Latest news with #flightattendant
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘All tax free': Aussie Emirates flight attendant reveals perks of the job
Sharlene Lowe has been living her dream as a flight attendant for over a decade, revealing the biggest perks of her job include travelling the world (85 countries and counting) and not having to pay rent as 'almost everything covered'. The 36-year-old from Blacktown in Sydney's west began her journey with Dubai-based airline Emirates 11 years ago and she hasn't looked back. The travel, perks and career progression of her occupation is what's kept her at the airline since she joined at just 25 years of age. 'I did a big trip around Europe when I was in my 20s and I remember flying with Korean Air and seeing the girls and thinking, 'I want to do that',' Ms Lowe told 'After that trip, I got addicted to travelling and I was just like, 'how many countries can I go to'.' The day after she split with her boyfriend, she applied to become a flight attendant, undergoing eight weeks of vigorous training and exams before officially joining the Emirates team. Ms Lowe, who has climbed her way to first class flight attendant, said joining the airline meant she was able to live abroad which was a huge draw card. 'People were like 'why don't you start with Qantas or Jetstar to get a feel for it', but I was like, 'no, it's all or nothing', – I knew I wanted to live abroad,' she said. Working for the airline, whether you are a pilot or flight attendant, means you must relocate to Dubai if you are not already living in the city. Perks of the job – tax-free salary The 36-year-old said she's often asked if her salary is tax-free and accommodation covered by the company, adding it's what shocks people the most when she tells them it is. 'Salaries vary depending on your cabin, but in economy for example, your starting salary is around $4500 per month – per year that's about $52,000 and it's tax free,' she explained. 'This also depends on your flying hours. The more you fly the more you get paid but the limit is 110 hours per month. 'With time your salary increases because were also eligible for profit share – but that depends on how long you have been in the company.' According to the airline's website, the approximate base salary for Grade II Economy Class is AED 4,980 per month ($A2000) with a flying pay of AED 69.60 ($40) per hour based on an average of 80-100 hours a month. This means the average monthly pay amounts to AED 11,244 ($4700). Cabin crew are given allowances to spend in each country they visit on what they like. As for meal allowances for night stops, they are credited to the salary in arrears the following month. Hotel accommodation as well as transport to and from the airport is also provided by the company. Ms Lowe, who earns more given her role, said she has been able to save a substantial amount given everything is 'mostly covered'. 'When you join the company, you also get given accommodation and you don't have to pay bills for that accommodation,' she said, adding it's a big help not having to worry about things like rent. 'You get assigned a room and you can have one or two flatmates but you do have the option to swap or move to vacant apartments,' she said. 'For example, if you have a friend that's living in another building and their flatmate is leaving or it's vacant, you can actually move to that place – and there's new buildings popping up all the time so you can switch and move around.' The villas are located in various Emirates Group properties across Dubai, and are assigned regardless of marital status and whether you have children. 'If you live in company accommodation, Emirates will cover the cost of utilities and municipality taxes. Free local landline calls are also available,' its website states. The company does not, however, offer insurance for housing or personal property, but it does have 'deals with insurance companies', should cabin crew need it. Living in Dubai Ms Lowe said one thing that shocked her the most when moving to Dubai was the amount of expats. 'There's not that many Arabs that live here – there's so many people of different nationalities,' she said, adding that because of this, the transition wasn't so difficult. 'I think it's because Australia is so multicultural and I went to school with all different types of nationalities, so for me it wasn't a tough transition.' And while it's not a requirement for cabin crew to learn Arabic, Ms Lowe said she has picked the language which has become handy when interacting with locals. She often documents her life as a flight attendant on Instagram, travelling to multiple different countries and also living in Dubai, showing off the cultural side of the city and some of the glitz and glam. In one snap she is seen at a Cosmopolitan Middle East event alongside socialite Safa Siddiqui from hit Netflix show Dubai Bling. Other perks Ms Lowe said cabin crew also don't need to worry about transport costs to and from work as the company organises a bus every 15 minutes. 'Really, my salary is just my spending money to use however I want,' she said. Living abroad of course comes with its challenges such as being away from family and friends, but Ms Lowe has been able to fly her relatives and friends to visit her in Dubai using staff travel that allow discounts of up to 50 per cent off flights. 'All my family has come to visit me, especially my mum. She loves it in Dubai – if she could, she would live here with me. I've also had friends visit and some I've booked tickets to Europe for.' Travelling the world As for her personal travels, she has visited more than 100 cities, adding she can use her staff travel on other airlines. 