How much do flight attendants earn at Aeroflot? Secrets of working as an Aeroflot flight attendant

My classmate, completely unexpectedly for everyone, became a flight attendant. What is interesting and not so obvious for passengers in the work of these beautiful, calm girls? About it stewardess Katya told the site.

I've been flying for a year now. I remember standing by the glass wall at the airport, seeing off my Love. I stood and looked at the big planes, like giant birds, and thought: “Or maybe I should become a flight attendant? It’s so romantic - to wear a beautiful uniform and fly in the sky..”. And then I gathered my courage and decided - I’ll go! I attended classes for two months, learned how to open an airplane door and how to properly brew coffee, stop bleeding and serve a glass of champagne. I learned not to be afraid of heights and to smile, and also to always be kind, even when there is not a moment to sit down and take a breath. You need to bring this with you on the plane, and never take it out of your bag, just like now I never take out a red apron, scarf or yellow vest. After all, in fact, it’s not at all difficult to treat well the people who fly next to you on the plane for several hours.

How not to be afraid to fly and love fish

Many passengers are afraid to fly. We have several tricks in stock for these cases. The first is a first aid kit with various sedatives. The second is much more complex and important. Even on the ground, flight attendants must create a very friendly atmosphere. In the first few seconds, passengers will understand what you are like, whether they can put pressure on you, demand extra alcohol, be capricious, and so on. They should feel like they are visiting very hospitable hosts. But still, they must understand that the owners are the crew.

At lunchtime it happens that, for example, all the chicken is eaten and only fish remains. And everyone wants chicken and swears at Aeroflot that it, they say, cannot organize normal food. In this case, we use an excellent method: when the supply of chicken is already starting to run out, you simply say that today we are offering exclusive fish from the chef - everything is eaten with a bang!

Airplane nightmares

Drunk passengers - that's another song! In principle, we treat them quite loyally - first we give several warnings. Well, if it doesn’t help, we turn him in to the police immediately upon landing: they’re waiting for the rowdy at the airport. We can sometimes scare you with a parachute :-)

There was a story recently. I was working in business class, and one of the passengers - some rather influential person - either got drunk or high on cigarettes somewhere before the flight even started. At first he behaved decently, and then suddenly he became unruly - it almost came to a fight. All the passengers are indignant, the neighbors ask to take away all the sharp objects from him. In general, we somehow got him to sit down, but we recorded the fact itself - even State Duma employees were among the witnesses. When we landed, the man was taken away by the police. How he later repented and apologized! But generally, such conflicts are resolved quite quietly - especially if the team is experienced.

As you can see, there is enough extreme in the work. And recently, for example, there was heavy rain, and lightning struck the wing of the plane. We began to shake very violently! I was sitting facing the passengers - they all looked at me in horror: “Girl, what was that?!” I try to reassure them, telling them that the plane is equipped with special protection, that everything is safe and there is no need to panic... But, of course, I was worried myself!

How personal contribution affects salary

Salaries at Aeroflot are not bad - from 40 to 90 thousand. They are made up of many factors, which together are called “personal contribution”: if there are no complaints against you, but there are thanks, if your English is A or B (we regularly take exams) - bonuses are given for all this. And, of course, it takes into account how many hours you have flown. The greater your “personal contribution”, the faster you are transferred to larger planes - then you will fly not “turnarounds” (short round-trip flights), but long “relay races”, when you pay daily allowances, travel allowances, and excursions around the city has enough time. Another career fork - you can be made a senior flight attendant or an instructor.

The average flight time per month is 80 hours. More is possible, but since this is contrary to the law on labor protection, no one is responsible for you during these extra hours - even special documents are signed for this occasion. Every six months we undergo a medical examination, every year we undergo an exam in English, service and training equipment. We use them to practice emergency rescue operations.

In addition to insurance, as a social package, we are offered some special pension contributions (I can’t name them more specifically), preferential air tickets for immediate relatives and incredible discounts for the employees themselves - for example, I recently flew to Germany for 3,000 rubles (versus the usual 15,000). Plus - free sanatoriums, kindergartens, pioneer camps, holiday homes... And what I like most about our work is vacation - 72-74 days!

You won't be able to make friends with your colleagues

Our weekends are floating. Twice a week we call, find out the outfit - the schedule, when who flies. We fly almost every day. Sometimes you can get a couple of days off - that's the maximum. The rest of the weekend must be booked.

We don’t have established teams - each time we recruit a new crew. This is done so that we don’t relax, don’t chat with each other - in general, keep our standards. Although married couples always work together.

Aeroflot flight attendants have a strict dress code. We have a uniform - red and blue. Under red you need to wear light tights, under blue - dark. And in no case is it the other way around! You must wear a badge and a scarf. No big earrings, diamonds, pretentious watches or anything else. In terms of hairstyles - a haircut or a ponytail.

Of course, I heard that constant flying can ruin your health. True, I haven’t felt this myself yet. After a year of work, I can definitely confirm only that my legs really swell very much. From the examples of my colleagues, I know that the hardest thing is to fly Airbus 330s. These are large planes, and the larger they are, the stronger the overloads during takeoff: here the board rises almost vertically. And besides, they are recruiting ABOUT greater height. Some even get nosebleeds. The hardest part of the job is working in heels for several hours in a row. There is no time to rest, constant bustle... And my eyes also hurt - the air on the plane is very dry.

Savelyev's casting

I became an instructor just three months after starting my career. We recently opened a “4th department”: Mr. Savelyev (General Director of Aeroflot - ed.) recruited personnel for elite flights. In total, almost three and a half thousand flight attendants took part in these “screenings” - the most beautiful ones and those with a good knowledge of English were selected. It was nice to be included in the modest list of those who passed the selection! So I will now fly with deputies and oligarchs!

Over the past year I have seen quite a lot, but what impressed me the most was the UAE - when we arrived in Dubai. We had a whole day between flights - we lay on the beach and walked around the city shopping centers! I also had a huge and very beautiful room! And the food was great! These are the bonuses flight attendants have!

Now I definitely won’t be able to work in the office. I have a completely different rhythm now. I'm used to working at night, and from 9 to 6 is hard labor! My schedule, environment, communication - all this is very close to me! Communication skills appear, I learn to compromise. I also like that I finish work as soon as the flight ends. I don’t have any reports that drag on for months, I don’t have any long-term responsibilities. I belong to myself: I have done my part of the work - I am free. Although there are also disadvantages - such overloads still harm your personal life a little. My beloved is jealous and worried, but what’s nice is that he understands my love for heaven.

In February of this year, several Aeroflot flight attendants filed a lawsuit against the airline. The reason is alleged discrimination and infringement of the labor rights of flight attendants due to their appearance. According to the flight attendants, Aeroflot carried out mass photography and collected data on the clothing size of flight attendants, and then announced that “only the young and thin” would be able to work on international flights. According to airline representatives, such requirements are fair, because flight attendants work “on an aircraft with limited space” and for each additional kilogram of flight attendant weight Aeroflot has to pay 759 rubles per year. Inde spoke with an anonymous flight attendant about whether there is discrimination in airlines based on the external appearance of flight attendants, how to calm down an inappropriate passenger, where the food left after the flight goes, and why flight attendants cannot wear a beard or sew up their clothes.

