Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a flight attendant on long flights? What is it like to work with an airline that operates only, or mostly, 10-16 hour long flights? Have you ever experienced such a flight yourself or do you know a flight attendant for whom this is everyday life?
I am one of them.
I got my first job with a large, long-haul airline when I was only nineteen. Airlines flying directly to the other side of the world are usually (but not always) prestigious and rich, and getting a job with them is a real feat for experienced,and especially a person who doesn't have a hundred years of experience in aviation, and in fact, only recently entered the world of flight attendants. It's easy to guess that the job offer in the prestigious, national airline of one of the richest countries in the world was a great surprise for me and a huge success, which I achieved as an aviation beginner and a person at the door of adulthood, defeating in the recruitment process experienced crew of such elite airlines as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways or Oman Air. You can imagine boundless joy, gratitude and disbelief all rolled into one.
This is how my adventure with airlines operating long haul flights began. First with one airline, then with another, I operated did hundreds of over-ten-hour flights in one direction, covering routes from point A to point B, around the globe. It's easy to guess that such distances are not flown by small or medium-sized planes, which due to technical parameters would have to land several times along the way, for example to refuel. Such long flights are performed by big machines, appropriately adapted to it. And since there are huge aircraft, there are also many, many more passengers on board, much more work, much more responsibility and a much bigger cabin crew team... In other words, a completely different reality than in the short-haul airlines.
Generally speaking, the work of a flight attendant in long haul airlines is significantly different from the work of a flight attendant in low cost airlines, regional airlines or all other airlines that don't operate long-distance flights, but only short haul and medium haul (short-range and medium-range) . As I mentioned before, these are huge planes, huge numbers of passengers, more potential sources of danger, which means for times more work and eyes and ears around the head. In addition, most importantly, the main difference between the flights of low cost carriers, regio etc, and long-haul airlines is that the duration of the first is on average two, three or even four times shorter than the other, so it looks completely different. Different in-flight service structure, and flight attendants not only have a greater range of duties, but also enjoy privileges that their colleagues don't have, working in other types of companies.
Whoever flew at least once with low-cost, charter, regional or national airlines on short routes, certainly encountered the reality of "we will give you water, feed you, but first pay for it"... Exactly. The cabin crew of these airlines (not all, but most of them) run on board with a cart full of products for sale and a terminal, because nothing is for free and the service is completely paid. Fortunately, long haul airlines offer a full, free service of meals, desserts and drinks for all passengers, and even several services, the number of which depends on the length of the flight. And great praise to them for that. Thanks to this, we, flight attendants, are provided with warm-up and cardio on board, but we are not shining with food bills. As for me, a couple of such services for several hundred people seated in several dozen rows in one flight are a perfect opportunity for entertainment and exercise of the muscles of the legs and abdomen, which is pure pleasure 😉
If it seems like it's over, then couldn't be more wrong. One of the advantages of working on long flights is... Time for yourself. Time to relax. Due to the fact that this type of flights last mostly 10-16 hours, there is more time for everything, it's easier to plan duties, and there is a time between services when the crew have a longer or shorter (often longer) time for themselves, when they can sit down calmly, rest, eat, talk or read their favorite book, which is something the staff of short flights cannot enjoy, where they usually don't even have time for five minutes of rest, and meals are eaten on the run, because work is heavy and time is short.
About resting... A privilege that short-haul flight attendants may forget - SLEEP! Long-haul crew are lucky in this aspect. Work, work, and in the middle of the flight a warm bed, where you can forget about everything, rest, sleep well for even a few hours, the best reward and, together with a break for food, these are the most liked and awaited moments of the flight, which give power and boost mood for the rest of the trip... After all, who doesn't like a little relaxation, right?
And finally the best, that is... Travel and layovers all over the world! This is an aspect that many working in this profession dream about and almost everyone who would like to start flying does too. Traveling and visiting the entire globe is also, in fact, one of the main things people associate with being a flight attendant. And these are the luxuries and privileges of being in the most distant corners, in a different country every day, or sunbathing on the most exotic beaches, the luxuries of flight attendants flying around the world, that's, the long-haul ones.
That is why I love working in huge airplanes the most of all, for which circling half the world in one flight is not a problem, because I never have enough of traveling, sightseeing and enjoying the beauty of our planet 🥰
In short, flight attendant and flight attendant, airline and airline, each specific and completely different, the job can be very different, but if you are a person who really loves to fly, any opportunity to do this profession is a blessing.
