We demand these people to meet our needs during the airplane journey. When we are experiencing the turbulence, for example, we immediately look at their faces and wait for them to calm us down. In short, we feel secure by their shadow. Would you like to take a closer look at this profession that looks cool and charismatic from the seat of passengers and a typical day of a flight attendant?
Flight attendant, in its simplest definition, is the name given to the officers who are interested in the safety and comfort of the passengers in the aircraft transporting by providing the necessary information to passengers and performing the instructions of the pilots and co-pilots. How do these people who ensure our safety during the flight begin this profession? What training do they get? How does a typical day of flight attendants go? We talked to Aleyna K., who has been a flight attendant at a private airline in Istanbul for two years.
From Europe to Asia, from the heat of Adana to the cold of Erzurum, you are experiencing a different routine from many professions in every sense. The usual working hours don't mean anything to you, you go out of your cosy house to work by decking yourself out at midnight. Is there any difference between the life you dreamed of and the one you live now?
I had dreams like going around the world before getting to work, seeing every corner of the country, having breakfast in Istanbul, lunch in Paris and dinner in Izmir. However, after I have begun my job, I’ve just realized that these dreams are not possible during working days. Yes, maybe you can actually wake up in Istanbul in one day and may have been to Paris at noon and sleep in Izmir in the evening, but often you don't even have time to eat. The situation is not very different in overseas boarding. There are places such as dreams that we didn't realize our goals or dreams like staying and visiting places in abroad due to its high cost. There are also some places about which we made plans but in reality, we did not even get off the plane. This is the thing that terribly disappoint me. On the other hand, the fact that you have to work in special days or in difficult weather conditions are the details I have no trouble with. For example, I love to fly on special occasions because these are times when I can feel the spiritual side at most. On special occasions, our guests treat us much more kindly and sincerely, which makes me say “Luckily, I have this job” for one more time.
When we look at the situation from the passengers’ view, the fact that the flight attendants who provide us with safety warnings and offer us food and beverage, turn into people who will save our lives in case of a possible evacuation, is a very important issue but we do not think much on it. How does it feel when you think this possibility before you take the flight?
I have completed my university education in this field; flight attendance. The first aid and fire intervention are the topics we have been most frequently trained at the university and in the recruitment process of the company I am working for. During the company's hands-on fire training, the scenario of taking the right fire extinguisher within seconds and to take the fire under control was the point where I got the seriousness and responsibility of the job at most. I would say that it is possible to fight against time and save the lives of dozens of people with strict discipline and training. Anyone who has this occupation learns very well what to face in the future after these trainings. People's lives are in our hands and we have no chance of making mistakes. We provide information and reminders about emergency scenarios before each flight. The first thing we do in the plane is to check the equipment that we will use in case of emergency. This kind of responsibility makes up the biggest part of our business.
What has changed in your social life? In addition to the absolute benefits of changing your daily routine, you have to deal with hundreds of people in a day and always have to be friendly and well-cared. Has this fact changed something in your social life?
One of my favourite things about my job is the possibility that we can be free any hour of the day and any day of the week. Unlike other professions, the flight attendance allows you to have off-time that equals to your working time. I can make more inmate plans with my family and friends after very busy or long-stay flights. It is easier and more fun to make a program because I have as much time to relax as I work. On the other hand, being well-cared, patient and cheerful is an indispensable part of this profession. Ever since I started aviation sector, I have become more open to communication, had a higher level of tolerance and become certainly more well-cared in my social life.
You have one of the professions where the concepts of place, time and language are intertwined. In your opinion, which day is the longest and how do you spend a regular working day of yours?
The answer of this question may show difference among flight attendants but for me, the days we have “four-leg flight” are definitely the longest ones. Especially if there is a delay you may feel like this day is not going to end. Four-leg flights are the ones such as Istanbul-Kars-Istanbul followed by Istanbul-Athens-Istanbul route in which you are expected to fly three cities in a day. Starting very early in the morning and at maximum working hours during the day, the plane is fully loaded on every flight, which means you will communicate with more than 700 people a day. In these days when we say goodbye to the concept of space and time, I find myself saying “good morning sir / lady on the Athens flight while saying “auntie and uncle” in a sincere way to people on Kars flight. People don't always get very happy on a plane. Those who are caught up in traffic last minute, those who have their favourite cream thrown away, who have come after an emotional break-up… We cannot say that these changes do not affect us. We need to care about all of them in the same day. On the other hand, you have to join these flights by keeping a possible evacuation in your mind. I would like to say that it's not as easy it looks nor as intimidating as you think.
REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING A FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Those who want to be a flight attendant will need to go experience a long-term application and preparation process. Even though it is an advantage to graduate from related departments of universities, it is enough for you to be a high school graduate to apply. Nevertheless, some companies are looking for an associate degree. You shouldn't have any criminal records. You should be at the appropriate height and weight determined by the airline companies and you should not have tattoo, piercings, scars and burn marks visible on your face or body when wearing the uniform. You are also asked to submit a detailed health check report. In addition, you need to know English at a good level. When you meet the requirements for the application, you are expected to take the height-weight measurement during the interviews and pass the written and oral English exams. When you pass the interviews, the training process begins. Turkish Airlines offers you free trainings for two or two and half months, while Pegasus Airlines provides free training at Cappadocia University. Besides, Hasan Kalyoncu University offers you flight attendance training by charging you with 8.000 TL. After getting these trainings, you can start your career as a flight attendant.