Models vs. astronauts

I was 19 years old. I’m originally from Tatarstan, but from the age of 16 I lived in Moscow and worked as a model in a small agency, which allowed me to earn good money and travel. After three years of work, I wanted to quit everything and leave there, without giving up a good salary and travel. I accidentally saw an advertisement on TV about recruiting for a flight attendant school and decided to call.

I studied in Moscow at Aeroflot - this is one of the few Russian airlines that independently trains its employees. The admission process is simple: first you submit an application, then you go through the casting and start studying. Of course, there is also a flight attendant school in Kazan, but at first I didn’t trust it because I didn’t understand whether their certificates would be valid in airlines, and whether I could get a job if I completed training here. I felt calm at the thought that after training I would immediately get a job at Aeroflot. Such convenient conditions impose certain restrictions on you: according to the contract, you must work for the airline for a specified amount of time, and if this does not happen, you must pay a penalty. I’ll say right away: I didn’t fulfill my contract.

The airline selects flight attendants two to three times a month: it depends on the season and the overall need for specialists. The first mandatory rule of casting is the dress code: you need to wear classic clothes - a strict white shirt, a black skirt, preferably a pencil skirt, closed black heels about seven centimeters high. Aeroflot also asks you to take red high-heeled shoes with you: they have a dress uniform. Makeup should be moderate: soft lipstick, small eyeliner, calm manicure. Long hair must be tied up and short hair must not extend below the collar line due to safety requirements. From jewelry - only stud earrings and wedding rings.

When I went through the casting, there were about 70 applicants - both girls and boys. Everyone is tall, slender, beautiful, and nervous, as if they had come to an audition for a modeling agency or a movie shoot. You go into the commission’s room, hand over a completed questionnaire and answer a variety of questions - about yourself and behavior in simulated situations. Often interviews are held in English and you are given tasks based on flight practice. Therefore, if you are going to the selection, study at least the terminology - what emergency doors, fire extinguishers, oxygen masks, and so on are called in English. If you do not have professional knowledge, then most likely the commission will focus on the external data of the applicant. Some time after the interview, you are contacted by phone and informed of the result. I don’t know how many people were taken from my stream then.

After the casting, you begin training. You need to go daily to the training center, which, as a rule, is located near the airport, and during the first two months undergo a major medical examination. In total, you need to take about 20 short- and long-term tests. Almost all of them are paid, you have to do them at your own expense. Tests cost a pretty penny. For example, eight years ago it cost me 15 thousand rubles. But I was glad to know that everything was fine with my body. Many of the tests need to be confirmed every six months and year, which means there will be new costs. True, they are already carried by the airline you work for.

At some stage of the medical examination, it begins to seem that you are going to be an astronaut: you are also forced to run and swim. We don’t have standards like doing 20 push-ups in a minute or running a kilometer. But physical stamina is essential for a flight attendant to even open the plane door for passengers and carry heavy food carts. If you fail the medical examination, there is no point in studying further: this means that you are not suitable to work as a flight attendant due to health reasons. If you pass the medical examination, it means that for the duration of your studies you will be provided with a hostel near the airport and a scholarship - approximately the average salary by Kazan standards.

The average length of training is six months, but this varies depending on the airline and the type of aircraft you are studying for. At Aeroflot, training lasts longer due to service standards. Transaero flight attendants, who were trained for the Imperial class, had to know all the basics of etiquette and food presentation. They could study for a month what wine goes with what food, how to set the table, and so on.

Future flight attendants are trained in aircraft qualifications, taught medicine, life safety, service and maintenance, document management, cargo transportation, etiquette, professional English, emergency instructions and psychology - for a better understanding of people's behavior in various situations. This is necessary for quick response in stress, emergency or emergency situations. The flight attendant must exercise sound judgment and prevent panic among passengers. We practice landing an airplane on water in a training pool, and crashing on land in a special hangar. We are not taught to fight: we resolve conflicts with words, without the use of physical force. My basic qualification is Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, the most common aircraft models. If you want to fly big planes, you will have to retrain. Basic qualifications were enough for me, because we were also given knowledge on other types of ships - after all, the airline trains employees for itself. When I changed airlines, I had to fully relearn Airbus and other service standards. First aid is more or less the same on all airlines, but the service requirements vary. Each requalification costs approximately the same as a medical examination. It turns out that before you go to work and earn money, you have to invest a lot. At the age of 19, it seemed to me that with the money spent I could have bought a car a long time ago.

Tights as an amulet

The flight attendants are divided into groups: some fly only to Europe, some fly throughout Russia, some fly to neighboring countries, some fly only in business class. This is done to make it easier for airlines to form crews. With Aeroflot I flew on domestic routes, and occasionally I got flights like Moscow - Rome. I found out about my flights from the flight attendant service. As a rule, flight attendants work there who were forced to return to earth for various reasons - for health reasons, age. They monitor your schedule, documents, warn you about an upcoming medical examination and check your condition before departure.

Flight attendants are superstitious, just like pilots. Before a flight, you should never sew: sew up holes, sew on buttons - for yourself, your family, and ask someone else to do the same. Flight attendants never say the word “last” - only “last”. In addition, everyone has their own quirks: someone leaves the house in a certain way, someone stirs their tea clockwise. My tradition is to carry a lot of tights with me, three or four pairs. This is the main consumable of flight attendants. I don't like it when tights have snags.

My working day began at the airport two hours before my flight. If you live near the airport, you can get to work straight away in uniform - this is not prohibited. The main thing is that upon arrival you have a clean and tidy appearance. You arrive at the flight attendant service and must be fully prepared for the briefing (meeting before the flight - Inde's note) - dressed, made up, manicured. It’s not enough to look good: you need to have all the necessary documents with you - passes, certificates, permits, passport. Every flight you get into a new team and get to know everyone again. The staff of large airlines like Aeroflot is huge. During your work, you may not cross paths with the same person on the team twice. Colleagues said that they met only after ten years of work, and before that they had never flown with repeat people.

“We are not taught to fight: we resolve conflicts with words, without the use of physical force”

At the briefing, the crew is told about the upcoming flight and responsibilities are assigned. After that, you go to clean up the plane before accepting passengers. Of course, we don’t wash toilets on airplanes: special services do the cleaning. We only check the quality of cleaning to ensure that there are no unnecessary items in the cabin or candy wrappers in the pockets of the seats in front. Each flight attendant in the crew has his own area of responsibility. Some take luggage, some take food, some meet passengers.

I don't want people to think that flight attendants bring tea, coffee, meat or fish: the main responsibility of flight attendants is to ensure the safety of passengers on the aircraft. If something goes wrong, we answer for it with our heads. When we arrive on the plane, we check the presence of first aid kits and fire extinguishers, the operation of the stairs and other equipment. Everything must be clear, because you are responsible for people’s lives. If emergency situations arise on board, then after landing, proceedings begin, including legal proceedings. Even if the passenger himself is to blame for the incident, the blame will fall on the flight attendants. I was lucky and there were no serious incidents on board during my work. True, one day a passenger smoked in the airplane toilet and threw the cigarette into the trash can. Of course, he received a reprimand from us and a stern warning: if the situation repeats, the passenger will be handed over to the police at the airport at the place of arrival. But later there was a small fire. We successfully extinguished it and prevented any danger to passengers and the flight. We discussed this situation for a long time at the post-flight briefing, thought about how to prevent similar cases in the future, analyzed our mistakes and, of course, received a severe reprimand from our superiors.

