How My Girlfriend Became A Flight Attendant For A Filipino Airline

There's no shortage of girls who dream about becoming a flight attendant. This highly respected profession opens doors for traveling that most would kill for.

Applying to various airlines is a full-time job. Every airline has it's own unique way of interviewing applicants. Some involve many hours of sitting in a waiting area for your name to be called. Others provide an appointment time for each applicant. Bravo to these airlines for valuing the time of their applicants.

Filipino airlines value certain physical traits more than airlines based out of other countries. For instance, lighter skin seems to be preferred. There's more emphasis on physical beauty and a younger age preference, though I found a large number of trainees in my gf's graduating class to be unattractive (they certainly weren't ugly), however all of them were fairly slim.

For many months, my gf traveled to different areas of Manila to apply to be an FA. For many girls in their early to mid-twenties, passing the initial interview is a big hurdle and provides that first foot in the door, but an immense amount of mental toughness and motivation is required for an FA in-training to get her wings.

Disqualifications during the interview mostly revolve around not passing the height or reach requirement. 5 foot 4 inches seems to be a common height requirement, but other airlines require taller ladies. Weight is also a concern. During the interview, it's not uncommon to be asked "why do you want to be a flight attendant" or "tell me about yourself". They're specifically looking for applicants with a good disposition, a friendly demeanor, a strong sense of confidence, and a pretty smile. Girls with bad teeth will be asked to fix them before re-applying. In my girlfriend's case, she actually had to get a crown on a crooked tooth before re-applying which cost $700!

Once the main interview is over, the waiting games began (at least as far as my gf was concerned). Since she was planning to fly for a new airline, they didn't have a quick pipeline for her batch to cruise through. Instead, she waited many months while the airline got ready to begin her training. Some of this waiting was due to delays from batches who had already started training.

During this time of uncertainty, some of the girls dropped and got other jobs. Despite the airline being in frequent communication with the girls, some of them began to feel like they were being strung along. It's a difficult game to play having passed an interview, but not being able to move forward. The waiting game was truly torture.

It's not uncommon for some batches (aka training groups) as they're called to become too competitive to the point that few of the trainees make it to the end of training. Luckily in my gf's case, her batch mates (as they are referred to) were very supportive of each other and quickly bonded. It's inevitable that some of the girls were more popular than others. In many respects it's like going to school, but as you're about to find out, this profession is rife with immaturity too.

Before being accepted for training, my gf was particularly concerned about her scoliosis. It's rather pronounced and she had read that some types of scoliosis are too severe and hence too much of a health risk for some airlines to take. Luckily this wasn't an issue for her.

Traveling in Manila is a nightmare and those who are accepted to training are expected to show up on-time. Some of the girls got together and rented places near the training center. Being late too many times was grounds for immediate dismissal. There were many days my gf was almost late because a train broke down. For some time she went to work with one of her co-workers in the morning, but eventually decided to go on her own because her friend was not very prompt and caused her to be late once.

The girls were only allowed to fail 2 multiple choice exams or 3 practical exams. My gf is extremely smart, but there were days that she struggled, having not recalled a certain acronym or a procedure. In the end, she only failed one multiple choice exam. There were about 30+ girls in her graduating class. Some of them came dangerously close to failing out, but they all made it through ok in the end.

The training program is rigorous and includes a swim test, fire fighting, and mock-up simulations on real planes that are graded like exams. If you fail more than a couple of times, you could be out of the program.

Towards the end of training, one of these simulations was particularly difficult for my gf. She had been paired with one of the girls who wasn't exactly excelling in the program. When the simulation started, this girl immediately began doing someone else's job, which confused my gf into taking on a different job. Due to this abrupt switch, the evolution didn't go very well and they failed. On a second attempt, they were asked to perform a procedure that they had never been taught before! For some reason, mistakes weren't caught by the grader and they just barely passed. That day was a real pressure cooker for many of the girls.

After 2 grueling months of sitting in class looking at slides, listening to lectures, and a barrage of regular tests and practicals, the trainees are finally scheduled for their check flights. Upon being graded favorably while observed by graders on 2 real flights with passengers, the girls became full-fledged flight attendants and are given their "wings".

On my gf's first check flight, she was extremely nervous and remarked "I'm starting to question if I want to do this or not." She was so tired, she didn't text me before falling asleep that night. At the house that the girls were staying at, some of the trainees for another flight my gf wasn't on had received some very cruel and unfair words by the senior cabin crew and the grader. For whatever reason, the grader had mercilessly picked on some of the girls, was swearing constantly, and was impossible to please. One of the girls dropped out with an intention to file a personal complaint.

The flight attendant training pipeline is stressful and a lot of work. Girls are typically underpaid for their services. The clock for them doesn't start until the door to the airplane is closed and ends when the door is re-opened after a flight not to mention the pay is extremely low. Filipino based flight attendants earn as low as $500 a month. Although I can't speak for the higher up positions, I can say the pay isn't substantially higher.

It's an incredible thing to see someone realizing their dream after being rejected many times and not giving up. My gf's persistence and passion to experience the thrill of a job that is highly sought after is exciting. She faced many obstacles and frustrations along the way and persevered. I'm proud of her.

I hope flying is everything she ever hoped it would be and more. I look forward to taking a trip on one of her flights someday.