Cabin crew glossary
150 terms crew actually use — each explained as it plays out on your roster, in your pay and on the day.
150 terms
Browse by category
Roles & ranks16
Roster & scheduling24
Pay & benefits18
Flight operations18
Safety & training22
Aircraft & cabin14
Recruitment16
Crew life12
Regulation10
Roles & ranks
16 terms- Cabin crewflight attendant · air hostess · stewardThe trained crew responsible for passenger safety and service in the cabin — called flight attendants in North America.
- Pursercabin manager · in-flight manager · cabin service directorThe crew member in charge of the cabin on a flight: briefs the crew, reports to the captain and owns the service and the paperwork.
- Chief pursercabin services manager · chief steward · in-flight service managerThe top cabin rank at airlines with a two-tier purser structure, leading multiple pursers on wide-body and ultra-long-haul flights.
- Senior cabin crewSCCM · senior cabin crew member · number oneUnder EASA, the qualified crew member in charge of the cabin (SCCM); more loosely, any experienced crew above the entry grade.
- Junior cabin crewnew entrant · new hire · Grade IIEntry-grade crew in their first one to three years, on the lowest pay band and, at seniority airlines, on reserve.
- Line trainerline training crew · onboard trainer · flying trainerAn experienced crew member who trains and assesses new crew on live flights during their first supervised sectors.
- Cabin crew instructorSEP instructor · cabin crew trainer · ground instructorA ground-based trainer who delivers initial and recurrent safety, service and CRM courses at the airline's training centre.
- Check flight attendantcheck cabin crew · line check · performance checkA crew member who conducts formal line checks on operating crew, observing a live flight and grading procedures and standards.
- Captaincommander · pilot in command · PICThe pilot in command, legally responsible for the aircraft, everyone on board and every operational decision.
- First officerco-pilot · FO · second in commandThe second pilot, fully qualified to fly the aircraft and sharing the flying with the captain, who retains overall command.
- Flight deckcockpit · flight crew · pilotsThe pilots' compartment at the front of the aircraft, and by extension the pilots themselves as distinct from cabin crew.
- Crew controlcrewing · crew scheduling · crew trackingThe department that manages crew on the day of operation — calling out standbys, reassigning trips and keeping every flight legally crewed.
- Base managercabin crew manager · crew performance manager · line managerThe ground manager responsible for the cabin crew at one base: attendance, performance, welfare and discipline.
- Ground staffground crew · ground handling · gate agentsEveryone who works a flight from the ground — check-in, gate, ramp, loading, cleaning and fuelling — as opposed to the operating crew.
- Dispatcherflight dispatcher · flight operations officer · FOOTwo jobs share the name: the licensed planner who prepares and co-signs each flight, and the ground coordinator running a turnaround.
- Load controllerloadsheet · weight and balance · load controlThe specialist who calculates the aircraft's weight and balance and issues the loadsheet the captain must accept before departure.
Roster & scheduling
24 terms- Rosterschedule · line · duty rosterYour published block of duties for the month: flights, standbys, training, days off and leave, built against legal duty limits.
- BiddingPBS · preferential bidding system · bid lineRequesting the trips, days off or patterns you want for the coming month, with awards decided by seniority or a points system.
- Seniorityseniority number · date of joining · DOJYour rank on the airline's crew list by date of hire, which at many carriers decides bidding, base, vacation and reserve.
- Reserveon call · A-days · ready reserveThe US term for a roster of on-call days rather than assigned trips: you fly whatever crew scheduling gives you, at short notice.
- StandbySBY · on call · availabilityA rostered period in which you are not assigned a flight but must be available to be called for one, at the airport or at home.
- Airport standbyairport reserve · ready standby · ASBYStandby served at the airport in uniform, ready to board within minutes; counts in full as duty under EASA.
- Home standbyhome reserve · HSBY · phone standbyStandby served away from the airport, usually at home, with a contractual call-out time to report — typically 90 minutes to two hours.
- Days offDO · OFF · local days offRostered days free of all duty at home base; the number per month is one of the biggest quality-of-life differences between airlines.