If the flight duration is less than eight hours, the crew remains on the plane. We see off passengers, check for forgotten items, take care of cleaning, then immediately accept new passengers and fly back. If the flights went well, then the flight attendant’s working day ends after the command of the senior flight attendant. The crew is taken to the airport building, where a post-flight briefing takes place: we analyze our mistakes, emergency situations, we are told how many hours we have flown, and go home.

If the flight duration exceeds eight hours, the crew is accommodated in the city of arrival. We see off passengers, check for forgotten items in the cabin, seal equipment, fill out the necessary documentation and put the plane in order. Then we hand over our positions to the senior flight attendant, and the plane is locked and left in the parking lot. The crew is taken to the airport building through the service entrance, where we go through passport and visa control. Our things are looked through, just like passengers’ things, it just happens in a separate corridor, usually without a queue and a little more loyally - for example, they won’t bother us if they find nail scissors in our hand luggage. But in general, the same rules apply to the crew as to all passengers. Then we go to the post-flight briefing, after which the crew is taken to the hotel. As a rule, we are accommodated in small, most often non-tourist hotels, where flight attendants of our and sometimes other airlines mainly live. The crew knows how many days they will spend in a particular city: perhaps we will only spend the night and fly out the next day, or maybe we will have a couple of days and can take a walk here.

Flight attendants' days off are calculated not by day of the week, but based on the length of working time. It may turn out that your day off starts at six in the morning and ends at six in the evening, and by 20:00 you need to be at work. During this time you need to sleep, recover and get to the airport. You are given twice as much time for rest as the duration of the flight. Flight attendants do not have holidays: they always work.

Career growth at Aeroflot seemed to me something difficult and incomprehensible: I had to fly a certain number of hours and pass a language exam. And two years later I left to work at Transaero - everything was simpler there. Transaero was then the second most important company that inspired my trust. But my career didn’t work out there either, although the flight geography was better and there were more opportunities. I wanted something more - to work in the best class, to fly to better destinations. I knew that I could pass the language exam and undergo training, but since I was a new employee, I had to fly a certain number of hours. I was not ready to prove something to the employer and start all over from scratch.

After Transaero, I went to Nordwind Airlines, a small Russian charter airline. Its main flying season is from May to October. We took passengers to resort countries like Turkey and Thailand. On one of the business trips, they simply forgot about our crew: the plane was faulty, it was sent for repairs, and we were sent to a hotel. We wrote, called the airline, and ended up stuck in Turkey for three months. It’s fun to work in a charter company: you know everyone, everyone knows you. This is a kind of family. From time to time you fly with the same people, start making friends with them, and see each other on business trips. But besides the pros, there are also cons. In a large airline you are just a working unit, in a charter airline you are a working unit about which everyone knows everything: where you looked, where you went, and so on. Everyone loves to chat and gossip, but I didn’t like it. You could learn a lot of unexpected details about yourself.

Then I passed a difficult casting at Emirates, but I didn’t go to fly there: according to the contract, you have to live in the UAE for a long time without going home. Emirates has a very rigorous interview process: four stages, all in English. I was worried and prepared, although I have a good level of English. Then I decided to go on a contract with the Spanish airline Iberia: you work for six months and have six months off. I lived in Spain, flew mainly to Asia, but there were also flights to Russia. After this work, I realized that I was completely tired. On the first New Year, which I celebrated not in the air, but on the ground, I did not understand that people take two weeks of vacation.

In principle, I didn’t need a career as a flight attendant: I just wanted to save money for an apartment and travel. By the way, oddly enough, during my time as a flight attendant I was only refused an interview once - and that was at Tatarstan Airlines.

Red varnish and one uniform for three years

Flight attendants try to keep themselves in shape because many airlines have appearance requirements. It’s clear that no one is forcing you to be 90-60-90, but there are employers’ wishes regarding your build. This is simply explained by the need to maneuver and flutter with the cart in narrow aisles. Plus, if you take care of your health, it lasts longer. The flying profession leaves its mark in terms of harmfulness. If you don’t watch your diet, don’t exercise, not only will you gain weight, but you’ll simply lose your health, and therefore the ability to fly. The appearance standards of Aeroflot flight attendants were quite ordinary - soft makeup, hair in a bun, neat manicure. For comparison: in Transaero you had to wear red lipstick and red nail polish - it didn’t matter whether they suited you or not.

Guys should be clean-shaven and have short hair. You won't see bearded flight attendants or pilots: this is due to safety precautions. In the event of emergency situations involving combustion, the crew must wear special smoke-proof hoods and masks. If you have a beard, the protection will not be able to fit tightly to your face and neck, which will compromise its seal. You will not be able to extinguish the smoke and save people from the fire.

The flight attendants take care of the cleanliness of their uniforms themselves and send them for dry cleaning. Each airline has its own set of clothes, it can be summer and winter. But any of them must include a scarf with the airline’s symbols, a shirt, a cap, a jacket, a skirt, an apron for serving food, and somewhere else they give out trousers and vests. In some airlines, the uniform consists of a dress or even a national costume styled for work. European airlines also provide their employees with suitcases and bags, and Aeroflot - shoes to match the color of their uniform. Replace a set of clothes every two to three years. If the uniform is torn and cannot be repaired, then, of course, the flight attendant service will issue a new one, but this is a long process: they have to take your measurements, sew them, a lot of time will pass.

“On one of the business trips, they simply forgot about our crew: the plane was faulty, it was sent for repairs, and we were sent to a hotel. We wrote, called the airline, and ended up stuck in Turkey for three months.”

Childbirth on board and massage on request

The number of passengers on the plane varies depending on the flight. If you are flying to Turkey, there will be many shuttles with bags on board. If this is a morning flight from Kazan to Moscow, then businessmen rushing to a business meeting. Of course, on every flight there will be friendly passengers and boorish passengers. One day, a business class passenger insisted that I give him a massage. He believed that since he paid a lot of money for the ticket, it means that we should do whatever he wants. I thought he was joking. We tried for a very long time to convey to him that massage is not part of our responsibilities, but tea, coffee, strong and soft drinks are welcome.

Flight attendants do not have handcuffs, sleeping gas or an air marshal like in the US, but passengers are required to listen to us. True, there were times when I had to call the co-pilot to calm down the passenger. We may alert ground services, request an emergency landing at the nearest airport, and you may be subject to civil or criminal penalties. This will cost the violator a hefty sum: landing the plane and taking off again costs a lot of money, including fuel costs, maintenance, and penalties. Passengers think that flight attendants are joking about air police, landing the plane and being arrested, but this is reality. True, in my experience it didn’t come down to gags in the mouth.

