Flight Attendant

Job details

Salary: Basic salary starts at £22,447.32, plus average expected trip pay of circa £5000, other variable payments, and subsistence allowances down route (based on 48 trips per year)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time
Location: Flying from London Heathrow
Start date: Further information and prospective start dates will be given during the recruitment process
Closing date: Thursday 19th February 2026 (the closing date may be adjusted as necessary, depending on application volumes)

In a nutshell

Were you born to fly?

Are you ready to take your career to new heights with one of the world's most iconic airlines?

We’ve been turning heads in the sky for over four decades now - known for our innovation, flair and award-winning customer experience, we do things differently.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. From our unmistakable style to our brilliant training, we’re proud to deliver safe, smooth and unforgettable journeys for our customers, with a smile, every single time.

We're on the lookout for passionate, customer-focused individuals to join our exceptional cabin crew team and embark on the next part of our journey. If you’re ready to take on the world, this could be your moment.

Over the years, we’ve welcomed thousands of Cabin Crew into the Virgin Atlantic family and watched their careers truly soar, and we’d love you to be next.

Day to day

When you step into our iconic uniform, you become the face of Virgin Atlantic a living, breathing ambassador for our bold spirit and love of travel.

You'll be responsible for:

• Delivering safety, security and operational excellence onboard every flight
• Working as part of a close-knit, high-performing Cabin Crew team, bringing your personality and flair to everything you do
• Creating memorable, feel-good customer experiences that set us apart from the rest
• Supporting our customers’ wellbeing – from reassuring nervous flyers to assisting with medical or accessibility needs
• Making every journey fun, inclusive and unmistakably Virgin Atlantic
• No two days (or flights) are ever the same, and that’s exactly how we like it

About you

Our mission is to be the most loved travel company, and our wonderful people play a key part in this. We’re looking for individuals who genuinely love working with people, have a passion for travel, and are excited to be part of an award-winning team. If delivering exceptional customer experiences comes naturally to you, and you bring a positive, can-do attitude, we’ll take care of the rest.

To be successful in your application and training, you’ll need to have:

• The right to live and work in the UK (We're unable to offer skilled worker visa sponsorship for this role)
• No live or unspent criminal convictions or cases pending
• The ability to swim 25 metres unaided and board a raft from the water using a rope ladder without help
• At least 2 years service experience in a customer facing role at the time of application
• A minimum of three GCSE (A*-C or 9-4) or academic equivalent
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Safety Critical Criteria

To meet the safety critical criteria of the role, you must be able to:

• Safely handle the physical demands of pushing, pulling, lifting, reaching, and manoeuvring equipment or people in both normal and emergency situations
• Communicate clearly, hear accurately, and respond promptly in safety-critical situations, including in noisy environments or when wearing protective equipment or facing physical barriers
• Read, interpret, and accurately follow safety and medical information, including small text and digital displays” including in low-light or emergency conditions
• Stand and walk unaided for extended periods (minimum 8 hours) while maintaining safety awareness and performance.
  Work safely in confined spaces, including serving hot items, using clear verbal and physical communication, and manoeuvring in restricted areas of the aircraft
• Respond immediately and effectively to medical and safety emergencies, including performing first aid, CPR and evacuation procedures
• Safely handle and serve the full diverse menu of beverages including alcohol and soft drinks and food including meat (e.g. pork, chicken, beef), fish and vegetarian/vegan dishes throughout entire flight including all allergens, and religious offerings.
  Travel freely across the airline’s entire route network without restriction, including meeting all visa, entry and health requirements

At our assessment centre, we’ll check you're able to demonstrate the below.

Reach up to 210cm without shoes, with both arms extended standing on tiptoes if needed. This is the height of our overhead lockers where we keep emergency equipment onboard.

Adopt the brace position in a 45cm high seat with your feet flat on the floor (without shoes) and comfortably secure your harness without the use of an extension seatbelt.

Sound like you? We'd love to hear from you.

Training

We take your journey with us seriously, and we’ll invest in your development so that you can thrive. As you’d expect, our training programme is meticulous and full-on, but very rewarding, and it takes dedication to complete it successfully.

Your training kicks off with our ‘First Dates’ initiation day at our vibrant head office. The in-person course is then five weeks long and split into three subject areas - Safety and Security, Safety Equipment and Procedures, Aviation Medicine, and Service - and includes classroom sessions, practical sessions (including a swimming element), daily tests, exams, and final assessments.

Before you begin your practical training, you’ll need to complete seven online modules, each lasting around one hour. This will prepare you with a solid foundation before we really start our engines.

To graduate from your Wings ceremony, you’ll need to successfully pass your training exams. Then the sky’s the limit - it’ll be time to put all your training and hard work into practice and take off. We know you’ll have lots of questions, and we’ll take care to answer all of them as we go along.

Even our most experienced crew continue to learn on the job. That’s what keeps things interesting!

The Package

Your benefits will include a range of financial, health, wellbeing, and (of course) travel perks, and lots more:

• Industry-leading staff travel for you and your loved ones, with up to seven free flights a year to any of our destinations. You just need to pay the fees and taxes, which vary by destination
• Ongoing coaching and development throughout your career with your dedicated crew performance manager
• Generous contributory pension scheme and life assurance
• Company-funded private medical insurance
• A catalogue of optional salary sacrifice benefits such as travel and dental insurance, gym memberships and healthcare
• Access to online digital GP Doctor@Hand
• Access to a variety of discounted products and services
• Potential to transition to part-time contract after 2 years of full-time employment

Be yourself – Our differences make us stronger

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds.

To make your recruitment journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team (recruitment@fly.virgin.com).