Airline Attendant

Lina Bit, Journalist
February 7, 2023

From Swiss Air to President’s Club,
A True Tale From An Airline Attendant

Lily was a flight attendant who faced many challenges such as dealing with difficult mergers, bad weather, and cancellations. She believed that every hardship she faced was very much worth it because she had an amazing group of coworkers there to help her. She says, “I very much enjoyed my job. I loved the people, the airport and travel environment, the challenge of helping people when there were light interruptions, delays, cancellations, etc.” Hard work and willingness to work any shifts got her to where she is today.

Q: Was being a flight attendant your childhood dream?
A: Yes, but it changed a bit. I went to Switzerland to live with a family who only spoke French for 3 months the summer I turned 16 and then when I graduated high school, I went to Lugano on the Italian border to learn Italian for a year. I had spoken Swiss German since I was a child. I took three years of German in high school, two years of French, and one year of Spanish. Swiss Air required 4 languages to be a flight attendant for them. I had an interview set up with the personnel manager who happened to go to the church that I attended in Switzerland, but when I went to America for vacation, I heard about the International Air Academy in Vancouver and decided to attend that because there you would learn how to do ground handling instead of flying and I had suddenly decided that would be a better fit for me so I would travel just for fun. Continental Airlines came to that school and hired me and I began my career at the ticket counter and gates. Five years later, I interviewed for a position as a supervisor in the President’s Club, a private lounge for frequent flyers and did that for the next 25 years. I was blessed with excellent bosses and lots of leadership training classes. I had terrific staff to help me take care of our premium customers. I also flew to our other clubs throughout the world and taught new hire classes and customer service excellence classes for our staff.

Q: When did you realize that this was the job for you?
A: I dreamed of being a flight attendant for Swiss Air since I was very young. I moved to America from Switzerland with my family when I was five and I enjoyed traveling on an airplane.

Q: Are there any tips for people who want to pursue this career?
A: Only do this if you are a lover of people and you are a positive problem solver.

Q: Is there anything that high schoolers should know about this job?
A: The airport is a 24/7 365 days a year operation. Plan on working some night shifts, holidays, and early hours. My days off once I had some seniority were Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I worked 10 hour days 5am-3pm. I retired after 30 years and now get to use what I learned as a volunteer leading the Women’s Ministry at Calvary Chapel Eastside. I also get to continue to use my flight benefits to travel around the world, paying only taxes.

Q: How did you deal with your problems while working for this job?
A: Attitude is everything. I went to work with a smile everyday and greeted each employee and customer with a smile. I made their day better AND made my day good. God gave me the gift of his joy and peace to share with everyone. Being grateful for his love and care for me gave me the ability to treat everyone with dignity and respect.

In conclusion, we can learn a lot from Lily. The advice she gives is excellent advice to be successful as an airline attendant or in any career. For example, the key for success is to be a people person and a positive problem solver. Be available to work overtime and holidays if needed. Finally, a positive attitude is everything.