What are some perks of working in the airline industry?
Most people would think you'd get to travel a whole bunch, but I'm wondering.. is that the best perk working for an airline? Or are there others? This question was posted by a CareerVillage administrator on behalf of the students of CareerVillage. #aviation #airline-industry #aviation-industry
5 answers
Sherry’s Answer
Hello Kim,
I have been in the aviation industry since 1978 as a flight attendant, purser, and trainer at the Boeing Company. I have just left to start my own training company because I am still very actively involved in the aviation community and combine my love of the industry with the love of teaching.
To answer your question, yes, travel and discounted tickets are the reasons that most people think of when entering into the airline industry. I do disagree with those reasons as being the only benefits, however. In my experience with two leading airlines, I traveled all around the world and that in itself is a broadening experience. I have many many friends from other countries who have opened my eyes to cultural differences and have given me opportunities to develop alternate ways of looking at the world. I have learned two languages, lived in 3 countries abroad - Invaluable lessons for life.
Working as part of a crew develops your communication and teamwork skills and you are able to make a difference sometimes in a passenger's day. There are those difficult people at times but that is an opportunity for you to grow and learn to handle difficult situations.
There are also many areas within the airlines in which you can apply your skills. Pilots and flight attendants are not the only jobs you can do and all airline employees have discounted benefits. Plus you do get time off: Time can be used to follow your other passions, go to school or travel a bit.
The airline job has changed quite a bit since I started flying (I flew for Pan Am) however the lifestyle is addictive. You do not take your job home with you, you do not work 8-5 or sit in a chair all day and you are opening yourself up to brand new and exciting experiences. I loved every minute of it. Good luck!
Dr’s Answer
You can build your own schedule and pick up or give away shifts. So, for some days (or weeks or months) you can easily take off of work. There is no request you need to submit. If you cannot give away your trip, then you can usually swap it with a different trip on different days. Some airlines do require a minimum amount of days worked, but some don't. So, if you want to work only 3 days a year, or whatever, you can. Of course, you won't be getting paid for your time off, but it's a great option for when you need it. On the flip side, you can work as much as you want, picking up extra shifts to fly, but there are also maximums put in place as well. The FAA in the USA requires 24 hours off within any rolling 7-days, or in other words you cannot work more than 6 days straight. So, in summary here, you can work as little or as much as you want depending on what's going on in your life.
Another perk is that you have no boss or supervisor, and no deadlines or meetings. So, it's stress-free in that regard.
Another perk is that you are constantly meeting and working with new people. Yes there are all those interesting passengers, of course, but I'm talking about other flight attendants and pilots. If you work for a major airline, you will probably always be working with people you've never met before. Some people might not see this as a perk but I definitely do. :)
Another perk is the private time you get at a (usually) nice hotel. The airlines pay for your hotel room when you're on a working trip. If you don't get much privacy at home (think family time or roommates), then getting your own hotel room or a city to explore by yourself (or with other crew members) can be a great perk. Also, the hotels usually offer a discount (20% to 50% depending on the hotel and airline) to crew members on food and drinks. There are usually some crew members that want to get together after every work day to eat, drink, chat and hangout, if you're interested in that. There's a lot of instant camaraderie among crew members.
Another perk is that you don't have to take the work home with you. There is nothing to prepare for or that extends into your home life. In fact, if you're interested, you can also have a side business or time-intensive hobby and it won't interfere with your flight attendant gig.
Another perk, depending on the airline, is that many airlines offer a comprehensive health plan, dental and vision care, 401k plan as well as a profit-sharing program, paid vacation days and so on.
Finally, you have the freedom to live almost anywhere. Since flying is very affordable when you work for an airline, there are flight attendants and pilots that live all around the world and simply commute in to their work base to fly their work trips, then they commute back to their country of residence. So, for instance, you can live in Italy while still working for a US airline.
Hope this helps!
Steve’s Answer
One of the main perks is the travel. You get free tickets and some discounted. IF you are a pilot, you go to many destinations but you don't have a lot of free time to do things. On your off days, you can get a jump seat or maybe have a flight scheduled where you want to go and work it out from there. There are not a lot of perks otherwise.
Richard’s Answer
Without mentioning any specific airlines.
I am retired from a major carrier in the Atlanta, Georgia, USA area. I worked for them for 30 years, and then continued to work in the aviation field for another 16 years and still do.
Here is my take on benefits with an airline.
Naturally everyone thinks free or next to free flight benefits are a plus. And they are, a big plus. Working with a major carrier gives you those benefits like no other job. I always like to say that your salary is only half of your pay. You should expect a decent salary that can support a family. Vacation time to use those flight benefits. Then there is medical and dental. Really what is most important is comradery with your fellow employees. You should enjoy going to work everyday. You will spend more time with your fellow employees than your family. I can remember events where someone might come down with an injury and require more sick time then they were allotted. Employees would chip in and cover his work so he would not lose his pay. That’s the difference between a good job and one that just gets you by.
Many employees would go through years without using a sick day. But they were there for you if you needed them.
Getting back to flight benefits. Usually they applied to the employee, spouse, children and employees Mom and Dad. In the good old days it was easy to get on a flight because they never went out full. Keep in mind you do fly standby meaning you don’t get on if the flight is full. If you are out of town you may have the next flight to standby for or go to a hotel. These days planning is the key to a successful trip. Seems like all flights are full or close to it. But it’s still possible to make great trips and it’s just about anywhere in the world you chose. I can jump on a flight this afternoon for Hawaii or Amsterdam and it costs me nothing.
To come back to reality when you have kids you have commitments and that means you can plan that special vacation but you are not going to just jump on the next flight out. I would highly recommend a job in aviation with a major airline.
I suspect some in aviation would say, I have been out of the real world for some time, but I think much of what I am reporting still applies today.
David’s Answer
I think it depends on the job category . If you want to be a pilot the big "perk" is theres going to be a ton of hiring for the foreseeable future as there is a shortage of people in the pipeline which has given us some pricing power , finally. This has been a predominantly male job category so women and minority pilots will have favor in the hiring process. Something to consider.
I agree with Sherry working in a crew develops your teamwork and communication skills.
I cant think of any perks in the normal sense of the word except free travel , unless you consider being gone some weekends and holidays a "perk". Some do.