Summary

  • VIP flight attendants earn varying salaries based on experience, with averages ranging from $20,000 to $120,000 annually.
  • Operating in diverse locations, VIP flight attendants cater to a wide range of clients including business professionals, film crews, and rescue workers.
  • Freelancing opportunities in business aviation can offer flexibility with rates of up to $500 per day.

Most people are aware of the responsibilities, approximate compensations, and benefits of commercial flight attendant roles. However, less is known about how much private flight attendants earn. A VIP or a private aircraft flight attendant is a crew member who works on a private jet, generally employed by a corporate jet charter company.

On many of the popular brands of private jets, you will be the sole crew member in the cabin, which can make it hard work. There is very little choice in terms of seeking help on those jets since most private jets are restricted by how many people they can accommodate onboard. Also, working on a private jet, there are many other duties involved, such as shopping, cleaning and ordering catering. Many of these duties require flight attendants to work before and after their flights as well.

While there is no simple answer to how much private flight attendants earn, we aim to provide ballpark figures, based on a variety of factors, including early career salaries, more experienced salaries, and freelance work.

A Cabin Attendant Onboard A Private Jet.

Photo: 4 PM Production | Shutterstock

Starting out

Most VIP flight attendants come from a flight attendant background, are licensed to fly, and have completed flight attendant training. However, that is not always the case and some come from a hospitality, hotel or yacht background. The average starting salary ranges between $2,000 and $3,500 per month, or $24,000 and $42,000, a little more than a commercial flight attendant job.

Paramount Business Jets highlights that early-career flight attendants in the United States earn anywhere between $20,000 and $40,000 annually. Climbing the career ladder and gaining more experience gets a pay raise, as high as $85,000 a year. Very experienced private jet crew earn as high as $60 an hour, or $120,000 a year.

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Across the pond in Europe, private flight crew salaries are much lower, averaging around €1,500 ($1,600) a month. Some charter companies in Europe have been seen to offer as low as $500 per month, which will attract inexperienced crew only. This is particularly true to ultra-low-cost carriers that aim to minimize their operating costs.

With experience

Usually, a flight attendant will fly commercially for a few years before applying for VIP flight attendant roles and will gradually build up their experience on private jets. As soon as you have a few years on private jets, this makes you much more employable, and the salary is higher.

Global_8000_Galley

Photo: Bombardier

Established VIP flight attendants can earn $4,000 to $6,000 per month and are well worth the salary due to the demanding nature of the work, which can include:

  • Attending to business professionals, film crews, and executives to remote areas
  • Assisting holidaymakers to exotic locations while ensuring high levels of hospitality
  • Addressing the needs of business groups and their work schedules
  • Providing services to news crews or rescue workers to various sites in remote areas.

Freelance

It is possible to freelance in business aviation, and some crew prefer to work in this way. It could mean that they work fewer days or just do one or two trips a month which works well for some. Freelancing does allow flexibility and the possibility of picking what trips you want rather than being rostered trips. Experienced VIP flight attendants can command up to $500 a day.

Per diem

Per diems are an added-on allowance (usually paid two months behind) based on nights away from the base. This is usually a set figure of between $70-150 per night, but in Europe can drop to as low as $30 depending on the country and the company.

Two Lux Aviation Execute Flight Attendants Walking Down The Street.

Photo: Lux Aviation

You can estimate being away two weeks every month, so that additional allowance will add to the basic salary. Some companies do offer city-based allowances instead, based on the cost of living, which would vary hugely, say from Athens to Moscow.

Tips

  • Tips are not expected but can be generous depending on the customer
  • The value of tips depends on the service received, particularly for select groups
  • It can also depend on the size of the group.

Tips are quite rare and not expected, although it is very nice to receive them. Private owners do not tip the crew, it tends to be more on individual or charter flights. It’s very variable, you might receive $50 on one flight or $1000 on another. On average, private aircraft crew receive a few hundred dollars in tips, particularly when there is a large group onboard.

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Perks

Some companies offer healthcare and life insurance, and some expect you to provide your own. You may receive paid training or none at all. In general, hotels are 4 or 5-star standard whilst away from base, and transportation costs down route are covered. The catering is a VIP standard, so there will usually be some nice food to try onboard. Of course, the job offers lots of variety and interesting destinations, so sometimes it’s not all about the salary.

What are your thoughts on the compensation packages, per diem amounts, and tips of private aircraft crew? Share your views in the comments section.

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