- Block hoursblock time · flight hours · credit hoursTime from the aircraft first moving under its own power to the parking brake being set: the unit airlines pay by and regulators cap.
- Duty periodduty time · duty · duty hoursAny continuous period of work for the airline — flying, standby, training, positioning or ground tasks — from report to release.
- Flight duty periodFDP · flight duty · max FDPThe regulated window from report for a flying duty to engines off after the last sector; the core limit protecting crew from fatigue.
- Rest periodminimum rest · legal rest · restThe uninterrupted time free of all duties that must separate two duties: 12 hours at base and 10 away under EASA, 10 hours under the FAA.
- Turnaroundturn · quick turn · out and backThe ground time between an aircraft's arrival and its next departure, and by extension a duty that goes out and comes straight back.
- Layovernight-stop · slip · overnightThe rest period spent away from base between two duties, in a crew hotel, from a legal minimum overnight up to several days.
- Pairingtrip · trip pairing · sequenceA US term for a complete trip built from consecutive duties and layovers that begins and ends at your base, bid and paid as a unit.
- Line holderlineholder · line · holding a lineUS crew who hold a monthly roster of assigned trips rather than reserve days, and can trade, drop and pick up flying.
- Roster swaptrip trade · swap · duty swapExchanging a rostered duty with a colleague, subject to legality checks and crewing approval; how crew shape a company-built roster.
- Open timeopen flying · pick-up · trip pick-upUnassigned trips left over after rosters are built, which line holders can pick up voluntarily — often at premium pay when crew are short.
- Commutingcommuter · commuting crew · commuter policyLiving somewhere other than your base city and flying in on staff travel before each trip, common at US and European carriers.
- Deadheadingpositioning · DH · DHDTravelling as a passenger on duty to reach or return from an operating flight; counts as duty and is paid, but is not an FDP on its own.
- Red-eyeovernight flight · night flight · night sectorA flight that departs late at night and arrives in the morning, worked through the body's circadian low; capped more tightly by FTL tables.
- Split dutysplit shift · break duty · extended FDP with breakAn FDP with a long ground break in the middle, which under EASA can extend the maximum duty in exchange for rest in suitable accommodation.
- Commander's discretioncaptain's discretion · discretion · FDP extensionThe captain's authority to extend a duty or shorten a rest beyond normal limits for unforeseen events after report, after consulting crew.
- Roster publicationroster release · bid award · roster dayThe date the airline releases next month's roster; EASA guidance points to at least 14 days' notice so crew can plan rest.
Pay & benefits
18 terms- Basic salarybase salary · base pay · basicThe fixed monthly amount paid regardless of hours flown; only one part of crew pay, and at US carriers barely present at all.
- Flying payhourly pay · flight pay · flight hour rateThe variable part of crew pay, calculated per block or flight hour actually flown; the reason long-haul months pay more than short-haul.
- Per diemallowance · meal allowance · expensesAn allowance paid for time away from base — hourly at US carriers, per night or per destination elsewhere — to cover meals and expenses.
- Layover allowanceoutstation allowance · night-stop allowance · downroute allowanceThe fixed sum paid for each night or layover spent away from base, usually in the destination's currency and often tax-free.
- Housing allowanceaccommodation allowance · HRA · housing benefitA monthly payment in place of company accommodation, offered by Gulf carriers to crew who opt out of shared housing.
- Tax-free salarytax-free income · no income tax · net salaryPay received with no income tax deducted, as in the UAE and Qatar — subject to the tax rules of the country you remain resident in.
- End of service benefitgratuity · EOSB · end of service gratuityA lump sum paid when you leave a Gulf airline, calculated on basic salary and years of service in place of a pension.
- Staff travelnon-rev · non-revenue travel · space availableHeavily discounted, usually standby, flights for airline employees and their families on their own airline and partner carriers.
- ID90ID90 ticket · ID50 · industry discountAn industry discount ticket at 90% off the full published fare, the classic standby staff fare on your own or another airline.
- Jumpseatjump seat · crew seat · jumpseatingThe fold-down crew seat at each door or on the flight deck; as a benefit, the right to ride it free when commuting or travelling.
