Becoming an air hostess, every girl's dream!

Travelling around the world and spending your days in luxury hotels is like music to many young girls' ears. But you need to meet a number of criteria in order to be eligible for the position of air hostess. What's more is that you have to weigh the pros and the cons against each other. Only that way will you be able to decide whether the job of air hostess is right for you.

If you like to travel around, like to be around people and get to know other cultures, if you don't easily get homesick and can stand jetlags and working odd hours, you might just be the perfect candidate for the position of air hostess. But as you can already see, you'll need to work hard and be a real team player in order to get along with different colleagues all the time. 

Air hostess training

You should at least have a high school diploma and a diploma of post-secondary education, preferably in the field of social service or tourism. Experience in the catering industry, as well as a working knowledge of two foreign languages are a plus.  

Many different institutes offer an air hostess training. The training generally takes four months to complete and has to be paid for by the participant in the course herself. Receiving an internal training at an airline company would of course be better for your bank account, since you apply for a job at an airline company. That way, if you get hired, your employer pays for the whole training. Furthermore you will draw a salary during the course already.

Other requirements for the position of air hostess

Depending on the airline company, you need to be 18 or 21 years of age. You also have to meet the following requirements: :

• You have to have a good appearance and be immaculately dressed.
• You must live within a travel distance of less than 60 minutes from the airport.
• You need to have good eyesight, deviations of more than -5 or +5 are not allowed.
• You have to be between 5 feet 2.2 inches and 6 feet 2.8 inches tall.
• You may not have a criminal record.
• You may not have any visible tattoos or piercings.
• You need a swimming certificate.

What you learn in an air hostess course

If you managed to get through the airline company's application procedures, they'll run a reference check with your former employers. Then you'll have to undergo a medical exam. When everything has been checked and approved, your measurements are taken for your uniform and you can start the course. The internal course, abbreviated as ini, takes about four weeks.

During the course, you'll learn a lot about flying safety and customer-related service. You'll get a first aid course and you will have to take some swimming lessons too. You will also be on a number of flights under the expert guidance of an experienced air hostess.

After successfully completing the course, you'll get airplane wings. These wings are a qualification badge and mean you're a qualified air hostess.

The salary of an air hostess

As an air hostess, you'll make around 1800 and 2500 euros gross, depending on the airline company you work for, your age and experience. After about three years' experience, you can apply for the position of purser. A purser is the head of the cockpit personnel and makes good money: between 2500 and 5400 euros gross.

If you need to stay abroad for your job, your employer will pay for your hotel. You will also get some spending money for your stay abroad, which can add up to some hundreds of euros, depending on the duration of your stay.

Ground hostess

If jetlags are bothering you a lot, you can still become a ground hostess. You'll be working as a service provider in the aviation industry then. A ground hostess assists people boarding the plane, checks their tickets and travel documents and weighs their luggage. To become a ground hostess, you will need the same diplomas as an air hostess. As a ground hostess, you'll earn a salary of around 1400 to 2000 euros gross.

Sources: www.todio.nl