'I've visited countries I never thought I'd be able to go to like Cuba and some I've also never heard of,' she said. Prior to joining the airline, Ms Lowe completed a degree in Business and Marketing at Charles Sturt University and also worked in several jobs such as modelling, fashion, hospitality and in her field of marketing and finance, before jumping ship to aviation. 'I can't believe I've lived here [Dubai] for 11 years now. It definitely doesn't feel like that.' She had the intention of returning home after a year, adding she 'never in a million years' thought she'd still be living in the city today – but the job, the people and the travel has played a huge role in having her stay. The 36-year-old has worked her way up – starting in economy, business and now first class which she 'just loves'. 'I know with a lot of other airlines you can work in other cabins but with Emirates you start off in economy and if you're eligible, you can upgrade to business,' she said. She spent most of her career as a business class flight attendant before working her way to first class which she has been doing for three years, She said while it can be demanding, she 'love it'. 'It's a tailored service with so many steps so it can get really busy but I like that it's so personalised,' she said. Ms Lowe now has her sights set on becoming a cabin supervisor, the next tier up from her current role. In this position she would be a responsible for leading and managing a team of flight attendants on a flight with responsibilities including pre-flight briefings, supervising service delivery, managing on-board issues, and conducting post-flight reports. Ms Lowe said anyone considering to become a flight attendant, who is passionate about the field and also willing to put in the hard work, should absolutely consider it. 'I would say go for it, it's a life-changing experience. The knowledge you gain just from going to all these different countries is just unbelievable,' she said. 'It's opened my eyes to so many things. I know for sure if I hadn't lived overseas I would be a different person. It's shaped my personality and the way I handle things. 'It can be challenging but it's skills you'll develop with time and carry with you for the rest of your life.' Emirates is hosting open days in major Australian cities between August 10 and August 16. It comes as the company looks to hire 17,300 people across 350 roles including cabin crew, pilots, and engineers. The hiring spree is part of the airline's expansion plans.
Fox News
15 hours ago
- Fox News
Massachusetts man sentenced following violent in-flight rampage on board United Airlines flight
A Massachusetts man was sentenced this week after being captured on video attacking a United Airlines flight attendant during a trip from Los Angeles to Boston in 2023. Francisco Severo Torres, who plead guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon, was sentenced "to time served (approximately 26 months in prison)," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. Following the sentence, the 35-year-old from Leominster has five years of supervised release during which he is "prohibited from flying on a commercial aircraft," it added. Viral video captured on March 5, 2023, showed Torres shouting while standing above his seat, before taking off into the plane's aisle and attacking a stewardess with a broken metal spoon. Federal investigators said Torres hit the flight attendant on the neck area three times. "I heard the guy getting louder and louder, and I thought it was just an argument, but he started yelling and screaming and threatening people, threatening to kill them," Simik Ghookasian, a Los Angeles government contractor flying to Boston on United Flight 2609, said following Torres's arrest that year. Ghookasian added that he was among five or six passengers who piled onto Torres and removed the spoon from his grasp. "That guy was really strong and was really resisting," Ghookasian said. "We had a hard time holding him down. It was total teamwork." The Attorney's Office said about 45 minutes before landing, "the flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed." "Upon inspection, a flight attendant found that the door's locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position – approximately a quarter of the way towards the unlocked position – and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the 'disarmed' position," it continued. "The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide." In follow-up discussions, "a fellow flight attendant reported that he had observed Torres near the door and believed Torres had tampered with the door," the Attorney's Office said. "A flight attendant then confronted Torres about tampering with the door, to which he responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so. The flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible," it added. "Shortly thereafter, Torres got out of his seat and approached the starboard side door where two flight attendants were standing in the aisle," according to the attorney's office. "Video taken by a passenger depicts Torres yelling at points that he would 'kill every man on this plane' and 'I'm taking over this plane.' Torres then thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times. Passengers then tackled and restrained Torres with the assistance of flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody upon the flight's arrival to Boston. "
