'First Class for $21!' Flight Attendant Shares Surprising Perks Despite Low Pay

A flight attendant in January advised people not to pursue a career in flying due to the low salary. However, another TikTok user has a different perspective. They think that the perks, particularly the discounted airfare, make the work entirely worthwhile.

TikToker Michelle, who goes by @anariesabroad, gave a video testimonial for the position. She does, however, work for Delta, which raises the possibility that the airline is as good of an employer as has been reported.

Michelle didn't sugarcoat things; she started her video by talking about the downsides of the job. "I’m sorry. I don’t know how else to convince you to apply to become a flight attendant," she began. "This job is tough. The pay is really low. Being on standby is tough, and it’s all about customer service."

But there's a bright side to the job: getting big discounts on flights. "I booked a trip to Sydney, Australia for next month. Guess how much I paid? Just $21," she shared excitedly.

Michelle confirmed that she is travelling first class for the $21 she paid for her economy ticket. She said, "I reserved first class for myself."

She said that it would have cost her $1,454 to fly economy on those days if she hadn't been a flight attendant. "People are paying $1,400 to sit in the same seat I'm sitting in?" she yelled.

Michelle also talked about her first-class flight to Korea. She noted that she got a great deal on her flight from Detroit to Seoul, which only cost $42. She encouraged everyone else to think about applying for employment as a flight attendant so they may experience the same benefits. She further stated, "You can never make me hate this," in the video's caption.

Viewers who are flight attendants are totally on board with Michelle. "I'm sticking around for sure. I've got a whole year to be with my newborn. This is the life, plus, he can fly for free already," one viewer shared.

"Absolutely! Flying my family to Japan for $50 each? Count me in for life," another chimed in enthusiastically.

"Honestly, I adore our job! Sure, it can be a real hassle sometimes, we all know that, but at the same time, I just can't imagine leaving. I love it so much (well, most days anyway)," a third commenter expressed.

Another person mentioned they became a flight attendant purely for the travel perks.

Delta lays out all these amazing benefits on its careers page. Alongside the discounts on Delta flights, there are also perks like savings on car rentals and hotel stays.

3 Ways to Get Cheaper Airline Tickets in 2024

Airline crew or not, here's how you can get cheaper tickets when flying.

Booking connecting flights separately: Though direct flights can be easier, it can occasionally be less expensive to book each leg of your trip independently. Take this into consideration when scheduling connecting flights. To locate the most economical choice, use flight search tools to check costs for different segments and to mix and match carriers.

Create price alerts: Utilize the features that travel websites and apps offer to set up price notifications. You can take advantage of the greatest offers as soon as they become available by setting alerts for your favourite routes and receiving notifications when costs decrease.

Fly Miles & Reward Programs: You might think about signing up for a loyalty program if you often travel with a particular airline. With the miles you gain from flights, credit card transactions, and special promotions, you can get tickets at a discount or even for free.

Follow Michelle here on TikTok ( @anariesabroad) for more such videos on Air Travel.