You should always PREPARE for your interview by studying the MOST common flight attendant interview questions and answers. This is KEY to your success!

Flight attendant interviews can be tricky because you will be asked BOTH behavioral and situational type questions by the hiring manager. These managers are looking for a candidate who is the BEST FIT for the job role. This means a candidate MUST meet all the qualifications required to even be considered for this flight attendant position.

We strongly believe that by preparing your answers beforehand, you will be able to align your own skill set and experience with the requirements for this job. In addition, we recommend keeping your answers short and concise while being as RELEVANT as possible. With that said,

If you have an upcoming flight attendant interview and are wondering what type of questions you will be asked by the hiring manager, we have prepared a  list of the MOST common flight attendant interview questions and answers you should prepare for before your interview. Good luck!


1) Can You Tell Me About Yourself

The MOST BASIC and common question asked by the interviewer. By asking this question, the interviewer is trying to determine why you’re passionate about becoming a flight attendant. It’s also a good time to briefly mention any previous RELEVANT experience you have as a flight attendant, and what you can do for them (the airline company). Talk about how your skills will be an asset to the company. I recommend looking over the skill set or requirements in the job description and choosing 1-2 KEY skills to mention in your answer. For example, if 1 of the job requirements is someone who is great at working in a team, then be sure to use this KEY skill in your answer.

Here are a few tips to answer this question:

a) Keep your answer short and concise. No longer than 45-60 seconds 

b) Focus your answer on: customer service, teamwork, flexibility, and adaptability. 

“Thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed today. I had my first experience flying on an airplane at the age of 13. Ever since that experience, I have been in love with flying! One way to continue to follow my passion is to pursue a career as a flight attendant and so I made it my career goal to learn everything I can about this industry. Throughout the years, I have worked in several customer-facing jobs that have allowed me to build my communication skills and understand what it means to provide excellent customer service. At my previous job, I worked in a team environment which was an excellent opportunity because I learned so much from this experience. For example,  I learned the importance of adaptability, flexibility, and MOST of all patience.

I’m here today seeking this position because this job role will give me the opportunity to grow and continue my love for being around customers. I believe I will be an excellent fit for this position because not only do I meet all your requirements, but I also have the willingness to learn and support my team so we can collectively provide Outstanding Customer Service.”


2) What Do You Know About Our Airline?

Interviewers ask this flight attendant interview question to determine if you have researched the company. It’s a way for interviewers to distinguish between someone truly interested in working with their airline and someone just looking for a job to earn a paycheck. Candidates who are truly interested tend to excel at their job and grow within the company. So, I recommend before your interview, you visit the airline website and read they’re about us page. Another great resource is the airline’s LinkedIn page where you can read about their history, people, culture, and job opportunities.

Instead of a sample answer, I will show you how to structure your answer:

a) Talk briefly about when the company started. You can mention where the airline flies globally.

b) Mention the name of the current CEO

c) Mention the company size (you can get this from LinkedIn)

d) You can really impress them by knowing their current STOCK price. 

e) On their LinkedIn profile, visit the “Posts” tab so you can mention any recent news within the company.


3) Why Are You Interested In This Role? Why Do You Want to Work Here?

Interviewers want to determine if you will invest genuine effort in bettering the company, as opposed to those who just want any job, regardless of what the position involves. This question is meant to eliminate those candidates they feel won’t add value to their company. They also want to DETERMINE if you are someone they should invest resources into by training and developing you so you will be a longtime employee with the company.

So when answering this question, focus on:

a) Talking about the reputation of the company: history, values, and culture

b) Your DESIRE to progress throughout the company in the future

c)  What you will learn while working for the company, for example, SKILLSET development

 “After speaking with numerous employees and reading about your company online, I would love to be part of an organization that has built a solid reputation throughout the years for providing exceptional customer service. As a matter of fact, your company’s core values align perfectly with mine which is also extremely gratifying. For example, wanting to provide excellent customer service, working in a company with a diverse culture, peace and social justice are all principles that I feel are important to excel as a society. 

Your company will also provide me with the foundation I need to grow professionally. The experienced people and teams I will be working with within this company will help me enhance my skill set. In the future, I will want to utilize what I learned to further progress throughout the company and continue to be an asset within your organization”


4) How Do You Ensure Stress Does NOT Hinder Your Quality of Work?

This flight attendant job interview question is asked by the interviewer to learn more about how you cope with stress. Working as a flight attendant is a stressful job so a company is looking to hire those people that can work under pressure effectively WITHOUT their performance being hindered.

