Back in the 19th century, the flight attendant was a title only given to women. Still, things started to change gradually due to several events like misconduct with women and many other reasons that forced airlines to hire men as flight attendants rather than beautiful young girls. Still, the most significant airline air hostesses are women, but that number is coming down with time.
Passengers had never expected that someday, they would board a plane and a man flight attendant will welcome thwould
Among all the airline crew, at least one member is male, which is kept mandatory. Sometimes, there can be clashes onboard, and a male member should be there to handle the mess caused by unruly passengers. Other than that, female flight attendants are more emotional and have less capacity to handle emergencies than male flight attendants are considered to b assertive and less passionate about handling emergencies with accuracy.
A man not only has to be vital to be selected as a flight attendant because there are other factors involved in selection like looks and charm, and having these abilities can open other doors in commercial aviation like flight attendants can be trainers or new attendants or be selected as a department in charge or flight attendant heads.
So, those pursuing a dream of a flight attendant can relax and apply for the available jobs because they can get hired as a flight attendant, but the numbers are always lower, so there will be competition as well.
According to Zippia, there are around 110K+ flight attendants in the United States alone; among them are 84% females, a whconsiderable number, and only 16% of flight attendants are men.
Sometimes, there are reasons for some airlines not to hire women as workers or flight attendants. Some religions do not allow women to work as flight attendants due to the work requirements. Flight attendants must look beautiful and wear clothes that are considered against religious terms. Sometimes, there are restrictions on women not to talk to men. Some medical conditions can also stop women from becoming flight attendants; therefore, only men or male flight attendants are hired.
How to Become a Male Flight Attendant
Being a flight attendant is a highly responsible job. Besides looks, one has to be physically and mentally prepared for this job because in commercial aviation, sometimes, the airline crew has to spend days in flight without meeting their family member,s who require a lot of willpower.
Although flight attendant is a female-heavy profession, women number is more prominent because the future is secure in this profession, and the job is also high paying with a lot of other perks like free flights for family members, free stay in hotels around the globe, and a handful of other benefits that no other profession offers.
One can say that the flight attendant job is highly fulfilling. Therefore, a large number of people around the globe are interested in becoming flight attendants because who would reject such extravagant perks?
Becoming a flight attendant is also not easy as it involves a lot of training and specific education. Once ready, you can apply by submitting your resume to airline companies.
Before someone applies for a flight attendant job, these are some rules that one should know.
Flight attendant requirement list
The candidate’s age should be 21 years at least and should be from the USA.
The candidate’s height should be a minimum of 5 feet and a maximum of 6.3 feet.
The candidate must have a high school diploma
The candidate shouldn’t have tattoos
The candidate must not have piercings in the ear, nose, or other body parts.
The candidate should be physically fit, able to sit in a jumpseat, and not require a seatbelt extension.
Physical fitness should be considered essential for doing physical tasks actively.
Must complete the flight attendant training program
The candidate must have to pass the screening test before employment
The male flight attendants must know that this job comes with many responsibilities to ensure the safe travel of the passengers.
Therefore, everyone applying for the job of a flight attendant should be friendly with others and be able to handle criticism, which is common in airline travel.
Job Responsibilities of Male Flight Attendants
Male flight attendants are required to do everything that female flight attendants do, like serving the passengers, ensuring that they are sitting in their proper seats, and fulfilling different needs of passengers, like giving them water and food. Sometimes, they have to tidy up the aircraft seats and floor as well, in case someone with motion sickness throws up on the airline floor.
Furthermore, the airline flight attendants rest in their cabins inside the airilne to perform their duties and ensure everything runs smoothly for each flight, making them the backbone of airline travel.
Sometimes, flight attendants have to guide passengers and provide assistance to them regarding matters; they have to pass the information regarding the flight by ATC ( Air Traffic Control ) to keep the passengers calm.
Flight attendant job can be tiring as it requires the candidates to perform their duty most of the time with due diligence; sometimes they are walking, and sometimes they are just standing still.
Females flight attendants are traditional employees because air hostess is a female heavy profession and in this female-dominated occupation, there are more than 80% women and this number of decreasing with the passage of time. So, the role thas was once associated with women is not including males as well and mane aspiring male flight attendants are just fighting to get this job, thanks to the perks this job brings.
What Airlines Hire Male Flight Attendants
Several airlines were accepting male flight attendants; these are regional and some of the biggest names in the airline aviation industry, like Delta, Southwest, United, etc.
These are some of the airlines which are accepting male flight attendants.
