I’ve been a corporate flight attendant for 16 years now and my job allows me to meet and interact with many famous people. Celebrities, Rockstars, Politicians, Foreign Dignitaries, former Presidents, Professional Athletes and Billionaire Internet Entrepreneurs to just name a few, without actually naming them.  I get to live vicariously through my clients. If they are going around the world promoting a new movie then the flight crew is typically invited to some, if not all the premieres.  If we’re flying around a band on tour, then the crew is generally invited to the concerts, given backstage access and attends many of the after parties.

These are just some of the experiences and events we are afforded by being a crew member on private jets. The celebrities allow us into their worlds, often treating us like friends or family. (Check out a previous post regarding me having Thanksgiving dinner at Sting & Trudie’s house one year.) Private jet flight attendants and pilots can become spoiled because we truly live above our means when on the road. We stay a great hotels, even luxury ones…we are given a daily per diem, our rental cars and other means of transportation are paid for etc.. It’s like getting paid to go on a vacation.  I’ve been blessed to have been able to travel the world, see some amazing sites and have some unbelievable adventures, all the while getting paid to do it! Corporate flight attendants and pilots get paid for every day that we are away from our home base, mine being Los Angeles, whether we are actually flying or not. Cool, right?!

I’ve given you some of the pro’s of what I do, now let me give you some of the cons.

On the flip side, I’ve missed out on many events with my friends and family over the years…birthdays, weddings, births, funerals, showers, receptions etc… So much so that many are not in my life anymore.  I live out of a suitcase and I’m on-call 24/7. It’s hard to plan vacations or even getaways because of my spontaneous work schedule, plus I work for myself so sometimes it can  feel like a constant hustle.

It can be a lonely existence on the road. Sometimes you are in romantic locales like Bora Bora, Tahiti (which I was in last week) but you have no one to share the moment with. I’ve seen hundreds (if not thousands) of places over the years that I wished I had someone I cared about to view them with. Most private jets only have 1 flight attendant so you’re constantly by yourself. Another downside, if you’re single it’s impossible to have a pet, specifically a dog and  I’m a dog lover!

Being a corporate flight attendant is more of a lifestyle than a job or career. It gets into your blood, when your feet are on the ground too long we become restless and are ready to take to the skies again. It could be compared to an addict that starts to “jones” if they don’t get their fix. Therein lies the rub with this profession.

If anyone is interested in learning more about becoming a corporate flight attendant and the requirements, check out my company website @ http://www.jetsetaviation.com.  We train and certify those wanting careers as corporate flight attendants.