Flight Attendant Management Positions

Question:

I have a four-year college degree and would love to become a flight attendant. I would like to know if it is possible to land a management job with the airline after becoming a flight attendant. Thank you for your time.

Answer:

Airline Departments

Every airline is made up of departments, such as flight operations, inflight services, scheduling, marketing, etc., and each department has a department head who oversees the entire business unit. In addition to the department head position, there are also numerous middle management positions available within each department.

Some departmental positions are filled from within the airline, while others are the result of outside recruitment. Competition is fierce for these highly coveted positions and a college degree is usually required.

If you think you might be interested in becoming a part of the management team someday, you should check with each airline for minimum qualifications and hiring practices. After all, you want to make sure your future employer would consider promoting a senior flight attendant to such a position.

Above the department heads, in the airline hierarchy, are the executives and corporate vice presidents who work directly for the President and Chief Executive Officer. Most airlines recruit outside the airline for these positions, but there have been rare instances where flight attendants were promoted to the executive ranks. Of course, these flight attendants had advanced degrees and exemplary resumes.

Where to Start

The typical career track for a working flight attendant is to start out as an Inflight Supervisor or Inflight Base Manager. There are also a number of other inflight supervisory positions. Once you have completed your probation period, you can begin looking for in-house inflight supervisory positions. You can learn of the openings by discussing your interest with your base supervisor, or you can search the career section of the company website. Once you have made a name for yourself as a supervisor, there is a possibility for further advancement based on your performance, qualifications and the needs of the company.

Good luck!

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