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Cabin crew

Alternative titles for this job include Flight attendant, air steward, air stewardess

Air cabin crew help make sure that airline passengers have a comfortable, safe and pleasant flight.

Average salary (a year)

£12,000 Starter

to

£30,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

30 to 40 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How to become cabin crew

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

College

You could do a college course like a Level 2 Certificate in Air Cabin Crew or study a cabin crew module as part of a broader travel and tourism course.

Entry requirements

You may need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

More information

Apprenticeship

You could start by doing a cabin crew advanced apprenticeship.

This will usually take one year to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More information

Direct application

You could apply directly to airlines for a cabin crew job. Entry requirements vary but good customer service skills will be expected.

More information

Career tips

Some airlines and private providers run 2-day cabin crew courses, which may help your chances of getting a job.

Further information

You'll find details about working as air cabin crew from Careers That Move.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills for working with passengers
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to enjoy working with other people
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • sensitivity and understanding for dealing with customers’ needs
  • a desire to help people and a friendly manner
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

Usually you'll also be expected to:

  • have a smart appearance
  • have a valid passport with no restrictions for the countries the airline travels to
  • live within 90 minutes of your base

Many airlines also ask that you're able to swim up to 25 metres.

There are rules about height and weight - these vary between airlines. As a general guide, most look for people between 5ft 2in (157cm) and 6ft 2in (188cm) with weight in proportion to height.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

Before a flight you could be:

  • taking part in a meeting about the flight and its schedule
  • checking that there are enough supplies on the plane and that emergency equipment is working properly
  • greeting passengers
  • demonstrating emergency equipment and procedures

During a flight you might be:

  • making sure passengers are comfortable
  • serving food and drinks, and selling duty-free items
  • making announcements
  • reassuring passengers in the event of an emergency, and making sure they follow safety procedures

At the end of a flight you'll often be:

  • making sure passengers leave the plane safely
  • writing a flight report, including details about any unusual incidents
  • adding up and recording food and drink orders, and duty-free sales

Working environment

You could work on an aircraft.

Your working environment may be physically demanding and cramped.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress to cabin crew supervisor or a senior air cabin crew role.

You could also work in a ground-based role like cabin crew training, recruitment, passenger services, marketing or sales.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for cabin crew right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

C & G Level 2 Diploma In Air Cabin Crew

  • Provider: BROOKLANDS COLLEGE
  • Start date: 14 September 2020
  • Location: Weybridge

Level 2 Diploma in Air Cabin Crewing

  • Provider: East Sussex College
  • Start date: 07 September 2020
  • Location: Hastings,
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