The interview process involved with becoming an American Airlines flight attendant can be a long, multi-step process.
So don’t be surprised if it takes four to five months to receive an invitation to the in-person interview in Dallas, Texas.
Once you do have that invitation, this article will help you prepare for the types of questions you will be asked.
As a former AA flight attendant, I will briefly provide examples of the types of questions you will be asked by your interview team and give you some advice on how to successfully answer them.
Q – What Is The Reason for Leaving Your Last Job?
Ans: Avoid talking about negative comments for the previous employer. When you talk about your previous role, talk about the opportunities and challenges you will get to work with at American Airlines.
How Long is the American Airlines Flight Attendant Interview?
My face to face interview with American lasted 16 hours, from the time I got to the airport in the morning, to the time I landed back in my hometown.
The actual interview takes about 6 hours if you are lucky enough to make it past the moment of truth.
It’s a long day, but it’s nothing unusual for a flight attendant, so just think of it as a day-in-the-life.
2) Skills Related Questions
When asked a skills related question be sure to place your skills within the context of the job.
Here are two examples:
Describe that situation and relate it to how you would use what you learned from that experience to be a successful flight attendant.
I don’t care how you would actually answer this question, repeat after me, “I like to work with others.”
You love people, that’s why you want to work for the airline in the first place.
The next two questions are questions I was asked at my American airlines face to face interview.
You have to do better than: “because I want to travel,” when answering this question.
My answer was something along the lines of, “I want to be a flight attendant because I have a curious soul and I want to be in a career that allows me to meet new people, learn new things, and have new experiences every time I come to work.”
Be honest in your answer, but then reassure the recruiter that challenge is a good thing because it is a source of personal growth, this will give your answer a positive tone.
For example, “I think it will be challenging to be away from my family during holidays, but I know that this will only make the time we are together sweeter and I know my family will understand that my absence is worth it because I will be literally helping to bring other families together during the holidays.”
You could, however, also talk about jet-lag, getting used to loneliness, learning how to not take it personally when a passenger insults you.
Just always make sure you approach the question with a growth-mindset.
These questions are usually meant to throw you for a loop.
The recruiter will be observing how you handle the unexpected and your ability to think on your feet. They will also ask these questions in order to learn more about your personality, interests, and what makes you tick.
Here are a few examples:
If you get this question, keep in mind that airlines are very conscious of what their employees are doing on social media. Flight Attendants have been fired in the past for bad behavior on social media.
I think the important things to emphasize are the positive, (it brings people closer together no matter where they are located in the world) and the negative (social media is very public, and people are constantly judging others based on what they say and do on SoMe.)
Let your personality and interests shine through on this question.
I was asked it at my interview too and I answered, “I can’t leave home without a notebook. I love writing poetry and I like being able to write things down by hand.”