From commercial flight attendant to private flight attendant – what you need to know

Maybe you’ve been a commercial flight attendant for a while and you’re looking for a change. Maybe you trained for it and decided it wasn’t your thing, but you still want the travel, adventure and fun you thought you were going to get with the job.

Whatever your reason for thinking about switching from a career in commercial aviation to becoming a private flight attendant, you certainly realize there are a few differences between the two jobs and many similarities. The change requires additional training and specific knowledge of the new path on which you’re embarking.

So what, exactly, does this slight career change require and what are the perks?

You’ll need to enroll in a training program specific to becoming a private/corporate flight attendant. The good news is that if you’re reading this, you’ve found one already that can help with that! Once you’ve completed the training, you can begin networking for clients. If you have a specific company in mind that you’d like to work for, find out what that company requires and take additional classes targeted for that job. The more you know and the better you know it, the better your chances are to land that dream job.

As a commercial flight attendant, you most likely had a set schedule and regularly flew the same route or routes, staying in the cheapest hotels the airline was willing to pay for. And don’t forget that in commercial aviation, the hourly pay doesn’t begin until the door to the airplane closes. These are all downfalls you won’t have to worry about as a private flight attendant. In fact, your employers will pay for you to stay in the same hotels where they stay – five-star hotels – and even pay your salary while you’re on the ground between flights!

Besides being paid to travel to exotic places and to stay in fancy hotels, you’ll also have the luxury of being in charge of your own plane. Most private flight attendants work alone, so you won’t have to worry about clashing personalities with coworkers and you can mostly do your job the way you prefer to do it.

You’ll often work on different kinds of planes, as well. If you have an interest in aircraft or just like the spice of variety, this perk is a great one for you.

Keep in mind that you will be responsible for things like creating menus, ordering food and drinks and that you will often be on call, so you may not know your schedule from day to day. However, you also have the ability to negotiate your salary, as you’re most likely to be working freelance. You can accept or turn down jobs as you need or want to.

Ultimately, while you have to follow the needs and wants of the airplane owners, you are your own boss. And what’s better than that?