T8KE0FF From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2009, 400 posts, RR: 1 Posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 8068 times:
I used to live in Australia when I was 12-13 but we had to move back to the UK because of a lot of different reasons. However my parents think they might try another shot at Australia again and move to Perth (we used to live in Adelaide). So I was just wondering (on average) how much do cabin crew for Virgin Australia, JetStar, Qantas etc make for domestic work? As I'm leaving school in a few months and it's time to make some decisions!
Thanks!
Sorry if this is in the wrong forum! I wasn't sure if this is 'technical and operations' so feel free to move!
Jackbr From Australia, joined Dec 2009, 652 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 8053 times:
Varies a lot. Airline, division, full time, part time.
I think for a new hire Flight Attendant in their first year of flying at Qantas Domestic or Virgin Australia, 40-50 000 a year would be a close figure. Jetstar/Tiger/Part time crew would be less. The base salary is much lower, about 30, 000.
There are some senior Flight Attendants at Qantas who are apparently making around 90, 000 a year. I don't think this is a reasonable expectation of income for an FA now, however Qantas CSMs make significantly more than Flight Attendants (bearing in mind I think it'd be a fair few years of flying before they'd even think of accepting anyone as a CSM)
anstar From Netherlands, joined Nov 2003, 4869 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 7610 times:
Wow - those figures are high compared to the UK....
The starting salary in the UK is about 11,500 pounds or $18,500 AUD per year.... they can expect to earn about another 5-10k AUD in allowances on top of that - but it is still alot less than the AU counterparts
mandala499 From Indonesia, joined Aug 2001, 6207 posts, RR: 74 Reply 5, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 7549 times:
Quoting anstar (Reply 4): Wow - those figures are high compared to the UK....
The starting salary in the UK is about 11,500 pounds or $18,500 AUD per year.... they can expect to earn about another 5-10k AUD in allowances on top of that - but it is still alot less than the AU counterparts
Geez, is that before or after tax?
The girls here at one of the LCCs in Indonesia get A$23,000 about 1 year after they start flying (all in, excluding annual performance bonuses), after tax... and the cost of living here is about 1/4 - 1/2 as it is in Europe and Australia! The downside is, they top out at about A$35,000 a year...
When losing situational awareness, pray Cumulus Granitus isn't nearby !
m11stephen From United States of America, joined Aug 2008, 1208 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 7466 times:
Wow! That is extraordinary compared to the amount F/As make in the United States! Recently, there was a story about a third year flight attendant at Compass Airlines (A Delta Connection carrier) who was making 17K annually after three years on the job!!! As a first year CSA I made about 19K...
My opinions, statements, etc. are my own and do not have any association with those of any employer.
Braniff747SP From Spain, joined Oct 2008, 2647 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 7458 times:
Quoting m11stephen (Reply 6):
Wow! That is extraordinary compared to the amount F/As make in the United States! Recently, there was a story about a third year flight attendant at Compass Airlines (A Delta Connection carrier) who was making 17K annually after three years on the job!!! As a first year CSA I made about 19K...
Frankly, forget the f/a's- it's the pilots that make that much flying for these regionals that is amazing.
Regardless, a barista at Starbucks makes more than that. I'm not saying they should not- everyone that has a decent job should make much more than that. People basically work for free.
The 747 will always be the TRUE queen of the skies!
FlyboyOz From Australia, joined Nov 2000, 1893 posts, RR: 28 Reply 8, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 7400 times:
I heard from somewhere...I think Virgin Australia newbie cabin crew earn about $35K and $5000 for beauty/groom products, gym and food (when stopover/overnight)
thegeek From Australia, joined Nov 2007, 2627 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 7392 times:
I thought there were A and B pay scales. As well as a distinction between long and short haul. Am I correct that the link in reply 1 concerns the B pay scale for short haul?
Elevated From United States of America, joined Feb 2010, 288 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 7323 times:
Quoting m11stephen (Reply 6): Wow! That is extraordinary compared to the amount F/As make in the United States! Recently, there was a story about a third year flight attendant at Compass Airlines (A Delta Connection carrier) who was making 17K annually after three years on the job!!! As a first year CSA I made about 19K...
That's absurd and I don't why anyone would put themselves through that when LCCs are/were hiring and some bigger ones this year as well. Work smarter, not harder.
