Plz.......Plz.....................Plz....................HELP....................................

[tulip007]

hi, guys

I want to become a Flight Attendant at UNITED Airlines, but do hv few questions that needed to be cleared.

#1. What is the real pay of FA at UNITED as of right now?

#2. On the Careerbuilder website they are currently hiring for BOSTON base and they say that 75 hrs. avaible per month. That's means FAs only work 75 hrs/month? Don't they work 160 hrs/months like other people?

#3. For example, If the flight is non-stop with 14 hrs., Do FAs work all 14 hrs. straight?

#4. Anyone on this FORUM recently accepted at UNITED as FA? If you're than how is experience working there, hw was training, base pay, interviews, etc................


thanks a lot........................

plz......plz..........plz....................help.....................
..thanks

 

[Bear96]

Hi tulip,

I was a UA F/A until a couple of years ago. I was waiting for someone with more current info to jump in and answer your questions, but I'll answer what I can.

1. My best guess is that you will make (gross) about $20K in your first year. I made low $20Ks my first year, which was quite a while ago (10+ years), but with all the givebacks my understanding is it is back to around that level or worse.

2. F/A pay is based on flight time, which is much less than duty time. Duty time is total time on duty (including checking in an hour or so before departure, and sitting for many hours between flights). Flight time is gate-to-gate time only (door closing and pushback to door opening upon arrival). Generally, only actual flight time is paid time. So you will easily be on duty 160 hrs/month like "other people," but will only be paid for your flight time, which is often only around 75 hours per month -- although you may approach 100 paid hours on some busy months.

3. On a nonstop 14-hr flight, you will get a 2-3 hour break at some point during the flight.

Any current or more recent UA F/As, feel free to correct me if something I said is no longer accurate.

 

[USCREW]

So Tulip, who do you really want work for, or do you just want a flight attendant job anywhere since you also posted elsewhere.

 

[tulip007]

So Tulip, who do you really want work for, or do you just want a flight attendant job anywhere since you also posted elsewhere.

hi, uscrew

first, so sorry to confuse.................

I wonna apply at both, and see which one I get accepted to. UNITED is hiring for BOSTON and CONTINENTAL is hiring for NEWARK.............since I live in NYC, either one be good location to move near airports.............thanks

hi, bear96

thanks a lot for your help..............................it was very helpful...................thanks again

 

[USCREW]

hi, uscrew

first, so sorry to confuse.................

I wonna apply at both, and see which one I get accepted to. UNITED is hiring for BOSTON and CONTINENTAL is hiring for NEWARK.............since I live in NYC, either one be good location to move near airports.............thanks

hi, bear96

thanks a lot for your help..............................it was very helpful...................thanks again

Hi Tulip,

There are others:

Jet Blue JFK
US Airways LGA
and I'm not sure but I'm thinking that AA has a base in NY, and NW BOS?

 

[s80dude]

Hi Tulip,

There are others:

Jet Blue JFK
US Airways LGA
and I'm not sure but I'm thinking that AA has a base in NY, and NW BOS?

Don't hold your breath on American. Yes, we do have a Boston base (DOM and INTL) but the company seems hell-bent not to recall anyone, and thus eventually new hires

 

[TWskyliner]

Don't hold your breath on American. Yes, we do have a Boston base (DOM and INTL) but the company seems hell-bent not to recall anyone, and thus eventually new hires

You got that right s80dude, look for AA to hire in 1 year and 361 days...when the last furloughee falls off the list.

 

[JAMAKE1]

I believe that starting pay for new hire UA flight attendants is $17.56 per (flight) hour. With the contractual changes in recent years, most UA flight attendants fly closer to 90 hours per month or more. There is a quarterly maximum. As a reserve F/A, you will also receive an hourly reserve over-ride, which I believe is around $1.50 per hour (on top of your hourly base pay). There are other pay factors as well, including 5 holidays per year (down from 10 in the golden years), holding pay (for holding at gate with passengers onboard aircraft), as well as per diem ($1.50 per hour domestic, $1.75 per hour international). We really took a big hit in our hourly per diem rates during the last round of concessions. Also, you can earn additional pay for understaffing ($5 per flight hour for each understaffed F/A).
The down side of being based in Boston is that the base is purely a domestic base so the chances of being assigned an international trip is pretty remote (unless DCA is very short on reserve F/A's). The up-side is that BOS flies alot of the westcoast trans-cons (LAX/SFO) and the BOS base is fairly small and as a group, are a fairly close-knit bunch. If you go to the United AFA website at unitedafa.net you will be able to find additional information on pay-scales and workrules. Hope this is helpful...

 

[tulip007]

I believe that starting pay for new hire UA flight attendants is $17.56 per (flight) hour. With the contractual changes in recent years, most UA flight attendants fly closer to 90 hours per month or more. There is a quarterly maximum. As a reserve F/A, you will also receive an hourly reserve over-ride, which I believe is around $1.50 per hour (on top of your hourly base pay). There are other pay factors as well, including 5 holidays per year (down from 10 in the golden years), holding pay (for holding at gate with passengers onboard aircraft), as well as per diem ($1.50 per hour domestic, $1.75 per hour international). We really took a big hit in our hourly per diem rates during the last round of concessions. Also, you can earn additional pay for understaffing ($5 per flight hour for each understaffed F/A).
The down side of being based in Boston is that the base is purely a domestic base so the chances of being assigned an international trip is pretty remote (unless DCA is very short on reserve F/A's). The up-side is that BOS flies alot of the westcoast trans-cons (LAX/SFO) and the BOS base is fairly small and as a group, are a fairly close-knit bunch. If you go to the United AFA website at unitedafa.net you will be able to find additional information on pay-scales and workrules. Hope this is helpful...

thanks a lottt..........I currently live on Eastcoast, but my preffered choice is LAX, coz its large, great city, etc...........I hope I get LAX.......Keeping my fingers crossed.............

