The Stewardess Diaries

Chapter One: The Early Beginnings

Remember the good old days when being an air stewardess  was considered a glamorous career? Back when the airlines had strict physical requirements such as weight, appearance, age, etc. You had to be single, neat in appearance, no complexion problems or imperfect teeth, no older than 30 (depending on the airline), 105-135lbs (or in proportion of body height, high school graduate. Of course you don't remember.

The golden age of flying was magical. It was considered a luxury to travel. You would normally see business men and stylish women board and travel on those airplanes. They had manners, poise, elegance. They had most of the things people lack nowadays.

I didn't apply for this job to join the glamorous life of an air hostess. That doesn't exist anymore. I did it because I was starting to hate my job as a History Teacher. I was struggling financially. My social and romantic life sucked. Plus I wanted to go out there and travel.

It wasn't very hard to apply. Skytrek was actually the only airline I applied. A very well known airline that travels internationally. It was one of those airlines that have existed for decades and had a good reputation, for the most part. I submitted my application, had a video interview and a face to face interview all in two weeks. My boss was actually very supportive. His wife used to be a flight attendant for the same airline. He would tell me all this adventurous stories of their impromptu trips to Costa Rica and other countries in Central America. I spoke to his wife. She gave me a lot of good tips for my interview, including what sort of questions they asked and how I should respond to them. It was all about showing the airline my flexibility and ability to solve problems and offer customer service.

I nailed that interview. I was interviewed by three different people. I was offered the position that very same day. Lies. They told me they would send me an email next week. This was another way of saying "Thanks but no thanks." I knew it. I was so frustrated. I know I did very well with the interview questions. Was it because of my lack of customer service experience? I know my physical appearance had nothing to do. I dressed appropriately for the occasion. I know I did everything right.

After I got back to work two days later, my students asked how my interview went. I told them, with a smile on my face, that everything went fantastic, that I would receive an answer in the next few weeks. This all happened by the end of the school year. I did receive an email thanking me for my "interest in the flight attendant position", for my time I took to meet the recruiting staff to discuss my qualifications and work history, and how they encouraged to continue visiting their website for career opportunities OTHER THAN the flight attendant positions. I was determined not to return to work as a teacher the following August. So I decided to move to Florida with my mom and apply for other airlines.

I sold everything I owned. All my books, furniture, movies, appliances, my whole life. A week before my flight to Orlando I received an email from Skytrek. In the email they basically told me that they reviewed my file and spoke to the recruiters, and asked me if I was still interested in the flight attendant position. I was trilled! I responded immediately accepting the job. A couple of hours later they called me and started giving me instructions for the next steps.

I did move to Florida for a couple of weeks after all, then went to Flight Attendant Training in Texas for a little over a month. What a month!!