Qualifications needed to be a flight attendant?

Question

I am really keen on having a career in the travel industry when I leave school and I plan to go and study French&Spanish at uni when I leave school next year.

I am just interested in finding out if there is any specific qualifications that good Airlines look for when employing staff?

JoJo x

Answer 1

There are no specific qualifications 'needed' to apply for an airline, but obviously, languages are a huge advantage. They would also be happy to see the basics like Maths and English at a good grade.

These companies tend to employ using long interview days with a few applicants together, including tasks for you to complete as part of a team. Then they decide who to employ, more based on personality than grades.

Answer 2

Being a bit effeminate seems to be a necessity

Answer 3

To be a flight attendant their a number of qualifications and requirements that you need to have and meet. These qualifications and requirements can depend on what airline company you want to work for. Thus, listed below are a list of the most popular airline companies and their qualifications and requirements:

British Airways ----

British Airways state that:

You must be aged between 19-54 years old

You must be between 5'2 and 6'2 in height and weight in proportion with your height

You must be educated to GSCE level with passes in Maths and English

High standard of English, both written and spoken

The ability to have a basic conversation in another language

Have good eyesight with or without glasses or contact lenses

You must not be color blind

You must have a valid British passport and be able to travel worldwide

You must have a detailed medical assessment

Have a high standard of physical fitness

You must live within 45 minutes of the airport where you are based

You will be required to have a Criminal Record Check on yourself and any other background checks before you can work at an airport

You must also have either: A GNVQ in either nursing, hospitality, travel and tourism, care services as well as 12 months customer service experience OR 2 years customer service experience

British Midland ----

British Midland state that:

You must be aged between 20-40 years old

You must be between 5'2 and 6'0 in height and weight in proportion with your height

You must have at least 4 GCSE's (Grades A-C) which must include English and Maths

You must have good eyesight with or without glasses or contact lenses

You must not be color blind

You must have a minimum of 12 months experience in dealing with customers

You must have a valid British or European passport

Virgin ----

Virgin state that:

You must be aged between 19-28 years old

You must be between 5'2 and 6'2 in height and weight in proportion with your height

You must have a good educational standard of GCSE's

Have a high standard of physical fitness

You must be a confident swimmer

You must not be color blind

You must have a valid British or European passport

Aer Lingus ----

Aer Lingus state that:

You must be at least 20 years old

You must be at least 5'2 in height and weight in proportion with your height

You must not be color blind

You must have a minimum 1 years experience dealing with customers

You must also have fluency in a European language

American Airlines  ----

American Airlines state that:

You must be at least 19 years old

You must be between 5'0 and 5'11 in height

You must have a high school diploma or GED as well as 1 years experience in customer service

You must have a United States Citizenship and a valid passport

You must be able to lift or push heavy items and reach all emergency equipment on an aeroplane

No tattoos are allowed and they can not be covered up with bandages

You must be willing to relocate to any of the bases at your own expense

EasyJet  ----

Easyjet state that:

You must be at least 18 years old

You must be between 5'2 and 6'3 in height and weight in proportion with height

High standard of English, both written and spoken

Have a high standard of physical fitness

You must have at least 6 months customer service experience

You must be able to swim at least 25 meters

You must have a valid passport and be able to travel in and out of Europe

You must be able to provide reference information from the past 5 years

Tattoos are acceptable as long as they are not noticeable

Visible body piercings are not allowed, apart from one earring per ear

KLM  ----

KLM state that:

You must be at least 18 years old

You must be between 1.58 meters and 1.85 meters without shoes and weight must be in proportion with height

You must have at least 2 years customer service experience

You must have a valid UK or European passport

No visible tattoos or piercings

You must stay no longer than 1 hour and 30 minutes from your airport base

High standard of English, both written and spoken

You must have a good educational background and possess English and Maths

You must have the ability to swim

You must have a detailed medical assessment

You are only allowed a maximum strength of -5 or +5 glasses or contact lenses

You must have a reasonably fluency in another language

Qantas ----

Qantas state that:

You must be at least 18 years old

You must be between 163cm-183cm in height without shoes

You must be a permanent Australian resident

You must have a valid passport which allows you to travel to all Qantas destinations

You must have a current Senior First Aid Certificate

You will be required to have a full Criminal Record Check

High standard of English, both written and spoken

You must have a minimum GCSE level Grade C in maths and English or equivalent

You must be able to swim 50 meters fully clothed and assist people in water

A willingness to relocate if required to do so

A fluency in at least one of the following languages: French, Japanese, German, Italian, Cantonese or Mandarian.