Do they tell which base I will be assigned to in the first round of interview(with SPHERION agency)?

Does anyone know more detail on what they do in 3 hours of SPHERION interview?

Does United fly any flights to INDIA at all? I speak INDIAN languages, so just wondering........I tried to search United flights in INDIA, but it seems that they used to before but, noe they don't..............Is it true?

JAMAKE1,

what is UNDERSTAFFING?
Is that mean there are less F/As than required on flight?

thanks..............

 

[JAMAKE1]

what is UNDERSTAFFING?
Is that mean there are less F/As than required on flight?

It means just that. United once served Delhi from both London Heathrow and Hong Kong, but service was suspended after 9/11.

United just announced service to Kuwait and I would not be surprised to see the company re-enter India in the not-too-distant future. Your Indian language could prove useful as UA funnels many Indian customers through Frankfurt to connect with Lufthansa's service to Bombay.

As a new-hire reserve, regardless of weather it's LAX or BOS, don't expect to fly solely international. You will get a mix of both, but LAX has lost alot of its international flying post 9/11. Many of the senior babes from LAX have transferred up to SFO to take advantage of the better international flying there.

Contractually, I still believe (even with two rounds of concessions) that we have it better than most relative to the rest of the industry. I believe that UA is the only airline that pays holiday pay. And reserve over-ride is $1.86 per hour, not $1.50. Additionally, we have other work-rules such as trip guarantee, 8 in 24 (meaning you cannot work over 8 hours in a 24-hour period, domestically) and 30 in 7 (meaning you cannot work over 30 hours in a 7 day period). These are waivable, but waiving legalities is very discouraged since our union fought very hard to secure these quality-of-life provisions in our contract.

The profession has changed significantly since 9/11 and bankruptcy. We are working harder and more hours for less pay, but at the end of the day, we don't take our work home with us. There are still desirable layovers (I am spending 26 hours in Maui tomorrow), and what other job pays you to sleep on the job? At the same time, the reality is that as a reserve you can be called for 5 a.m. check-ins in Burbank, which LAX-based flight attendants have to cover as well as LAX. Keep this in mind: Los Angeles is a difficult place to navigate without a car.

Make sure that you have all the facts so that you do not set yourself up for disappointment. Reserves are guaranteed a minimum of 11 days off per month. The trips can be grueling domestically with long duty days and layovers at an airport hotel. While the compensation is lower, the benefits, in particularly the medical and dental, and travel benefits (if you plan right) are still better than most. I recently travelled in First Class across the Atlantic to Amsterdam and returned from Munich (in First Class) for a minimal price.

The glory days in the airline business are over, but you can still make this job work for you. Just don't romanticize that you will will fly one leg and layover by the pool sipping daquaries on your layover. While that could happen, you have to recognize 13 hour duty days with long airport sits and field layovers at an airport hotel with early check-ins and multiple legs per day, can be the norm.

 

[tulip007]

thanks a million.................JAMAKE1...for giving such a great info.....................

What is RESERVE OVERRIDE?.....Is it for both Domestic and Int'l?.............

What is PURSER?.......How can one become PURSER?

Can FA work UNDERSTAFFING all the time, if he/she wants to make more $$$$?



plz............tell me If I am right calculating hourly pay for Domestic FA...................According to this table: http://www.unitedafa.org/res/nh/dfap.aspx#drates

DOMESTIC HOURLY RATE$17.22) +
DOMESTIC EXPENSES$1.50) +
DOMESTIC PREMIUMS(B-737, A320, B-757, A319 Series Purser)$1.87) + LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PAY$0.83)
= $21.42 total hourly pay for new hired UNITED Domestic FA...............Am I right?

Do they pay more money to FAs who live in California, since its expensive place?

 

[Fly]

You can't work Purser until you've been flying for a year. To work as a wide-body or any international purser, you must go through another training and be selected. They do not offer the training often and a lot of people do not pass.

There is no difference in pay in relation to where you live.

Reserve overide is for both domestic and international.

Understaffing happens only if United did not properly staff the airplane the day of the flight. # of flight attendants / # of passengers. (not something to ever count on)

Don't count on the language $$ either. That only applies to the international flights where the language qualified f/a has been scheduled to work. If you are not the designated language f/a (and you speak the language anyways) you still do not get paid for it. The LQ may help you get hired but it won't pay you just because you possess the skills.

Once in awhile, depending upon your base, you will fly international. Count on the domestic pay, per diem, monthly guarantee and reserve overide....if you can afford that, you'll be fine. Do not count on extra hours or premium pay, it will seriously be discouraging.

If you'd really like to see more of the f/a lifestyle, go to www.flightattendants.org