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Ever wanted to hear the nitty-gritty about being a Flight Attendant? Well, Travelzoo has an article published in the Huffington Post with just that.

We sat down with a flight attendant at a major passenger airline to learn what it’s like being part of the cabin crew — from her passenger pet peeves to the perks of inter-country commuting.

Here’s a sampling of the discussion:

What does it take to become a flight attendant?

You wouldn’t think that a lot of people would be willing to take significant pay cuts, relocate to a new city, remain on call and be away from home for extended periods of time just to fly the friendly skies. However, when a flight attendant position opens up for a major airline, the applications come in droves. The numbers are incredible; it is upwards of 50,000 from what I have heard. Out of that, only about 1,200 are hired and invited to start initial training.

The training varies from airline to airline, but you must complete standards that are set by the Federal Aviation Administration and the company. Specifically, we learn how to arm doors so the emergency door slides are ready for deployment during a flight and disarm them upon arrival. We learn how to handle various emergency and medical situations, and we complete yearly training to stay certified.

And I’ve always wondered about this:

What flexibility do you have as far as giving out free drinks and seat upgrades?

We have a little flexibility when it comes to drinks, but whenever we land, we must submit an inventory that has to match the sales. Seat upgrades are a little trickier. The agents handle upgrades because they have access to how many miles passengers have, their frequent flyer status and other information. Flight attendants are not involved in those decisions.

Travel perks, unruly passengers and other points addressed here: Huffington Post.

More stories about careers.

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