For the rest of my life I will remember giving birth on the Moscow - Dubai flight. The pregnant woman in economy class felt uneasy throughout the flight, and we looked after her with special trepidation. 40 minutes before boarding, she said her water broke. I reported this to the senior flight attendant, and we alerted the ground services about the need for an ambulance. The girl screamed and went into labor. We transferred the closest passengers, since the plane was free, folded up the seats, and then took the pregnant woman to the kitchen, where we laid out blankets - there was more space there.

I had never delivered a child, and the foreman had already delivered two times by that time. Of course, we learned to do this in medical classes: flight attendants do not panic if there is a need to deliver a baby. Do you remember that according to the instructions you must first do step A, then B, and so on. Panic begins only after the emergency situation ends. I was shocked. After this incident, I don’t understand why women take men with them to childbirth. This should never be seen by anyone except doctors.

A little more - and the child would have been born. After landing, the woman was taken out of the plane on a gurney. There is a practice where children born on board are entitled to fly for free on the airline's planes. But this does not apply to this woman. She gave birth on the airfield in an ambulance. It is possible that the child was given UAE citizenship, although this is also controversial: the airport area is considered a neutral zone.

Cognac for flight attendants and the phenomenon of tomato juice

The food arrives on board the plane half-cooked, deep-frozen so as not to spoil. We heat it up in powerful stoves on the plane. By the way, the captain of the aircraft, flight attendants and passengers have different food for safety reasons: in case they want to poison someone. The crew has a different diet and larger portion sizes, because we are at work, and this is our full lunch. The meal always includes a hot dish, drinks (brands of juices, tea and coffee differ from those loaded for passengers), dessert, salad and always fruit - an apple or orange.

Food is loaded onto the plane in proportions that are calculated based on the flight route and other factors. If all passengers order the same type of lunch, there will not be enough for everyone. Most of all I liked flying from the UAE and Thailand. In the United Arab Emirates, the food is simply cooked to perfection, and in Thailand there are very tasty fruits - we don’t have pineapples like that.

As for drinks, the most popular juice on board is tomato juice; it runs out the fastest. For some reason, people love it more than others: perhaps taste buds work differently at an altitude of 10 thousand meters. The theory is confirmed by my friends: in everyday life they do not drink tomato juice, but during the flight they drink three glasses.

There is an opinion that it is better to drink rather than eat while flying: it is more difficult for the body to cope with food at an altitude of 10 thousand meters. The work of the receptors is activated, food begins to seem tastier, and you want to eat more. And the stomach has difficulty digesting food due to the pressure difference. However, the food on the plane is balanced, and you are unlikely to have time to gain weight from it.

The amount of food that is left after a flight is always different, but there is never a gigantic amount of extra portions: the airline tries to optimize its costs. There is a maximum of ten portions left from the entire plane. People generally love to eat on a flight - this is probably the only entertainment. All unused food goes into the trash. Food expires the moment the plane lands. You cannot reuse it, even if you understand that it is not spoiled. According to the job description, flight attendants do not have the right to take away remaining drinks or food. But there are times when you pour alcohol for a passenger, the bottle remains almost intact and it’s a pity to write it off. We are all human, and cognac is good. The most important thing is that no one ever finds out that you took the bottle with you. Because such a violation is punishable by a fine or dismissal.

Body positivity and a pension for ten years of work

Flight attendants do not have the concept of “retirement age”. You can work as long as you undergo a medical examination every six months and a year. If any of your health indicators are poor and cannot be treated, if you have a pathology and your body can no longer cope with the stress, then you are offered a job in ground services. To receive an increased pension, you need to fly a certain number of hours: this usually happens over eight to ten years of work.

I worked at Aeroflot with a flight attendant who was 55 years old. She was one of the instructors, taught classes and assessed our work. She could go into the cabin, chat with passengers and, for old times’ sake, even bring water to someone. If you don’t know her real age, then she could be given a much smaller number of years: she had a beautiful feminine figure, from the back it generally seemed that she was 90-60-90. The flight attendant was given away by her makeup: always a little smudged lipstick and “grandmother’s” mascara. She often said that in Soviet times, passengers were more cultured and reserved, and recalled how, during times of shortages, she brought a toilet with tiles from the Czech Republic for her apartment.

Impossibility of time management and occupational diseases

While working as a flight attendant, I began to get tired of life in Moscow, the lack of a standardized schedule and stability. I waited until I reached “retirement age” so that I could receive increased payments in the future, and I just made it through the clock. I so wanted to have a job with a schedule from Monday to Friday and understand that Saturday and Sunday are weekends that I can devote to myself. Being a flight attendant, you simply don’t understand when to make an appointment with the dentist, hairdresser, or go for a manicure. You can't take a day off on your birthday. If one of your colleagues gets sick, he has to be replaced, and the schedule collapses again. It is impossible to plan. Time doesn't belong to you.

The personal life of flight attendants develops differently: some get divorced, some are married, some have a child, and even more than one. Of course, you don’t see your family, you can’t plan a weekend with your husband or boyfriend. But if you are destined to meet your person, so be it. I know couples in which the husband is a pilot and the wife is a flight attendant, or both are flight attendants. These could work for different airlines. It was unclear to me how they juggled their schedules. But people somehow live and meet on business trips. Married couples rarely fly in the same crew: so that the child is not left an orphan in the event of a disaster.

The weak point of flight attendants is, of course, their legs: they constantly need to walk around the cabin, wearing high-heeled shoes, in addition, some types of aircraft do not fly horizontally, but at an angle. This is why many girls have varicose veins. Flight attendants also suffer from female diseases: pressure differences and radiation make themselves felt. Many girls, leaving work and wanting to get pregnant, face problems: they can’t do it for a long time, although their body is healthy and young. As for male flight attendants and pilots, there is an opinion that due to the destruction of chromosomes, only girls are born to them.

Another problem is that calcium is washed out of the body, teeth begin to crumble and bones become brittle. Many colleagues experience deteriorating hearing and a constant runny nose. This is probably due to the fact that my ears constantly get blocked during the flight.

Whim and necessity

In total, I worked as a flight attendant for nine years and got what I wanted as a flight attendant. Firstly, a lot of travel. I can’t say that I saw the whole world and went where I wanted. But 25 countries are also cool, I even managed to live somewhere. Secondly, I wanted to have my own apartment, which I achieved. After all the payments for housing, I even had money left over, which I easily spent on another pair of shoes or a trip to a pretentious, expensive bar. Now I won’t allow myself to be so chic. I don't know how much flight attendants earn now. Three years ago, wages began to fall due to the crisis. We were deprived of bonuses and our daily allowance was reduced. But if you flew with a good airline, not a low-cost airline, for many hours, you could count on an amount of 200 thousand rubles.

And finally. If the flight attendants ask you to do something or, conversely, not to do something, listen to them. There is no need to shout at the whole plane something like “hey, listen, bring some coffee” and snap your fingers as if calling a waiter. Do not jump out of your seats as soon as the plane has landed and is taxiing. Don't take your bags out early. One day, before my eyes, a man who was reaching for his hand luggage on the shelf, from a sharp push of the plane, fell on a guy sitting by the aisle and broke his arm, which was lying on the armrest. All requests from flight attendants are not their whim, but your safety.

