To try and start a new career as Cabin Crew ?

[SecretsInSpitalfield]

Hi,

Mum of two DC .. one nearly 9 the other nearly 11.

I have my own business that I’ve built from scratch. I love being my own boss but after taking my dc on a lifetime trip (as well as accumulating debts) I cannot really travel for a long long time.

I need to tackle mortgage and debts etc. I have some great customers (also p takers) just feel stuck!!

Lifetime dream of being cabin crew! I KNOW it’s not all lipstick, lovely uniform and trips on the beach!

I’m a former make up artist and have worked in sales so think I could be a good ‘fit’ (apart from needing to lose 1-2 dress sizes and a good stone ! Been quite greedy but back on low carb again 😩)

Live within 60 mins to London Heathrow and Gatwick (hate driving long journeys though .. I’m a wuss only do short a-b journeys 🤦‍♀️)

Any of you lovely MN’s that do this? Can you make it work? Is it really for young kids instead of mums ?? (I’m early - mid thirties)

The main reason I’d love to do this

1. a change
2. only way I can think of that I can see a little bit of the world
3. discounted travel for DH and DC etc I’m also good at selling products (lots of experience and qualifications in make up industry ) And also very good with (difficult) customers and bored irritable kids!

Anyone who has done this and regrets it/hates it?
I know the training is intense and is 6 weeks and training is coming up in next couple of months for a particular air like that I’m just about to apply for.

If I go for it/get picked I lose my business and customers. Big risk!! A complete lifestyle change and can be working on DC birthdays, Christmas’ etc.

Would love to hear any words of wisdom! Good or bad! Thank you for reading this far! 😊

Black - oh I know 😞 but realistically I don’t know what else to do or how to pay our debts and with no travel etc!

It’s not an especially low paid job.

The basic pay is low - around £12k. Many people earn that working 30 hours a week in a minimum wage job like retail. I think the full time minimum wage works out at just under 15k a year?

The wage is then topped up by flight pay. This is paid either by hours away from home or per sector. There is also commission on products sold.

Working a decade ago as crew, I was earning between £1400 and £1800k a month after deductions as cabin crew. I imagine it’s more now.

So for Mixed Fleet with BA, you are looking at a basic pay of 14k. You are then paid £3.14 per hour – an elapsed hourly rate that starts from the moment you check-in to the time you get back to your home airport. Daily Overseas Allowance: £10 (when away from the UK)
Nightly Incidental Allowance: £5 (when away from base but still in the UK)
Commission: 20% on all Duty-Free and Buy Onboard sales
Quarterly Bonus: Approximately £350 – £450
Annual Bonus: Approximately £400 – £450 (based on fleet-wide performance)

According to the BA website: As Mixed Fleet Cabin Crew member, you will have the potential to earn, on average, a reward package of between £23,000 and £28,000 per annum.

Basic pay goes up gradually, as does pay if you get promoted.

So no, not amazing pay but akin to what a registered nurse or teacher earns! Well, outside of London salaries.

careers.ba.com/cabin-crew Really useful info there.

careers.easyjet.com/cabin-crew/

careersuk.virgin-atlantic.com/customer-services/cabin-crew

Lots of reading for you OP

Friend works for an airline and they book shifts/flights via an app and can buy and sell shifts - so if you have extra hours you can work longer -

Friend works 3/4 days a month and works round kids - she also takes the kids on cheap holidays at bargain prices

Worth a look

Did you decide to apply OP?

As the main problems seem to be money and your H, pursuing this idea doesn’t seem feasible.

Your DC aren’t old enough to be left alone, so you’d need active co operation from your H.

For example, DH and I both avoid travel for work and when we do have to travel we often need to reorganise our work to accommodate the other’s trip: that won’t work with an arsey, unwilling partner.

Have you looked hard at the profitability of your business? If it’s doing well or can be made more profitable, best to continue with it.

Or, if the business just won’t make as much as you need, seek better paid work, without travel. It sounds like you have sales and other skills to bring to various roles and fields.

Plus seek debt management advice.

Eg retail or hospitality.

I know a couple of people on mixed fleet BA contracts. Both part time one lives in the Middle East and commutes and the other has two part time jobs to support herself. She turns down her short-haul flights saying the pay isn't worth her while and she earn more working behind the bar in her local. She lives close to Heathrow and Gatwick. Does about 3 long haul trips a month and works her part time around it.

Both used to work for Easyjet and staff travel seema more reliable. A lot of people I know in the industry have been let down by BA staff travel.

I failed the interviews for several airlines and ended up as a rep instead. Some of my ex rep friends are still cabin crew and I don't think I could do it these days. I know they go to some very glam locations and stay in some lovely places but I don't think I could cope with the jet-lag, difficult passengers, lonliness and uniform standards. I no longer work in the travel industry. It's notoriously badly paid.

@SecretsInSpitalfield
I am 42 and applied last year to work as Cabin Crew with TUI. It’s all I have ever wanted to do in life.
I have 4 children, youngest being 10. Seemed the perfect time to me. I am currently a SAHM and don’t need to work, thankfully. However, they were advertising for my local airport and I thought why not?!
I passed their initial application, their video interview and also their assessment day.
I could not believe it. Me, with no previous travel industry experience being good enough to work as Cabin Crew. It was never about the money to me. Although base pay and enhancements with TUI are very generous compared to others in the industry.
Now for the bit why I am now not flying right now.....
The flying would have been the easy part, home every night as only European destinations. However, the training would have meant 5 whole weeks away the other end of the country! Why?? Who knows. All training is meant to be at base airports. Even the recruitment team couldn’t answer me.
So for now. I hve had to turn it down. I was literally 2 days from starting. I am absolutely devastated. But for me, my family comes first. My time will come, will wait until my youngest is at least 15 now.
The wonderful thing about TUI is that they seem to accept you for you, no matter what your age. They are interested in your wonderful smile and persona.
I wouldn’t hesitate in applying for them in the future.
I also hve a friend who was a mature lady also flying with Virgin Atlantic, she said they too were a wonderful airline to work for.
Good luck, don’t let anything hold you back from your dreams. If it can work for you, go for it.

secrets did you apply??

I used to work in care, and one lady I regularly partnered up with worked for Virgin. She found it hard to manage financially on the wages, so she worked as a bank carer in between. She was permanently exhausted but she loved the job and didn't want to give it up! She loved the travelling, and had so many friends.

Oh no I got had by a zombie........ sorry

This is such a funny coincidence, my friend who like me is a non swimmer told me the other night that he applied for cabin crew. I told him that lying on his application might not work due to the life guard training you have to go through.
If I could swim, I would love this job, go for it.

Oh crap, it was a good read though .