How much time do you spend away from home as a flight attendant?


How much time do you spend away from home as a flight attendant? They may spend several nights per week or per month away from home. In most cases, a contract between the airline and the flight attendant union determines the total daily and monthly workable hours. On-duty shifts per day may vary from 4 to 18 hours or longer, such as for international flights.


What do flight attendant shifts look like?

They can expect to spend 65-90 hours in the air, and an additional 50 hours preparing the airplane, processing passengers during boarding and performing post-flight procedures. Typically, flight attendants work 12-14 days and log 65-85 flight hours each month, not including overtime.


Do flight attendants get to pick where they live?

During training, you'll be assigned to a “home base.” While we serve more than 115 destinations, your flight schedules will start and end at your base, so you'll need to relocate or commute to that location. As you gain seniority, you'll be able to bid for different bases.


Can I live off being a flight attendant?

Can you make a living as a flight attendant? Yes, you can make a decent living as a flight attendant. The median salary is $61,640 per year and there are many opportunities to make more than that based on your experience level, the airline you work for and even your geographic location.


Do flight attendants get tired of flying?

Reports for the European Aviation Safety Agency found that cabin crew reported the most contributing factors to fatigue were 'long days,' 'early starts,' 'flying during hours when I would normally sleep,' and 'short recovery time between duties' [31].


Do flight attendants get to go home at the end of the day?

They don't go home until the end of the entire work sequence which can be anywhere from one day up until four days (more or less but varies depending on the airline) and always ends at their base airport. During the work sequence, hotel vans transport them to their nightly accommodation.


How long do you stay in a place as a flight attendant?

How long is a typical flight attendant layover? A typical flight attendant layover is 24 hours. This allows the cabin crew ample time to rest and explore the destination before their next flight. However, please be advised that there are some cases wherein layovers are less than 24 hours.


What are the downsides of being a flight attendant?

8 cons of being a flight attendant
  • On-call scheduling. Flight attendants might work on an on-call or reserve basis. ...
  • Time away from home. ...
  • Weekend and holiday work. ...
  • Frequent time zone changes. ...
  • Passenger conflicts. ...
  • Limited growth opportunities. ...
  • In-person work. ...
  • Travel delays.


How long can a flight crew work before timing out?

Flight times within the duty periods are restricted to a maximum of 8 hours for flight crews consisting of one pilot and 10 hours for flight crews consisting of two pilots. The 8-hour and 10-hour flight time limitations include any additional commercial flying performed by the flight crew during the period.


How many breaks do flight attendants get?

In most cases, if you have a scheduled duty period of 14 hours or less, you must have at least nine consecutive hours of scheduled rest after your duty period before you have another duty period.


How do flight attendants get home?

Do flight attendants go home after flight? Most airlines begin and end the flight attendant and pilots trips in their home base. They are scheduled to work a flight back to their base. If it's a domestic trip they may have more than one flight to work before they get back to their home base.


How many flights a day does a flight attendant make?

How many flights can I expect to fly on a typical day? The number of flights will vary based on the trip assigned. However, as an Endeavor flight attendant, you can expect to fly from one to six flights in a day.


Do flight attendants fly for free everywhere?

As a flight attendant, you'll be eligible for free flights – sometimes for your friends or family, too! – and maximum time off to enjoy the destinations of your choice during your free time. You'll also get discounts on hotels, car rentals, other airlines' flights, and vacation packages.


How long do flight attendants rest between flights?

Crew members are required to have a 10-hour rest period within each 24-hour cycle. The maximum duty day is 14 hours and must be followed by a 10-hour rest period at their hotel. When scheduling a flight, operators usually account for 12 hours of rest instead of 10.


Do flight attendants get to sleep on long flights?

Crew require a minimum of three hours rest when the flight duty period exceeds 14 hours (from when crew 'sign on' to 15 minutes after engines off). For flight duty periods longer than 18 hours, 4.5 hours bunk rest is required. The crew take turns for rest breaks.


Do flight attendants have time for family?

Flexible schedule
Airline companies want crew members to be well-rested to ensure safe travel, so a company might limit the hours crew members can work. Many flight attendants work three days per week. This can be a great benefit for some people, as it allows more time for travel, family or personal interests.


Do flight attendants get paid while away from home?

Per diem is paid for every hour the flight attendant is away from home. Some airlines provide supplemental pay which could be based on position worked, languages spoken, international flights and night flying. A Flight attendant's monthly salary will vary greatly at each airline.


How far can flight attendants live from their base?

You do not need to live on base. Flight Attendants can live anywhere in the world, provided they can get to base for the start of their shift.


Is it hard to be a flight attendant?

Steps to Take to be a Flight Attendant
It's difficult and can take a long time. Airlines can take 3-6 months to get through the hiring process, that's if your resume makes it through the first cut. Intense Competition. We estimate there are 1 – 1.5 million flight attendant applications for 5,000 – 10,000 jobs.


How are flight attendants assigned?

As with pilots, a flight attendant's work schedule is determined by seniority. Newer flight attendants have to fly reserve, rarely knowing where they will be headed the next day. They are at the mercy of the crew-schedulers -- the airline employees who figure out who needs to be where on a day-to-day basis.


Do flight attendants return home every night?

They often work nights, weekends, and holidays because airlines operate every day and have overnight flights. They may spend several nights per week or per month away from home. In most cases, a contract between the airline and the flight attendant union determines the total daily and monthly workable hours.