Flight Attendants

High School

Flight attendants need to have at least a high school education. A broad education is important to allow flight attendants to cope with the variety of situations they will encounter on the job. Beginning foreign language studies in high school will open up the possibility of later working on international flights. Other useful classes include health, psychology, speech, business, sociology, geography, and first aid and emergency medical techniques.

Postsecondary Training

Because many airlines prefer to hire employees with some college experience, it is advisable to complete a two-year or four-year college degree. Although there is no specific major that will prepare you for a career as a flight attendant, degrees in hospitality, tourism, public relations, business, communications, psychology, sociology, nursing, anthropology, police or fire science, and education are all good choices. A business degree with an emphasis in customer service or public relations is another excellent option. If you are especially interested in international flights, you might consider getting a degree in a foreign language.

Applicants with college-level education are often given preference in employment. Business training and experience working with the public are also assets. Attendants employed by international airlines are usually required to be able to converse in a foreign language. Some of these airlines prefer to hire candidates who are proficient in two major foreign languages.

Most large airline companies maintain their own training schools for flight attendants. Training programs may last from several weeks to a few months. Training varies by airline. At United Airlines, for example, trainees attend a six-and-a-half-week program at the airline's training facility in Houston, Texas. The training covers emergency procedures, safety, CPR, security, service, and the company's aircraft fleet, and it also includes training flights and inflight evaluations. Some smaller airlines send their applicants to the schools run by the bigger airlines. A few colleges and schools offer flight attendant training, but these graduates may still be required to complete an airline's training program.

Airline training programs usually include classes in company operations and schedules, flight regulations and duties, first aid, grooming, emergency operations and evacuation procedures, flight terminology, and other types of job-related instruction. Flight attendants also receive 12 to 14 hours of additional emergency and passenger procedures training each year. Trainees for international flights are given instruction on customs and visa regulations and are taught how to respond during a terrorist attack. Near the end of the training period, trainees are taken on practice flights, in which they perform their duties under supervision.

An on-the-job probationary period, usually six months, follows training school. During this time, experienced attendants pay close attention to the performance, aptitudes, and attitudes of the new attendants. After this period, new attendants serve as reserve personnel and fill in for attendants who are ill or on vacation. While on call, these reserve attendants must be available to work on short notice.

Other Education or Training

Flight attendants are often required to learn CPR and first aid. Classes may be offered by flight attendant training schools, local community colleges, the Red Cross, and other education providers.