Question for Flight Attendants/ Cabin Crew

[Flyingmaniac]

What are my chances of getting a job as a flight attendant at nearly 40 years old?

I know that technically they are not supposed to discriminate, but in reality for those of you who have been hired in the last few years, or involved in recruitment am I being completely deluded? I do look a few years younger (don't we all on MN) but I reckon they are just looking for 22 year olds. Does anyone know somebody who has been hired around my age?

I mean in airlines like Ethihad or Emirates? I'm aware that you have to relocate to the Middle East, I have no kids and am single so it wouldn't bother me, nor would the mad hours. I suppose I just see it as a bit of an adventure, and am so sick of office jobs. I would love to just try it for a few years.

I am 5 foot 6, in good shape (size 8 - 10) and fit and healthy, well groomed, can scrub up well, have work experience in customer service and HR - so I'm used to dealing with difficult people.
I really wanted to be a flight attendant when younger but was encouraged to go to University, and got into office work and for various reasons it never happened.

So now I finally have the confidence to try it, but feel like I'm too old. Can anyone take an educated guess at my chances of being hired?

I knew someone a few years ago that worked for virgin - she was in her 40s.

I’m not aircrew so obviously my advice is limited but DH is a pilot and he is always telling me how hard cabin crew work and how underpaid they are. Contracts were redrawn by many airlines post covid to get more work out of people for less money, perks reduced, less downtime between trips. I would make sure you really understand the T and Cs. Having said that not having family commitments would be a huge bonus as a real downside of working in long haul airlines is working unpredictable rotas.

Pretty good, I would say. I fly a lot (usually BA and Virgin, sometimes Delta) and I would say the vast majority of flight attendants are not 20-somethings. Most seem to be mid-30s to mid-50s. Fairly even mix between male and female, too.

I applied for a flight attendant job once with a big airline. I was 24 and the youngest there by a country mile. (I didn't get through, they said I was not yet experienced enough).

Thanks for the responses, so all is not lost it would seem. I was thinking about it again as I heard an ad on the radio about a recruitment day near me that's coming up.
I understand maybe the pay isn't great, although for Emirates you are required to live in Dubai and the pay tax free and they also provide accommodation so I suppose that would make up for it.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement, I will look into the recruitment thing and see how I get on.

My DD started work as cabin crew for easyJet in July and her training cohort were a mix of all ages! She was among the youngest at 20 and the oldest was so done in their 50's. Airlines have definitely moved away from the young/slim stereotype although I think Emirates/Ethiad might be a bit behind that curve.

It's hard work for the money but DD is loving it.

I recently flew on KLM (in EU) . It was a tricky fully-booked flight; French airport strike, long wait and uncertainty before boarding, then a further hour delay after boarding, stuck on the apron. Tired tetchy pilot, tired tetchy captive passengers.

One of the stewards was a "mature lady"; at least 50, grey hair, not thin as a reed. Among the younger skinnier tense stewards, her calm and relaxed good humour absolutely shone out.

More airlines should employ older staff.

Thanks again for the encouragement, I will definitely look into it.

Zero chance with the Middle East 3, sorry.

Ah ok, that's what I suspected. Thanks for the reality check.

I know there are obviously other airlines, but I really liked the idea of a change of lifestyle, living in Dubai etc. and the tax free salary was a nice prospect.

I can’t fathom why any woman would voluntarily move to Dubai. You do know you have no rights there?

Funnily enough op, I have been looking into becoming a flight attendant. There are loads of positions available on Indeed. Sadly for me I am only 5ft 1inch so don't qualify for any airline.

Wishing you lots of luck ✈😁

I worked for Etihad a long time ago and they did hire a few ladies in their 40's, however they had a lot of previous experience as flight attendants. I don't know what their policy is nowadays.

Unless the age limit is stated in their recruitment ad, you should give it a try.

Good article here by Helenna Kennedy KC.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/united-arab-emirates-women-dubai-expo-b1952785.html

Possibly they had already been working there for many years. You're right, technically there is no upper age limit and the man I heard speaking from the airline stated on radio that they did hire older workers.
But I think that's probably PR stuff, and that they don't want a discrimination lawsuit on their hands. In reality, they probably don't for new recruits.

As for Dubai, I thought it was one of the more moderate places in the UAE, although I accept there are probably still issues to be aware of.

Thanks everyone for the input. It was something that has cropped up a few times over the last few years and I automatically ruled myself out because of my age. I may just try the recruitment day in a few months and hope they don't laugh me out of the building. If nothing comes of it then at least I tried.

Sorry, I can't read it unless I subscribe.

I think if you register you can read the article for free. It would be too long to reprint the whole thing here but I've cut and pasted a couple of para's.

"While the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) public relations experts are busy laundering reputations, presenting an image of Emirati tolerance and openness, evidence which came before a recent cross-party panel suggested something quite different.

Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Debbie Abrahams MP and I produced a report this month which reveals the shocking lack of fundamental protection of women’s rights in the UAE. Although the UAE government likes to remind its critics about recent reforms, such as the removal of the legal defence for so-called “honour killings”, the law still leaves women vulnerable to serious abuses of their rights, with little legal recourse.

For British women in the UAE, many have found themselves arrested for activity that simply wouldn’t be crimes anywhere else, such as insulting someone in a WhatsApp message.

The Foreign Office recorded over 1,350 detentions of British women in the UAE from 2011 to 2016. Given the lacklustre support we heard about being offered to women, we can only imagine the scale of inaction across these many cases. I have no doubt that for many of those women, the experience of arrest in the UAE was terrifying and traumatic, yet they were expected to deal with it alone."

My friend started her job as cabin crew beginning of this year. She is 42. She loves it.

Why not the Middle East 3? Is there an age limit?

But go for it OP, you only get one life!