More than pilots, mechanics, and ticket agents, the job of an Airline Flight Attendant can get your travelling the world for free and an interesting career in aviation.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

50 Airlines still hiring Flight Attendants

50 Airlines STILL hiring flight attendants-

-just not the 6 you were thinking of.

Since September 11, the airline industry has undergone a drastic change, with many airlines downsizing or even going out of business. If you were considering a career as a flight attendant, you may as well give up, right? I mean, the majors aren't hiring, so there are no job openings, correct?

In reality, all that is far from true. When asked about the job of working for the airlines, most people are surprised when I tell them there are over 60 airlines in the US that hire flight attendants. Since 9/11, the "majors" have furloughed many employees, and yes, they are not looking to hire in the near future. But the "majors" (United, American, Delta, Northwest, USAirways) constitute only 10% of the 60 airlines in the US.

The rest of the airlines consist of the "mid-size" carriers, such as Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier; "regionals" such as SkyWest, Mesa, ComAir; and finally charter and niche airlines such as Sunworld, Pace, Casino Air and Era.

Prior to the events of 9/11, nearly all airlines were desperate for quality flight attendant applicants. When they majors had difficulty finding them at their own open houses and job fairs, they began to recruit from the mid-size and regional carriers. That left the smaller carriers with serious shortages of applicants, which has only eased somewhat with the cutbacks at the majors.

Sure, it's enticing to go to work for a major airline, and have the chance to fly to Paris or Tokyo. But keep in mind that it may take you years with your major airline to be able to work those more desired flights. Meanwhile, you'll be working the same type of flights as the regional airlines. And with major companies like USAirways and United on the borderline of bankruptcy, size does not necessarily matter in the job security department. It's easy to become just another cog in the machinery when you work for a major airline that may have over 25,000 flight attendants. With a regional airline, you have a more supportive "family" atmosphere. And with shorter flights, you may actually be home more often than you would with the major carriers. Another advantage is the possibility of being based in the town you live in- especially if it is the only base for that airline.

Charter Airlines are also included in the mid-size airlines group. These can have you traveling to all parts of the world right out of training, as their schedules are dependant on the contract they have with the group that books their flights. The charter airlines have been looking for flight attendant applicants since 9/11 as well.

In addition, the fastest growing area of aviation is the corporate or fractional jet Flight Attendant employment opportunities. These luxurious private and corporate aircraft cater to a high-end clientele, and require professionally trained flight attendants as well.

For more than 10 years, flight attendant applicants have been turning to The Flight Attendant Job Finder & Career Guide by Tim Kirkwood (Planning/Communications), a 27-year veteran of the aviation industry. Now in its 3rd Edition, celebrating the 77th Anniversary of Flight Attendants, applicants consider the Guide required reading. Kirkwood helps them choose the "best" airline to work for, and gives them the hiring requirements of over 80 US and Canadian airlines. No other career guide has the information and features available.

3rd Edition Publishing Date: Nov 15, 2002
Available from your local bookstore, Amazon.com,
or directly from the author at:
Tim Kirkwood, Author
P.O. Box 6455
Delray Beach, FL 33482-6455

www.FlightAttendantCareerGuide.com
crew4jets@aol.com