Many of us considered becoming flight attendants in our youth as a job in the skies promises travel to exotic locations and plenty of fun.
But, it seems that not every part of the cabin crew lifestyle is ‘glamorous’ – as Love Island bombshell Lucinda Strafford told the Daily Star exclusively.
The gorgeous reality TV star worked as a flight attendant for British Airways before being made redundant and going on to be a wealthy influencer.
READ MORE: Flight attendant turned Love Island star spills BA secrets – like strict uniform rule
Lucinda has over 825,000 followers, @lucindastrafford, after appearing on the hit ITV show, but once she dreamed of being an air hostess like her mum.
However, the glam influencer warns that not everybody makes the cut, due to the tough training course that you need to undergo if you want the job.
(Image: Lucinda Stafford)
Speaking to the Daily Star’s travel team, Lucinda said: “The training process from memory was about 8 weeks long.
“I remember finding this very intense, and worried that I would get kicked off the course if I didn’t pass certain tests.
“We get ‘strikes’ and I think if you get three strikes on the course then you’re out!”
There’s also a lot to learn when you’re trying to become a member of cabin crew – after all, the safety of the passengers is paramount.
Lucinda noted: “There was a lot of practical in the training course but also a lot of theory and questionnaire tests. If you failed one of these you would have to come in the next day and re-do this.
“If you failed this time then there is a possibility you will get kicked off the course.”
(Image: Lucinda Strafford)
Flight attendants have to learn safety protocols, what to do in an emergency, how to handle disruptive and drunk passengers, as well as facing plenty more challenges to be found flight-worthy.
Some staff can be given extra training to work in business or first class with more demanding customers.
Lucinda explained: “You get no freebies, and no extra tips. I did like working in business class, but depending on how big that cabin was on the aircraft, it could actually be more work than economy.”
All in all, Lucinda chose not to return to the flight attendant life after being made redundant, as she claims it didn’t meet her expectations.
(Image: Lucinda Strafford)
She admitted: “The job wasn’t as glamorous as I expected, compared to when my mum flew years ago as cabin crew.”
Her salary was also a deciding factor.
The Love Island star told Daily Star: “After my basic salary and my hourly rate on top of this, I was getting around £1700 a month, but this did vary depending on how much of my hourly rate I used when I was abroad when working for long haul.
“This is because you can directly use this as a credit when you get to a hotel abroad and they take it away from your monthly salary.”
Now, Lucinda often flies away for far-flung holidays and has spent time in the sun and sea in Ibiza, Crete, Marbella, the Dominican Republic, California and more this year.
(Image: Lucinda Strafford)
But, she previously told us that her favourite place to travel when she was working for BA was the Caribbean.
Lucinda said: “I loved Barbados, that was always my favourite! I used to sometimes go there three to four times in a month, but each time it was only usually for one night.
“I was really lucky to have gone on a three night Maldives, that was also one of my absolute favourites.”
A British Airways spokesperson told the Daily Star: “While it’s disappointing to hear this view from one of our former cabin crew, we offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package that compares favourably with other airlines.”
The BA training package is competitive and always in-demand and benefits of the role include travel concessions for the employee and their companions.
Would you love to work as a flight attendant or not? Tell us why in the comments…
READ MORE: