Cabin crew

Working as cabin crew requires a strong customer service orientation, discretion, great social interaction skills, adaptability, team spirit, flexibility and the ability to take initiative. If you also have a twinkle in your eye and a genuinely positive attitude to life, you may very well be just the kind of person to suit the job. 

The work itself is irregular in many ways. Flights and work shifts take place on various weekdays and at various times, with destinations around the world. You may need to work on public holidays, such as Christmas and Midsummer. The work also involves standby shifts. 

Full-time employees work approximately 110 hours per month. Working hours vary depending on the month, the person and their qualifications, among other things.

After successfully passing the Finnair recruitment process, you’ll receive a training invitation to Finnair Flight Academy. The training period lasts six to nine weeks depending on your background in aviation. During the training you will learn Finnair’s operating policies and how to act in various safety, first aid and service scenarios. 

Defined by the aviation authorities, the safety and first aid skills are the foundation of the cabin crew members’ professional competence. Additionally, service communication and cultural awareness as well as Finnair’s vision and principles of good customer service are essential topics of the training. After the training, you will have the basic level of competence to work as a cabin crew member.

The cabin crew selection process has many phases, including for example: 

• video assignment
• online tests
• medical checks 
• interviews.

The purpose of the selection process is to evaluate the above-mentioned basic criteria and competencies relevant to cabin crew work. These competencies may vary slightly over time, but they typically include skills and abilities such as teamwork, resilience, customer experience orientation and the ability to follow instructions. During the selection process, you can also ask questions and learn more about the cabin crew members’ work.

Cabin crew training is arranged based on our need for resources. Generally, we offer employment fairly soon after you complete your training. However, going through the training does not automatically guarantee employment.

Most of our cabin crew is based in Helsinki, Finland. If you are interested in a cabin crew role in Singapore, Hong Kong, Delhi, Mumbai and Stockholm, please contact AAP Aviation. 

No, the training does not cost anything. Please note that there is no separate compensation for the training period.

The entire training is at Finnair Flight Academy in Vantaa (Helsinki Airport area).

The training normally takes six to nine weeks. We will arrange several training courses for the selected future cabin crew members. The specific schedule of the training will be clarified during the recruitment process.

During the training, you will learn Finnair’s operating policies and how to act in various safety, first-aid and service scenarios. Defined by the aviation authorities, safety and first-aid skills are the foundation of cabin crew members’ professional competence. Additionally, service communication and cultural awareness as well as Finnair’s vision and principles of good customer service are essential topics of the course. After the training, you will have the basic level of competence to work as a cabin crew member.

Finnair Flight Academy's highly professional instructors will guide and help you during all the phases of the training. We expect you to work hard, focus and give your best in all the exams, lessons and drills; we will evaluate your performance continuously. Your commitment will pay off when you become a certified cabin crew member of Finnair.

During your career, you will need to participate in annual trainings on safety and service topics. It is also important that you are up to date all the time with the safety and service procedures while working.

The workdays vary a lot depending on the flights you have during the shift. Some days you might operate to Oulu twice, other days you might operate a long-haul flight to Asia or North America.

All cabin crew members operate on both domestic and international flights.

Living in another city than Helsinki or Vantaa is possible. It is anyway important to consider that the flights will be operated from Helsinki Airport. The work also involves standby shifts, during which you must be prepared to report to work on one hour’s notice.

There are guidelines that you need to follow. You shouldn´t have visible tattoos or piercings. All tattoos shown under the uniform need to be covered while on duty. No tattoos allowed in any case: neck, head, hands.

Yes, you may wish for a maximum of 6 days off in a month.

Full-time employees work about 110 hours a month.

Part-time employees work 45–90 hours a month.

Salary varies a lot depending on what kind of flights you fly and when. The basic salary of full-time employment and the hourly salary of part-time employment depend on how much experience you have as a cabin crew member. In addition to the basic salary, there is extra salary from Sunday, night and overtime hours, which are approximately 40% of the basic salary. You will also receive tax-free daily allowances to cover the costs of the layovers, which depend on the destination of the flight and the current tax regulations.

Our crew needs travel documents such as visas to enter some countries. The visa regulations vary between countries; for example, Finnish citizens do not need a visa to enter Vietnam, but French citizens do. There can be limitations to granting a crew visa to some nationals.