Transavia France, PSA Airlines, Aer Lingus, JetBlue, WestJet, Emirates, Finnair, Endeavor Air, Air India, Alaska Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Wizz Air, JSX Airlines, Ellinair, Mesa Airlines, American Airlines, Flynas, Emirates, AirAsia, TAP Air Portugal, Etihad Airways, Mesa Airlines, Breeze Airways, La Compagnie, Envoy Air, ITA Airways, TUI, Plus Ultra Lineas Aereas, Volotea, Oman Air, Air Nostrum, Jazz Aviation, Aer Lingus, Jazz Aviation, Fiji Airways, El Al, Air France, EVA Air, Air Europa, Norwegian Air, Iberia, Flair Airlines, Loganair, Piedmont Airlines, Air Transat, EasyJet, Copa Airlines, Air Canada, Air Nostrum, PSA Airlines, Air New Zealand, Allegiant.
Becoming a male cabin crew
The male flight attendant should know that some appearance standards should be followed.
Similarly, there are hair requirements for flight attendants, and like pilots, flight attendants cannot have beards, tattoos, or piercings and shouldn’t be involved in any crime. Because flight attendants with felonies won’t be hired as attendants,
Short temper flight attendants are also prohibited from this job because a rude person won’t be able to take criticism from the passengers, damaging the airline’s reputation.
Other than that, the male flight attendants must pass the English proficiency test and have good communication skills.
Similarly, the flight attendants should be charming and be able to talk politely with the passengers so they can effectively commute their needs.
Which Airlines is Good for Male Flight Attendants
Male attendants should research to find the airlines which are accepting male flight attendants. Only a handful of airlines open limited cabin crew positions; therefore, many people apply for this dream job.
Some big names are airways, and American airlines, giving career opportunities for many male candidates.
Some airlines offer trainee opportunities, so you must keep an eye on the latest news about jobs and keep hunting for new opportunities because men can apply if they meet the requirements.
Sometimes, talented men can replace attractive young women as well.
Physical fitness of the Male Flight Attendants
Physical fitness is essential for flight attendants because if they are mentally and physically fit, they can take good care of the passengers onboard and effectively handle flight queries.
For that, flight attendants must pass the medical fitness exam that helps the airlines eliminate candidates with severe health problems.
Physically fit candidates can easily pass screening and assessment tests and must keep the required documents in hand to finish the employment process as flight attendants.
Salary of Male Cabin Crew Member
This entices most males because airlines offer substantial salary benefits to flight attendants. Men typically get higher salaries than female crew members because they are more mentally and physically powerful.
Similarly, they get basic pay, layover allowance, flying hours, and higher salaries.
Airlines have a quota for each gender, so one should meet their requirements. Then the final employee can enjoy free travel, stay in luxury hotel suites, free meals, discounted airfare, free car rentals, and job security.
Benefits of Male Flight Attendants
As I have discussed earlier, there are a lot of benefits of becoming a male flight attendant; let me discuss with you some more advantages that you would love to hear.
Free Flights
The most significant advantage that flight attendants have is the free flights. What everyone loves about this job is the unlimited free flight passes because airlines have arrangements with dozens of airlines.
On top of that, you can take your dependents who are registered, like your parent and kids, and they can also get free flights, but one thing that you should keep in mind is that free flights will be available for only those flights where there are empty seats left.
Free Travel and Salary
So, you are getting free travel and a salary for traveling free, which sounds dope. In simple words, you can say that you are getting paid to travel for free. Plus, you can access premium overlays worldwide and have dinners in elegant restaurants worldwide while earning a handsome amount.
Making friends around the world
So, you can not only get the highest salary and travel for free, you get to meet new people around the world and sometimes, some passengers are traveling back and forth for business needs and they become your friends that can open up a lot of doors as well.
Career Possibilities
Other than everything else, the most significant advantage that flight attendants can have is the incase in career growth after serving for a specific time; one can become a lead flight attendant or be part of a hiring program for new flight attendants. So, in simple words, the more experience you gain, the more doors will be opened for you.
Salary
For beginners, the initial payment is just like an everyday job in the United States that usually starts from 30,000 US dollars, goes up to 85,000 USD, and keeps increasing yearly. Other than that, flight attendants don’t have to spend on food, residence, or anything while they are doing the job.
This is a rewarding career in which you don’t have to work 9 to 5 and get complete flexibility to work at a sought-inter position.
The downside of Male Flight Attendants
The downside of this profession is that you won’t meet your family members daily, or sometimes, you may not be able to attend birthdays, weddings, funerals, or do a reunion or sporting event with your loved ones. So, you may be in depressed mode while serving the passengers and trying your best to keep them in a good mood.
