Testimonials - Flight Attendant

Hello ! I’m Jennifer, I’m 27 years old and I work as a cabin crew for 5 years now.

This job was my dream : I want to do this work since I was 8 years old after a journey in a foreign country where I met some Air France's crew. This was obvious to me and it quickly became a passion !

After graduated with my Baccalaureate in Social and Economics Sciences, I went to university to study “Tourism sales and productions”, doing in parallel my CFS (equivalent of the current Cabin Crew Attestation).

After that, I’ve been to England as an au pair during six months, and then, when I’ve return back home, I was lucky to be hired by an airline !

At that time, the difficulty to find a job in the aviation world lead me to England for few months.

On board, our main aim is to guarantee the safety (contrary to what some people may think). A cabin crew is obviously there to take care and ensure the safety and security of passengers during flights. For this, we are well trained every year, following the procedures specific to each airlines.

Our second objective is a commercial mission : To anticipate the wishes of customers in terms of comfort and well-being. We are here to give the best satisfaction to the passenger but also here to promote the airline.

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When we talk about this job, some people may assigned it as an “plane’s waitress”. What can you say to them ?

I will say that only one emergency situation is -unfortunately needed to underline the importance of the cabin crew. The “air waitress” is there to ensure the safety of passengers, then, in case of emergency, evacuate them in 90 seconds maximum. Customers only see the business side of the job, but they cannot be blamed.

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Of course, we have a certain way of life with some particular schedules but contrarily of what people may think, we are more at house than an other people with an office schedules. After each flight, coming back home, we have some rest days calculated on the destination or the monthly duty time limitation.

One of the main strengths and skills required to be a good cabin crew is, I think, adaptability: we do a job where every day brings us something new, a lot of different situations. It requires to adapt ourself and to manage situations the best way we can and, sometimes, with a lot of stress…

To have good social skills is also something really important because we are faced with a lot of different cultures on board.

During the stopover, there are always some cabin crew that want to visit the city even if we’ve already been there. Sometimes, we can be alone if everyone is tired from the flight, or due to a really short stopover, or of course, restrictions due to the COVID for example. Often we organize themselves during the flight or once we arrived at the hotel.

About the family life, I don’t think that it is much more complicated than an other work, it just a matter of good organization. As I said earlier, we are much more at home than somebody working in an office.

Advantages of the job are diversity and travels. I like being part of the team, always surrounded by different colleagues and customers, coming sometimes from the other side of the world : it is really fantastic and so enriching! I didn't want to work in an office!

To travel is also a big advantage in our career : we are so lucky to wake-up early in the morning in a cold weather in Paris and to land in some beautiful destinations where the Sun is shining and where beaches waiting for us…instead, cold and snow are sometimes waiting for us !

However, this job can be really tire on both side, psychologist and physical. Some flights can be complicated, depending the events on board. You can't repeat it enough but it is MANDATORY to have a good way of life, knowing his body and being well-organized, even more on long-haul flights !

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What can you say to young peoples who wish to become cabin crew?

I will say that it’s a wonderful and really enriching work on every sides ! I will say that he/she has to believe in this dream and he/she will discover a second family for his/her whole life

Maybe some last few words for your future colleagues ?

Hello and Welcome On Board !

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A huge thanks to Jennifer for her time and her answers !

Take care of yourself !

Nicolas