So, when answering this question, mention the following:

a) Briefly reiterate the importance of the job you do and why stress should NOT hinder your performance. For example, mention how others rely on you, customers always come first, and your commitment to the company.

b) Any strategies that you use to cope with stress effectively

“I recognize the importance of commitment and being there for your team. Working as a flight attendant can be stressful at times with the long hours and sometimes difficult customers. However, in the end, you have your company and team members relying on you to get the job done no matter what the situation. So, throughout the years, I have recognized how managing stress is an extremely important quality to have both in my personal and work life. The first step should always be to remain patient and NOT to overreact in any situation. Sometimes work-related stress is caused by a misunderstanding between yourself, a customer, or a fellow employee. Furthermore, all of this can be resolved by remaining cool and calm while keeping communication as free-flowing as possible. By keeping calm and communicating you can de-escalate a stressful situation quickly. Next, always practice multitasking because building this skill will allow you to take on more work and control the pressure associated with completing multiple tasks at one time. I purposely take on more work than required to find creative ways to handle the workload. 

Now, outside of work, I also exercise and meditate regularly which helps enormously to keep my mind clear and focused at all times.”



5) What Does Excellent Customer Service Mean to You?

Interviewers ask this question to determine if you know the importance of customer service. Working as a flight attendant is all about customer service. The better the experience the customer has flying with an airline, the higher the likelihood they fly with the airline again.

When answering this question, focus on the following:

a) Attitude: Being confident, smiling, joyful and excited to help the customer.  

b) Problem-solving: providing a solution to the customer’s problems. 

c) Product awareness: Knowing the product so you can provide an answer to the customer’s inquiry. 

d) Efficiency: Get things done for the customer in a timely manner

“I believe excellent customer service is providing the customer with an experience where they come back to you again. When a customer flies with your airline, you should first always greet them with a  smile to set certain expectations. In customer service, clear and concise communication is KEY to understanding how to help the customer with their needs. I have always been a strong believer that one way you can excel in providing excellent customer service is through extensive product knowledge and what other services your airline can help them with. For example, baggage, transportation, connecting flights, etc. That’s why I focus significantly on understanding the business and the products we provide and I continue to educate myself whenever there are changes within the company. Keep in mind that a customer’s time is valuable so whatever service or solution we are helping them with should be provided in a timely manner too. 

In the end, I believe excellent customer service means consistently exceeding customer expectations and going out of your way to help them solve their problems.”


6) Tell Me About a Situation Where You Had to Deal With a Difficult Customer. How Did You Handle It?

With this cabin crew interview question and answer, the interviewer is interested in hearing what you find difficult and if you have the skills to de-escalate tense and difficult situations. As you can imagine, you will be dealing with customers who may NOT always cooperate so you have to demonstrate you have what it takes to resolve these types of situations effectively. Now, you can use an experience from your previous job as a FLIGHT  ATTENDANT or any other job where you were directly involved with customers.

Focus your answer on the following:

a) Always following company policies and procedures

b) How you were able to resolve the situation to benefitting both the company and the customers

c) Stay away from mentioning any situation where the customers are left unhappy and are NO longer a customer. This type of situation is NOT good for the company’s public image

“The bottom line for any company is to ensure that customers leave happy and have a fair resolution to their problem. However, it is equally important that whatever outcome we provide to the customer follows company policies. Whenever I have encountered a difficult customer, the first thing is to keep calm and de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible for their safety and the safety of other employees on the job. I have found through my experience that keeping a cool and calm composure can help greatly resolve MOST situations because it’s only when both parties involved get tense that things start to escalate. For example, when I was working at my previous retail job as a sales associate, we had a customer who was upset because they could NOT return a product that was over the return date. I walked with the customer to a remote location in the store and advised her calmly that this is the company policy and we had to adhere to it. If we were to process a return for her, then all other customers would be entitled to a refund over the return date. This is something we cannot do.  However, I did advise her that I would take her feedback to the management to see if policy changes can be made in the future. I also advised the customer I would help her personally with their shopping needs the next time she visited our location. By doing this, I was able to build a more personal rapport that they appreciated. Finally, before leaving, I asked if she had any further questions or feedback”


7) What is your GREATEST Strength and Why?

Interviewers will ask this question to see how well your STRENGTH matches with the KEY skills required for the job. Finding a candidate with a strength that is a perfect fit for the job will be an asset to the company and the job role.

