Female Flight Attendant Shares the 'Dark Reality' of the Profession

Thinking about becoming a flight attendant? As glamorous as it may seem on the outside, many are unaware of the challenges that come with the job, according to one flight attendant on TikTok.

Naomi Baldacchino (@baldacchinonaomi on TikTok), a 27-year-old flight attendant for Emirates, shared an eye-opening TikTok video on April 1 on "the dark reality of being a flight attendant."

Based in Dubai, Baldacchino has been working as an air hostess since December 2018, she told Newsweek. Her video highlights the demanding nature of her work and casts light on the realistic expectations for those considering a career in the aviation industry.

In the video, Baldacchino candidly describes her typical post-flight routine. "It's currently 8:25 in the morning, I will probably be home by 8:40...by the time I shower, get ready, maybe I will be in bed by about 9:30 a.m," she says while driving home.

She emphasizes the lack of rest during flights, even on night shifts. "On these flights, you don't get rest. Even though it's a night shift, you don't get any rest, sleeping-wise, or even like sitting down rest. Yes, we sit in the galley but we don't get sleep rest on these flights. You only get sleep rest if it's an ultra long-range flight because it's mandatory."

The post comes after the flight attendant profession was ranked 48^th in this year's edition of the annual "100 Best Jobs" ranking by U.S. News and World Report. The job ranked third among the highest-paying jobs without a degree and fifth in the rankings for the best civil service jobs and best jobs without a college degree.

Flight attendant employment is forecast to grow 11 percent from 2022 to 2032, "much faster than the average for all occupations," said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

"About 16,600 openings for flight attendants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire," according to the BLS.

'Quite Unhealthy'

Baldacchino's journey into the aviation industry began after graduating from university and seeking a change. "I graduated from university and was looking for a job change. Relocation was a great idea since I always traveled whenever I could," she told Newsweek. Her love for travel played a significant role in her decision to become a flight attendant.

Baldacchino addressed the common misconception that flight attendants have ample time to explore new destinations. "People think you travel on this job. But in reality you are exhausted when you arrive at a destination and then you only have 20 hours there. So, you need to catch up on a long-needed rest and maybe have five hours to explore. Yet most places we stay are sometimes one to two hours away from the city center. Sometimes not even a supermarket or pharmacy is close by."

The irregular working hours pose another significant challenge. "We start work at 7 p.m./11 p.m. sometimes or random times of the day. We are not robots, so we cannot automatically make ourselves sleep before a flight. So, you have to push through a night flight most times," Baldacchino explained.

The lack of a consistent routine can lead to health issues, as she elaborates: "I guess it's quite unhealthy since we are always in the air and do not have a routine... so a lot of us suffer from bloating due to not having routine sleep patterns and sleeping at abnormal times."

Despite the challenges, Baldacchino enjoys her job but remains open to new opportunities. "I love the job honestly... every job has its ups and downs," she told Newsweek. However, "if something better comes along," she would "absolutely" change careers.

Baldacchino's motivation for sharing her experiences stems from a desire to provide a more accurate picture of the job. She says in the latest video: "I'm not saying anything against or for [the profession], I'm just saying facts about the job, so you're more aware.

"Because so many people come into the job and after one month of flying, they are saying this is not what I signed up for, this is not what we thought it is. It's true, there actually are not a lot of people talking about what is the reality of the job," she said.

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