Answer:
 
This is a great question to start off the new year! Although we have addressed it before, this is a perfect time to review the flight attendant minimum qualifications.

One of the first steps in evaluating a flight attendant career
is determining whether you qualify for the position. Every
airline has a set of minimum hiring requirements. If you have
taken our flight attendant pre-qualification test, you
should already have a pretty good idea if you are employable as
a flight attendant.

In this issue, we will address some of the minimum requirements
for consideration as a flight attendant. In the next issue, we
will continue the discussion. This issue, we address minimum
requirements for age and height.

ATTENTION MEMBERS: Be sure to use the airline directory pull-
down menu in the upper left corner of the Evaluation and
Application Centers to get a listing of specific minimum hiring
requirements for each airline. If you want to compare all
airlines at once based on a particular minimum requirement, use
the handy comparison charts (Quickie Charts) found on the
Members home page.

So how important are these minimum requirements? They are
critical to your future as a flight attendant. If you do not
meet the minimum hiring requirements (especially in the areas of
age, height, education, and citizenship) for a particular
airline, you are not qualified for the job. Keep in mind,
however, these are only minimum requirements. To truly separate
yourself from the competition and improve your chances of
getting hired, you must have something more to offer, such as
solid customer service experience, a higher education, excellent
communication skills, or the ability to speak a second language.
Most airlines use a weighting system, assigning you a score
based on your level of qualification; this score then determines
whether you will advance in the application process.

If you are certain you do not meet the minimum hiring
requirements for a particular airline, do not bother applying
(until you do), since you won't even make it past the first
interview.
 
Age  

Age is a firm requirement. You either meet the minimum age
requirement or you do not. Airlines won't waiver on this. The
minimum allowable age for some U.S. airlines is 18, but most
require you to be at least 20 or 21.

The age requirement is usually based on the age you will be upon
graduation from training. So, if you are not at the minimum age
at the time of your initial application, but will reach that age
during training, you can still apply for the job.

With increased hiring now underway, airlines are constantly
lowering their minimum age requirements in order to broaden
their audience of prospective applicants. AirlineCareer.com
updates these minimum qualification requirements on a regular
basis (members only).

If you do not meet the minimum age requirement for a particular
airline, you can still apply for another position within the
airline as a reservationist or customer service agent, which
usually have lower minimum age requirements. As an employee of
the airline, you would greatly improve your chances of getting
hired in the future since most airlines prefer to hire from
within rather than take chances on unproven newcomers.

You could also spend this time improving your chances of
becoming a flight attendant by taking enrichment courses (such
as learning a second language) or getting experience in customer
service outside of the airline industry. Customer service
experience can be as complex as working as a Dell Technical
Support Representative or as simple as working the drive-thru
window at Taco Bell. It all counts.
   
Due to discrimination issues, there are no maximum age
requirements. In fact, in every flight attendant class, there is
always a small percentage of "older" new-hires. Because there is
no age limit, many people are pursuing second careers as flight
attendants - and are gladly accepted because of their experience
and level of maturity. Do not ever think you are too old to
apply for a flight attendant position. A recent class of 100 new
hires at a major airline had 7 people between the ages of 40 and
49, 5 people between the ages of 50 and 59, and 1 person over
60!
 
Height

Most flight attendants are between 5'2" and 5'9" tall. Outside
of this normal range, certain airlines have minimum and maximum
height requirements.

A very short person may have difficulty reaching the overhead
compartments in an airplane, which are typically between 6' and
6'10" inches high. Some airlines have no minimum height
requirement, but do require you to pass a reach test. The reach
test is nothing more than a demonstration of your ability to
reach all the necessary components inside an airplane's cabin.
 
You can perform a reach test on your own. Simply grab a tape
measure, measure out a distance of 6'10" from the floor, and
mark it on the wall. If you can reach the mark in bare feet,
chances are you will pass any airline's reach test.
 
If you find you do not meet the minimum height requirement for
any of the major airlines, do not let this discourage you. You
can always apply to be a flight attendant for a commuter
airline; commuter aircraft are much smaller, making height less
critical.
 
Conversely, if you are a little on the tall side, most major
airlines' maximum height requirement is right around 6'2". If
you are taller than 6'2", keep in mind that you will be working
in small galleys and may find it difficult to work 8-hour days
in such a cramped environment.
 
In the next issue: Weight and Health, Education, and Customer Service Requirements.

 
Good luck!  

Email your questions to: asktherecruiter@airlinecareer.com