Cabin Crew
Also advertised as: Air Cabin Crew, Cabin Crew, Flight Attendant, In-flight Service Crew, Steward/Stewardess
Ensures passenger safety and comfort on commercial flights.
What the job involves
Cabin crew are trained first for safety, from evacuations to first aid, before delivering the in-flight service passengers see. Rosters bring irregular hours, nights away from home and time zone changes, but also travel benefits and a varied working pattern. Airlines put every recruit through several weeks of mandatory safety training before they fly.
Typical responsibilities
- Deliver safety briefings and enforce procedures
- Provide first aid in emergencies
- Serve food, drink and duty-free to passengers
- Manage difficult or disruptive passengers
- Complete pre and post-flight checks
Common employers
- Full-service airlines
- Low-cost airlines
- Charter airlines
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£19,000 – £24,000 a year
With experience
£26,000 – £35,000 a year
Typical hours
Irregular shifts including nights away from base
Working environment
Aircraft cabin, standing for long periods
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Customer service
- Calm under pressure
- First aid
- Teamwork
- Communication
Transferable skills you may already have
- Customer service experience
- Working shifts
- Team collaboration
Requirements employers ask for
- Customer service
- Calm under pressure
- First aid
- Teamwork
- Communication
- GCSEs including maths and English
- Airline-specific safety training (provided)
- Cabin Crew Attestation issued after airline training
Useful but not essential
- Customer service experience
- Working shifts
- Team collaboration
- Additional languages
- Previous customer service experience
Helpful qualifications
- Additional languages
- Previous customer service experience
Licences and checks
- Cabin Crew Attestation issued after airline training
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- No standard apprenticeship route; airlines run their own training academies
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Travel and tourism
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Cabin Crew
next
Cabin Services Manager
next
Cabin Crew Trainer
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Free or discounted flights and travel
- Sees many destinations
- Varied working days
What people find hard
- Disrupted sleep patterns and time away from home
- Physically tiring shift patterns
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a cabin crew?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a cabin crew earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £19,000 to £24,000 a year, rising towards £35,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Customer service experience, Working shifts, Team collaboration.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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