Cabin crew spend a lot of their time on aircraft and flying all over the globe. This can result in a negative knock-on effect when it comes to personal relationships. Flight attendant Heather Poole revealed in her book Cruising Attitude a difficult part of the job. She reveals what it is like to date a cabin crew member – and how pilots are the ultimate threat for partners.
“A relationship with a flight attendant can be tricky,” Poole wrote, “because being a flight attendant isn’t just a job it’s a lifestyle.
“No matter how many times we try to explain it, most people have a hard time really grasping that the only thing consistent about our lifestyle is just how inconsistent it truly is.
“Our schedules are always changing, making it difficult to create long-term plans with loved ones.
“We work odd hours and rarely get holidays and weekends off. We’re away from home for days at a time, and a lot of that time is spent at hotels with colleagues of the opposite sex.
“There aren’t a lot of people who can handle that. This is especially true for those involved before their flight attendant career began.
“It’s just too difficult for most men to deal with. Nine times out of ten, imaginations get the best of those left on the ground.”
Pilots and the idea that the vast majority are incredibly good looking and eligible poses a big threat for many partners back home.
“They think that all pilots look like Hugh Jackman instead of Danny DeVito, and that all the passengers seated in first class are trying to lure us onto their private islands with promises of champagne and caviar,” said Poole.
“Soon loneliness turns to jealousy and jealousy leads to frustration or anger.
“In the end, a person can only take so much and eventually someone will break up. It’s either break up or quit flying.”
Poole also goes into detail about the sort of partner a flight attendant needs – and they have to be secure in themselves.
“This is why the people flight attendants get serious with must be confident, independent, and capable of making do for days at a time without their loved one,” she writes.
Poole continues: “A flight attendant also needs a partner who can make spur-of-the-moment plans, as well as deal with last-minute changes that involve backup plans A, B, and C, because when you work for an airline something is bound to go wrong.”
Another flight attendant has revealed the worst part of cabin crew jobs.
The ex cabin crew member told to stuff.co.nz the part they liked the least about the occupation was being tired.
“Having the world as your office also means sleep deprivation, especially on long haul sectors,” the flight attendant said. “Constantly being tired and working in different time zones can take a toll on the body.”
