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Flight Attendants Occupation Detailed Description

Flight Attendants career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Flight Attendants

The main tasks and work activities of Flight Attendants are to assist others during emergencies, provide transportation information to passengers or customers, inspect aircraft or aircraft components, provide first aid or rescue assistance in emergencies. In general, for the Flight Attendants, speaking, social Perceptiveness, service Orientation, active Listening and other 7 skills are required.
Flight Attendants Job Description
EducationMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related ExperiencePrevious work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Flight Attendants jobs. 30.17% of Flight Attendants have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 11.24% of Flight Attendants have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
30.17%
Post-Secondary Certificate
11.24%
Some College Courses
32.71%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
25.88%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
0.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Flight Attendants

  • Direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing.
  • Announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets.
  • Walk aisles of planes to verify that passengers have complied with federal regulations prior to takeoffs and landings.
  • Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order.
  • Administer first aid to passengers in distress.
  • Attend preflight briefings concerning weather, altitudes, routes, emergency procedures, crew coordination, lengths of flights, food and beverage services offered, and numbers of passengers.
  • Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
  • Determine special assistance needs of passengers, such as small children, the elderly, or disabled persons.
  • Check to ensure that food, beverages, blankets, reading material, emergency equipment, and other supplies are aboard and are in adequate supply.
  • Reassure passengers when situations, such as turbulence, are encountered.
  • Announce flight delays and descent preparations.
  • Inspect passenger tickets to verify information and to obtain destination information.
  • Answer passengers' questions about flights, aircraft, weather, travel routes and services, arrival times, or schedules.
  • Assist passengers entering or disembarking the aircraft.
  • Inspect and clean cabins, checking for any problems and making sure that cabins are in order.
  • Greet passengers boarding aircraft and direct them to assigned seats.
  • Conduct periodic trips through the cabin to ensure passenger comfort and to distribute reading material, headphones, pillows, playing cards, and blankets.
  • Take inventory of headsets, alcoholic beverages, and money collected.
  • Operate audio and video systems.
  • Assist passengers in placing carry-on luggage in overhead, garment, or under-seat storage.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Assisting and Caring for OthersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Performing General Physical ActivitiesPerforming physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Handling and Moving ObjectsUsing hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersHandling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialInspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Assist others during emergencies.
  • Provide transportation information to passengers or customers.
  • Inspect aircraft or aircraft components.
  • Provide first aid or rescue assistance in emergencies.
  • Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
  • Resolve issues affecting transportation operations.
  • Monitor availability of equipment or supplies.
  • Assist customers to ensure comfort or safety.
  • Verify information or specifications.
  • Assist passengers during vehicle boarding.
  • Clean vehicles or vehicle components.
  • Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with safety, quality, or service standards.
  • Operate communications equipment or systems.
  • Record operational details of travel.
  • Collect fares or payment from customers.
  • Sell products or services.

Skills and Abilities for Flight Attendants

  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Gross Body EquilibriumThe ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Auditory AttentionThe ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Extent FlexibilityThe ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Trunk StrengthThe ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
  • Perceptual SpeedThe ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Gross Body CoordinationThe ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Static StrengthThe ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Multilimb CoordinationThe ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Manual DexterityThe ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Aircraft fire control or extinguishing systemse.g. Aircraft fire extinguishing systems
  • Automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddlese.g. Automated external defibrillators AED
  • Blood pressure recording unitse.g. Blood pressure recorders
  • Aircraft environment controllerse.g. Cabin management systems
  • Emergency resuscitator or aspirator kitse.g. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR equipment
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR protective shields or maskse.g. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR masks
  • Aircraft oxygen equipmente.g. Chemical oxygen generators
  • Commercial use ovense.g. Commercial cooking ovens
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Circuit breakerse.g. Electrical circuit breakers
  • Aircraft escape or ejection systemse.g. Emergency exit doors and windows
  • Radio frequency transmitters or receiverse.g. Emergency locator transmitters
  • Lifeboats or liferaftse.g. Emergency rafts
  • Hypodermic injection apparatus or accessoriese.g. Epi-pens
  • Aircraft escape or ejection systemse.g. Evacuation slides
  • Emergency medical services first aid kitse.g. First aid kits
  • Life vests or preserverse.g. Flotation seat cushions
  • Fire extinguisherse.g. Halon fire extinguishers
  • Rope float linese.g. Heaving life lines
  • Emergency medical service intravenous IV kite.g. Intravenous IV administration sets
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • TransportationKnowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • GeographyKnowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.