- Buddy passguest pass · companion pass · friends and family travelA discounted standby ticket airline staff can give to friends or family, flown space-available and under the employee's name.
- Sector payper-sector pay · flight pay · leg payPay earned per flight flown rather than per hour — the model most European low-cost carriers use on top of a small basic.
- Overtimeextra flying · premium pay · over-guarantee hoursExtra pay for flying beyond the hours guaranteed in your contract, always capped by the legal flight time limits.
- Profit shareprofit sharing · annual bonus · 13th monthAn annual bonus paid to crew when the airline makes money, ranging from a token payment to several months' salary.
- Training bondtraining agreement · bonded training · training cost clawbackA contract clause that makes you repay some or all of your initial training cost if you leave the airline within a set period.
- Pensionretirement plan · superannuation · 401(k)The retirement savings element of a crew package — company-matched contributions in the West, a gratuity instead in the Gulf.
- Unioncabin crew union · flight attendant union · collective agreementThe organisation that negotiates cabin crew pay, work rules and grievances collectively with the airline.
- Pay scalesalary scale · pay steps · seniority scaleThe published table of hourly or monthly rates that rises in steps with years of service and rank.
Flight operations
18 terms- Sectorleg · flight leg · segmentOne flight from take-off to landing. A day's duty is counted in sectors, and low-cost pay is often earned per sector.
- Rotationtrip · pairing · patternA complete trip that starts and ends at your base — one or more sectors, with any layovers in between.
- Short-haulshort haul · regional flying · domestic flyingFlights of up to around three hours on narrow-body aircraft, flown as multi-sector days that usually end at home.
- Medium-haulmedium haul · mid-haulFlights of roughly three to six hours, long enough to lose the multi-sector rhythm but not long enough for bunk rest.
- Long-haullong haul · international flying · wide-body flyingFlights of roughly six hours or more on wide-body aircraft, normally one sector a day followed by a layover.
- Ultra-long-haulULH · ultra long haul · ULRThe longest scheduled flights, beyond roughly 14-16 hours, flown with augmented crew and mandatory bunk rest.
- Wide-bodywidebody · twin-aisle aircraft · heavyAn aircraft with a fuselage wide enough for two aisles — the 777, 787, A330, A350 and A380 — used for long-haul flying.
- Narrow-bodynarrowbody · single-aisle · single aisleA single-aisle aircraft such as the A320 family or 737, the workhorse of short-haul and low-cost flying.
- Twin-aisletwin aisle · dual-aisle · two-aisleAnother name for a wide-body aircraft, describing the cabin from the crew's side: two aisles, two service flows.
- Boardingembarkation · enplaning · boarding processThe period from the first passenger stepping aboard until the door closes — the busiest and, historically, least paid part of the job.
- Disembarkationdeplaning · deboarding · disembarkingPassengers leaving the aircraft after arrival — followed by the crew's cabin sweep, and, on a turnaround, the next boarding.
- On-time performanceOTP · punctuality · D15The share of an airline's flights that depart or arrive within 15 minutes of schedule — a headline metric that trickles down to crew.
- Delayflight delay · irregular operations · IROPSAny departure or arrival behind schedule — for crew, a duty that stretches and a rest period that shrinks.
- Diversiondiverted flight · divert · alternate landingLanding at an airport other than the planned destination — for weather, a technical fault, fuel or a medical emergency on board.
- Go-aroundmissed approach · aborted landing · rejected landingA discontinued approach: the aircraft climbs away instead of landing and repositions for another attempt or diverts.
- Ground timeturnaround time · transit time · TATThe scheduled time between an aircraft's arrival and its next departure — as little as 25 minutes at low-cost carriers.
- Push-backpushback · off-blocks · brakes offThe moment a tug pushes the aircraft off the stand — doors closed and armed, cabin secure, and the clock on block time starts.
- Taxitaxiing · taxi-out · taxi-inThe aircraft moving on the ground under its own power between the stand and the runway — a sterile phase for cabin crew.
Safety & training
22 terms- SEPSafety and Emergency Procedures · SEP training · safety trainingSafety and Emergency Procedures — the core safety syllabus every cabin crew member is trained and re-examined on.