So, when answering this question:

a) Read over the KEY skills section in the job description and choose a STRENGTH from the job requirements when preparing your answer.

b) Also mention how this strength will be an asset as a FLIGHT ATTENDANT in this job role. 

c) It’s preferred to provide an example from a previous job as a FLIGHT ATTENDANT, however, if this is your first job in the airline industry, you can use any job, but just make sure to highlight how your STRENGTH was an asset in that job role.

If KEY requirement for this FLIGHT ATTENDANT job is your ability to work under pressure

“My greatest strength is my ability to handle pressure and also excel in highly pressurized situations. Working under pressure I believe is extremely important in any job role, especially this one when we are constantly working to meet tight deadlines. Not to mention, as flight attendants we will be required to handle multiple tasks at once which can be stressful so being able to handle this pressure effectively is a great asset to have. For example, before I started to work in the airline industry, I was working on a project that had to be delivered to a client in five days. A colleague of mine was also working on another client’s project with the same deadline. However, in between the project, he had to take a leave of absence for personal reasons. My team reached out to me to complete both projects at the same time and I was more than happy to step into the challenge. I did not let the stress affect me. Instead, I came up with a very detailed time management plan and found new ways to boost efficiency that enabled me to deliver both projects on time.

I take a lot of pride in knowing that my ability to handle pressure has made me the type of individual that my managers and team can count on. In the end, a company’s success depends on keeping its customers happy!”


8) What is your GREATEST Weakness And Why?

This FLIGHT attendant interview question is asked to eliminate candidates quickly. Interviewers ask you this question to determine if your WEAKNESS is detrimental to the job role and if it will hinder your performance.

So when answering this question:

1) Choose a weakness NOT related to the job. Use the job description and highlight the KEY skill requirements they are looking for in a candidate. Now, when preparing your answer, don’t mention anything that you have just highlighted in the job description. This will ensure that you DON’T mention a skill that is a KEY requirement for the job. 

2) Always mention the steps you are taking to improve on your weakness. For example, any training courses you are enrolled in, or even how you are improving this weakness through mock role-playing, etc.

“I believe that sometimes I can be too action-oriented especially when there is a tight deadline to be met. I have always been the type of person to get things done on time because I know how essential this is to the company’s overall success. However, because I jump right into the project, I may miss some of the finer details of what’s required when working on this project, causing me to have to go back and correct things causing further delays. However, I have implemented a great strategy to ensure this does NOT continue to happen. Before starting any project, I thoroughly go through the requirements and ask questions when I am not clear about something. I make notes and utilize an app on my phone which highlights the key points I need to pay close attention to as I work through the project. This has been an amazing learning experience because I have noticed by incorporating this strategy, I have not only been able to get things done correctly and efficiently but have been able to meet all the deadlines on time.”



9) What Are The Roles Of A Flight Attendant?

Interviewers will ask you this question to get a better idea of how well you know what’s expected of flight attendants. To help you answer this question, you should use the job description as a reference. I recommend you focus your answer around:

a) Your commitment to customers, and

b) Your commitment to your team

“As a flight attendant, you are expected to go above and beyond for customers and your team. A flight attendant has several responsibilities like: To greet and communicate with customers/passengers,  guide and assist passengers, help passengers find their seats, monitor, manage and secure the cabin, adhere to all aviation rules and regulations, provide help to passengers with special needs (children, disabled persons, elders, etc) and more. As a flight attendant, I also have a responsibility to my team too. For example, my team should be able to rely on me to ensure things get done correctly, we should work as a team to resolve any problems we have onboard with passengers and work as a team to ensure deadlines and airline protocols/policies are followed with the highest standards.”


10) Tell Me About a Disagreement You’ve Had With a Coworker. How Did You Resolve The Situation?

The interviewer wants to ensure that you have the patience and the KEY skills to NOT let a dispute hinder your responsibilities. As a flight attendant, you will be working with different personalities so it is IMPORTANT to find constructive ways to remain synced at all times. By synced, I mean aligned, unity, and continuing to work together.

When answering this question, you should:

a) Always provide a previous example airline-related or any previous job highlighting your ability to resolve conflicts with co-workers. 

b) Always mention what lessons you learned from this experience.

