Occupation

Flight Attendants

Human Advantage 77%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.2 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

Monitor safety of the aircraft cabin. Provide services to airline passengers, explain safety information, serve food and beverages, and respond to emergency incidents.

Also Known As: Aircraft Cabin Agent, Airline Attendant, Airline Flight Attendant, Airline Hostess, Airline Stewardess, Airplane Flight Attendant, Cabin Attendant, Door and Arrival Attendant +11 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order.
  2. Announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets.
  3. Monitor passenger behavior to identify threats to the safety of the crew and other passengers.
  4. Walk aisles of planes to verify that passengers have complied with federal regulations prior to takeoffs and landings.
  5. Direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing.
  6. Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
  7. Administer first aid to passengers in distress.
  8. Determine special assistance needs of passengers, such as small children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.
  9. Attend preflight briefings concerning weather, altitudes, routes, emergency procedures, crew coordination, lengths of flights, food and beverage services offered, and numbers of passengers.
  10. Reassure passengers when situations, such as turbulence, are encountered.
  11. Check to ensure that food, beverages, blankets, reading material, emergency equipment, and other supplies are aboard and are in adequate supply.
  12. Prepare reports showing places of departure and destination, passenger ticket numbers, meal and beverage inventories, the conditions of cabin equipment, and any problems encountered by passengers.
  13. Announce flight delays and descent preparations.
  14. Greet passengers boarding aircraft and direct them to assigned seats.
  15. Assist passengers entering or disembarking the aircraft.
  16. Conduct periodic trips through the cabin to ensure passenger comfort and to distribute reading material, headphones, pillows, playing cards, and blankets.
  17. Inspect and clean cabins, checking for any problems and making sure that cabins are in order.
  18. Operate audio and video systems.
  19. Answer passengers' questions about flights, aircraft, weather, travel routes and services, arrival times, or schedules.
  20. Collect money for meals and beverages.
  21. Heat and serve prepared foods.
  22. Inspect passenger tickets to verify information and to obtain destination information.
  23. Assist passengers in placing carry-on luggage in overhead, garment, or under-seat storage.

Supplemental Tasks (2)

  1. Take inventory of headsets, alcoholic beverages, and money collected.
  2. Sell alcoholic beverages to passengers.

Education & Training

Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
70%
Bachelor's Degree
12%
Some College Courses
10%
Less than a High School Diploma
3%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
1%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word

Software (12)

  • AD OPT Altitude
  • Arkitektia Flight Itinerary
  • Bid Assistant
  • IBM Lotus LearningSpace
  • SBS International Maestro Suite
  • ValtamTech Flight Crew Log

Tools & Equipment (42)

  • Aircraft fire extinguishing systems
  • Automated external defibrillators AED
  • Blood pressure recorders
  • Cabin management systems
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR equipment
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR masks
  • Chemical oxygen generators
  • Commercial cooking ovens
  • Desktop computers
  • Electrical circuit breakers
  • Emergency exit doors and windows
  • Emergency locator transmitters
  • Emergency rafts
  • Epi-pens
  • Evacuation slides
  • First aid kits
  • Flotation seat cushions
  • Halon fire extinguishers
  • Heaving life lines
  • Intravenous IV administration sets
  • Lavatory smoke detectors
  • Life preservers
  • Mechanical stethoscopes
  • Megaphones
  • Nitroglycerin tablets
  • Notebook computers
  • Personal digital assistants PDA
  • Portable oxygen equipment
  • Protective breathing equipment
  • Refreshment carts
  • Refrigeration units
  • Satellite aircraft communication systems
  • Self-inflating manual resuscitation devices
  • Slideraft packs
  • Sliderafts
  • Smoke goggles
  • Sphygmomanometers
  • Storage compartments
  • Supplemental oxygen systems
  • Tourniquets
  • Water system shutoff valves
  • Window exit escape ropes

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Air & Space Transportation Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 2
Flight Attendants You are here
Zone 3
Airfield Operations Specialists 92% match
Zone 4
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 76% match
Zone 5
Natural Sciences Managers 74% match

Resume Builder

Select key tasks to generate action-oriented resume bullets for Flight Attendants positions.

Related Occupations

Compare skills gap with any of these related roles.

Passenger AttendantsClosely Related Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel ClerksClosely Related Airfield Operations SpecialistsClosely Related First-Line Supervisors of Passenger AttendantsClosely Related Baggage Porters and BellhopsClosely Related Transportation Security Screeners Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors Air Traffic Controllers
Show all 20 related occupations
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Commercial Pilots Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs Aircraft Service Attendants Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians Subway and Streetcar Operators Security Guards

Real Talk

Hear from real Flight Attendantss about their work:

Reddit Day-in-the-life discussions Reddit Salary discussions YouTube Video day-in-the-life Glassdoor Reviews & salaries