Post Pandemic Changes to Cabin Crew Life

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What challenges might Cabin Crew see as we move through 2021, and what might the post-pandemic changes to Cabin Crew Life be?

The ‘new normal’ when restrictions are lifted is going to be different from anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. It’s also more likely that it will be the ‘normal for now’, and will gradually evolve as we put the pandemic behind us.

Cabin Crew recruitment has, like many other industries, been dealt a blow. For many airlines, things are on hold. And for those crew still working, it’s a very different working environment up there!

But what changes will remain even when recruitment picks up again? Here are three we think will be here to stay:

Virtual Recruitment

Across industries, parts of the interview and assessment process have been moved online, to help adherence with social distancing restrictions.

However, there are a number of people that are not that comfortable while talking on calls or speaking on videos. The social anxiety of being on a video or phone call is a very real issue, and many people who are perfectly happy interacting on a face to face basis are affected by this fear.

This is throwing up a whole new set of challenges for applicants, particularly those unfamiliar with the technology. However, virtual events are likely to be part of the application process going forwards, and this is something that applicants will have to come to terms with.

Diversity

Diversity and inclusion has shot up the priority list as a result of the social activism and events of 2020. In fairness, airlines have long been making an effort to attract and recruit a more diverse workforce, but efforts have been prioritised further.

So what does this mean for applicants? Most crucially, that they need to be aware of the importance of diversity. Working as crew in today’s multicultural and varied society you will be interacting with individuals from all walks of life in your day-to-day employment – both colleagues and members of the public.

Questions on diversity are coming up more regularly in all areas of the process – from the application form to presentations and the final interview. This is something that you really need to consider when thinking about which relevant experiences to include in your answer.

Safety

Of course, health and safety, and the safety of passengers, has always been the most important part of the Cabin Crew role. However the pandemic has meant both passengers and crew have had to get used to all kinds of new restrictions, and social distancing rules.

It’s likely that masks are going to be part of the rules for both crew and passengers for some time to come. However, cabin crew have already found issues with guidelines that vary from airline to airline, causing misunderstanding or misinterpretations to be made by passengers. For many airlines too there’s no real methods of enforcement in place or consequences for passengers who defy the rules.

Among other new responsibilities for crew is sanitising the cabin and equipment, and trying to maintain social distancing in the cabin, including new boarding protocols and leaving extra seats between passengers at all points during the flight.