On-time performance is the key to success in the aviation industry and nothing less is expected from you. Punctuality to your appointments, interview, and job show both respect and responsibility. Your airline will be depending on you to show up on time without needing reminders and regardless of any excuses. Being able to show an “on-time performance” history in your experience will illustrate you are reliable and accountable. 

Most successful flight attendants adopt a “backup for the backup” policy, meaning that in order to ensure they get to work on time, in case their first plan to get to work fails, they have a backup. Many traditional jobs require this way of thinking.... for example, planning to leave 30 minutes early in case you hit traffic. The aviation industry is not as forgiving as most other workplaces and because of this, crew members always have a second back up plan in case their first backup plan and their original plan don't work out - hence, a backup for the backup. 

Essentially, having 2 backup plans along with a first option - allowing for 3 minimum options to get to work on time is a best practice for crew members who want to keep their job. Sometimes this means traveling to work a day or two early, or taking the earliest option for commuting into to work whether via plane, train, taxi, or subway. Either way, ensure you are early for your report time and allow for the time to get to your crew lounge after parking your car, or arriving via other transportation.

Seem a bit over the top? Well, trust me....you'll employ this philosophy yourself, no problem, once you're hired and the understanding of how important on-time is in this industry finally dawns on you. 

Interview tip:
Make a quick list of 1-2 previous experiences you’ve had that required you to be on-time, or where being on-time was an important factor in accomplishing your responsibilities. List the job/experience, then next to it explain why being on time was crucial for the success of the event or how it would affect your employer/leader negatively or positively.

Underneath that I want you to write down what you did well in that experience and also what you did poorly. Then write a simple prescription for what you could have done to change or improve (even if your response is positive) that event.

Here are some questions to reflect on:

1. How did my on-time performance affect this experience/situation?
2. What did I do poorly that contributed negatively to my performance?
3. What did I do well that contribute positively to my performance?
4. What, if anything, would I do differently and why?

As you answer these questions, you should become aware of your mindset or personal philosophy as you pen your answers to paper. Sometimes that can be a real wake-up call for people. We don't always realize why we do things, or what roadblocks we've put in front of ourselves and often blame something in our external world.

Here's the truth.....you're 100% responsible for the results of your actions. 

Sound harsh? It's not.... and here's why:

Everything that happens in our life we have a choice over. A choice to plan ahead. A choice in how we will respond. Airlines are HUGE on personal accountability and that means, if you left late because you snoozed your alarm because you didn't get to bed on time the night before and encountered heavy traffic on your way into work, stopped for coffee anyway, and showed up to work 7 minutes late, are you the kind of person who thinks,  what's the big deal?

You'll get fired from your airline job by the 3rd time you let something like that happen. Here's how the airlines - and your inflight supervisor - sees it:

You chose to snooze your alarm instead of get out of bed. (You have no personal responsibility). You chose to leave late to work and as a result, encountered heavy traffic. (your personal responsibility). You stopped for coffee anyway causing an even further delay. (again...where is your personal responsibility?). You could have chosen to get up on time, or you could have chosen to leave earlier. You could have chosen to skip the coffee... etc. Bottom line is you are in charge of you. And at the airlines, it's up to you to make it happen.

If this sounds crazy to you - I task you with interviewing as many crew members as you can and you'll see they will confirm what I am telling you. Being late is a big deal and cause for dismissal at an airline. If you're in the habit of showing up when you feel like it, or are otherwise chronically late as many women are, you're going to need to adjust this personality trait. Practice being on time. Actually, if you're chronically late, practice being 5 minutes early - make that your deadline. Stake your life on it - make it that important. And if necessary, start employing a backup plan. Or even a "backup for the backup" if need be. Whatever it takes. You need to master this skill and prove you have it working in your life and experiences already. 

A lot of people express interest in being a flight attendant, musing about flying here or flying there and wouldn't it be so great to travel the world! But very few truly grasp what the job actually entails and further, it is near to impossible to get any sort of experience without it being on the job. 

So, while our musings keep us focused on our goal - and yes, it is so totally great to travel the world! - there is the reality of whether or not one is truly meant for this kind of career.

Must love people.

For starters, you must love people. All kinds. All ethnicities. All religions. Because you're going to encounter every possible sort of person there is in the world and you'll be required to represent your airline by being welcoming, friendly, and past any personal prejudices. Honestly, though for most people who apply for this job, they find all people really interesting. Even fascinating. And are eager to meet and learn all about them.

Work load

Another aspect of the job that is not easily experienced without working the job is the work load involved. There are physical requirements, mental requirements, and even emotional burdens that come with the job, like putting aside your own emotional stuff and being present with your crew and passengers.

The best way to decide if this is what you want is to take our Flight Attendant Career Assessment and imagine the scenarios and how you would respond. What is your natural inclination in each situation? It just takes a few minutes....