The profession of a flight attendant is often associated with beautiful, smiling girls who do nothing but fly from one part of the world to another. Not everyone can get such a “dream job”, and it actually doesn’t have many positive aspects. Candidates for the role of flight attendants must have excellent health and a whole list of certain qualities and skills. And before you take off on your first flight, you will have to undergo special training and master skills from a dozen related specialties.

What does it take to become a flight attendant?

The qualities that flight attendants must have relate to personal characteristics, appearance and acquired skills.

Flight attendants usually hire people with certain external characteristics and between the ages of 18 and 35. The height of future on-board service employees is limited to the range of 165-190 centimeters. Girls' clothing size should not be larger than 46.

Airlines give preference to pretty, well-groomed people. There should be no visible tattoos or piercings on the body, at least in areas exposed while wearing the uniform. It is also preferable to have hair of at least medium length so that it can be easily collected into the hairstyles established by the corporate style.

Among the acquired skills, the most common requirement is knowledge of languages. A future flight attendant should master at least English. On international flights other languages are often required. At the same time, you must speak clearly and distinctly; speech impediments and an unpleasant voice are unacceptable for a flight attendant.

A person must have a higher or at least secondary specialized education in the field of transport services or related ones. Experience in this area will not be amiss. During the training, you will also have to partially master the roles of a firefighter in order to be able to localize and extinguish a fire, a paramedic to provide first aid, a rescuer to evacuate passengers in emergency situations, and others.

In addition, the candidate for the position is an excellent swimmer and stays afloat. He has no criminal record, but he has a foreign passport, excellent health and an extensive list of positive personal qualities:

punctuality so as not to be late for a flight
stress resistance, which will allow you to maintain calm and a smile on your face in any situation, for example, when
attention to detail to maintain a high level of service and the ability to notice danger in time
tolerance and diplomacy, which guarantee equal treatment of all passengers and quick, painless resolution of conflicts for the company’s reputation

Airline requirements

The requirements for flight attendants by some airlines are strict and sometimes a little strange. Aeroflot in 2017, because of them, he even found himself at the center of a scandal, when one of the current employees accused the carrier of discrimination due to restrictions on clothing sizes. Currently, in job vacancies, the company only specifies that applicants have at least a secondary education, excellent oral and written English in addition to their native language, communication skills, responsibility, and the ability to discipline themselves and others. But among the unofficial requirements:

age restrictions - to start a career in this field, ideal candidates are considered to be people aged 18-26; experienced flight attendants are allowed to join the company up to 35. In fact, by the way, these limits are more flexible
good figure, which allows you to wear a uniform from sizes 42 to 48, and average height - 160-175 centimeters

Look at the review of training at the Flight Attendant School at. The author tells what subjects students master and how the process is organized.

S7 accepts people who have graduated from at least college for flight attendant training. Applicants must have an Intermediate level of English or higher. And among the required personal qualities there are the same as those, plus resistance to stress and the ability to work together with a team.

British British Airways There are no age restrictions for flight attendants - such requirements for vacancies are prohibited in the country. But girls should not have visible tattoos, piercings or hair longer than shoulder length. The carrier also has strict requirements for the ability to float on the water - its onboard service employees swim at least 50 meters.

IN Emirates Previously, people who were born exclusively in the territory were hired. Applicants had to demonstrate knowledge of the history of their country and “fit” into breast size requirements. According to the rules of admission, it does not exceed 75C.

And this is not the most surprising thing that employers can demand. TAM Airlines accepts flight attendants with jungle survival skills. Jet Airways And Lufthansa prohibit newcomers to the field from tying the knot with anyone. And here Aigle Azur refuses women whose hips exceed 100 centimeters.

How and where training takes place

Flight attendant training takes place directly at airlines and in specialized educational institutions. In state Russian universities and technical schools, the faculty is called in the spirit of “Service in Transport”, “Service in Air Transport” and involves obtaining higher or secondary specialized education in this field. You can master a similar profession in:

Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation
St. Petersburg State Civil Aviation Administration
St. Petersburg ATU GA and their branches throughout the country
Flight attendant school

In Belarus, such courses are organized by Belavia, and in Kazakhstan, Air Astana allows you to undergo training.

In terms of timing and cost of training, it is better to take courses with air carriers

You won't have to pay for airline courses. Admission to training guarantees employment. On it, according to the contract, in subsequent years you will compensate for the preparation costs. The duration of the courses is limited to 4-6 months, while in technical schools it takes 1-2 years, and in universities – 4-6 years.

Before starting training, future students, in addition to collecting standard documents, must undergo a medical and flight commission. It places quite stringent requirements on the health of flight attendants. Companies are looking for applicants without chronic diseases, with perfect teeth and vision, physically developed, resilient and able to withstand overload.

After enrolling in an educational institution, future specialists become familiar with the training process, which is divided into 2 blocks: theoretical and practical. Much more is allocated for the first time. During the course, flight attendants learn how to serve different types of passengers, including rowdy or unaccompanied children, learn to evacuate people in all sorts of conditions, provide assistance and even deliver babies. Also in schools, students are introduced to the art of makeup in order to always look presentable, and take express English courses with an analysis of standard and conflict situations.

At the initial stages of practice, future specialists hone their skills on simulators that simulate real aircraft. At the end of the course, after passing the exam, flight attendants also train in real flights. As soon as a person accumulates 30 hours of test flights, he is transferred to the main staff of the company and sent into the skies as a more or less experienced employee.

How to arrange international flights

To fly abroad with a Russian airline, you will have to obtain a separate permit. Students receive a certificate of the opportunity to work on international flights after training on simulators of suitable airliners and simulators that test the body for endurance in an environment similar to the conditions of long flights. In some airlines you will take it right away, as part of the main course. If such a program is not provided, you will have to travel abroad and study there.

Many young men and women dream of visiting many countries: boarding a plane, flying up and landing in another country. And the main thing is that you don’t have to pay for it. The ideal solution is to become a flight attendant. Many people believe that the job is “don’t hit someone when you’re down,” and you don’t need any special skills, something similar to working as a waiter. But most young people are confident that they can get a job solely through connections. Perhaps someone got a job like that, but everything is not so illusory.

So, the question of many is: how to become a steward or stewardess in one of the leading and not so leading companies? Below we will tell you in detail how to become a flight attendant, where they train to become a flight attendant in Russia, and what skills you need to acquire to make your dream come true.

In this section we will briefly talk about what types of training are available and where you can train to become a flight attendant or steward.

Types of training:

Taking courses from the air carrier.
Taking courses in specialized schools.

Airline courses. Such courses are provided after passing an interview, and the company invites you to work. This is an undeniable plus that you will undergo training at the expense of the company. In some cases, a stipend is even provided. After training, you and the company sign a contract for several years, which implies that dismissal before the designated period is excluded. If this does happen, you will be charged a fine and required to pay for the courses. The training courses announced by the school can last from 2 to 6 months.

The second option is to enroll in flight attendant school. In Russia, such schools exist on the basis of:

TUGA in Moscow;
ATU named after Novikov in St. Petersburg;
UGA in St. Petersburg;
Educational and training center;
Non-profit educational institution "School of Flight Attendants";
Jet Service.

