20 Cabin Crew Interview Questions (And How To Answer Them)

Cabin crew and flight attendant interviews can be very difficult. If you’re not prepared for the questions, you might get overwhelmed.

 

In this guide, we detail 20 cabin crew interview questions, along with the answers.

We also help you view these questions from the perspective of hiring managers so you know what they want to hear and how to impress them.

Cabin Crew and Flight Attendant Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself

This is a very common question in job interviews. It’s also one of the biggest stumbling blocks for many applicants as they simply don’t know what to say.

What does the hiring manager want to hear?

Well, it’s not that complicated.           

The hiring manager is attempting to find out if your experiences and skills are relevant to the position.

The key is to tailor your response to the job you’re applying for. When applying for flight attendant jobs, your answer could touch on your passion for the aviation industry and your experience in customer service.

Here is an example: ‘I am a flight attendant with four years of experience and a passion for travelling. Having been recognised for optimising the passenger journey in recent years, my strengths include communication, people skills and conflict engagement’.

2. How would you cope with being away from your family and friends for prolonged periods of time?

Adaptability. That's what the hiring manager is looking for with this question. They want to find out if you're adaptable enough to cope with the cabin crew lifestyle.

As you’re probably aware, flight attendants spend a long time away from their home, often on long-haul flights, working with new team members regularly.

In order to cope with this and maintain performance standards, flight attendants must be adaptable.

So, when answering this question, make it clear to the hiring manger that you’re a versatile individual who is adept at adapting to new environments. If possible, provide examples of times you have successfully managed being away from your loved ones for long periods of time.

3. Describe your customer service skills

Customer service is arguably the most important skills for cabin crew members. As the role is fundamentally about improving the passenger experience and maintaining their safety, customer service is a vital aspect of the role.

Even during stressful, challenging situations, flight attendants most remain professional and focused on providing quality customer service.

When answering this question, show your passion for delivering unrivalled customer service. Provide examples of times you have improved the customer experience. For example, did you recognise regular flyers’ requirements and tailor your service to their needs?

If so, articulate this to show off your customer service skills.

4. What skills are important for flight attendants?

The key to this question is, of course, to provide the correct answers. Answering the question with budget management, stakeholder engagement and project management would do you no favours at all.

However, while the answers might seem obvious, you should understand the key skills that hiring managers look for in candidates. These include:

- Customer service

- Adaptability

- Teamwork

- Professionalism

- Physical and mental fitness

- Work ethic

- Multitasking

- Decision-making

- A polite, hospitable demeanour

By describing these important skills, you will show the hiring manager that you understand what it takes to be a good flight attendant.

5. Describe a time you went above and beyond for a customer

This question is, again, about customer service. Hiring managers want you to provide tangible evidence of your customer service proficiency by describing a specific time that you improved the customer experience.

It’s very beneficial to use the STAR methodology to answer this question. STAR stands for situation, task, action result.

To use this method, start by describing the situation (or problem) you faced, followed by the task you were required to perform, the action you took and then finally result you achieved.

Using this formula is a sure-fire way of impressing hiring managers.

6. What are your strongest skills?

This question allows candidates to be unique and stand out from the competition. Identify your key selling points and, when asked what your best skills are, communicate them to hiring managers.

For example, have you been recognised by previous employers for your personal, engaging approach to customer engagement? Are you an extrovert with a friendly personality?

If so, convey this to hiring managers.

If possible, try to bolster your statements by backing them up with examples.

7. Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team?

The aim of this question is to figure out if you’re good at working in teams. As you’re probably already aware, for flight attendants, it’s more important to prefer working as part of teams than to prefer working alone.

This is because good teamwork is fundamental to the smooth-running of flights.

When asked this question, express your preference for working as part of teams and state that you understand the importance of effective teamwork in regards to the success of cabin crew operations.

8. How would you manage a situation in which two passengers are causing a disturbance?

These types of questions are arguably the most difficult to answer. As they are directly related to cabin crew operating procedures, it’s vital that you give an appropriate answer.

Hiring managers’ ultimate goal of such questions is to identify applicants who would not act in line with standard procedures.

As such, you need to make sure you give hiring managers the answer they want to hear.

The answer to this question could be something along the lines of: ‘In a professional manner, I would urge both individuals to refrain from causing problems while attempting to understand the passengers’ issues. By listening to the customers and understanding their issues, I would endeavour to find a solution to their problems and resolve the situation’.

9. What are the key responsibilities of flight attendants?

This question is designed to see if you understand what the role of flight attendant encompasses. It provides hiring managers with insight into whether you’re ready commence employment and complete tasks as expected.

The best way to answer this question is to start by outlining flight attendant’s key objectives, followed by a list of their main tasks.

Here is an example: ‘The key responsibilities of flight attendants includes optimising the passenger experience and maintaining high levels of safety. Other responsibilities include delivering safety demonstrations, serving food and drinks and liaising with colleagues’.

10. Why would you make a good flight attendant or steward?

When asked this question, showcase your key skills and experiences that are relevant to cabin crew roles. Have you got multiple years’ customer service experience? Have you been commended for reducing customer complaints?

Use your career highlights and accomplishments to show why you’re the perfect candidate for the position. Don’t forget to detail your key skills and provide examples of times you have utilised them.