- Initial trainingab initio training · new-hire training · ground schoolThe four-to-eight-week course that turns a successful candidate into a licensed, type-qualified cabin crew member.
- Recurrent trainingrecurrent · annual training · refresher trainingThe mandatory yearly refresher and check that keeps your SEP, first-aid and type qualifications valid.
- Wet drillditching drill · water survival training · pool drillPractical ditching training in a pool: life jackets, slide-rafts, righting a raft and survival after a water landing.
- Fire trainingfire fighting training · fire and smoke training · smoke drillHands-on training to find and fight fires on board — galley, lavatory, lithium battery — using extinguishers and a smoke hood.
- Evacuationemergency evacuation · evac · slide evacuationGetting everyone off the aircraft through the exits within 90 seconds, on the captain's command or the crew's own assessment.
- Brace positionbrace · brace for impact · crash positionThe body position passengers and crew adopt before an emergency landing to reduce injury on impact.
- Emergency exitexit · overwing exit · exit rowAny door or hatch certified for evacuation — the doors crew operate and the overwing exits passengers are briefed to open.
- Door armingarm doors · doors to automatic · slide armedSetting a cabin door so the escape slide deploys automatically when it is opened — done before push-back, undone after arrival.
- Cross-checkarm doors and cross-check · doors cross-check · cross checkA colleague verifying that the door opposite yours is armed or disarmed as commanded — the double-check that prevents slide deployments.
- Cabin securecabin secured · secure check · cabin readyThe crew's confirmation to the flight deck that the cabin is ready for take-off or landing: seatbelts, galleys, exits and crew seated.
- Sterile cockpitsterile flight deck · sterile cockpit rule · critical phase of flightThe rule that bans non-safety contact with the flight deck in critical phases of flight — taxi, take-off, landing and below 10,000 ft.
- CRMCrew Resource Management · human factors · non-technical skillsCrew Resource Management — the training in communication, decision-making and assertiveness that lets a crew work as one team.
- First aidin-flight medical · medical emergency · aviation first aidThe medical training and kit that make cabin crew the first responders to any illness or injury at 38,000 feet.
- AEDautomated external defibrillator · defibrillator · defibThe automated defibrillator carried on board for cardiac arrest, which cabin crew are trained to use alongside CPR.
- Decompressiondepressurisation · rapid decompression · explosive decompressionLoss of cabin pressure at altitude: oxygen masks drop, crew grab the nearest one, and the pilots descend to breathable air.
- Turbulenceclear-air turbulence · CAT · rough airIrregular air movement that shakes the aircraft — the leading cause of in-flight injury, mostly to unbelted passengers and working crew.
- Seatbelt signfasten seatbelt sign · seat belt sign · FSBThe illuminated sign controlled by the pilots that obliges passengers to sit and belt up — and tells crew what service is allowed.
- Safety demonstrationsafety demo · safety briefing · safety videoThe mandatory briefing before take-off on seatbelts, exits, life jackets, oxygen and the safety card — by video or crew demonstration.
- Pre-flight briefingcrew briefing · briefing · pre-departure briefingThe meeting at sign-on where the senior crew member assigns positions, reviews the flight and tests SEP knowledge.
- Cabin checkpre-flight check · security check · cabin sweepThe crew's inspections of the cabin: equipment and security before boarding, walk-throughs in flight, a sweep after landing.
- Dangerous goodsDG · hazmat · hazardous materialsItems that can endanger an aircraft — from lithium batteries to aerosols — and the rules on what passengers may carry and crew must handle.
Aircraft & cabin
14 terms- Galleyaircraft kitchen · galley area · galley positionThe aircraft's kitchen and service preparation area, and by extension the working position of the crew member who runs it.
- Aislecabin aisle · aisle position · aisle crewThe passage between seat rows where service and passenger movement happen — one on a narrow-body, two on a wide-body.
- Cabin classtravel class · service class · cabinThe service tiers a cabin is split into — economy, premium economy, business, first — each with its own seat, service and crew ratio.