Often, students can always find a job after completing the courses. The price of training varies between $1000, but the investment will quickly pay off. Moreover, in these schools you learn not only the basic course of working as a flight attendant/steward, but also learn additional skills in serving passengers.

You may ask, if I choose the profession of “stewardess,” what is needed to become a flight attendant? The answer is quite simple: your perseverance and desire, a document of education (CO or VO), a referral from an airline or a receipt for payment for courses.

Important! No airline charges a fee for training or for the purpose of posting a profile. Therefore, be vigilant and do not fall for scammers. It is better to initially study all the information about the school.

It is also worth noting that courses from all major airlines have a lot of competition.

To become a flight attendant, you need:

It is advisable to obtain a higher education and learn English. You will need it to achieve level three on the ICAO scale.
Pass the medical flight commission (VLEK) according to column 3. This implies the absence of various kinds of inconsistencies in health, height from 170 cm in order to freely reach the upper shelves, as well as resistance to overload and, as a result, dizziness.

Certificates of completion of courses are issued at air carrier training centers!

Well-known large air carriers include Aeroflot and Transaero, as their fleet consists of long-haul aircraft, like Boeing. You will have the opportunity to visit many countries and receive. Air carriers also offer career advancement from senior flight attendant to flight shift instructor. More details on how to become a flight attendant in the above companies are described below.

Company requirements for flight attendants

Very often, girls dream and see themselves in the role of a flight attendant on international airliners that cross the skies of many countries. But in addition to the desire “I want to become a flight attendant,” it is important, and the company’s requirements for candidates are very strict, and they may vary, but in many ways, in essence, they are similar:

Age category from 18 to 26 years.
Education (secondary or higher education).
Excellent health (excellent vision, blood pressure).
Height from 158 to 190 cm. This is necessary in order to freely reach the top shelf, located at a distance of 212 cm from the floor.
Beautiful, presentable appearance (correspondence between height and weight). Girls must have clothing size 46, boys - 54.
No piercings or tattoos.
Ability to float and swim. The exam is conducted with a minimum distance of 25 meters.
No criminal record.
Having a foreign passport.
Customer service experience preferred. Some companies require at least two years of experience.
Good English, both spoken and written. Knowledge of additional languages will be an advantage.
Adequacy, stress resistance, communication skills.

What happens during the training process

The training consists of two parts: theory and practice. Most of it is theory. It tells about the types of famous aircraft, their characteristics, the use of rescue equipment, the provision of medical care, and also provides training on how to do it correctly.

Flight attendant training for international flights requires knowledge of English with subsequent courses on international simulators

The training program consists of:

Emergency rescue complex of works (evacuation of passengers).
Water preparation. Evacuation of passengers when the board falls into the water.
Makeup. You need to have basic skills on how to properly create an attractive business image.
Express training of the English language. With a fairly good base, certain phrases are memorized, disputes and various situational options are considered (about 90 hours of classes).
Medical assistance. The main emphasis is placed on it. Helping a person in various situations (high blood pressure, heart pain, bleeding, etc.)
Service. Passenger service is at a high level, regardless of how tourists behave. Preparedness for any stressful situations (you need to put drunk people to bed, calm down those who are afraid to fly, calm down arrogant passengers, answer hundreds of thousands of questions).

Practice is carried out on simulators. This is an imitation of real aircraft, replaying various situations, as close as possible to reality. Upon completion of the courses and successful passing of exams, practice is implied - about 30 hours of flights on airliners. After which an entry is made in the work book, and you become a full-fledged flight attendant and you can safely start working.

Aeroflot requirements

To become a flight attendant at Aeroflot you need to complete the following steps:

go to the company’s electronic page;
fill out the form;
study the company’s requirements for applicants;
pay attention to age, both with and without experience (18-35 years);
Russian citizenship, registration in Moscow or Moscow Region.

After this, you will have a chance to become a flight attendant on international flights.

If you are interested in how to become an Aeroflot flight attendant on international flights, you must first obtain an international certificate. To obtain such a certificate, you must take courses on foreign simulators. Upon completion of these courses, you will be able to work on international flights. If the airline does not have this form of training, get ready for courses abroad.

How to become a business aviation flight attendant

So, your choice is the profession of a flight attendant. What to take if your aspiration is business aviation?

Get ready for the most stringent requirements for applicants for the position of flight attendant.

In addition to the mass of requirements that companies put forward to applicants, the necessary criteria are:

age category from 23 to 40 years;
presence of VO;
proficiency in English at a highly professional level.

Today there are many agencies that provide training for business aviation stewards. You can select one suitable for training by going to the website of ONADA of Russia.

Availability of education

It is no secret that air carriers involved in training followed by employment, such as Aeroflot or Russia, have strict requirements for knowledge of the English language. Priority is given to those candidates who have a VO. This testifies not only to education, but also to the culture of a person as a whole.

In addition, it is useful to know the interior diagrams of popular models, for example,.

At the end of April, Aeroflot summed up the results of the professional competition “Best in Profession”, the winner of which among flight attendants was the athlete, Komsomol member and simply beautiful Maria Elshina. Maria spoke about how to become the best flight attendant in the best airline, what kind of passengers there are and what needs to be done to make the flight attendant “melt” in an exclusive interview for the site.

– How and when did you have the desire to go into this profession?

– Around the age of 17, I had a desire to do something unusual and something interesting, it definitely had to be working with people. At the age of 18, I joined my first airline: it was S7. My career as a flight attendant began there.

– Was anyone in your family connected with aviation?

– No, no one in my family is connected with aviation, at one time my mother really wanted to, but her strict father did not let her go.

- Why didn’t you let him go?

- Well, I don’t know, apparently he had some kind of views on this work. He held a serious party position and I think that’s why.

- In general, he wanted her to sit closer to him all the time, to be at home all the time.

- I think yes.

– I see, but in general how long do you need to study and where?

- There are two options. Studying today takes 3 months, you can study both at the airline and at training centers, of which, in principle, we have enough in Russia.

- What the cost of studying?

– If you study with an airline, the training will be free, but the person must sign a contract. If you go to study on your own at a training center, then the training will be paid, it costs about 70 thousand.

– How quickly does the money spent on training pay off? Does it make sense to study for free?

– I think it makes sense, because at the moment airlines are not recruiting for initial training, but I think it will pay off within six months for sure.

– I see, but, for example, does the airline provide language courses, or do you need to know English yourself?

– Of course, to work at Aeroflot you need English, this is 100%, because even on domestic flights there are more foreign passengers than Russian passengers. As for courses, I know that the Aeroflot aviation school offers a language course. There are two-week and annual courses, that is, depending on what level you want to achieve, you choose the duration of the courses.

– What influences the acquired language level? Will they put you on a domestic flight or an international flight, or whatever it is?

– Look, once a year we evaluate the level of language proficiency and if it is high enough, then an American visa is 100% opened and basically all flights are international. If the language level is not rated very highly, then most likely these will be domestic flights.

– How long do you need to work on domestic flights to get on international flights? Or is there some connection?

– There is no such thing at Aeroflot. In general, a person who enters this profession must fly 30 hours of trainee flights, and after that the first flight can already be international. My first flight with Aeroflot was a flight to London. Therefore, we don’t have the need to fly away for a long time.

