The ushers of air travel may have traditionally been young women and a smattering of gay men, but the days of the “trolley dolly” have been retired in favour of a more inclusive kind of cabin crew. With easyJet reporting a four-fold increase in over-60s joining their fleet of on-board staff since 2022, this group now comprises 12 per cent of the carrier’s cabin crew, who earn salaries ranging from £19,000 to £28,000.
The i Paper spoke to Andy Hampson, a 61-year-old cabin crew member, to find out why, three years ago, he pivoted to this career.
I used to be in corporate conferences and events, but with Covid, the hospitality industry was decimated, and the introduction of Zoom and things like Microsoft Teams didn’t help either.
I’d wanted to be a pilot when I was a boy, but that never happened, so when I saw easyJet’s advert for over-50s to join, I thought I’d apply – never ever thinking that I’d get the job because of my age. But I began my training in February 2023; becoming cabin crew is the best thing I ever did.
Physically, the assessment can be challenging. You need to be able to lift customers’ luggage into the overhead lockers, you also have to prove your ability to swim, to tread water for a certain time, and also to climb unaided into a life raft. There’s also an element of firefighting! But I’m relatively fit, and in decent shape.