11. Why do you want to work for our airline?

To answer this question effectively, you need to conduct some research prior to your cabin crew interview. Through research into the airline, you can figure out how you are aligned with its values and culture.

For example, the values of British Airways are related to traditional British values: respect, responsibility and integrity.

If asked this question by hiring managers at British Airways, you could articulate how you are compatible with the company by holding similar values, including respect and integrity.

12. Describe a time when you lost your patience when dealing with a customer

This may seem like a trick question at first. Why would you admit to losing your patience? Isn’t that a bad thing?

The fact is, we all lose our patience at times. The important thing is how we react. Did you lose control of yourself or did you keep your emotions in check.

So how do you answer this question?

Explain a situation in which a customer tested your patience and pressed your buttons. Then talk about the positives. Did you manage to maintain a professional demeanour and leave your emotions out of the argument?

These kinds of positives are the details you should focus on when describing a time you lost your patience.

13. How would you deal with a passenger who refuses to follow the rules?

As a flight attendant you will, unfortunately, come across situations in which passengers refuse to follow the rules. These types of situational interview questions are designed to figure out if you are capable of handling such situations in the correct manner.

When answering this question, show that you understand the basic guidelines for dealing with problematic situations. Communication is key to solving customer problems and complaints, so show that you can utilise your communication skills to deescalate problematic situations.

Here is an example: ‘If the passenger reused to follow the rules, I would initially try to engage with he or she on a personal level. If the passenger continued to be uncooperative, I would utilise my conflict management skills while conveying the importance of following regulations on aircraft for the safety of everyone on-board. I would continue to emphasise the importance of the rules’.

14. What would you do if there was an emergency during a flight?

As a flight attendant or an aspiring flight attendant, you probably have a good idea what you would do if there was an emergency during a flight.

Hiring managers asks this question because they want to see if you would maintain your composure and follow protocols in such an event.

Describe the basics – you would maintain a calm demeanour, ensure the passengers were wearing their seat-belts and aware of safety procedures, make sound, logical decisions.

Here is an example: ‘I would first conduct my own safety processes, before instructing the passengers to do the same in a reassuring manner. Additionally, I would control my breathing and maintain a professional, relaxed demeanour in order to reduce panic among passengers. Then I would ensure I was aware of the location of the exit doors and prepare to deliver further instructions to passengers’.

15. What was your favourite in-air experience?

The goal of this question is to work out if you’re passionate about the aviation industry. Flight attendants that are passionate about their job are usually very good at their job.

When answering this question, touch on a time you travelled to a location that you loved. Describe the plane itself to show your interest in the aviation industry and discuss aspects of the flight that made it enjoyable.

16. What is your biggest weakness?

The best way to answer this question is to find a balance between insincere answers and answers that draw too much attention to your weaknesses.

It wouldn’t be a good idea to answer with, ‘I am often too good at my job for my own good’. You also wouldn’t want to answer with, ‘I’m not reliable in any way, shape or form’.

Both these answers would have a very negative impact on your application.

The best approach is to find a genuine weakness that you possess, which doesn’t cause significant problems in your daily activities, while showing active measures you take to improve the weakness.

Here is an example: ‘I often feel timid in public situations. As a flight attendant, I am responsible for delivering demonstrations to passengers and, while my shyness has not prevented me from delivering demonstrations, it does make me feel very uncomfortable. In recent months, I have undertaken public speaking classes and I am now growing more confident at delivering demonstrations every day’.

17. How would you react if a passenger was being rude to you or other cabin crew members?

One of the best ways to answer this question is to provide an example of a time when you found yourself in a similar situation. Show that you acted professionally, kept your cool and provided a resolution to the situation.

18. What would you do if your cabin manager gave you an order that went against protocol?

When asking this question, hiring managers are attempting to work out how you manage disagreement. The key is to show that you would try to find a win-win situation that didn't escalate conflict.

Don’t state that you’d put the Manager in his place and don’t state that you’d instantly follow the order.

However, if the order would jeopardise the safety of passengers or colleagues, state that you would politely and professionally say no while attempting to mitigate conflict.

Here is an example: ‘I would ask the manager to repeat the instructions to ensure that I fully understood what he or she was asking me to do. If I still thought this was not standard procedure, I would explain my concerns in a polite, professional manner. If the manager insisted on me carrying out the task, I would follow the instructions as I respect the opinion of Management. However, if I believed the instruction was a potential safety issue, I would politely explain that I would not perform the task’.

19. What destinations does our airline fly to?

This is a simple question, but a surprising number of candidates are caught out by it. Hiring managers ask it because they want to know that they have done some research and genuinely want to work for their airline.

Even if you have researched the airline, you may not be sure which destinations they fly to. So ensure to check this out before your interview.

20. Where do you see yourself in five years?

This question is designed to find out if you plan to stay with the company or move on to better pastures. Airlines usually prefer to employ flight attendants who are committed to their company, rather than flight attendants who plan to move on to bigger airlines that fly to sought-after routes.

If you do plan to move on eventually, don’t state this in the interview.

Instead, focus on how you intend to enhance your capabilities as a flight attendant with the airline you are applying to join.

Before applying for cabin crew jobs, ensure to prepare a professional CV and cover letter. For assistance with this, check out our guide on how to write a powerful flight attendant CV. We've also written a comprehensive guide to writing a cabin crew cover letter, which includes three cabin crew cover letter examples.