Education · 1 of 4

The path

Hire first, train second. There is no course to take beforehand.

1. 1

   High school diploma or GED (General Educational Development certificate)

   Grade 12

   That is the education floor. Most airlines set a minimum age of 18 to 21 and require a valid passport with no travel restrictions.

2. 2

   Apply and interview

   An online application, a recorded video interview, then a face to face assessment day with group exercises. Airlines are looking for calm, friendly people who follow procedure.

3. 3

   Background check and medical

   Weeks to months

   A ten-year background check, fingerprinting, a drug test, and a reach test to confirm you can get to the emergency equipment in the overhead bins.

4. 4

   Airline training

   3 to 8 weeks

   Live-in training at the airline's own center covering evacuations, fires on board, decompression, medical emergencies, self defense and service. There are written and practical exams and people do get sent home.

5. 5

   Reserve

   1 to several years

   New crew sit on call, ready to leave for the airport on short notice, often for years at a large airline. Seniority is the only way out of it.