There is an employment shortage everywhere in aviation these days. Airlines need pilots, and they need gate agents, maintenance workers and mechanical help. But they especially need flight attendants.
United Airlines is recruiting flight attendants, and offering a top-tier pay scale of $67 per hour. Despite trimming their respective flight schedules, airlines are anticipating a big summer. Thus, they need help in almost every sector of the industry, lest there be delays and cancelations.
But before you start crunching the numbers on your calculator or abacus, know that the $67 per hour is the top end of the pay scale, and few, if any, earn that kind of money in their first or second year. Also, flight attendants do an incredible amount of work before the plane even leaves the runway, but they don’t get paid until the cabin doors are shut and everything is locked.
Like most airlines, United has a rigorous training program that lasts more than six weeks before an attendant ever works a fight. That $67 an hour is mostly based on seniority. Most flight attendants earn about $29 an hour fresh out of training.
But right now, because of the flight attendant shortage, most jobs are almost guaranteed. Flight attendants at United do not get to choose where their home base is and must go to one of United’s seven hubs across the country. They also have to pay for their uniforms. However, the perks and the travel can be unbelievable.
United is looking to hire about 4,000 flight attendants through the rest of this year and is currently accepting applications.
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