– How many maximum hours can you fly per week?

– It’s difficult to count, a maximum of 80 hours per month. And, accordingly, you can make one flight a week to Los Angeles and bring 25 hours from this flight, or you can make 5 flights to St. Petersburg and at the same time make 12 hours, it turns out. That is, it is quite difficult to calculate.

– What is the optimal flight duration so that it is not particularly difficult to work, and at the same time collect a lot of hours?

– In fact, everyone prefers a different flight duration. For me, the best option is 7-8 hours. I love long flights when there is enough time for service and communication. Some people like turnaround flights, that is, they fly out in the morning, arrive in the evening and go home. To each his own.

– What is your favorite direction?

– Moscow - New York.

– How strict are the limits in terms of clothing size? Where does the form come from? Is it purchased, or is it issued by the airline, or does it vary from person to person, how does this happen?

– We don’t buy uniforms, the airline supplies us with uniforms: a complete set. Moreover, Aeroflot has the best conditions, because in addition to uniforms, they also give us seasonal shoes, shoes, we are fully dressed, but in other companies this is not the case, as far as I know. As for size, the maximum size for girls is 46-48, but it all depends on height. You understand, a tall girl with size 46 is completely different compared to a short girl with size 46.

- Okay, let’s say there’s a size 46, and you’ve grown fat to size 48 and you no longer fit into shape, what happens next?

– In fact, every year in our medical center we measure our weight and height, where we observe our dynamics: either we are getting better, or we are losing weight. Some measures are being taken, but if it so happens that the person has recovered, then it’s okay. You can either embroider the uniform or get a new one, this is not a problem. The airline always wants us to look good. Therefore, even if the form, say, has become unusable, it is not a problem to change it for a new one. It's OK.

- Okay, but there are, for example, older flight attendants, probably after all, size 46 is the lower limit for them?

– No, by the way, our older flight attendants sometimes look better than twenty-year-olds. Therefore, we must follow their example. And, in principle, I cannot say that we have any particularly large flight attendants. I haven't met anyone like that.

- Only skinny ones, of course. Do they give bonuses or incentives for gratitude? If a passenger wrote something on board on this piece of paper, which you can ask for, does this affect anything or is feedback simply collected and nothing else happens?

– Of course, gratitude from passengers certainly influences whether the flight attendant will receive a bonus. In fact, the decision to issue a bonus is made by the management team, assessing cumulative factors, including the presence of commendations, a good track record, good reviews from colleagues, and so on. So we really need gratitude.

– Do a lot of people leave them, do they write a lot? Or does no one know about this?

– Many people write thanks online, we don’t know about this, but specifically on board, specifically in their hands often. Just yesterday, on a flight from Brussels, a passenger wrote to thank me; he is a member of the European Parliament. This is very important for me, because the person evaluated many European companies and recognized that Aeroflot is the best company.

– How long have you been at Aeroflot?

– I have been working at Aeroflot for 4 years.

– Was there a goal to win the competition or did it just happen by chance? Did everyone participate or did they have to apply separately for the “Best in Profession” competition? And do something to win? Or did they just automatically select everyone and reward them as it happened?

– In order, I’ll start with the goal. I didn’t yet have a goal to win the semifinals; I just wanted to participate in the semifinals because it was very interesting for me. But when I reached the final, I realized that I either wanted to win or at least be one of the three finalists. As for the selection for this competition, the management nominated candidates, and agreed with the flight attendants whether they wanted or did not want to participate. It was my instructor who nominated me, having first asked if I wanted it. Actually, this is the result of all this.

– What is your next professional goal, where to next?

– I want to be a senior flight attendant on wide-body aircraft such as Boeing 777 and Airbus A330.

– And now you fly small ones, the 320 family?

– Yes, I fly on all types that the company operates, but as a senior flight attendant I fly only on small aircraft, on Airbus 320s and 321s.

- Do you have a family?

- Yes, I have a husband.

– And how easy is it to combine work with family? Let’s say if you fly somewhere to Los Angeles for 25 hours, then you come back, probably tired, and don’t want to see anyone. Or is it the other way around? Or do they say that you should marry flight attendants because they will treasure every moment they spend with you?

- That's right. This is exactly what happens here. My husband is absolutely adequate to my constant travel. The fact is that we met on an airplane, and aviation connected us. That's why we don't have any problems, he doesn't force me to come down to earth. He understands with what trepidation I treat this profession. And frequent separations make our relationship stronger, because we don’t see each other so often. We don’t have time to quarrel, so we spend all the time on good terms.

- It's clear. How often are various certifications and retrainings carried out? What else is going on besides testing English and sizes? Maybe some additional training?

– Every year we take a refresher course, in fact, a kind of upgrade, where the level of English and the level of our training in the field of service are checked.

– What do you need to improve on regularly, what is most important to work on, what skills and abilities? Language?

- Of course, yes, the first place is the English language, or whatever language a person has - French or something else. First of all, improve a foreign language. You definitely need to be aware of aviation news, generally aware of what is happening in the world, in order to be informed. You definitely need to know the basics, not just the basics, but the rules of etiquette, the basics of high-level service.

– Here’s something else I wanted to ask: many passengers - it’s clear that passengers do not fly as often as crews - like to watch sunsets and sunrises. If you fly constantly, doesn't it get boring? Does it continue to fascinate? And what is more fascinating, sunsets or sunrises?

– No, absolutely nothing gets boring, every time it’s like the first time. Every time the landscapes in the porthole are different. As for whether you like sunset or sunrise more, it’s definitely sunsets.

– Do jetlags not bother you or are you already used to them?

– No, in principle, with proper planning of my day and my schedule, I have no jetlag at all. That is, there is no problem with this. And another very important fact: our layovers last on average a day and during this day, in principle, we do not have time to adapt to local time, and therefore everything happens much more simply. Once you've been on a business trip for 4-5 days, you've already adapted to local time; returning to Moscow is much more difficult.

– What still needs to be done to make it easier to return?

– Mandatory pre-flight rest of at least 8 hours. Even taking into account the fact that we only have a day in some country, we need to fit in sightseeing, some walks and mandatory pre-flight rest into this day. No alcohol, no cigarettes: this is my personal opinion. I stick to this lifestyle, so I don’t have problems with acclimatization and so on.

– Are there problems when someone likes to drink and then goes on a flight after drinking?

- No, this doesn’t happen. Not only is alcohol prohibited on business trips, but in principle there have never been cases in my memory where someone could afford anything before a flight.

– What are some professional ailments? Apart from varicose veins: this is the only thing I know.

– Professional ailments? A difficult question, actually. I feel like I have nothing, but to be honest, I don't even know. It's probably not even physical. We, all flight attendants, always have a desire to help everyone. Even when not on a plane, even just standing in line at a store or somewhere else, we always try to help everyone. This is not so much a sore as a factor that transfers from work to your life.

- This is probably some kind of professional deformation. By the way, is there such a thing as working with people, so you want to not see anyone on vacation, not hear anyone, hide from everyone and not communicate with anyone?

– I’ll be honest: sometimes this needs to be done even without working with people. In principle, maybe for a day or two I want to be alone, somehow delve into my thoughts, and then, please, I don’t have that: I love people in principle. But you need to be alone for a day or two.