- Economy classY class · main cabin · coachThe largest and cheapest cabin on the aircraft, worked at the highest passengers-per-crew ratio and the fastest service pace.
- Premium economyW class · economy plus · premium cabinA middle cabin between economy and business: wider seat, better meal, its own rows — and a distinct crew position at some airlines.
- Business classJ class · C class · ClubThe premium long-haul cabin with lie-flat seats and plated dining, worked at a low passenger ratio by crew who have earned the position.
- First classF class · first cabin · suitesThe smallest and most exclusive cabin, staffed at the tightest ratio and usually reserved for the most senior and best-assessed crew.
- Crew restin-flight rest · rest facility · controlled restScheduled sleep on board during an augmented long-haul flight, taken in a bunk or reserved seat so the duty can legally run longer.
- Crew bunkcrew rest compartment · CRC · overhead crew restThe curtained sleeping berth in a hidden compartment on long-haul aircraft where cabin crew take their in-flight rest.
- Overhead binoverhead locker · overhead stowage · hat rackThe lockable stowage above the seats; crew close and check every one before the cabin is secure, and it is where boarding is won or lost.
- Lavatorylav · toilet · washroomThe aircraft toilet — a fire-protected, smoke-detected compartment that cabin crew check, stock and secure throughout every flight.
- Trolleycart · service cart · meal cartThe wheeled galley cart crew push through the aisle for meals, bar and duty-free — heavy, braked and the source of most crew back injuries.
- PA announcementPA · public address · cabin announcementAny announcement over the aircraft's public address system — safety ones scripted by the operations manual, the rest by the purser.
- IFEin-flight entertainment · IFEC · seatback screenIn-flight entertainment — seatback screens, streaming to devices and Wi-Fi — which cabin crew reset, explain and apologise for.
Recruitment
16 terms- Open dayOpen Day · walk-in day · CV dropA walk-in recruitment event where anyone can present a CV and photos; a short screening that decides who is invited to the assessment day.
- Assessment dayAD · assessment centre · selection dayThe invitation-only selection day — reach test, group exercises, English test, grooming check, final interview — that decides the offer.
- Group exercisegroup task · group activity · group discussionThe observed team task at an assessment day, scored on how you listen, include others and stay calm — the stage that cuts most people.
- Reach testarm reach test · vertical reach · 212 cm reachAssessment-day check that you can touch a marked height on tiptoe — 212 cm at most Gulf carriers — so you can reach overhead equipment.
- Aviation medicalaeromedical · pre-employment medical · cabin crew medicalThe medical examination a joiner must pass before flying: regulator-defined in Europe, airline-run in the Gulf and the US.
- Background checksecurity vetting · background screening · criminal record checkPre-employment vetting — criminal record, employment history, references, identity — required before you can hold an airside ID.
- Right to workwork authorisation · work permit · eligibility to workYour legal permission to be employed in the country where the airline will base you — a hard filter at most carriers outside the Gulf.
- Cabin crew attestationCCA · EASA attestation · Part-CC attestationThe EASA Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA): proof you have completed approved initial safety training, required to fly for any EU airline.
- Grooming standardsgrooming · image standards · presentation standardsAirline rules on hair, make-up, nails, tattoos, jewellery and proportion — checked at recruitment and enforced in uniform for life.
- Final interviewone-to-one interview · final round · panel interviewThe last stage of selection: a one-to-one or panel interview built on behavioural questions, answered with concrete examples.
- Offer lettergolden call · conditional offer · job offerThe airline's formal job offer after selection — conditional on medical, background and visa — with a joining date weeks or months away.
- Probationprobationary period · probationer · trial periodThe initial months of employment during which the airline can end your contract at short notice — and at some carriers pays you less.
- Crew contractemployment contract · fixed-term contract · cabin crew contractThe agreement fixing your pay structure, base, contract length, training bond and notice — read it before you resign from anything.
- Inductiononboarding · orientation · joining formalitiesYour administrative first days at the airline — ID, uniform fitting, contracts, systems access — before safety training begins.
- Training centretraining academy · aviation academy · cabin crew training schoolThe airline's facility with door and slide trainers, cabin mock-ups, fire and pool rigs where initial and recurrent training take place.
