Emirates` flight attendants in popular job - Curt Lewis

Is Emirates the Best Airline to Work for as a Flight Attendant?

Emirates offers a lot of perks to its cabin staff. Some of these extras are things that other airlines would not even dream of giving their most senior flight attendants. At the same time, the carrier, which is the largest in the Middle East, demands more of its in-flight employees than almost any other carrier in the world. 

Year after year, Emirates is ranked as one of the world's best airlines. It's not a surprise that people want to work for such a highly regarded company. According to Gulf News, last year the Dubai-based carrier hired more than 5,000 new flight attendants. That seems like quite a lot, but getting a cabin staff job with Emirates is not easy. The airline claims to get about 500 new applications every day. That is more than 180,000 per year. 

International Talent

Very few of these flight attendants are from Dubai. The most common nationality for Emirates cabin staff is British.

So what draws people to the airline? Maybe some want to work for a brand that is known for its upscale, glamorous image. Many, however, are probably in it, at least partially, for the perks.

A Jet-Set Life

Emirates seems quite generous when it comes to giving extras to its employees. Even the newest flight attendants get a deal that would make the most senior cabin staff at a U.S. legacy carrier envious. Emirates attendants have their accommodations paid for. They are whisked to and from work in private cars. Their base salary is tax free and they get 30 days of annual leave (and free tickets to go wherever they choose during their break).

This "pampering" is not a new phenomenon. Way back in 2008, the Wall Street Journal did a story on the charmed life of Emirates flight attendants. The paper highlighted perks like totally free living arrangements, 50 percent discounts at local restaurants and health clubs, and generous housing allowances for crew members who had families. Of course, all these extras came at a slight cost: Emirates employees' salaries were (and still are) lower overall than those of U.S.-based legacy carriers.
Judging by the number of applicants who are still trying to get into an Emirates uniform, it seems that many think it is worth trading the extra income for a glamorous jet-set lifestyle that would not be possible at other airlines.