- Emirates carries around 60 million passengers a year – and 22,000 flight attendants and flight attendants look after all those passengers.
- Being an Emirates flight attendant has its perks, such as free accommodation in Dubai, discounted airline tickets, or simply getting paid to travel the world.
- The job also involves standing for long hours, tight schedules and certain physical demands.
- Discover more stories at Business Insider Spain.
This is the transcript of the video.
Narrator: Every year, more than 180,000 flights depart for Emirates, carrying around 60 million passengers. What about the people who are in charge of all these flights? There are 22,000 flight attendants and stewards who make up Emirates’ cabin crew. It’s a pretty good job. Free accommodation in Dubai, discounted airline tickets and getting paid just for travelling the world. But with tight working hours and schedules, the job isn’t always as glamorous as you might think. Here’s what it’s like to be a UAE flight attendant.
Nurazlin SiteMy name is Siti Nurazlin, and I am part of the First Class team working for Emirates.
Narrator: Like the roughly 144,000 applicants a year, Siti had to meet the airline’s requirements: Minimum age 21, at least 5-2 feet tall, and able to reach 7 feet on tiptoe in order to reach overhead bins, fluency in English, at least a high school degree and no visible tattoos when in uniform.
Like all new recruits, Siti started her career in the UAE at the base, on short-haul economy flights, and over the years, she has worked her way up to first class. Today, she crews an average of nine long-haul flights a month. Her schedule changes every week, but always includes flights lasting up to 16 hours. And for most of that time, Siti is on her feet. She estimates that about 11 hours on a 16-hour flight.
Site:The work can be quite physically demanding, so we need to maintain our physique and also stay fit.
Narrator:But fortunately, she’s not in heels all the time.
Site: We change out of our uniform after takeoff, we put on our flat shoes, because high heels are not very comfortable during those 16 hours. And we put on our vest.
Narrator: Siti also has to take care of her appearance.
Site: We usually tend to have a natural makeup look. Like, eyeliner and mascara are usually necessary and, you know, Emirates’ signature red lipstick.
Narrator: And just like with makeup, with hair, jewelry and nails, they are also quite strict. As for jewelry, they can wear diamond or pearl earrings, but not necklaces. And their nails have to be clean, either with nail polish, red nail polish or French manicure. Now, these requirements are for flight attendants. Men have to be clean shaven and style their hair with a number of products. But there is an additional level of responsibility for first-class attendants like Siti. For starters, she has to know who the pilots are and what they like.
Site: We have information about our customers. So on every flight, we look at customers’ preferences, likes and dislikes so that we can cater to them on future flights. For example, the size of their pyjamas or their favourite drinks, so the more someone flies with Emirates, the better we can cater to their personal preferences.
Narrator: They are also required to have expert knowledge of the entire first class menu. They know the options for passengers with dietary restrictions, the perfect pairing for dishes, and the notes on each of 60 cheeses. And since she typically serves international travelers, Siti is an expert at communicating across different backgrounds—but she’s not alone. Like most cabin crew, Siti knows more than one language. In her case, it’s English and Malay. However, more than 60 languages are spoken in the Emirates, and they have a workforce of 135 nationalities.
Read more: This is how Emirates prepares 225,000 meals a day with specialties from each region where you will land
Now, on board, Siti’s duties are fairly standard. She performs a security check of the plane before passengers board, provides in-flight food and beverage service, and sweeps the cabin after everyone has deplaned. But off the plane, the perks of the job are substantial. Flight attendants receive a base salary depending on experience, with a fairly high hourly rate. To start, that works out to about $32,000 a year. Plus, they get free accommodation in Dubai, not far from the airport. They get 30 days of vacation, one free flight a year, and can give out the names of friends and family members for discounted tickets.
Site: The benefits of this job are especially the concessionary tickets they give, not only for me, but also for my family and friends. Therefore, I don’t have to travel alone or only with my fellow crew members; I can travel with friends who don’t usually fly often.
Narrator: They even attend staff events like the US Open or make special appearances. But the best part? Travel to 140 destinations around the world with accommodation and food covered.
Site: The best thing about the job is definitely travelling. I’ve been to over 100 destinations with Emirates. I’ve never done it before, and I don’t think I’d ever travelled to all those exotic places we go to.
The video incorrectly states the number of crew applying for jobs each year. Emirates receives approximately 144,000 applications per year. The video incorrectly states that only seniors and first class attendants can attend staff events. Cabin crew at any level can host events, not just first class or seniors.
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