I was a flight attendant for 2 years. Here are the answers to 10 questions passengers always ask.

• I was a flight attendant for two years, and I heard the same kind of questions every shift. 
• The crew gets to take breaks on international flights, but our layovers are usually pretty quick.
• It’s a very competitive job, and flight attendants only get paid for their time in the air. 

I spent two years working as a flight attendant for a major US airline, and I heard every question you can think of. 

I started my career in San Francisco and a year later transferred to New York. I flew domestic and international flights, but I never knew where I was going the next day, so it was always an adventure. 

Read on for some of the common questions people always wanted to ask me on flights.

Do you have to wear high heels all the time? 

Flight attendants generally receive hourly pay. Everybody’s pay is different depending on seniority, and our salary grows a little every year.

We also only get paid for the time we’re in the air. So all the time we spend going through customs, waiting by the gate, and managing delays on the ground is unpaid.

For example, flying from New York to Chicago is a two-hour flight, so the flight attendants only get paid for two hours. 

How long are your layovers? 

I’ve seen a lot of beautiful countries, but a lot of times, I only arrived to sleep at the hotel for 12 hours and fly back early in the morning.

Sometimes, I had a nice, long 24-hour layover in Los Angeles or Hawaii, but most of the time, it was a quick nap at a hotel by the airport.

Luckily, in my experience, layovers for international flights were a minimum of 24 hours.

What’s your favorite destination? 

I was based in two cities on different US coasts, so I had a chance to fly to Asia and Europe a lot.

The country that stole my heart was Japan. It was the experience of a lifetime.

I was lucky enough to arrive right on time for the cherry-blossom season. My layover was only 24 hours, but I had a chance to visit a temple, try delicious street food, and check out a local grocery store to buy snacks I could never find back home. 

Is it safe to drink airplane coffee? I heard they use the same water as the toilet. 

If you’re afraid of flying, you can tell your flight attendant as soon as you get on the plane. Just knowing that someone is aware and there to help can give you more confidence.

Some passengers ask to look flight attendants in the eyes during takeoff. Eye contact helps to understand that everything happening in the cabin is normal and there’s nothing to worry about. Learning more about the mechanics of the aircraft can also help to prepare scared flyers for all the noises.

Never hesitate to tell your crew if you feel uneasy. We hear this all the time, and we’re always willing to help.

This story was originally published in January 2022 and most recently updated on August 13, 2024.