Flight Attendant Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)

Updated 26 June 2023

A career as a flight attendant can be rewarding if you like travelling and interacting with customers. You may typically sit for an interview to get the job in this role. Knowing what questions interviewers may ask and preparing for them can help increase your chances of advancing to the next stages of the interview. In this article, we discuss various flight attendant interview questions and provide sample answers to some common questions to help you prepare for your interview.

General Flight Attendant Interview Questions

Here are some general flight attendant interview questions that interviewers may ask you to assess your general traits and interests:

Tell me about yourself.
What do you find the most interesting about being a flight attendant?
What are the fundamental job duties of a flight attendant?
Are you fluent in any other languages apart from your mother tongue?
Do you prefer to work in a team or independently?
Why are you interested in working with this company?
What do you know about this company?
What does a typical work day look like for a flight attendant?
Have you been on a flight before?
Do you have any questions for us?

Questions About Experience And Background

These types of questions can help the interviewers know more about your past work experiences and your background. Here are some common questions about experience and background that the interviewers may ask:

Do you have any previous experience of working with an airline as a flight attendant?
What is the longest flight you have been on in your career so far?
How many years of experience do you have working in this role?
Tell us about your work history.
Tell us about your educational background.
Did someone refer you to this position? If so, who?
Do you have any certifications relevant to this position? What are they?
Do you have any prior customer service experience?
Tell us about a time when you received stellar customer service?
Do you think your previous work experience can apply to this position? If so, how?

In-Depth Flight Attendant Interview Questions

In-depth interview questions help the interviewers evaluate your customer service and problem-solving skills. They may also help them understand your critical thinking abilities and professional demeanour. Here are some in-depth interview questions interviewers may ask:

Give us an example of a time when you had to deal with an overly demanding customer on a flight.
Have you ever had to help a difficult or an upset customer? How did you manage the situation?
Have you ever had a conflict with a coworker? How did you resolve the conflict?
Describe a situation where you used communication to resolve an issue.
How would you manage a situation where a customer is being rude to another flight attendant?
What would you do in a situation where two customers are arguing over the same seat?
How would you handle a customer that was not following the airline rules on a flight?
How would you comfort a troubled or anxious passenger on a flight?
Tell us about a time when you made a positive influence on a customer.
Give us an example of a time when you witnessed unethical behaviour. How did you respond to the situation?

Interview Questions With Sample Answers

Here are the sample answers to some common questions interviewers may ask during your flight attendant interview:

Describe a time when a customer was angry. How did you resolve the issue?

Interviewers may ask this question to understand your problem-solving skills and how efficiently you can manage troubled or angry customers. As a flight attendant, it is important for you to show that you can manage your emotions and can remain calm in difficult situations. You can answer this question by giving an example of such an instance from your previous job.

Example answer: "At my previous job, I have had many instances where the customers were not happy with the service they received. Whenever I would communicate with an angry customer, I would ensure that I remain calm and spoke in a friendly tone. I always ensured them that I was there to help them and would try to address their issue in the best way possible at the earliest."

Describe a time when you addressed a customer's concern compassionately

Hiring managers often ask this question to understand the candidate's ability to show empathy toward customers and resolve customers' concerns with compassion. They may also try to assess if you have a natural tendency to help people and assist them in their needs. You can answer this question by stating a situation where you helped a troubled customer on a flight.

Example answer: "There was a time when I met a passenger on a flight who was anxious they were flying for the first time. They seemed quite nervous as they were shaking and frequently called me over to check about the flight's safety. I spoke to them in a calm and gentle tone and explained to them the safety measures and equipment on the flight in detail. They felt relaxed and told me they felt more comfortable after knowing about the flight's safety."

Tell us about an instance where you made a mistake. How did you resolve it?

Interviewers ask this question to check if you have humility and whether you can accept your mistakes. Employers often appreciate candidates that are honest and sincere, so demonstrating that kind of experience to the employer can help to make your candidacy more appealing. You can talk about a time when you made a mistake and then explain how quickly and efficiently you resolved it.

Example answer: "During one of my previous flights, I was serving meals to the passengers. I accidentally served a non-vegetarian meal to a passenger who had ordered a vegetarian meal. As soon as the passenger told me about it, I cleared the meal box and served them the correct order. Besides, I also served them complimentary dessert to apologise for the mistake. The passenger later thanked me for addressing the matter promptly."

Why do you want to work as a flight attendant?

Interviewers often ask this question to understand the candidate's passion for the job and determine if there is any deep reasoning behind their decision to pursue this field. It can help them understand your passion for the job. In answering this question, provide honest reasons for your decision to pursue this career.

Example answer: "I want to work as a flight attendant because I have been passionate about it since I was a kid. I have always enjoyed flying on planes and I previously worked in a customer service-based field. The idea of combining flying and customer service is truly appealing to me."

Describe your greatest work success and how can you apply that accomplishment to this role?

Interviewers sometimes ask this question to assess what you perceive as success in your work history. You can make your answer more meaningful when you select an accomplishment or success that required skills and capabilities that can be useful to a flight attendant. In your answer, show your ability to utilise practical abilities to produce positive results.

Example answer: "At my previous job, there was a time when the customer ratings started to depreciate consistently. To counter that, I suggested a new strategy to my employers. Only a month after implementing it, the ratings improved by 40%. My employers recognised my abilities and appreciated my efforts."

Do you have any questions for us?

Employers ask this question to help them determine how enthusiastic you are about the position. An employer may believe that you are interested in the position when you conduct research about the company and ask sincere questions. It is important to prepare some questions to ask, as you can gain some valuable information you may not have known otherwise.

Here are a few useful questions you might ask during the interview:

How much does this position pay?
What is the typical work schedule?
How often can I expect to travel every week?
How can I prepare for my first flight?

Tips To Succeed In The Interview

Here are some tips you can follow to perform well in your interview:

Learn about the company. Research well about the company for which you are interviewing. This can show your genuine interest in working with them.
Prepare common answers. Prepare your answers to some common interview questions. This can help you answer these questions promptly and accurately during the interview.
Read the job description thoroughly. Read the job description thoroughly before going to the interview. Doing so can help you prepare your answers better and allow you to form questions for the interviewers.
Take mock interviews. Take a few mock interviews with a friend or a family member before the actual one. This can help you add or remove any information from your answers and help build confidence.