Flight Attendant Reveals Interesting Secrets of the Trade in This Viral Video

A 28-year-old woman refused to stop at the usual “smile and serve” stereotype, and in a viral video, she pulled back the curtain on what flight attendants deal with behind the scenes. It’s not just the snacks and safety demos, it’s the nonstop rhythm of being moved around, trained for emergencies, and quietly watching everything before passengers even buckle up.

She explains that a lot of attendants don’t live where they work, some go through about eight weeks of training that’s heavy on medical stuff and emergency management, and then they’re thrown into a day that can include two, three, even four or five flights. The wild part? She might not even know the other crew until that day, and she has no clue about the airport she’s landing in either, so she’s reading signs for baggage claim just like everyone else.

And once you hear how they spot suspicious activity before the plane doors close, you’ll never board the same way again.

There are many unknowns about the life of a flight attendant.

Lukas Souza on Unsplash

“Things You Might Not Know About Flight Attendants.”

TikTok | @yaimam

“A lot of us don’t live where we work.”

Some of us go through about eight weeks of training, and none of it is on customer service. It’s all medical stuff and emergency management.I had a friend who lived in Puerto Rico and was based in LA.

That’s when you realize why her training did not include “customer service” the way people assume, it was all emergency management and medical readiness.</p>

“Yes, we fly for free.”

But we don’t have free tickets to give away; that’s reserved for immediate family members or one person we might choose.

“When you see us, it’s probably not the first flight we’re taking over the day.”

Sometimes we take two, three, or even four flights a day, sometimes even five. So half of the time we don’t know where the heck we are.

“Typically, we don’t know the flight attendants that we’re flying with.”

We usually don’t even meet them until that day, unless we’re based there.

“We don’t know anything about the airport that you’re at.”

So if you ask us where to find baggage claim, we’re just going to look up at the signs.

“Flight attendants are trained to spot suspicious activity.”

So when you’re boarding the plane, we’re not just saying hi. We’re checking you out.TikTok | @yaimam

Then comes the Puerto Rico to LA example, because even her “free flights” are really just a perk with strict limits, not a gift card for the whole world.</p>

This person shared advice for anyone considering a career as a flight attendant:

So I have a few people asking me how to become a flight attendant. It’s actually not as complicated as you might think. You don’t have to have a degree.But if you want to improve your chances, having a degree in hospitality, business, or customer service experience is a huge plus, as is being bilingual.

Also, this “who pays what” argument mirrors the friend vacation split fight, even with a higher salary.

“The first thing you want to do is choose an airline.”

You have international carriers and domestic carriers. I work for an international carrier. International carriers, like American, United, and Delta, will have a much larger network.

“Domestic carriers like Southwest are still amazing employers; you’ll just end up traveling more domestically.”

Once you choose an airline, or two or three, find their Facebook group that’s meant for candidates.

“The members will be a mix of people who are just applying or thinking about applying.”

Some may have already had a face-to-face interview or even received a job offer. There might even be some employees in there who can give you advice.

“Then all you have to do is wait until the company’s hiring and apply.”

If you don’t get hired the first time around, apply again. Don’t get discouraged. Good luck.TikTok | @yaimam

Next, the part about not knowing the flight attendants you’re flying with hits hard, since she’s sometimes meeting the crew on the spot for a totally new route.</p>

“So how much money do flight attendants actually make?”

The answer is, it depends. But I’ll try to break it down for you. Keep in mind this is also specific to my airline.We have two main forms of hourly pay.The first form is per diem. The second form is flight pay. Per diem is $2.45 an hour, and that starts as soon as we sign in for a trip, 24 hours, as soon as we’re back home.Flight pay is what we get paid while we’re in the air.Flight pay starts at $31 an hour, and you get a raise every single year, up until 12 years, when you cap out at $70 an hour.We always know exactly what we’ll be making before we actually go on a trip.

“So here’s some math for you. If I have a trip that’s gone for 70 hours but only flies for 18 hours, this is how much per diem I’ll make. This is how much flight pay I’ll make. This is the total for three days.”

TikTok | @yaimam

Doing the math:

Keep in mind that this doesn’t include any bonuses, international pay, or other hourly wages. I’m definitely not a millionaire, but it’s not bad.TikTok | @yaimam

Finally, boarding day turns into a surveillance mission of sorts, because while passengers are settling in, she’s checking you out and not just saying hi.</p>

“Here are some weird things that you might see flight attendants do.”

Do you ever see us looking in weird places, like behind some seats, or stepping up to look at an overhead bin? That’s because we’re checking all medical and emergency equipment to make sure it’s all good to go for your safety.

“Do you ever see us close these?”

That’s because it keeps the cabin cool. It also makes it ideal for sleeping.TikTok | @yaimam

“Pick up a phone?”

No, we’re not chatting with pilot Pete. Typically, we’re communicating with either the other flight attendants or the pilot.TikTok | @yaimam

Watch the video:

It is true that many jobs are often underestimated or not fully appreciated, but they are actually very important. These jobs can include positions in a variety of industries, such as customer service, healthcare, education, and more.

Even though these jobs may not always receive the recognition they deserve, they often play a vital role in the functioning of society and in the lives of the people they serve. It is important to recognize and appreciate the value of all types of work, regardless of how others perceive it.

Nobody wants to board a plane and realize the person smiling at you has already been scanning the whole situation.

Want more “survival first” advice, see how an expert says airplane attire can be essential in emergencies.