'Been intense': The truth about becoming a Jetstar flight attendant

Even at just 19 years old, Chloe Kingi-McCarthy has always dreamed of a job in aviation. Now she is about to turn that dream into reality.From Christchurch, Chloe is swapping her job as a checkout operator at a local supermarket to working as cabin crew for Jetstar."My first career pick was to be a pilot but I really enjoyed the customer interactions at my previous job, so I leant more towards the flight attending side of aviation," said Chloe.READ MORE: Travel agent's game-changing luggage move"I have always loved to travel and now I get to work in a job that gives me all of that plus more."She has joined more than 50 new staff at the low-cost carrier as it expands its service around New Zealand and across to Australia.Earlier this year the airline announced trans-Tasman flights from Dunedin and Hamilton, and the launch of a service between Auckland and Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, and from Christchurch to Cairns.READ MORE: What you need to know when booking a cruise, according to an expertJay Kumar is another of the new recruits. Originally from India, the 45-year-old migrated to New Zealand in 1992 and settled into a life as a recruitment consultant in the transport and logistics industry.He said it was a "dream come true" when he was passed the initial Jetstar interview as he's "very passionate about people and travel": "This job brings both together. I am super excited."Jay said the training has been intense and has given him an appreciation of the work flight attendants do."Cabin crew are definitely a lot more than smiling faces on aircraft looking after our needs," he said."They are well trained, qualified professionals in the air, that provide more than just customer care. I am so proud of all cabin crew the world over after having gone through this process. Hats off!"Chloe agreed: "I think my perception has changed a lot from being a passenger to being a flight attendant. There is a lot more in this job role than just great customer service, we are responsible for keeping our passengers and the aircraft safe."Simon Willoughby admits he has had a "crazy eclectic job history" up to now, including stints in the army, logistics, and infrastructure.The 38-year-old, who now lives in Rolleston, said he applied for the Jetstar role thanks to his "sense of adventure, or my thinly veiled ADHD perhaps?""I grew up reading Biggles books and wanting to be a fighter pilot or astronaut."Chloe said the group has done a lot in training: "We've learnt how to evacuate passengers from the plane effectively and safely, we've learnt how to treat different medical emergencies that could occur on an aircraft."There is definitely more to being a flight attendant then what you think."She admitted she found it tough being away from home, something Simon agreed with.For Jay, learning about the different configurations of aircraft and their individual characteristics has been the most difficult aspect."Like in any roles, attention to detail is very important along with processing and understanding of procedural information."Jetstar's Head of New Zealand, Shelley Musk, said it was great to see the recruits come a range of different backgrounds."We're really excited to be ramping up recruitment as we prepare for the biggest expansion of our New Zealand operations in more than a decade," said Musk."The new recruits will certainly be busy, with Jetstar set to launch five new trans-Tasman services, increase capacity on key domestic routes and expand its fleet in Aotearoa."The good news for all three recruits is they passed the training with flying colours and will be working in a Jetstar cabin near you soon.This story was originally published by Stuff and has been reproduced here with permission.