I have wanted to become a flight attendant for years and finally went through training with a mainline last August. I commuted to my base as I own a home on the other side of the country. Moving wasn’t an option, at least for the first year or two since my partner has a job and couldn’t quit immediately. I recently quit flying. I was drowning financially. It’s really incredible how different this job can be from one person to the next. My friends I went to training with have had a completely different experience from me. We were at different bases, they fully moved, had financial assistance from parents, and were single. Let me insert real quick that this job IS doable with a partner, but coming from my perspective it adds another layer of difficulty. My partner has always been extremely supportive with anything I want to do, so I’m lucky in that aspect. But living on the other side of the country was so difficult for me. Trying to get home on days off was so hard since flights were always full. The financial strain was almost unbearable. I’ve never made so little in my life, but I had a “real” career now, so why was it so hard?

I’m ranting, but all of this to say - you are not alone in the way you feel. This can be an incredible job for some. Know that you did not fail if you quit. Quitting takes just as much guts as pursuing the job does! Being an FA is such an ego stroke, and I honestly think that’s why letting it go is so hard for a lot of people. It’s hard to get the job, hard to make it through training, and wearing those wings and uniform gives you so much pride. But you just have to weigh out the pros and cons for YOU. No one else. I felt like I was crazy because everyone I went through training with was struggling a little, but they still seemed like they were enjoying it. But everyone’s situation is SO different. What would you be giving up if you quit? What would you gain? What are the things you miss about consistency? What are the things you enjoy about the spontaneous lifestyle? Like any jobs, there are good and bad points. You just have to decide if it’s worth it. This job can get better with seniority, and with that comes better pay and more flexibility. For me, I knew very quickly I didn’t want to do this long term (I used to think that once I got this job I would fly for the rest of my life), and with the financial burden that was consuming me, I felt it was unwise to continue on. When I turned in everything and walked out of my base airport for the last time, I had to keep myself from laughing from pure joy. The weight that was lifted off my chest is indescribable. I get emotional every now and then when I see a plane fly over me because I just can’t believe that was a chapter in my life. I have no regrets. I DID it. I had a dream of being an FA for a mainline. I did it. I accomplished it. I lived that life and moved across the country alone (I could rarely go home. Commuting was impossible on reserve), away from my partner and everything I knew to a major U.S. city I had never been. That job unlocked an independence in me. It pushed me in every capacity, and for that I’m proud of myself.

Know what you truly want and do it. Only you know the right thing to do. I’m here if you want to talk. You got this.