Working as a Flight Attendant

Listening

Two Australian flight attendants are being interviewed about their jobs.

Check your understanding

Based on the information in the interview, make questions for the answers below. Only check the suggested solution after you have completed your own questions.

1. Qantas
2. Positive and negative sides to it
3. Cleaning up mess
4. Travelling the world
5. Time changes
6. 17 hours
7. The whole crew has to agree.
8. A two month roster which they get two weeks in advance
9. Inland Australia and international routes mostly from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane
10. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii, and Hong Kong, for example
11. Not really, mostly just turbulence
12. A tyre burst
13. Regular practices and every six months they have to pass an exam

Research and learn more

1. Go to Qantas Careers - Cabin Crew and make notes on the essential requirements needed to become a cabin crew team member.
2. Sit in pairs and tell your partner what you have found out. What would you say was the most important skill required to become a flight attendant?

Practice a role-play

In pairs, pretend that one of you is a flight attendant and the other is a passenger. Practice a role-play in which the following happens:

1. The passenger first orders something from the food trolley, but then complains about the quality of the food. You decide how the situation is resolved.
2. The flight attendant has just gone through the safety information, but a passenger suddenly demands to move to a different seat. You decide whether or not the request is reasonable and try to resolve the situation..