It's hard to pin-point exactly what a flight attendant makes yearly at airline XYZ based on factoring in the following: is he/she flying more productive, high credit trips (which gives you smaller per diem pay and that adds up), are they flying maximum, or minimum hours; what position are they flying and what year pay-scale are they in and what do they top out at? A lot a variables at play.
I know a V Australia FA personally and she makes in the neighborhood of 35K and their pay is the same regardless of where they are working in the cabin according to her.
FlyboyOz From Australia, joined Nov 2000, 1893 posts, RR: 28 Reply 11, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 2 days ago) and read 7253 times:
T8KE0FF
You come from UK. I think you need to be an Australian citizen first before joining our aviation industry.
Qantas hired UK bases flight attendants but you can't fly to Australia. You have to fly between LHR and HKG or SIN or BKK.
However, there's another option for you. I know some virgin australia flight attendants that came from UK. They used to work for Virgin Atlantic and then applied for an exchange program to Virgin America or Virgin Australia. Not sure if the exchange program does exist.
m11stephen From United States of America, joined Aug 2008, 1208 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 7239 times:
I was wondering why F/A salaries in Australia are so high compared to those in the USA. Then I realized that the cost of living is almost twice as high in Australia as it is in the USA. In the USA, the average new hire F/A makes 16K a year according to the Association of Flight Attendants.
My opinions, statements, etc. are my own and do not have any association with those of any employer.
thegeek From Australia, joined Nov 2007, 2627 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 7233 times:
Not by that much. Big Mac index suggests $US4.07 in the US and $A4.56 or $US4.94 in Australia. Tax is higher here too, but again, not by enough to swing that.
Jackbr From Australia, joined Dec 2009, 652 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 7211 times:
Quoting m11stephen (Reply 12):
I was wondering why F/A salaries in Australia are so high compared to those in the USA. Then I realized that the cost of living is almost twice as high in Australia as it is in the USA. In the USA, the average new hire F/A makes 16K a year according to the Association of Flight Attendants.
There's far fewer airlines in Australia too.
Quoting thegeek (Reply 9):
I thought there were A and B pay scales. As well as a distinction between long and short haul. Am I correct that the link in reply 1 concerns the B pay scale for short haul?
It's the Qantas Domestic Cabin Crew EBA - Qantas does NOT employ it's own Flight Attendants anymore so to speak. Long Haul and Short haul full time as well as part time and contract crew are now employed by outside divisions - Qantas Cabin Crew Australia (QCCA) for Long Haul and Qantas Domestic (QD) for Short Haul. It's a huge cost saving initiative.
Quoting FlyboyOz (Reply 11): However, there's another option for you. I know some virgin australia flight attendants that came from UK. They used to work for Virgin Atlantic and then applied for an exchange program to Virgin America or Virgin Australia. Not sure if the exchange program does exist.
There is - for very few spots. Virgin America has some Virgin Australia crew on exchange now - not many though. While the opportunity exits, I should imagine it's very competitive.
All in all, I think you'll find Virgin Australia is probably the best carrier in Australia to work for now. Qantas is fine, but not quite as good as it once was to fly for as Cabin Crew (for new hires, that is).
Virgin Australia has fantastic morale now that Borghetti is the CEO and they have shiney new planes on order a new uniform. They also have some fairly good benefits, eg with the Virgin group. Their staff travel system is apparently poor compared to Qantas though.
I think you'll find Australia is among the best places in the world for flying as Cabin Crew now. The pay, while not wonderful, isn't bad and the benefits are still good. The service onboard isn't as dull as in America, either. On Qantas there's still a hot meal service on Domestic dinner flights, a fantastic Business Class product which is still better than Virgin Australia's, though Virgin has the potential to move in on it.
Elevated From United States of America, joined Feb 2010, 288 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 7004 times:
Quoting FlyboyOz (Reply 11): I know some virgin australia flight attendants that came from UK. They used to work for Virgin Atlantic and then applied for an exchange program to Virgin America or Virgin Australia. Not sure if the exchange program does exist.
It sure does exist and it ends this October when their year expires and they all go back home. There are no plans for it again as of right now because it didn't go the smoothest with visas. It was a Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) and Virgin America crew exchange program.
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