------------------------

Education  ====

Virtually every airline requires that you have a high school degree or Government Equivalency Degree (G.E.D.) If you did not finish high school or have not passed the G.E.D., do not bother to apply for a job as a flight attendant. You absolutely won't get hired without a high school degree (or equivalent).

When you review each airline’s minimum hiring qualifications, you should realize that these are merely minimums. More is always better, especially when it comes to education. Just because you have a high school degree, do not expect to walk into an airline employment office, show your diploma and get hired.

Many airlines look favorably upon applicants who have tried to better themselves by pursuing higher education. A recent study shows that over one-half of all flight attendants hired have at least one year of college under their belt, and over one-third have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. A few even have Master’s degrees or Doctorate’s; these types of advanced degrees are certainly not required for the job, but will be helpful if you plan on pursuing a management or supervisory position someday.

Additionally, if you are lacking customer service experience, many airlines will overlook this "weakness" if you have a college education behind you. Hiring departments believe that college experience makes applicants more mature and better able to handle the many challenges and responsibilities that come with being a flight attendant.

Customer Service Experience ====

Customer service experience is typically not a firm requirement; meaning, you can usually apply without it. However, a lack of customer service experience makes getting hired that much more difficult. Customer service experience will give you a clear competitive advantage in your quest to become a flight attendant.

Remember that you will be working in front of the public on a regular basis. From greeting, serving and assisting passengers to making announcements, you will always be representing the company in a customer service role. Because it is very important to project a positive image, airlines are very careful about selecting candidates who have experience working with the public.

Most people do not even realize that they have a customer service background. If you have ever worked in an environment in which you had to deal with the public on a regular basis, you have customer service experience. This can include working in a retail clothing store, waiting tables in a restaurant, answering telephones in a corporate environment, etc.

However, if you do not have any customer service experience, you should not despair. You may have a more difficult time than others who do, but it won't preclude you from landing the job, especially if you excel in other qualification areas. For example, the airlines will usually substitute a college education (even without a degree) for a lack of customer service experience.

Language Skills ====

Fluency in a second language, such as French, Spanish, German, Japanese, or Chinese is a major plus in the eyes of flight attendant hiring departments; however, most airlines are only concerned with your ability to speak English. Fluency in English is a must. If you cannot speak English effectively, you won't get hired by a U.S. airline.

Very few airlines require you to be able to speak a second language. Airlines that have a second language preference do so because of certain international destinations. On these routes, a designated Language of Destination/Origin (also called LOD/O - pronounced "low-doe") flight attendant is assigned to the flight. Such positions are usually awarded to senior flight attendants, making these jobs difficult to obtain even for qualified applicants. Pay is also higher for LOD/O qualified flight attendants - approximately $1.50 to $2.00 higher per hour.

Citizenship ====

Every major U.S. airline requires you to be a U.S. Citizen or registered alien with legal right to accept employment in the U.S., plus the right to travel to and from the countries the airline serves.

You are also required to have a social security card and, in many instances, a passport. If you do not have a passport, it might be a good idea to get one now. They take just a few weeks to obtain.

Relocation ====

Every major airline requires that you be willing to relocate to any of the listed flight attendant domiciles.

Appearance ====

The airlines are very particular about hiring individuals who have a neat and attractive appearance. After all, flight attendants are the only emp

Answer 4

There are qualifications you can get - Airline Cabin Crew NCFE certificate etc, check your local college. However I think you can probably get in without that, especially if you have a qualification in languages.

Why not go to a specific company and ask what they look for in employees?