Life in the Airline Industry.

Delays, cancellations, overbookings. If you have ever flown before, you have probably experienced at least one of these things. Before I worked for the airlines, I always had this view as a passenger that the employees could care less about delays or cancellations. I mean, they're still getting paid for it, right? So why should they care?

Dang, was I wrong.

Let me be the one to explain to you what our job looks like and how it may be a little different than yours. Your crew members get paid hourly based on flight time. What this means is that our pay starts when the cabin door closes and our pay stops when it opens. This means that all of those delays just sitting on the ground? Yeah, we hate them just as much as you do...if not even more.

Here's an example.

I worked a flight last month that left the gate and was taxiing to the runway when a maintenance issue occurred. We then had to return to the gate and open the cabin door to let maintenance on to fix the problem. That slowly turned into a 3 and a half hour delay where the passengers stayed onboard...meaning we were not allowed to step off the aircraft. For those 3 and a half hours, our crew got paid for 10 minutes...because the door was reopened.

Because of this type of pay, our job looks a little different than a normal desk job. We are able to extend to a 16 hour day when in reality, we could potentially only get paid for 4 hours that day. This makes for a long work day, exhausted crews, and a job that makes it hard to pay the bills. Your job usually would allow for you to work 40 hours a week. Our job only guarantees us 75 flight hours a month. This is why the job can be challenging. Especially for your pilots. Realize that your pilots have most likely spent way more money getting that job than the job offers in return. Getting enough hours to be qualified for the job can become quite expensive.

Even though the job can be tiring and some days feel like it's not worth it, I can honestly say I love my job. If you ask any airline employee that question, there are only a few that would say otherwise. The pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. We get to travel for free, meet people from all over the world, and make friends quicker than anyone. When you start a trip, you are usually introduced to your crew for the first time that day. I have yet to work with the same flight attendant more than once. I do find myself flying with the same pilots on multiple occasions though. It can be exciting when you see someone you know on your schedule for a trip. I have made incredible friends through this industry and keep in touch with a lot of them. It is so exciting getting to explore cities with brand new friends. I love adventuring on my off days, which makes it fun when you have friends that have free flying benefits as well. Meeting up in a random city to explore always makes for an exciting life.

Another thing about our job is that it is addicting. No matter how crappy our day gets, no matter how many cancellations, no matter how many calls from crew scheduling...there is nothing in the world that compares to the view from our "office." I never in my life thought I would be so in love with the sky. When I am on the ground or in my car, I catch myself constantly looking up and watching the clouds go by or watching the planes fly over and wonder where it was flying in from. There is absolutely nothing in the world that compares to the feeling that you're flying.

When I first got this job, I had a totally different view on the airlines. I thought being a flight attendant just meant serving drinks at 25,000 feet. Don't get me wrong, customer service is a huge part of the job. However, we are there for a lot more than that. We go for weeks/months of intense training. Training that I never in a million years thought I would have to do. We are trained for every situation humanly possible that could possibly happen when at 25,000 feet in the air. When you are that high up, there is no one else that can help you. It's all on you. Your flight attendants are your medical professionals, firefighters, and your rescuers. We are trained for any emergency situation including emergency landings, water landings, cabin filled with smoke, attempted hijackings, heart attacks, strokes, you name it. We are trained for hours on what to do in all situations. From the simplest nose bleed to someone having a seizure, we know what to do. Pilots are trained for all types of emergencies as well. Even though they aren't dealing with any passengers, they are in charge of the entire aircraft. Engine failures, bird strikes, lightning strikes, blown tires, landing gear malfunctions, they know how to handle it.

Hours of hard work were put in for us to have this job. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. There are very few days where I feel like I am actually working. If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. And that makes it a beautiful thing. However, the next time you get on a flight, show your appreciation for your airline crews. And realize that our lives are not so luxurious and easy like you may think. Hours of dedication were done in order for us to get you to wherever the sky may be leading you.

So for all my fellow travelers out there, safe travels and happy flying from yours truly:)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. -Psalm 19:1