“I completely understand how there WILL be times that yourself and a co-worker do NOT meet eye to eye. First, this can be healthy because it gives you a chance to better yourself by learning from this experience. With that said, I believe the conflict between two people in the workplace happens because of the different personalities interacting with each other to meet a common goal. However, this does not mean that the issue cannot be resolved amicably. For example, at my previous job (name of company), a co-worker and I had some issues because their work was NOT being completed on time, delaying the entire project. Each team member was in charge of different sections within a project and we were responsible for completing our part by a set deadline. Afterward, we all had the job of putting the entire project together and marking it as completed before submitting it to management. After my co-worker delayed submitting her part of the project a few times, I decided to speak with her to understand why her work was always behind. By communicating with her, I learned that the part of the project she was in charge of was NOT her strongest skill set. This caused her to have difficulty completing the work delegated to her. So, we decided to do one of two things: Either I would walk her through her work a few times, so she understands what needs to be done, or I can speak with the manager so she can be given a part of a project that aligns better with a stronger skill set of hers. With that said,

The essential thing is to openly communicate and understand the situation because you never know what problem the co-worker is going through. Sometimes, it is NOT them but their insecurities that causes them to do certain things. It also helps to support them as much as possible without jeopardizing your work. But, keep in mind that you should always follow protocols when dealing with these types of issues i.e. reporting to management, etc.”


11) How Do You Stay Motivated at Work?

The job of a flight attendant can be stressful in some situations even having you question your career choice. The interviewer wants to know if you are somebody that would give up when faced with adversity or do you always find ways to keep pushing yourself. When answering this question, talk openly and freely about:

a) What strategies do you use to keep pushing forward when you feel like giving up. For example, how do you turn a negative situation into a positive one. Or, you can mention in your answer your strong commitment to always being there for your team, etc.

“It is absolutely normal and some may even say healthy to be tested in your career. As a flight attendant, you will be faced with long hours, delays, rude customers, and time away from home. However, the first step in staying motivated in tough times is to recognize that you will have difficult experiences at work. This way you can start to build a plan on how to cope with these situations. I personally stay motivated by having a strong commitment to my job and my team in particular. I have taken a job because I am passionate about it or I would NOT be working in this industry. By constantly reminding myself of this fact, it’s a great way to remember that I belong where I am. Also, I take a lot of pride in dealing with situations head-on. My motivation comes from being able to resolve a difficult situation and learn from it so I can prevent it from happening again. However, if it does happen again, I used what I learned from my past experience to resolve it quickly. Finally, keeping a positive mind through meditation and exercising daily is a great way to manage stress and maintain a positive outlook in life”


12) Describe a Time You Failed in This Role And The Lesson You Learned?

This question is for those candidates that have previously worked as a  FLIGHT ATTENDANT. If you have PREVIOUS experience as a FLIGHT ATTENDANT, I recommend the following:

a) Be short and concise. AVOID rambling as you MAY say too much. 

b) Don’t mention a FAILURE that would be detrimental to your interview, like stealing, not showing up to work, you being abusive, or lying about something that reflected poorly on the company’s image. 

c) Be honest about the times you failed on the job. However, when answering this question, ONLY choose one (1) failure from which you have learned the MOST. DON’T say you have never made a mistake because everyone makes mistakes. By saying you’ve made NO MISTAKES will raise red flags. Remember, the interviewer is more interested in knowing what you learned from your failure and what procedures you have put into place to ensure that the same failure does NOT happen again.



13) How Would You Handle Passengers Who Refuse To Comply With Flight Attendant Instructions While Landing Or On Takeoff?

Working as a flight attendant means ensuring you follow airline procedures and protocols. When the interviewer asks this flight attendant interview question, they want to know that you are well aware of airline procedures and what you can do as a flight attendant to de-escalate this SPECIFIC situation.

So, when answering this question, keep two things in mind:

a) Your actions should always be based on protecting the passenger’s and your team’s safety. 

b) Your actions should follow company policies on how to handle these situations.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have FLIGHT ATTENDANT experience, then formulate your answer through your own experience. However, if you don’t have any experience working as a FLIGHT ATTENDANT, then use the following:

“If there is a passenger on our flight that refuses to comply with instructions then we must always proceed keeping the safety of passengers and other staff in mind. At the same time, we should always adhere to airline policy on how to handle these types of situations while keeping these two(2) things in mind: First,  it is important to communicate your concerns with the passengers calmly so things do NOT escalate further, especially when other people are on board. Secondly, if I am unable to resolve the issue with the passenger, I think it would be wise to communicate with my team members on the next course of action. However, as mentioned whatever decision we make on how to proceed should always keep passenger and team safety first while adhering to company policies”


14) What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?

The interviewer will ask you this question to determine how well prepared you are to handle the pressures of this work. This is also a way for airlines to get your perspective on challenges that may be affecting this industry in the future.

