(Last updated on: 13/12/2021)

Today I bring to you an interview with Melina Pakidis who has been working as Cabin Crew since 2014. Here’s what she had to say about her Cabin Crew experience at Emirates and Lufthansa!

1. Which airlines have you worked for?

2. What is the Cabin Crew application process like?

The application process is different for every airline. There are two way to apply for Emirates, either online or going to one of their castings. For Emirates I attended a cabin crew casting. Emirates have castings in every big city throughout the year. I went to the one in Frankfurt/ Germany. You have to go through different stages like introduction, role plays, an English test etc. If you are lucky, they invite you to a one-on-one interview the next day!

With Lufthansa I applied online and got invited to an interview straight away. On the day of the interview you first have to pass an English test, and after that you talk to a psychologist. I would say the Emirates application process was a bit harder. You had to go through different stages and the competition was very big – there were people from all over the world.

3. What is the Cabin Crew assessment day like? 

The assessment days consist of:

• an introduction round
• role plays
• different scenarios on board an English test
• a reaching test
• tattoo check
• a one on one interview.

4. Whats was the Cabin Crew training like? 

The trainings were about the same length. Usually it takes about 3 months for service, emergency and safety training. With Emirates training you are based in Dubai, and your training takes place at an aviation school. For Lufthansa training you are based either in Munich or Frankfurt, and that’s where your training takes place.

5. What was the Cabin Crew roster like? 

Your roster schedule is different every month depending on the airline you work for. The crew scheduling department usually forms a new roster every month. If you are lucky you get to request flights and sometimes you even get to swap or change flights. With Lufthansa I’m working 6 months full time (up to 80 hours) and 6 months part time (up to 50 hours). I pretty much get to choose my flights myself, based on my seniority. You get to request a main request and one additional back-up request.

6. What was the Cabin Crew salary like? 

The salary is always different, depending on the airline. You usually get a fixed salary and your flying hours on top. The fixed salary is usually around 10,000-13,000. You also get paid for every hour you work over time. With Emirates, the salary was actually tax free.

7. What were the best parts about working as Cabin Crew for Emirates & Lufthansa? 

The best thing abut working for Emirates was the lifestyle and just being part of such a big company. Emirates is one of the best airlines in the world. People come from all over the globe and you get to visit the most exotic places. Also you have a lot of opportunities, like working for PR (advertisement etc). You get a lot of benefits when living in Dubai like hotel discounts, car rental discounts, beach clubs and so on.

The best thing about Lufthansa is the freedom. You get to basically chose how often you want to work and where you want to fly to. You get to make a lot of decisions and be independent in your job. The working conditions are very good!

8. What were the worst parts about working as Cabin Crew for Emirates & Lufthansa? 

I don’t think there are very many bad things about the job. Of course you have some good days and some bad days, like in any job. Sometimes they will send you to a country you’re not very happy about or sometimes you have annoying passengers but in general it is a very exciting job.

9. What advice would you give to people hoping to become Cabin Crew? 

The best advice would be to know that it is very fun but it is also such hard work!