Welcome to the VIP FA training room!
Here I will introduce you to the role of being a VIP Flight Attendant and tell you how a day in the life might be...
Here I will introduce you to the role of being a VIP Flight Attendant and tell you how a day in the life might be...
A day in the Life of a Corporate or VIP Flight Attendant
After working for a few years as Cabin Crew, you may think about other options to further you career. Some crew go into recruitment or become instructors with the airline that they have been working for. Another option is to become a Corporate or VIP Flight Attendant which sounds very glamorous, especially as you will be working for high profile clients on their private jets. This is a very unique and demanding position and it can be very rewarding, if you are lucky enough to break into business aviation.
In brief, you become a ‘jack of all trades’ and no two days are ever the same! Your ‘boss’ maybe the owner of the aircraft or even royalty, government or world leader...Some aircraft are managed by business aviation charter companies, so one day you could be carrying a pop star or another day, a president. There is no roster and you are on call 24/7 from the day your duty starts to the day your duty ends. Some VIP Flight attendants have a rotation, where you may work 1 month on and one month off, for example, but this is not always the case. Private jets differ in size, so you may be serving 8 passengers on a Citation Sovereign, 15 on a Global Express or 28 on a BBJ (Boeing Business Jet). Mostly, you will work alone (apart from the flight crew) but on the larger aircraft you may have a team of between 2 and 6 VIP Flight Attendants.
So, how would a typical day look for a VIP Flight Attendant? That is hard to say, as it is rare that you will know of your trip in advance, so you have to be prepared for anything. It starts with your phone ringing and then you will find out how many passengers you have, where you are going and what time departure is – usually immediately! Then, you have to arrange for catering by placing an order with the ground handling team or a catering company or even a hotel. Once onboard (usually 2 hours before departure), you check your SEP equipment and make sure the aircraft is clean and stocked. When the catering order arrives, you check it’s all there and then stow it in the cooler and oven, which can be a real challenge on some aircraft. Now, it’s time to prepare the cabin and put flowers on display, arrange some newspapers and put out some sweets and water and maybe a bowl of fruit and a menu. Once the passengers arrive, it’s all systems go and during taxiing, you have to stow any items, that will move on takeoff and make sure cabin and galley are secure, before taking your seat. As soon as the aircraft is safely at cruise level, it is time to start preparing the meals and checking with your guests, what they would like to eat or drink and when they would like to eat. They may also require blankets, pillows or amenity items or ask you to put a film or music on the airshow system.
Afterwards, you would lay up the tables with linen, glassware and cutlery ready for service. Once the meals are cooked to perfection, you also have to plate them up, so that they look like they have come from a 5 star restaurant. Service style depends on the guest’s preference which may be silver service, buffet style or relaxed. Next it’s time to cook meals for the flight crew and clear in the dishes in the cabin and wash up. All used linens should be kept in a laundry bag for later and the galley has to be cleaned and shiny again. As well as being in the galley, you will be communicating with the flight crew and be on call to attend the needs of the guests and remembering etiquette, protocol and your own personal presentation. Now, preparing for landing, you make sure the cabin and galley are secure before sitting down. After landing and the passengers have disembarked, you have to clean the interior of the aircraft so that it is shiny and new and ready again for your next VIPs. Of course, the galley has to be cleaned thoroughly and all food and rubbish taken off of the aircraft, this normally means that you will be on the aircraft for another 1 or 2 hours after your flight and the flight crew may choose to eat then also. When you finally get to your hotel room, there is still the laundry to arrange and a catering order to be done for the next flight, so it’s a long day... The job of a VIP Flight Attendant doesn’t end there! Whilst you are not flying, you will still be buying supplies for the aircraft and restocking it, sourcing items that the client has requested (such as a special kind of wine, for example) or maybe ordering new glassware, linens and supplies. You may also be called upon to train new crew. Phew!
What skills do you need to become a VIP Flight Attendant? Basically, 3 years minimum of first class experience is usually requested, along with high standards of personal presentation. Knowledge of catering and language skills are an added bonus. Although training in a VIP environment is not essential, it helps if you have a good SEP background and have completed ab-initio or initial training. In some regions, like the USA, it is your own personal responsibility to pay for and keep up your yearly recurrent SEP and Aviation Medicine training. Personal characteristics that are essential are: flexibility, initiative, organised and communicative. An abundance of patience, attention to detail and some creativity will serve you well, in this role.