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Why I quit my 30-year career as a flight attendant and became a chauffeur for pets
Sandy Robson was a flight attendant for three decades before COVID presented her with the chance to switch careers. After taking a redundancy from the job that "defined her", Sandy came across a Facebook ad looking for drivers — for pets. The 58-year-old now works for a pet-sitting service, transporting animals between their homes and their sitters around Sydney/Gadigal Country. "I just potter around in my boss's car, talking nonsense to dogs and cats all day … Everyone is much more envious of that than when I was a flight attendant." We spoke to Sandy about her career switch, which also included a stint in retail and bartending on a vintage train. These are her words. I started [as a flight attendant] in 1992 when Qantas was recruiting for Japanese speakers. That's something I did at high school and in university. It was the peak of Japanese tourism in Australia. I started off as a flight attendant and made my way through the ranks to supervisor and eventually cabin manager. The best thing was we had lots of long trips and long time in various ports. But once Qantas was sold and they started to cut costs, they started making trips shorter. We called them slam-clickers — where you get off the flight, go to your hotel room, and only leave to come out for work. What kept me there was the fun and the great people I worked with. We had a laugh every single day. And the cheap travel. I was working in short-haul domestic flights for three years of COVID. It was all about the handwashing and the masks and people getting edgy on flights. They offered a redundancy, and I thought "the writing's on the wall now — get out while they're offering money to do so". I wasn't one of those people who were very upset to leave, or felt forced out. It was time. One of the first things I did was get a pet, then the second was book subscriptions, because I knew I was going to be home for shows, the theatre, birthdays. That was the first Christmas I knew I would be home in 30 years, and I got to spend it with my sister and her husband, and my beautiful 19-year-old niece. I had a good payout from Qantas, so had the financial stability to experiment with work a bit. I own my home. I don't have dependants, just the cats. I decided I needed to do something to get out of my house because it was [during] COVID, and a lot of retail was considered essential work. I worked in a homewares store, which was considered a vital industry. I don't know why, I guess people need sheets and towels! I found that very different to the airline. People really didn't treat you well in retail, even though it was a lovely shop. People were quite respectful to flight attendants. You had the odd drongo, but [most passengers] knew you were there doing a hard job, looking after their safety. Do you have a unique job you often get questions about? We'd love to hear about it lifestyle@ After a couple of years in retail, I was offered work on a vintage train. It was the old Southern Aurora, a stainless-steel diesel from 1962. The owners knew someone from Qantas and he recruited his friends to work on it — it was taken over by Qantas people. The owners of the train were delighted because they had this pre-trained … workforce. We all knew the way each other worked, and how to move around each other in confined spaces. I was the bartender. I absolutely loved it and would be doing it now if it didn't change hands. For the pet-sitting company, I pick up the pets from the owners and take them to the pet sitter's home with their belongings. And reverse when the owners get back from holiday. After 30 years of working with people, it's really nice to have customers that can't talk. I've lived in Sydney all my life, so I'm not daunted by traffic or parking. You have some hysterical moments. I have this golden retriever who gets car sick ... Throws up, tries to eat it, and then sits in it. Then I have a Maine coon [cat] who lives in the poshest house imaginable and gets sent to quite a small apartment. He yells at me the whole way. People comment about how wonderful it must be. I say, 'It's not well paid, but it's hugely emotionally rewarding'. I just love animals. I get so much out of it when I see the dogs reunited with their owners.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie flight attendant spills the shocking secrets of what cabin crew say about passengers behind your back
A former flight attendant has revealed the most annoying passenger habits from around the globe, as well as some region-specific pet peeves. Marcus Daniels, 35, spent more than five years working as a member of cabin crew on domestic and international flights for Virgin and Qatar Airways, and highlighted some region-specific behaviours. 'In the Middle East, cabin crew were often looked down on as just hospitality staff and would be heckled at,' he said. 'On some flights to China, passengers wouldn't wait for their meal trays to be collected and would go to the galley to dump them. 'Australians are infamous for being the worst complainers. While I think we tend to only complain when we have good reason to, we really go off. 'Aussie customers won't complain until something's gone really wrong, then they'll pop off. Whereas customers in other parts of the world will complain peacefully about minuscule things, like their blankets not being warm enough.' Overall, the worst-behaved passengers were those abusing the bar cart. 'It's very common to have issues with drunk and disorderly passengers,' Mr Daniels said. 