I could fly for free, but only if a seat was open, as well as access discount crew-only shops.
I spent nearly 10 years as a flight attendant for the now-grounded Ukraine International Airlines, flying up to 12 hours to destinations across Europe, Asia, and North America. The job gave me a firsthand look at nearly everything that goes on behind the scenes in commercial air travel.
Passengers often see the glamorous side of the job — sightseeing during overnights and traveling for free anytime I want. And while these are certainly some of the best perks, they don't always reflect what life as a flight attendant is actually like.
There were less ritzy realities: constant jet lag, hours on my feet, sharing hotel rooms, and strict beauty standards governing everything from my makeup and hair to my nails and body size.
While my airline shut down operations shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, I left the role in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since moved to Canada, where I work as a journalist.
Now, on the other side of the industry, I still think about what I wish people knew about being a flight attendant. Here are 10 things passengers frequently misunderstand about the job.
My pay fluctuated every month.
Flight disruptions meant I often worked with barely any pay. Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
Aircraft maintenance and weather disruptions meant my paycheck fluctuated month to month.
UIA flight attendants had a base rate covering pre-flight briefings, boarding, and training days, but our average rate was highest once wheels were up. And on international flights — like a same-day trip to and from Rome — we got $50 per diem. If a delay pushed our return past midnight into a second calendar day, we were paid that per diem twice.
However, if a flight was canceled before pushback, I walked away having earned almost nothing. I did get extra daily pay during international overnights, as well as a bonus for the extra workload when I was on a three-person cabin crew with more than 100 passengers.
Overall, I made between $1,000 and $1,500 a month, far below the pay of similarly senior flight attendants at many other Western airlines, especially in the US, where they can make six figures a year. But my salary was good compared to the rest of Ukraine, where the average monthly pay was about $500 pre-war.
I could fly for free, but only if a seat was open.
The author in Barcelona, where she flew using her standby benefits. Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
Everyone assumes flight attendants fly around the world for free whenever we want, but my personal off-duty travel was a total gamble.
While I had a few confirmed-seat tickets a year, everything else was strictly standby, meaning I could only fly for free if there was a seat open, and I still usually paid taxes and fees. I could see flight loads in advance to gauge whether I'd get on the flight, but I couldn't predict last-minute bookings or long standby lists.
I've spent so many days off sitting at the gate with my bags packed just to watch the plane take off without me because paying passengers always came first. This has led to unexpected overnights in foreign cities and vacations getting cut short. My family members got discounted tickets under those exact same nerve-racking rules.
But when things worked out, I was giddy with excitement, and I visited places I never would have otherwise. Among my favorite trips were to Spain, Montenegro, and Egypt.
I sometimes had to share hotel rooms.
The author is pictured in her own room in Astana, Kazakhstan, during an overnight. Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
Passengers picture every crew member relaxing in their own private hotel rooms during overnights — and that's largely true — but UIA operated differently from many other major airlines.
While pilots always got their own separate rooms, flight attendants had to share. This meant I was often bunking with someone I'd only met hours earlier. It was weird at first, but, at the time, I didn't know other airlines gave crew members individual rooms, so I adapted to it. The schedule also listed who my roommate would be weeks in advance.
Once I built up seniority, however, I earned a unique perk: Whenever we had an uneven number of crew members on a trip, I got the single room to myself.
I had to follow strict beauty rules.
My uniform had to be pressed and perfect. Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
There was an unspoken appearance check before every flight to ensure I met the airline's strict hair, makeup , and uniform standards.
For example, I had to maintain clear skin, manicured nails, a slim figure, and a neat and tidy bun. I eventually chopped my hair into a bob to make it easier to style.
I rarely flew with people I already knew.
Despite the grooming rules, I loved my airline cabin crew career. Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
When passengers saw my crew laughing together in the galley, they often assumed we had known each other for years. That's far from the truth. More often than not, I'd walk into the plane without knowing a single person on the crew, including the pilots.
When I first started, that threw me off. But turning total strangers into a tight, seamlessly functioning crew at 35,000 feet in under 10 minutes — especially once I was promoted to senior flight attendant — became a superpower.
I always packed my own meals.
Food often tastes different at higher altitudes. Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images
Flight attendants were usually served business-class meals, and our captains and first officers were required to eat different dishes to prevent simultaneous food poisoning.
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