When answering this question:

a) Research the airline industry and find some of the challenges they are facing. Next,

b) If you know anyone who works in the airline industry, you can reach out to them to get their opinion.  

“I think one of the greatest challenges that someone would face in this job is how fast this industry is growing. For example, increased growth leads to more flights and longer working hours which can be stressful for some flight attendants. The way to overcome this challenge is to first hire more flight attendants that have a true passion for this job and are motivated to be at work every single day. Not only that, but more flight attendants means flexible shift rotations providing increased time off between shifts to relax. The airline can also train flight attendants to handle the increased workload by coming up with creative ways to address customers’ concerns. For example, additional training to assist flight attendants to de-escalate a situation more effectively and help them multitask so they can manage the pressures of their job more efficiently. I believe, the more clear and focused a flight attendant is, the greater they will excel at work.


15) Do You Prefer to Work Independently or With a Team?

Interviewers will ask this question because they want to GAIN a sense of a candidate’s character, as well as their self-knowledge. There is NO wrong or right answer however always explain why you feel the way you do. I recommend studying the job role before answering this question so you can align your answer more to fit the needs of the position.

“I prefer to work in a team setting because I am the type of person that likes to encourage my team through difficult times while trying to learn as much as possible through more experienced team members. However, I am also confident enough to work independently if put in those situations. With that said, I enjoy the team dynamics and love having other people around me so we can share ideas. For example, one team member may say something which accelerates your own creativity, pushing you to come up with a unique way of doing something. I also feel that everyone has something different to contribute to an effort because we all come from such diverse backgrounds.


16) Where Do You See Yourself In Five (5) Years?

1) You can talk more about your passion for the industry and wanting to continue to follow this passion in the future. 

2) The skills and qualifications you want to gain along the way

3) Growth within the company (research potential job roles and mention them in your answer)

“Becoming a flight attendant and working in this industry has been a passion of mine ever since I was a child and I want to continue to grow in this industry throughout the years. I hope working with more experienced staff will put me in a position to GAIN greater experience so I can move into progressive roles within the company.  For example, a management or supervisory role. To help me transition, I want to enroll in company offered training programs so I can improve on my current skill set and even obtain new skills that will allow me to meet my career goals/objectives. However, the main thing is for me to focus on this role (if I get it) and gain as much experience from the management and my team members.


Bonus Interview Preparation Tips

1) Keep your answers RELEVANT. Skim through the job description, especially, the job requirements section. Use these KEY skills in your answers and say them during your interview.  Remember, interviewers are looking for a candidate with a specific set of SKILLS so highlighting the same skills in your answer will help you stand out.

2) Keep your answers short and concise. Each answer should NOT be longer than 90 seconds. Just provide enough information to answer the question. By keeping your answer short and concise, you avoid rambling on and saying anything that may reflect poorly on you.

3) DON’T lie in any of your answers. Interviewers may do a reference check and can find out if you were dishonest which will eliminate you as a candidate.

4) Be confident, sit up straight, and talk like you belong in the room. Confidence is an attractive quality to have in an employee because it fits so well into the company’s culture and core values.

Search Flight Attendant Jobs



Final Thoughts

When applying for a job as a flight attendant, research the company to ENSURE it is the RIGHT fit for you. You want to work at a company that aligns with your future career goals. After gaining experience as a flight attendant, you will have the OPPORTUNITY to transition into other progressive job roles within the company. However, once you land the initial interview with an airline, we recommend you take time to study our flight attendant interview questions and answers guide so you know what to expect when sitting with the hiring manager. Study the questions and prepare answers to demonstrate your experience and robust skillset. Not only that, highlight why you would be an excellent candidate for them to hire. With that said.

“Preparation for life is so important. Luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity. Opportunity is all around us. Are you prepared?” — Earl Nightingale

Additional Resources

12 Best Flight Attendant Shoes – Clarks, Skechers, LifeStride, Dansko, And More

Other Interview Questions And Answers

Looking for more interview questions? Check out these lists of questions (and example

answers!)

14 Zara Interview Questions And Answers – General And Behavioral
16 Common Pharmacy Technician Interview Questions and Answers – General And Behavioral
15 Common Substitute Teacher Interview Questions And Answers – General And Behavioral
30 Common Nursing Interview Questions And Answers
16 Common Dental Assistant Interview Questions and Answers – General And Behavioral
12 Common Truck Driver Interview Questions And Answers

 

 

Disclaimer

CareerCrawlers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon affiliate advertising program is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

Leave a Reply