Being a flight attendant would be a dream come true for many people, but one woman has shared that there are some downsides.
Meg, who posts on TikTok as @_itzmeggs, shared that not many people speak about these bad things, and often portray the flight attendant role as being full of glitz and glam. But she said that this isn’t the case at all, and there are some negatives she wanted to discuss.
Meg said there are “so many highs and so many lows,” admitting that she’s “blessed” in her role to see so many “amazing places,” travelling around the world – but that “comes with a cost”.
“I remember when I was in Rome and I was looking at all of these beautiful ancient sites, I was marvelling at their beauty,” she said. “But at the same time I was sitting there and I remember thinking to myself ‘dang this is beautiful, but I feel just a little empty inside because I would so much rather be here with my mum, or my friends’.
She also said that it “means so much more” when you’re able to experience these beautiful moments with “loved ones,” rather than alone.
Meg noted that she’s got some “really amazing crew that make work so much fun,” but she said when you don’t “get along with everybody” it can make things a bit uncomfortable.
She said that sometimes she feels like she’s living in a “completely different universe” to her friends and family, saying it’s hard for her to “build a life” for herself.
She continued to say that her life feels like it’s on “pause,” sharing that she’s single as men often shy away from dating her as she’s travelling “half the time”.
Meg said that the job can get “so lonely,” especially at the end of a shift when you go back to a hotel room. She also shared that when she does get to go home and do things with her family and friends, everyone else is on a regular work schedule, so she can’t see them properly – and this upsets her.
She admitted that she didn’t want to complain because she loves her job, but she just wanted to make people aware that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in her industry – and things can get tough.
Meg went on to say she missed her best friend’s son’s first birthday, and it ‘killed her’ to not be able to be there. She said that she “can’t imagine” what it must be like for the cabin crew members who have babies and families, saying it must be “so hard” for them to navigate life.
She admitted she gets such good travel benefits, but Meg noted that when she’s not working she just wants to be at home because she’s exhausted.
“I feel like I’m alone in feeling like this because nobody really talks about it that much and we only show the highlights of our lives.” she said.
In the comments, someone with the same job agreed, penning: “I totally agree. It’s either over socialising or complete isolation”.
Another wrote: “And yet being a flight attendant is so many young girls’ dream job, thinking they’re gonna enjoy seeing other countries”.
