Emirates cabin crew have one of the best pay and benefit packages in the airline industry — especially for new joiners. In fact, cabin crew are positively spoilt compared to their counterparts at rival airlines. Not only is the base salary competitive, but a whole host of additional benefits make for a genuinely lavish package.
All cabin crew are based in Dubai, the home of Emirates, and are paid in Dirhams (AED), the local currency of the United Arab Emirates. The airline also operates an exchange rate protection scheme, as the Dirham is pegged against the US Dollar.
Read on for everything you need to know about what Emirates pays its cabin crew and the benefits they receive, and if you’re ready to start thinking about applying, our complete guide to the Emirates recruitment process has you covered.
The Contract
New cabin crew are required to sign a three-year contract (36 months) with Emirates. The first six months are a probationary period during which you’ll have limited rights.
During your first 12 months, Emirates deducts 334 AED from your pay each month. This covers any debt you might accrue if you leave before completing your contract. Complete all three years, and you’ll receive a Contract Completion Bonus of 6,000 AED.
Emirates Cabin Crew Salary
- Basic monthly salary: 4,260 AED
- Flying pay: approximately 66 AED per hour, calculated from pushback to arrival at the gate. Expect between 80 and 110 flying hours per month
- Layover allowance: paid in local currency on arrival at your crew hotel, to cover food and drink during stopovers. Whatever you don’t spend, you keep
Put together, new Economy Class cabin crew can expect an all-in monthly take-home of around 10,800–11,300 AED (approximately £2,300 / €2,700 / $3,000) based on average flying hours. Senior and supervisory grades earn considerably more.
All pay is tax-free in the UAE — but depending on your nationality, you may still be liable for tax in your home country. Check with the relevant tax authority before you join.
Accommodation and Transport
- Shared accommodation: new cabin crew live in fully furnished, company-provided apartments. Utility bills are covered by Emirates, though you’ll pay for TV, phone, and internet
- Choice of accommodation: you’ll be assigned an apartment before you arrive in Dubai. Blocks are located across the city, and once you’ve passed your probationary period, you can bid to move
- Married persons accommodation allowance: married crew can opt out of shared accommodation and receive a monthly allowance instead
- Transport: a free shuttle bus runs between accommodation and the airport. Live independently and you’ll receive a monthly transport allowance
End of Service Benefit
Rather than a pension, Emirates pays an end-of-service benefit — a lump sum when you leave. For the first five years, it’s equivalent to 21 days of your final basic salary per year served. The rate increases for service beyond five years.
Emirates Cabin Crew Benefits
- Uniform: fully provided by the company, with dry cleaning and laundering included at no cost
- Annual leave ticket: one free return ticket per year to anywhere on the Emirates network — designed to let you visit home
- ID90 standby flights: unlimited tickets at 90% discount on a standby basis. Immediate family members qualify, too, limited to two tickets per person per year
- Special tickets: Nominate up to 20 friends or family members for tickets at a reduced discount
Worth knowing: unlike most airlines, Emirates cabin crew fly in Economy Class only on staff travel. Business and First Class access is reserved for pursers and flight deck crew.
- FACE Card (Flight Attendants Club of Emirates): discounts at beach clubs, restaurants, gyms, and retail across Dubai and the Gulf
- Platinum Card: pay a small monthly fee to upgrade your FACE Card and access a wider range of deals
- Layover hotels: Emirates provides four or five-star hotels for stopovers, generally in city centres or close to the airport — private rooms, your own time, no shared arrangements
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Emirates cabin crew do not have access to a union and have no collective bargaining rights. Your take-home also varies month to month depending on flying hours: the base salary alone doesn’t tell the whole story, and in quieter periods, earnings can dip. The 334 AED monthly deduction in year one is worth factoring into your early budgeting, too.
Dubai is an expensive city. The free accommodation and transport go a long way towards offsetting that, but day-to-day costs, particularly eating out, leisure, and personal spending, add up quickly. Go in with realistic expectations, and you’ll be fine.
Ready to Apply?
If the package has you convinced, the next step is understanding how to actually get the job. Emirates is one of the most competitive recruiters in the industry, but it’s also one of the most structured, which means preparation pays off.
- Emirates Cabin Crew Recruitment — The Complete Guide and Step-by-Step Process — everything from the online application through to the final interview
- The Emirates Cheat Sheet for the Open Day and Assessment Day — what to expect on the day and how to stand out
You can also browse all Emirates content on CCF at the Emirates section of the forum, download a free cabin crew CV template, or start from the beginning with our Ultimate Recruitment Guide.