– I see, but in the women’s team there are still some difficulties in interaction or does this not happen? Are the colleagues you fly with always different, or are there still some clashes?

– I’ll say this: at Aeroflot, relations among our colleagues are peaceful and friendly, and I think what saves us is the fact that we don’t see each other more than twice in a row. That is, literally every flight we have a new crew, we don’t have time to get used to each other for any excesses to arise between us. Therefore, everything is basically calm with us.

– What new qualities did you acquire in this job?

– Definitely, self-control: you need to control yourself, in any situation you need to smile and keep your cool, even if everything is not very good. Attention to detail, probably communication skills, resourcefulness and responsiveness.

– Why is this profession the best?

– It’s definitely travel, new people, new stories, interesting cases every time. Every day there is something new: we try to live for today and don’t think about tomorrow, because we don’t have reports, we don’t have any things to do from month to month, we live for our own pleasure.

– Just about all sorts of interesting cases: can you remember a couple?

“It was a few years ago, it was a very short flight, when every second counts, when you basically don’t have time to take a sip of water, and I had a bride with a wedding dress flying in business class. And everything would have been fine, but before boarding, in the midst of service, she asked for help changing her clothes. And at the same time, she needed to lace up the corset, she definitely needed someone’s help, because she had a goal to get off the plane already in a wedding dress, she had some kind of action planned there next. Then I simply assessed every second and understood that it was impossible to do this, but, nevertheless, it was such a challenge. But, nevertheless, I helped her. She was all so beautiful, all beautiful, but we did not sacrifice service for other passengers, everything worked out for us, but it was a lot of fun, everyone in business class was having fun, everyone was laughing. Something like this.

– By the way, is business class more capricious than regular economy class or vice versa?

– No, I cannot say: no matter what class of service a passenger flies in, capriciousness does not depend on this. Absolutely.

– How often do you come across such eternally dissatisfied passengers, and how easy is it to immediately identify them and, as they say, neutralize them? How does this happen?

– Passengers like this don’t come across very often, but, in principle, as a service person, I feel people, and it’s not a problem for me to smooth out the client’s dissatisfaction. And that’s why my passengers are generally always happy.

– There are people who believe that they are owed everything: they are in a bad mood, and they were also told that there is no food on board, and therefore they try to take their anger out on everyone with whom they communicate, what should we do with such people?

– We must feel people and must understand that there must be a certain approach to each person. In no case should you provoke them or incite a conflict; you need to be courteous and try to disturb such a client as little as possible. Because a person is already boiling, we try to do some little things, for example, make him a cappuccino or something like that. Little things like these create a good impression of the flight and improve a person’s mood.

– What if a person, let’s say, is somehow harmful and starts to argue? For example, he decided to transfer himself to the free Space+, which he is not allowed to sit on, and then he will tell you for half an hour, they say, it’s free here, why can’t I change seats? What to do with these?

– Yes, such stories, to be honest, happen often. In this case, our task is to withstand provocation. We need to tell the passenger about the rules, but make sure that he does not have the opportunity to answer us anything. Our dialogue should smoothly develop into our monologue. Well, if the client really does not want to leave Space+, we then involve the ship’s commander and he notifies such a passenger in writing that he needs to leave this place. These are, in fact, all the levers of influence.

– How often do you come across passengers who are trying to do something to themselves, to somehow cheat so that they do something that they are not supposed to do? To be transferred to business, or to Space+, or to have some food brought to him from business class, or something else?

– Probably on 5% of flights there are passengers who cheat.

– There are all sorts of celebrity stars, how good is it to fly with them? Who did you come across? How do they behave, which of them is the most kind?

– Stars fly very often, as I understand it, they mostly choose Aeroflot. These are people who try to relax during flights, because they have a very busy life and the flight is the only place where they manage to sleep and spend time with themselves. Therefore, I try not to bother such people; I never ask to be photographed with such people. For some reason, I have some kind of block on this, I cannot disturb people. In general, everyone behaves with dignity, everyone is very polite. My favorite couple is the Malikovs, they are just infinitely polite, tactful, and they are really good people. The funniest passenger I had was Jackie Chan, he is unreal, he is just cool!

– Just about the photo: how annoying is it for flight attendants when passengers somehow start trying to take a photo with them and ask, “Let’s take a selfie with you?”

– It’s difficult to answer for colleagues here. I know some people don't like it because many of my colleagues don't like to be photographed. But this doesn’t bother me at all, my Instagram is full of photos with passengers, for me this is absolutely no problem. I don't see anything so prohibited in this.

– There are some passengers who always post a selfie with the crew every time they fly, because they have this principle, they beg, etc. Are there any, say, harassments? How often does it happen that one of the passengers begins to show some signs of attention? How do they show these signs? It seems to me that, sitting on a plane, you can’t really offer anything other than going for coffee sometime in two weeks, when we return to Moscow. Any inventive passengers? Maybe someone carries a bouquet of flowers with them just in case to give it to the girl they like?

– I haven’t met such passengers, but in fact, signs of attention appear on almost every flight, and there’s no way without it. In fact, it’s all funny: passengers sometimes make flowers out of napkins, put their business cards neatly in their pockets, sometimes give gifts from products from our Sky Shop, that is, there are actually a lot of ways to meet people.

– Is it generally allowed to accept gifts or not?

– There is nothing wrong with this either, it all depends on you: if you want, accept it, if you don’t want, don’t accept it, we have no regulations on this point anywhere.

– Mostly, this is done by some nice passengers or all sorts of pick-up artists who are trying to get to know everyone just to get to know each other? That is, to check a box.

– I think people do this when they really like a person. It doesn’t matter if it’s for show or something else. We provide good service, people like it, they thank us, everyone is happy.

– What does a passenger need to do so that the flight attendants really remember him? For example, there is a very cool comic strip, you’ve probably seen it: a passenger sits there and says: “Please, another killer car”? How are things really going? Maybe there is some secret? Or something special that needs to be done or said?

– In fact, there was a funny picture about the killer whale. The passenger does a lot of unnecessary things. The only thing that is important to me is that the passenger addresses me by name. That's all, I'll just melt then. I will definitely remember this passenger, because it is very important for us. We address each passenger in business class by name, so it is very important for us that passengers also call us by name. We each have a badge on every piece of uniform, and everyone can always see their name. Of course, in principle this is not yet very accepted in our country, but we are moving towards this.

– Maybe something else, or is this the most important thing?

– For me this is the most important thing. And, accordingly, this is a polite attitude, tactful, without getting personal: so that everything is beautiful, like in a movie.

– I see, and then, probably, the last question about decrees. Usually they leave 70 days before the expected date of birth, but what about flying? Also up to 70 days?

– As soon as a flight attendant finds out that she is pregnant, she is written off on the same day. That is, it could literally be 2 weeks or even 10 days. After this, she does not go to work at all until the child is three years old. We don’t have any easy work; our flight attendants work from home throughout their entire pregnancy. At the same time, your salary is maintained, so leaving Aeroflot on maternity leave is very profitable.

- Amazing. Thanks a lot. See you on board.

- Best wishes.