'When you're 39,000 ft in the air, your brain basically turns to mush. That's why you'll see stories of customers going crazy during flights even though they acted normal on the ground. 'If you're dehydrated, not eating and drinking while your brain's compressed – people just lose all common sense.' Mr Daniels explained hypoxia, a condition where the body doesn't have enough oxygen, is already a risk when flying and can be worsened by alcohol. 'On a flight to London, I had a passenger who kept going in and out of consciousness,' he said. 'He'd only had two glasses of red wine but he hadn't eaten anything during the flight. 'His lips began turning blue and we had to hook him up to an oxygen tank and then get him to drink and eat something. 'A lot of people don't understand why it's important to eat and drink on flights. It's those customers who'll be off their head drunk and vomiting in the toilet after three drinks.' Flight attendants also picked up on the favourite drinks of different destinations. 'Australians tend to like beer and wine while flights to and from the UK request a lot of gin and tonic. Obviously, the Russians love their vodka,' Mr Daniels said. 'Surprisingly, I found the Scandinavian routes were the biggest drinkers. They loved beer, vodka, whiskey, gin. The bar carts would be completely empty at the end of flights. 'Then destinations in Asia wouldn't drink much alcohol. Instead, they'd be asking for hot water to fill their tea flasks.' One rude habit which might shock some travellers was wearing perfume. While some flyers might think a strong duty-perfume will help mask any unpleasant odours in the cabin, Mr Daniels explained no scent is the best way to go. 'As cabin crew, we were constantly told to ensure we wear inoffensive perfume,' he said. 'We're in an enclosed environment so we want to make sure it's not overpowering anyone, especially those sensitive to smells like pregnant women. 'It's good etiquette to make sure you're not wearing the strong stuff.' Another no-no was bringing too much luggage onboard or checking items that need to be carried on. 'It's rude to be taking up too much cabin space. It's not fair to the people boarding after you who then have nowhere to put their bags. 'Another thing passengers will do is leave their batteries and laptops in their checked luggage when those items are carry-on only. Sometimes, it can cause the plane to spend an extra hour on the ground while staff search for the item. 'I once had a passenger bring a faulty laptop onboard and its lithium battery burst into flames. Because the battery continues to heat after the fire is put out, we had to keep it submerged in a bucket of water until we landed. Imagine if it was in cargo? 'We're shown videos of how quickly fires spread through planes. It can be scary when customers do the wrong thing.' Another habit Mr Daniels struggled to pull passengers into line for was using personal devices without headphones. 'Some people are just too loud and rowdy. They listen to the portable electronic devices, like phones, and blast the audio without putting in headsets,' he said. 'That's really frustrating for everyone onboard.' When headed abroad, the ex-flight attendant urged travellers to check their destination's expectations around clothing. 'A lot of people don't realise exposing your feet to some people is quite rude, especially in Arabic culture and Southeast Asian culture,' Mr Daniels said. 'Dressing immodestly is also considered rude in a lot of cultures so please don't board your flight in a singlet and thongs.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Bare feet should be banned' says disgusted flight attendant who found pile of toenail clippings under seat
A Connecticut flight attendant who shares her life on social media has revealed one of the most disgusting things she's seen during her service - a pile of toenail clippings. Photographing the unsightly mess underneath an aircraft seat, Leanna Coy wrote: 'On today's episode of Summer are toenails. A passenger clipped their toenails midflight and left them.' The TikToker (@leannacoy) added: 'If I become president one day I'm making bare feet illegal.' The upload attracted more than 10,000 views and many TikTok users chimed in to share their thoughts in the comments. One quipped: 'OH MY GOD NO YOURE JOKING.' 'Now why would you show me that??' another added, followed by crying face emojis. Someone else agreed with Leanna and joked: 'Straight to jail!' 'The poor people sitting next to them,' one person said. Another flight attendant shared two forms of common passenger behavior that 'send her over the edge.' Dallas-based air hostess Cher Killough, who has worked in the industry for six years, took to TikTo k to highlight disruptive in-flight habits that often leave her 'clenching' her jaw. Sharing a video to her page, @cherdallas, the cabin crew membert noted she becomes frustrated when a passenger ignores crucial safety instructions because a previous flight attendant either turned a blind eye or allowed them to do so. She added: 'Well, the last flight attendant wasn't doing her job. I have to subtly argue and just explain the reason - which normally I'm fine with doing - but if I'm already having a long day, this will have me in the galley begging God for some strength.' Cher then revealed her second in-flight gripe: passengers who continue to 'pop open' the bins after she informed them 'several times' they are full and cannot be used. She explained: 'When the bins are full and I've closed it, somebody pops it open after I've said: "If it's closed, it's full," like seven times... they pop it open and they leave it open.'
