Employment Facts:
Flight attendants held about 90,500 jobs in 2010. Most of these jobs were with commercial airlines. Others were with corporations or chartered flight companies. Flight attendants are typically on duty 12 to 14 hours but working on international flights may require more time. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates that there is at least a nine hour break between two on-duty periods. Flight attendants often work evenings, weekends and holidays.
Those who are new to this occupation work reserve status, which means they are on call and can be called to work at any time. Fortunately, more regular schedules come with seniority.