If you’ve ever wondered what an airport attendant does on the job, you’re not alone.
This job role has been around for decades, but it hasn’t changed much in that time, making it hard to pin down what an airport attendant does all day.
As it turns out, there are many roles this job can take on, depending on your employer and location, so it’s essential to clarify exactly what kind of worker you’re dealing with before you try to hire one.
Here are the basics of what airport attendant does and how much they earn in the process.
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What Does an Airport Attendant Do?
An airport attendant is responsible for providing customer service to passengers while they are in the airport.
This may include answering questions, directing passengers to their gates, and helping with luggage.
Airport attendants must remain calm under pressure and have excellent customer service skills.
They typically work shifts that include early mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
Airport Attendant Duties
Airport attendants have varieties of duties and broad responsibilities, which can include
- Checking IDs
- Checking tickets
- Handling baggage
- Scanning items for purchase
- Selling food and drink
- Greeting passengers
- Taking care of travelers with disabilities
- Escorting people to the gate
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Cleaning up spilled liquids
- Putting away abandoned belongings
- Removing any litter that is found in the terminal
- Providing directions to passengers
- Providing first aid as needed
- Dealing with minor medical emergencies
- Supervising unattended children
- Reporting security breaches
- Controlling access at security checkpoints
- Helping unaccompanied minors
Airport Attendant Job Description
The job description of an airport attendant includes:
- Checking people in for their flights.
- Loading baggage onto the plane.
- Directing passengers to their gates and seating areas.
Some responsibilities include answering questions about flight times and filling out reports about how many bags are on board or when a flight is delayed.
Airport attendants must also be courteous to passengers during the process.
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Airport Attendant Skills
As an airport attendant, it is necessary you have the following skills
Communication Skills
Communicating with different people of different backgrounds is essential.
A good communicator can use language barriers as a bridge to understanding what others need or want.
The ability to be articulate in English and other languages such as Spanish or Chinese will also help tremendously.
Interpersonal Skills
Interacting with passengers while they wait for their flight helps create a good environment.
An airport attendant should be proficient at being friendly, courteous, and helpful when interacting with passengers.
Technical Skills
Airports are becoming more technologically advanced, so air travel has become faster and more complicated.
It takes a lot of technical knowledge about airlines and airports to work there efficiently.
Attention to Detail
Knowing how the boarding process works and being able to answer questions quickly is crucial.
Attendants should know how luggage scanning machines, security lines, ticketing desks, boarding gates, and customs checkpoints work to guide customers through these stations without any issues.
Educational Requirements
The educational requirement for an airport attendant is a high school diploma or equivalent.
They must also be able to speak English fluently and have a driver’s license.
Airport Attendant Salary & Outlook
The median annual wage for airport attendants was $36,000.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,950, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $54,030. Many airport attendants are paid hourly.
The median hourly wage is $17.31/hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $11.14, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $26.19.
Airport Attendant Work Environment
Airport attendants typically work in the terminal of an airport. They may be required to work in other areas of the airport, such as the gate area or on the tarmac.
The work environment is usually fast-paced and stressful, as airport attendants must be able to handle a variety of tasks at once.
They may be required to lift heavy luggage or assist passengers with special needs.
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Conclusion
Most people think that being an airport attendant is a glamorous job. After all, you travel to different places, meet new people, and see the world.
But the reality is that it’s a lot of hard work. You have to be able to deal with long hours, early mornings, and late nights.
Plus, you have to be able to handle the stress of working in a fast-paced environment.
But if you’re up for the challenge, being an airport attendant can be a rewarding experience.
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