Becoming a flight attendant looks glamorous from the passenger seat, but one working flight attendant wants new hires to know about the part nobody films: the months without a paycheck. In a video for anyone heading off to airline training, the flight attendant who posts as @dinathefa shares the tips she wishes someone had given her, and the first one is all about money.
“Biggest one I always tell people is to save money before going on this journey,” she says. “You need to have a cushiony savings account.”
Training Is Unpaid and the Bills Keep Coming
According to her, the training she went through was unpaid. Trainees did receive a weekly food stipend, but she says it does not come close to covering real life. “That is not enough to pay the things that don’t stop,” she explains, listing rent, bills and “other subscriptions you have that you forget about.” Those charges keep coming out of your bank account “whether you’re making money or not.”
And finishing training does not mean money starts flowing right away. She says new flight attendants then have to work a full month before receiving their first full paycheck. Add it up, and she estimates “around two and a half, three months of not getting paid.”
Her plea is heartfelt. “Please, please, please, before you go, do not make your life hard by coming out of training in debt.” Her rule of thumb is to have about three months of living expenses saved, more if you also plan to relocate for the job, since moving is “a whole other cost.”
Caffeine, Good Food and Ten Thousand Alarms
Her second warning is about energy. Many people drawn to the job, she says, are not used to sitting in a classroom all day, and training is intense. “You are going to be surviving off of caffeine,” she says. Her own routine was one coffee in the morning and an energy drink in the afternoon. She admits that is “not the most healthy,” which leads to her next tip.
Because the caffeine is unavoidable, she urges trainees to take care of themselves in every other way. It is tempting to binge or live on snacks while studying, she says, but full, balanced meals help you focus in class and hold that focus longer. She recommends working out before or after class and taking advantage of the fact that training runs on a set schedule.
Her final tip may be the most important. “Always be 10 minutes early,” she says. If you aim to be right on time, you could end up late, and in her experience being late during training can get you sent home. She suggests setting “10,000 alarms” if you are not a morning person, and if you have a roommate, holding each other accountable. “You won’t want to get all the way to training and work your booty off just to get there and finally get accepted to be kicked out for being late.”
@dinathefa
What This Means for Career Changers and Their Families
Her advice is aimed at young hires, but it applies just as much to people starting a second career later in life. Airlines generally set a minimum age to become a flight attendant but no maximum, and many people take up the job after raising kids or retiring from another field. Pay and training details vary from airline to airline, so anyone considering it should ask the recruiter directly whether training is paid, what stipends are offered and when the first paycheck arrives.
If you or someone you love is about to start, here is how to put her advice into practice:
Build a real number, not a guess. Add up rent or mortgage, utilities, phone, insurance, car payment, groceries and any debts. Multiply by three. That is your target cushion, before any moving costs.
Hunt down forgotten charges. Go through two or three months of bank and credit card statements and cancel streaming services, apps and memberships you will not use during training. Small automatic charges add up when no money is coming in.
Plan for the move. New flight attendants are often assigned to a base city they did not choose. Budget for a deposit, travel and possibly a shared “crash pad” near the airport.
Talk to lenders early. If a tight stretch is coming, call your card companies or lenders before you miss a payment. Some offer short-term hardship options, but only if you ask.
Treat health as part of the job. Regular meals, sleep and exercise matter in a demanding course. Anyone thinking about supplements should check with a doctor first, especially if they take other medications.
Practice punctuality now. On-time habits are easier to build before training starts. Set multiple alarms, lay out your clothes the night before and plan to arrive early everywhere.
Parents and grandparents can help, too. A small gift toward that savings cushion, or a promise to cover one bill during training, can make the difference between starting a new career calm or starting it in debt.
She closes by inviting anyone with more questions to reach out. For a job that runs on schedules and safety checklists, her message is simple: get your money and your alarm clock in order before you ever put on the uniform.
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