How to become an Air Hostess

The job of an air hostess can be both adventurous and glamorous at the same time.Can you imagine yourself up there in the skies, with the fleecy white clouds surrounding you, and finding yourself so far away from your familiar surroundings on the earth? Sensational? Yes. Nerve racking ? No, unless you want it to be so.

With the increasing international trade and commerce, the major means of international transport-the airways has boomed immensely. There
are numerous airlines operating domestic flights as well as those across the continents. As a consequence, the demand for professional air hostesses has grown massively. By and large the remunerations are attractive and hence young boys and girs make a beeline to various airlines for recruitment as air hostesses and flight stewards.

Listed below are some points which an individual must bear in mind if he or she is planning to opt for a career in the skies:

The minimum educational qualifications are higher secondary(10+2).Graduates are preferred.
The aspiring air hostesses should be unmarried.
The girls ahould have a minimum height of 157 cms approx and boys around 170 cms.
The.individual should have a pleasing personality and appearance.
The individual should not be excessively overweight or obese.Such people are a hindrance rather than a help.
The person should have good eyesight. Spectacles are not allowed.
A good, shapely figure would prove an asset for girls.
Knowlege of a few regional languages and one or more international languages is a must.
Excellent communication skills are required.
A pleasant voice would definitely be an asset.
A tremendous amount of patience and level-headedness is required..
The individual must be capable of coping with irregular and long hours of work and be capable of withstanding strain.

In all the metropolitan cities of India there are a sizeable number of private institutions who impart to the aspirants the basic skills to qualify in the interview, the basic art of hospitality, etiquette,table manners, make-up and personal grooming etal.The duration of such elementary courses are between a couple of weeks and 2-3 months. The fees are to the tune of Rs 8-10,000 for the entire period. These instituions claim to provide as high as 80-90% placement.

Most of the major airlines advertise for recruitment of new staff in the leading dailies and magazines. Though quite often it also takes place by word of mouth. The procedure generally involves a written test (testing basic skills of language comprehension, mathematical and reasoning ability , general knowledge et al.) followed by a personal interview.

The freshly recruited men and women are made to undergo intensive in-house training by the respective airlines which includes history of civil aviation, catering, first-aid, fire-fighting, rudiments of aeronautical sciences and so forth.

The initial pay packages begins as low as Rs10,000 though the sky is the limit.The internationally renowned airlines offer better deals. Other basic perks provided e.g. leave, medical facilities, overnight and long haul allowances, uniform allowances etc are determined by individual companies.