Former flight attendant reveals the realities of the job

A former Virgin Australia flight attendant has lifted the lid on why she quit her job after just 12 months, and has revealed her weekly salary.

An Aussie flight attendant has revealed why she quit her job after just one year of being in the industry.

Ashlee Rogers, from Melbourne, embarked on her new career in 2022 after undergoing six weeks of intensive training where she officially became a flight attendant for Virgin Australia.

And while she boasted about the airline’s great culture and perks including free flights, the 27-year-old said the shift work lifestyle just wasn’t for her.

“I quit mainly because of the lack of flexibility with the job,” Ms Rogers told news.com.au after a TikTok about why she quit went viral.

Ashlee Rogers, 27, from Melbourne, was a flight attendant for a year before she decided to quit the industry. Picture: TikTok/ashleejjane

“Aviation involves shift work and you need to have 24/7 availability. It’s a very structured industry.”

Ms Rogers explained that it can also be tough to get time off and swap shifts, and she would often miss important events like birthdays, Christmas and other celebrations.

“The shift work can also be exhausting in itself let alone working at 38,000 feet all day.

“You could start at 5am one day and finish at midday, then the following day you might start at 2pm and finish late at night.”

She said working in different altitudes also affected her body.

She said the main reason came down to shift work. Picture: TikTok/ashleejjane

“Fatigue is a very common thing in aviation and I found it hard to adapt. You have to prioritise your health and sleep so it doesn’t lead to burn out.”

The 27-year-old said she shared a TikTok detailing why she left the job not to deter those who want to join the industry, but to better prepare them for what to expect.

“It’s a serious job with a lot of responsibility, but also a lot of fun,” she said.

“Make friends, explore new places, but also look after yourself and prioritise your health and sleep.”

She also boasted about the airline’s “great culture,” adding that the people who work there made all the difference.

The pay

However, she boasted about the airline’s ‘great culture’, adding that the perks of her job such as free and heavily discounted flights were a bonus. Picture: TikTok/ashleejjane

In the comments section of her clip, Ms Rogers was asked how much she made in the year she was there, to which she revealed it averaged $1000 a week after tax.

“But I didn’t do many overnights [and] that’s where the most money is,” she said.

She would work 10 to 13 hour shifts, or 40 hours per week.

“Our max rostered hours was 144 hours per month. But it did depend on what preferences you had in your roster whether you reached those 144 hours,” she told news.com.au.

“If you did shorter sectors with limited overnights your hours were likely to be less than that. “Others who work longer sectors, more overnights tend to get to that 144 per month, which averages about 36 hours per week.”

Ashlee said ultimately, the job didn’t suit her lifestyle. Picture: TikTok/ashleejjane

She said those who did more than 12 hours a day would get paid overtime.

“You could also choose to work on days off which included an extra payment on top of your salary.”

“We got a base salary which was the same whether you worked the 144 hours in the month or not,” Ms Rogers added.

@ashleejjane I love where my job takes me 🥰✈️ #cabincrew #flightattendant #travel ♬ original sound - Harrison Njenga

“Then the pay differentiates depending on how long a flight is as we got paid an allowance per hour when we were in the air — so longer flights meant more money.”

Ms Rogers said they received an overnight allowance “so the more overnights you did the more you got”.

She loved the excitement of the job, exploring new places and making memories – but has now focused her attention on building content for brands. Picture: TikTok/ashleejjane

“I preferred to do shorter sectors and less overnights so my pay was slightly less than others.”

On the Virgin Australia website, it doesn’t disclose cabin crew salary, however it states: “Virgin Australia Cabin Crew are employed under an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA). Further information on remuneration will be provided during the recruitment process.”

It also explains paid employment commences on the first day of training.

Ms Rogers said one of the greatest perks of the job is the free and heavily discounted flights.

“My airline gave us $1000 in credits to use every year for flights, which could potentially be up to 20 free flights depending on where you were going to,” she said.

Cabin crew training

The 27-year-old, who is originally form the Gold Coast, did disability support work before wanting to join the aviation industry. Picture: TikTok/ashleejjane

Ms Rogers said while the training is “full-on and intense”, it’s for the benefit for everyone on-board.

“The content we learnt isn’t too hard, it’s just a lot of information to learn in a short amount of time,” she said.

“It definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone and forces you to be very switched on from the get go.

“You learn about all aspects of safety, security and how to manage all kinds of emergency situations that could happen on board.

@ashleejjane

How i style my hair for work 🫶🏼 (dont mind the hair that needs to be washed, coloured and deeply treated and also the nice little friend on my neck🫠)

♬ Chill Vibes - Tollan Kim

“It’s a lot of responsibility and you have to be prepared for anything. You definitely need to be dedicated to study and it’s not something you can just wing.”

The 27-year-old, who is originally form the Gold Coast, did disability support work before wanting to join the aviation industry.

“Both my parents are profoundly deaf (from birth) so I worked mainly with deaf clients and people within the deaf community. I loved the job and found it so rewarding,” she said.

“My partner and I decided to move to Melbourne from the Gold Coast in July 2022, mainly just for a change of scenery and to see what opportunities Melbourne could offer us.

“I met a friend not long before this and she is in the aviation industry. This is where the idea of becoming a flight attendant came about, and I decided to pursue it in Melbourne.”

Ms Rogers said quitting the industry was a “bittersweet decision” as it’s “such an amazing job”, but said unfortunately it just wasn’t for her.

“I enjoyed my time there but I can’t see it working for me long term,” she said.

“I am currently working on my own business working with social media.

“I create content for brands to promote their business and for them to use for their marketing. “I am passionate about beauty, fashion, lifestyle and travel so I work with mainly these kinds of businesses.”