Hospitality / Aviation
Cabin Crew CV example (UK)
A UK cabin crew CV for airline applications: customer service, safety awareness, calm under pressure, languages and the checks airlines ask for.
Example CV profile
Warm, calm customer service professional with [three] years' experience in [hotel front-of-house and retail], looking to join [airline] as cabin crew. Used to busy shifts, difficult conversations and putting people at ease. Holds a [valid passport with no travel restrictions], speaks [conversational Spanish] and lives within easy reach of [base airport].
Key skills to include (if true for you)
- Customer service in busy, high-pressure settings
- Following safety procedures and briefings
- First aid (state the course and date, if held)
- Calm conflict resolution and handling complaints
- Onboard or retail sales and cash or card payments
- Teamwork on rostered and irregular shifts
- Clear announcements and spoken English
- Languages (state your real level)
- Cultural awareness and assisting passengers with additional needs
Example experience bullet points
- Welcomed and checked in up to [n] guests a shift at a [four-star hotel] front desk, keeping service friendly during busy arrivals.
- Dealt with complaints and upset guests calmly, using the hotel's process and passing safety concerns to the duty manager.
- Followed fire and evacuation procedures as a trained fire marshal, including taking part in regular drills.
- Sold upgrades and extras at check-in, contributing to the team's monthly sales target.
- Supported guests with mobility needs and young families, arranging assistance and accessible rooms in advance.
- Worked a rotating rota of early, late, weekend and overnight shifts with [no] unplanned absences in [12] months.
- Used [Spanish] daily with guests and translated for colleagues when needed.
Illustrative only. Replace with your own real roles, dates and results — never copy experience you don't have.
Education & training
- GCSEs or equivalent, including English and Maths – [School], [year]
- First aid at work or emergency first aid certificate – [provider], [year]
- Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA) – [approved training organisation], [year] (only if you hold one)
- Any cabin crew, travel and tourism or hospitality course, if completed – [year]
Keywords UK recruiters screen for
cabin crew · customer service · safety procedures · first aid · teamwork · conflict resolution · onboard sales · languages · flexible rota · passport
Tips for a cabin crew CV
- Lead with customer service, because it's the core of the job. Use your best examples from hospitality, retail, care or a contact centre.
- Show safety awareness without overclaiming: fire marshal duties, first aid, following procedures, reporting incidents. Only list a Cabin Crew Attestation if you actually hold one.
- State the practical things airlines check: a valid passport with no restrictions for the countries they fly to, and that you live within reach of the base.
- Give your real language level, such as "conversational" or "fluent". You may be tested at the assessment day.
- Don't add a photo unless the application asks for one. If it does, follow the airline's instructions exactly.
- Keep your work history accurate and complete. Airlines run background checks, so dates need to match your references.
Cabin crew pay is usually a basic salary plus flight pay or allowances, and sometimes commission on onboard sales. It varies by airline, so check the advert. Salary checker (ONS data).
Official sources and further reading
- National Careers Service: Cabin crew job profile
- UK Civil Aviation Authority: Cabin crew initial safety training (Cabin Crew Attestation)
What airlines look for in a cabin crew CV
Cabin crew recruitment focuses on how you treat people and how you behave under pressure. The National Careers Service lists customer service skills, excellent verbal communication, patience and staying calm in stressful situations, working well with others and knowledge of public safety and security. Your CV should show each of these with something real:
- Customer service: a busy hotel desk, restaurant, shop or contact centre.
- Calm under pressure: a medical incident, an angry customer, a fire alarm or a system failure you handled.
- Safety: fire marshal duties, first aid, health and safety checks, following procedures to the letter.
- Teamwork and shifts: rotas, early starts, nights and covering for colleagues.
- Sales: upselling or onboard-style sales, because many airlines sell food, drinks and duty free.
Paste the airline's advert into the free job ad keyword extractor and match your wording to theirs.
The practical requirements, on your CV
Airlines set their own entry requirements. The National Careers Service says you'll need to be over 18, have a good level of fitness, pass a medical check and pass enhanced background checks. You'll also be expected to have a valid passport with no restrictions for the countries the airline travels to, and to live within 90 minutes of your base. It also says many airlines ask that you can swim up to 25 metres.
You don't need to list all of this. Do include:
- your town, so the airline can see you're within reach of the base
- "Valid passport, no travel restrictions" (only if true)
- your first aid certificate and date, if you have one
- your language skills and level
Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA)
The UK Civil Aviation Authority says that if you wish to work as cabin crew in commercial air transport in the UK, you must hold a valid Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA). To be eligible, you must be at least 18 and have completed approved initial training and the exam. To work as crew, you must also meet the medical fitness requirements of Part-MED. Airlines usually put new crew through approved initial training, so most applicants don't hold a CCA yet. If you already have a CCA from a previous airline or an approved training organisation, list it under education and training with the issuing organisation and year.
The assessment day
Most airlines invite shortlisted applicants to an assessment or recruitment day, which may include group tasks and an interview. Everything on your CV may come up, so choose examples you can talk about in detail. The STAR method guide helps you structure those stories.
Check it before you send it
Run your CV through the free CV checker for a suggested fix on each issue, or start with the free CV builder. For the cover letter, the customer service advisor cover letter example is a good starting point.
FAQs
What should a cabin crew CV include?
Your customer service experience, examples of staying calm under pressure, safety-related responsibilities, first aid if held, languages, and the practical points airlines ask about, such as a valid passport and living within reach of the base.
How do I write a cabin crew CV with no experience?
You don't need airline experience. Use customer-facing work in hospitality, retail, care or a contact centre, and show teamwork, calmness and reliability. The National Careers Service says experience of working directly with the public is useful.
Do I need a Cabin Crew Attestation before I apply?
Usually not. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says you need a valid Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA) to work as cabin crew in commercial air transport in the UK. You get it by completing initial training and an exam with a CAA-approved organisation, and many airlines put new crew through this training themselves. Check each advert.
Should I put a photo on my cabin crew CV?
Not on a standard UK CV. Some airlines ask for a photo as part of their application form. If they do, follow their instructions exactly.
What are the requirements to become cabin crew?
Airlines set their own entry requirements. The National Careers Service lists being over 18, a good level of fitness, passing a medical check and enhanced background checks, plus a valid passport with no restrictions for the countries the airline flies to.
Applying in the US? Is a flight attendant resume different?
In the US the job is usually called flight attendant and the document a resume. Lead with the same things: customer service, safety awareness and teamwork. Use US spelling and US Letter paper, and follow the airline's application process. In Australia it's usually called a cabin crew resume.
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