Although the minimum amount can vary from country to country, and the airlines, the FAA has set the limit for flight attendants to get at least 10 hours of rest between shifts.
If your employer schedules you for an eight hour rest period, your next rest period must be at least 10 consecutive hours and must begin no later than 24 hours after the beginning of the eight hour rest period. You can find additional guidance on our Cabin Safety Legal Interpretations website.
Duty periods of over 18 hours require a 12-hour rest period. Dependent on the number of passengers, the FAA requires a certain number of attendants during flights to ensure rest periods throughout the flight.
Flight attendants on long-haul flights are provided with spaces to rest. Here's a photo of the crew rest area on a Boeing 787. Crew rest areas exist on all airplanes, but what these rest areas look like depends on the airline, aircraft and the length of the flight.
They often work nights, weekends, and holidays because airlines operate every day and have overnight flights. They may spend several nights per week or per month away from home. In most cases, a contract between the airline and the flight attendant union determines the total daily and monthly workable hours.
Average Flight Attendant Pay vs.
Flight Attendants earned an average salary of $62,280 in 2021.
They get to travel to new places, meet new people, and experience different cultures. But being a flight attendant is also a lot of work. There are long hours, early mornings, and late nights. There are also strict safety regulations that must be followed at all times.
But truth be told, we're the exception to the rule. While there are many pilot and flight attendant couples, and many flight attendants married or committed to other flight attendants, and many pilots with the same connections with other pilots, several factors have made those connections less likely.
What do cabin crew members do during their layover? Cabin crew members often use their layover time to sleep, as they may not have had a chance to sleep on the plane. They may also use this time to eat and relax, as well as to get ready for their next flight. In some cases, flight attendants go out and explore places.
Many airlines offer their flight crews, including attendants, various benefits for their employment. Common flight attendant benefits include medical, dental, vision and life insurance. Some airlines may also offer flight attendants travel-related perks like free or discounted flights.
Most flight attendants love their work, and it's not so much a job but a way of life. There are many challenges, but most crew would never change a thing, and of course, every day is different.
Flight attendant shifts can still last up to 14 hours.
Whatever they have on their schedule. You bid your trips. If you elect to fly turns, and have the seniority to secure, you can be home every day.
Cabin crew tend to live close to their base, but it's not the only option. Many airlines say that crew must live within 45 minutes to 90 minutes traveling time of their base. This is due to 'standby' duties, where cabin crew are called out last minute to operate a flight where someone has gone sick or is late for duty.
Flight attendants get breaks on long-haul flights to recharge and stay energized. They have their own bedrooms in which to take power naps. These bedrooms are hidden from passengers.
Singapore Airlines has held the record for world's longest flight since 2016. Their trip from Singapore to New York is more than 9,500 miles.
The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.
Short-haul is a flight lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Medium-haul is defined by flights lasting between 3-6 hours. And lastly, long-haul flights are those that extend beyond 6 hours.
Bracing in a planned emergency
This allows for the cabin crew to still be able to hear and shout emergency commands whilst protecting the face and head from any flying debris.
While your interactions with a flight attendant during the course of your travels may be brief, if you happen to be a particularly easy-on-the-eyes individual, there's no doubt about it: you will get noticed. “It definitely happens with attractive passengers,” says flight attendant Heidi Ferguson.
Aside from their official, proper vacation leave, flight attendants also get to travel on their days off and can have small holidays, especially with discounted tickets available. These mini holidays on days off should of course meet the airlines' regulations on cabin crew rest periods.
Or do they age more quickly, since they're subject to less gravity? Scientists have done the math, and it turns out that frequent fliers actually age the tiniest bit more quickly than people with both feet on the ground. But not to worry, the difference is so small, you don't have to worry about extra wrinkles.
Working long hours and being away from loved ones can be tough to deal with. However, I'm incredibly adaptable and am willing to make sacrifices as I see the job's value in allowing me to travel and experience new places. The physical aspect of the job, like standing for long periods, can be quite challenging.
Flight attendants have no set weight requirements, as body types can vary even if two people are the same height and weight. It's impossible to give a size or weight for the jumpseat because some harnesses are smaller than others, and people carry weight differently.