For the first time in over a year, Australian airline Qantas has started a recruitment campaign for new cabin crew at its UK base at Heathrow Airport in West London. The airline is able to accept applications from British and European Union member state citizens as well as anyone who already has the appropriate visa to live and work in the UK without any restriction.
As Qantas says itself, this is indeed a “rare opportunity” to join a relatively small team of cabin crew on a highly coveted contract. That being said, while Qantas is known as a generous employer, UK-based flight attendants don’t have the most glamorous of working conditions with a very limited route network and ultra-long-haul flights to contend with.
In the last week, Qantas was called out by a trade union who accused the airline of not giving cabin crew enough rest between flights. Flight attendants at the London base are required to work on Qantas’ new direct service between Heathrow and Perth in Western Australia. The first-ever direct flight between Europe and Australia.
The mammoth 14,498km flight takes around 17-hours but cabin crew can only expect around 24-hours rest before operating the return flight. London-based cabin crew also operate Qantas’ Heathrow to Singapore flight which takes around 13-hours. Occasionally, cabin crew can expect to fly to Sydney or Melbourne.
Note: Qantas no longer operates any flights to Dubai and has instead swapped back to Singapore.
Qantas say’s it’s looking for new cabin crew who have a positive “can-do attitude” with an “immaculate level of presentation” and a “flexible” mindset. Previous customer service experience is essential although you don’t need to have previously worked as cabin crew.
Here are some of the other minimum requirements:
- At least 18-years old
- Minimum height: 163 cm / Maximum height: 183cm
- Possess a passport with at least 12-months validity
- An “excellent” level of health and fitness
- Able to swim at least 50 metres unaided
- Two years minimum experience in “premium customer service”
And here are some of the key qualities that you’ll need to highlight in your application:
- “A strong commitment and confidence in delivering exceptional customer service”
- “Flexibility, dependability and commitment to the dynamic lifestyle of Cabin Crew”
- “Friendliness, caring, bravery and empathy in service with people from a variety of cultures and countries”
- “An aptitude for technology”
You’ll need to be able to speak and read English fluently and a second-language is desirable but not compulsory.
If this sounds like the job for you, then you’ll need to submit an online application via the official Qantas careers website. The application deadline is 4th June 2018.
Candidates who are lucky enough to be shortlisted for an interview should expect to attend an Assessment Day near Heathrow Airport in the next few months.
