purser role or cabin crew supervisor.
It would be useful to describe how you want to make a great contribution to this company as you develop experience. You can emphasise specific goals you would like to achieve, such as to get involved in a customer service initiative, or help the company to make money.

What are your strengths?

The interviewer wants to know what your key strengths are in relation to this particular job. Make sure you choose examples that are relevant to the cabin crew role, but also examples that set you apart from other applicants.

It’s useful to have 4-5 strengths available in case the interviewer asks for some further examples. Are you really supportive to friends, very organized in your daily life, good at following instructions, happy to spend time talking to children and older people, used to coping under stress. There are many strengths to talk about, but remember to always back them up with examples. If you claim to be a good communicator, what will you say if they ask ‘in what way?’

For most cabin crew jobs you will want to include an example of working well as part of a team as most companies are after people who fit in well with others.

Asking questions

You may have the opportunity to ask questions as the interview progresses, it is normal interview practice for the interviewer to give the job seeker the opportunity to ask questions for the last part of the interview.
Asking insightful, well thought out pre-prepared questions when given the opportunity is as important as any of the answers you will have already given during the interview, this is well worth remembering.

Not having pre-prepared questions or squirming uncomfortably as you try to think up a list of intelligent questions on the spot will make you look badly prepared and disorganised.

Spend time before the interview reviewing the job profile and review any notes you have taken during any briefing discussions with the recruiter before the interview. Pick out anything about the role, team or company you are unsure about.

When going through the corporate website, note down any questions that are not answered by the information available.

Have 10 questions prepared before you go into the cabin crew interview. As the interview progresses several of these will no doubt be answered as part of the general interview dialogue. However, when it is your turn to ask questions, pick the 3 to 5 questions that seem most relevant at the time.

Good questions to ask might include:

• What is the company’s approach to training and development?
• How would you describe the company culture?
• What is the biggest challenge facing your team / department or XYZ company currently?
• How will my success in this role be measured over the next 12 months?
• How long would you expect someone to stay in this position before being considered for an internal promotion?

At the end of the interview

When the interviewer has indicated that the interview is about to end ask the interviewer about additional stages the interview process, ask for an indication of time scale for feedback.

Finally ensure that you thank the interviewer for their time.

Following the Interview

Following the interview, some candidates ask for feedback from the HR department. This can be particularly useful if you haven’t been successful and need to move on to other applications.

Regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative try to view it objectively, and think about how you can improve your cabin crew interview technique in the future.

Finally, there is a great post on our forum by ‘djbrazil’ giving useful details about the Emirates interview process. For the full post click here.

Good luck!

Browse our cabin crew jobs today.