Feature Friday – @flywithjenna
Welcome to another Feature Friday post! In the past year I have created so many friendships with flight attendants, travel bloggers and craft beerstagrammers! I really wanted to start showing off some of my favorite people that I’ve met and start building up a community of like minded people.
If you’d like to be a part of Feature Friday please email me: willtravelforbeer@thehoppyflightattendant.com
Below meet @fly.with.jenna a flight attendant & photographer in Charlotte. Plus she has an adorable dog and I’m loving her DIY furniture remodels she’s been doing on her page lately. Check out her instagram & her blog here: www.flywithjenna.net
Why did you decide to become a flight attendant and how was your hiring process?
I decided to become a flight attendant because I was nearing college graduation and the thought of being an intern bringing someone coffee at an office job was just not what I wanted to do. I was actually laying in the pool with my best friend and an airplane flew overhead. She said “You should be a flight attendant!” At first, I laughed at her, but then I really started looking into it. And I mean I researched EVERYTHING. I even knew the questions they were going to ask at the interview by looking at online forums of people who had gone in. This really helped me because I had time to think about what I was going to say and feel really prepared. But I knew the odds were not good at getting hired so I tried to not get my hopes up. Out of the 100 of us that they flew out to Charlotte that day, they hired 7. I was SO nervous the whole interview. When they put the 7 of us in a room and told us we were hired, I just about cried haha.
What is your favorite thing about being a flight attendant? & the worst thing?
My favorite thing about being a flight attendant (aside from the obvious travel perks), is how nothing is ever the same so it doesn’t feel so mundane. I feel like this is why people are able to keep this job for so long. You always fly with a new crew, a new layover, and new passengers and I don’t ever feel bored!
My least favorite thing is being away from home. It was super exciting to me at first and I didn’t mind it for the first couple of years. But now, I have a husband and a dog that I hate leaving. And after a while, you just miss your own bed, shower, and refrigerator haha.
The scariest thing that’s happened on the job?
One time, we were flying to Minneapolis and a little over halfway into the flight, the captain calls the flight attendants and says that we are experiencing a decompression and that we will be on the ground in 10 minutes. He makes an announcement next to the passengers and the cabin goes eerily silent. It was crazy nobody said a word! People were putting their heads between their knees because some were feeling lightheaded but nobody even asked me a single question! I had never felt an airplane descend as fast as we did. When we landed, the captain said that it was the gauge that was broken and not the plane so we were actually okay. But it was definitely one of those moments when your training kicks in!
Favorite place you travelled to with your flight benefits?
One of my favorite places I’ve gone would probably be France. There’s just something about Europe that is so charming and fun to explore!
What advice do you have for new or aspiring flight attendants?
Don’t give up! The hiring process can be extremely tough. Do all of your research before the interview because the information is out there! You can read about what sort of questions they ask you on Glassdoor and things like that. It never hurts to be over-prepared! I have had friends interview 3 times before landing the job so don’t give up!
Favorite Layover & Why?
My favorite layover is definitely Hawaii. Hawaii just has so much to offer. Mountains, beach, restaurants, culture, etc. When I first started, I went there so much that I started to even make friends on the island. There’s something about that island that will always feel like home even though I’ve never lived there.
How has Covid affected you? Will you be making a lot of big life changes this year?
I’ve been flying through the entire pandemic and it’s definitely been weird to see the airports and airplanes go from completely full, to empty, and back to completely full. From the company not allowing flight attendants to wear masks, to making masks mandatory. From doing a full drink service to doing no drink service at all. It really is just such crazy times!
I definitely have made a lot of life changes this year! My husband and I moved across the country from Phoenix to Charlotte in March and are now building our first home! Covid definitely makes me nervous for the future of my job especially when we just made such a big purchase. But it taught me to not take anything for granted! It will be interesting to see what happens come October 1st. There’s definitely a possibility of a furlough. But I do have confidence the airline industry will bounce back quickly once we have a vaccine and people feel comfortable flying again!
What do you wish everyone knew about flight attendants?
That when we tell you what to do on the airplane, we aren’t doing it to be mean or annoying. We are telling you for your own safety and the people around you. I think this is a common misconception that a lot of passengers don’t understand.
What is this job to you? A career? Just for fun? Do you have another job or side hustle?
I wasn’t sure if this job would be a career at first, but now I think it kind of is. Flying just gets into your blood and I don’t think I could ever leave it for good. I am a photographer on the side though, because it’s fun to have a creative outlet. And the two kind of go together because I’m able to fly all around the country for weddings and shoots!
What 3 items do you always have with you?
I always have my own pillowcase (because hotels can be nasty haha), my own food (because eating out adds up quick), and a good book!
That’s all for this Feature Friday! Don’t forget to check out fly.with.jenna on instagram and her travel blog.
Did you miss last weeks Feature Friday? Check it out here!
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