The role of a VIP Flight Attendant is demanding and has its challenges, like any job. The long hours are physically demanding and you have to be prepared for anything. Imagine providing 5 star quality, 3 course meals to 12 passengers in 1 hour flight time? If you are delayed by non-arrival of passengers (which happens a lot) your working day can be 20 hours or more and there are no flight time limitations in this sector. You are on call 24/7 and often have other duties outside of flying. It can be lonely, as you are often working alone with just your flight crew and Skype becomes your best friend. Job security is an issue as clients often like to see new faces, so contracts may be withdrawn or the client may just decide you face doesn’t fit as there is nothing you can do about it!
So what are the benefits? The salary is usually good starting around 2,500 Euros or dollars a month plus per diem and up to 5,000 a month for very experienced crew. Per diem is a daily allowance for every night spent away from base and can vary dramatically between companies and countries – you may get 20 euro per night or 120 euro per night. On top of this, you may occasionally get ‘tips’ and have accommodation and uniforms paid for, as well as insurance. Some companies will offer a rotation instead of holiday, so you may be able to work 2 months on, 1 month off for example. Alternatively, depending on the company, you may have to pay for your own uniform and medical and life insurance. Compensation or salary and conditions can vary widely, depending on where you are working and who you are working for, so you have to accept that things are very changeable and plan for that.
Of course the best rewards of being a VIP Flight Attendant for me personally, is that I have travelled the world extensively from Tajikistan to Timbuktu and New York to New Delhi and back again. I have met some incredible people on the way and had some amazing experiences and gained lots of life long memories. I can’t say it’s glamorous or an easy lifestyle, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. For determined Cabin Crew who like to be challenged, the move to working as a Corporate or VIP Flight Attendant is a rewarding and exciting one and a once in a lifetime career choice.
For more information on how to become a VIP Flight Attendant and a guide on how to do to all your duties, you can buy an online training manual/coursebook on the My Shop page - 'Want to be a VIP Flight Attendant?'
Author: Patricia Green
Copyright owned - please do not use this article (or any part of it) without my permission- it is illegal to do so!
After working for a few years as Cabin Crew, you may think about other options to further you career. Some crew go into recruitment or become instructors with the airline that they have been working for. Another option is to become a Corporate or VIP Flight Attendant which sounds very glamorous, especially as you will be working for high profile clients on their private jets. This is a very unique and demanding position and it can be very rewarding, if you are lucky enough to break into business aviation.
In brief, you become a ‘jack of all trades’ and no two days are ever the same! Your ‘boss’ maybe the owner of the aircraft or even royalty, government or world leader...Some aircraft are managed by business aviation charter companies, so one day you could be carrying a pop star or another day, a president. There is no roster and you are on call 24/7 from the day your duty starts to the day your duty ends. Some VIP Flight attendants have a rotation, where you may work 1 month on and one month off, for example, but this is not always the case. Private jets differ in size, so you may be serving 8 passengers on a Citation Sovereign, 15 on a Global Express or 28 on a BBJ (Boeing Business Jet). Mostly, you will work alone (apart from the flight crew) but on the larger aircraft you may have a team of between 2 and 6 VIP Flight Attendants.
So, how would a typical day look for a VIP Flight Attendant? That is hard to say, as it is rare that you will know of your trip in advance, so you have to be prepared for anything. It starts with your phone ringing and then you will find out how many passengers you have, where you are going and what time departure is – usually immediately! Then, you have to arrange for catering by placing an order with the ground handling team or a catering company or even a hotel. Once onboard (usually 2 hours before departure), you check your SEP equipment and make sure the aircraft is clean and stocked. When the catering order arrives, you check it’s all there and then stow it in the cooler and oven, which can be a real challenge on some aircraft. Now, it’s time to prepare the cabin and put flowers on display, arrange some newspapers and put out some sweets and water and maybe a bowl of fruit and a menu. Once the passengers arrive, it’s all systems go and during taxiing, you have to stow any items, that will move on takeoff and make sure cabin and galley are secure, before taking your seat. As soon as the aircraft is safely at cruise level, it is time to start preparing the meals and checking with your guests, what they would like to eat or drink and when they would like to eat. They may also require blankets, pillows or amenity items or ask you to put a film or music on the airshow system.