- Visa sponsorshipwork visa · employment visa · sponsored visaWhen the airline arranges and pays for your work and residence visa — standard at Gulf carriers, rare almost everywhere else.
Crew life
12 terms- Crash padcrashpad · crew pad · commuter apartmentA shared apartment near a US crew base, rented by the bunk, where commuting crew sleep between trips instead of paying for a hotel.
- Crew hotellayover hotel · crew accommodation · downroute hotelThe airline-contracted hotel where crew sleep on a layover, chosen for transport time and rest quality and paid by the airline.
- Jet lagjetlag · circadian desynchronisation · time-zone fatigueBody clock out of step with local time after crossing time zones — the long-haul crew's occupational hazard, and a skill to manage.
- Body clockcircadian rhythm · internal clock · circadian lowYour internal circadian rhythm, which FTL rules recognise through the window of circadian low and which a flying roster constantly fights.
- Fatiguecrew fatigue · fatigue risk management · FRMSReduced alertness from sleep loss and circadian disruption — a regulated safety issue with a reporting system you are obliged to use.
- Basehome base · crew base · domicileThe airport where your duties start and end and where you must live within reach — the single fact that most shapes a cabin crew life.
- Hubhub airport · network hub · hub-and-spokeAn airline's central connecting airport, where most of its flights and usually its largest crew base are — not always your base.
- Transferbase transfer · relocation · base changeMoving to another crew base, fleet or company role — by seniority bid at US carriers, by vacancy and approval almost everywhere else.
- Layover citydestination · downroute · slip stationA city where a crew is rostered to rest between sectors — the reward of long-haul flying and the reason many people apply at all.
- Crew discountcrew rate · airline staff discount · industry rateReduced hotel, travel and retail rates available to airline crew on proof of employment — separate from staff travel on your own airline.
- Crew buscrew transport · crew shuttle · pickupAirline-provided transport between the crew hotel or accommodation and the airport — its pickup time is a report time in disguise.
- Uniformcrew uniform · uniform standards · uniform allowanceAirline-issued clothing crew wear on duty, governed by strict wear rules and grooming standards — issued, not chosen, down to the shoes.
Regulation
10 terms- EASAEuropean Union Aviation Safety Agency · EASA Air Ops · Regulation 965/2012European Union Aviation Safety Agency — the EU regulator whose Air Operations rules set cabin crew training, attestation and duty limits.
- FAAFederal Aviation Administration · 14 CFR Part 121 · FAA Part 121The Federal Aviation Administration — US regulator whose Part 121 rules govern flight attendant training, duty and rest at US airlines.
- ICAOInternational Civil Aviation Organization · ICAO Annex 6 · SARPsThe UN's International Civil Aviation Organization: it sets the standards national regulators adopt, but regulates no airline directly.
- GCAAGeneral Civil Aviation Authority · UAE GCAA · CAR-OPSGeneral Civil Aviation Authority — the UAE regulator overseeing Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia, with its own duty-time scheme.
- DGCADirectorate General of Civil Aviation · DGCA India · DGCA CARDirectorate General of Civil Aviation — India's regulator, setting cabin crew training, medical and duty rules for every Indian airline.
- FTLflight time limitations · FTL scheme · FDTLFlight time limitations — a regulator's legal caps on duty, flight hours and minimum rest: the only hard limit on what a roster can ask.
- Operations manualOM · Ops Manual · cabin crew manualThe regulator-approved manual every procedure on your flight comes from — crew work from its safety volumes and are checked against it.
- Cabin crew licencecabin crew license · flight attendant licence · sobrecargo licenceA state licence to act as cabin crew — required in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Colombia; Europe uses an attestation, the US a certificate.
- Medical certificatecabin crew medical report · aeromedical certificate · medical fitness certificateThe record that you have passed a cabin crew medical — a periodic medical report in Europe, an airline or state certificate elsewhere.
- Safety cardsafety briefing card · safety instruction card · seat pocket cardThe regulator-required pictorial card in every seat pocket showing exits, brace positions and equipment for that exact aircraft type.