Flight Attendants Share The Significant Drawbacks Of Their Job
By Leslie Veliz
VACATIONS
Crazy Schedules
Sporadic work days over 10 hours long are common for cabin crew. In addition, TikTok user @cloudsurferandy7 says flight attendants can be called in at any moment.
In a TikTok, former flight attendant Ashlee Rogers revealed, "Nothing is guaranteed. [...] You might just be going in for a day shift, next minute you might be away for four days."
Relationships
Irregular scheduling can negatively impact flight attendant relationships, as being away frequently and working holidays means they'll miss lots of social functions.
Romantic relationships can suffer in particular. One unnamed flight attendant told the Daily Mail that her long-term boyfriend had broken up with her because of her schedule.
Health Problems
Airplanes carry a host of germs, so the job can adversely affect the flight crew's health. On Reddit, one flight attendant said they got sick multiple times a year.
The job is also mentally taxing, which led flight attendant Nastassja Lewis to create th|AIR|apy, an international website with mental health resources for flight attendants.
Low Pay
Flight attendants don't receive high compensation. Pay varies across the country, but ZipRecruiter reports that some flight attendants only make $25,000 annually.
Julie Hedrick from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants told NPR that flight attendants don't get paid for boarding or for time spent on the plane during delays.
Unruly Passengers
In 2023, the The Federal Aviation Administration documented more than 2,000 cases of unruly passengers, which puts extra strain on overworked flight attendants.
A flight attendant referred to as Sky told the New York Post, "On airplanes, there's such limited space ... Things can escalate faster than normal. People are on edge."