Afterwards, you would lay up the tables with linen, glassware and cutlery ready for service. Once the meals are cooked to perfection, you also have to plate them up, so that they look like they have come from a 5 star restaurant. Service style depends on the guest’s preference which may be silver service, buffet style or relaxed. Next it’s time to cook meals for the flight crew and clear in the dishes in the cabin and wash up. All used linens should be kept in a laundry bag for later and the galley has to be cleaned and shiny again. As well as being in the galley, you will be communicating with the flight crew and be on call to attend the needs of the guests and remembering etiquette, protocol and your own personal presentation. Now, preparing for landing, you make sure the cabin and galley are secure before sitting down. After landing and the passengers have disembarked, you have to clean the interior of the aircraft so that it is shiny and new and ready again for your next VIPs. Of course, the galley has to be cleaned thoroughly and all food and rubbish taken off of the aircraft, this normally means that you will be on the aircraft for another 1 or 2 hours after your flight and the flight crew may choose to eat then also. When you finally get to your hotel room, there is still the laundry to arrange and a catering order to be done for the next flight, so it’s a long day... The job of a VIP Flight Attendant doesn’t end there! Whilst you are not flying, you will still be buying supplies for the aircraft and restocking it, sourcing items that the client has requested (such as a special kind of wine, for example) or maybe ordering new glassware, linens and supplies. You may also be called upon to train new crew. Phew!
What skills do you need to become a VIP Flight Attendant? Basically, 3 years minimum of first class experience is usually requested, along with high standards of personal presentation. Knowledge of catering and language skills are an added bonus. Although training in a VIP environment is not essential, it helps if you have a good SEP background and have completed ab-initio or initial training. In some regions, like the USA, it is your own personal responsibility to pay for and keep up your yearly recurrent SEP and Aviation Medicine training. Personal characteristics that are essential are: flexibility, initiative, organised and communicative. An abundance of patience, attention to detail and some creativity will serve you well, in this role.
The role of a VIP Flight Attendant is demanding and has its challenges, like any job. The long hours are physically demanding and you have to be prepared for anything. Imagine providing 5 star quality, 3 course meals to 12 passengers in 1 hour flight time? If you are delayed by non-arrival of passengers (which happens a lot) your working day can be 20 hours or more and there are no flight time limitations in this sector. You are on call 24/7 and often have other duties outside of flying. It can be lonely, as you are often working alone with just your flight crew and Skype becomes your best friend. Job security is an issue as clients often like to see new faces, so contracts may be withdrawn or the client may just decide you face doesn’t fit as there is nothing you can do about it!
So what are the benefits? The salary is usually good starting around 2,500 Euros or dollars a month plus per diem and up to 5,000 a month for very experienced crew. Per diem is a daily allowance for every night spent away from base and can vary dramatically between companies and countries – you may get 20 euro per night or 120 euro per night. On top of this, you may occasionally get ‘tips’ and have accommodation and uniforms paid for, as well as insurance. Some companies will offer a rotation instead of holiday, so you may be able to work 2 months on, 1 month off for example. Alternatively, depending on the company, you may have to pay for your own uniform and medical and life insurance. Compensation or salary and conditions can vary widely, depending on where you are working and who you are working for, so you have to accept that things are very changeable and plan for that.
Of course the best rewards of being a VIP Flight Attendant for me personally, is that I have travelled the world extensively from Tajikistan to Timbuktu and New York to New Delhi and back again. I have met some incredible people on the way and had some amazing experiences and gained lots of life long memories. I can’t say it’s glamorous or an easy lifestyle, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. For determined Cabin Crew who like to be challenged, the move to working as a Corporate or VIP Flight Attendant is a rewarding and exciting one and a once in a lifetime career choice.
For more information on how to become a VIP Flight Attendant and a guide on how to do to all your duties, you can buy an online training manual/coursebook on the My Shop page - 'Want to be a VIP Flight Attendant?'
Author: Patricia Green
Copyright owned - please do not use this article (or any part of it) without my permission- it is illegal to do so!