Narrator: Le Xue, 25-year-old flight attendant
Recorder: Yang Ding, this newspaper's reporter
The beautiful Le Xue smiled upon hearing that tens of thousands of girls were vying to become flight attendants. She said they would regret it. As a law graduate, she pursued her dream of soaring through the blue skies and became a flight attendant after graduation.Yet after several years, she now advises others with the same dream: unless forced by circumstances, don't become a flight attendant!
Flying into the blue skies means losing freedom
As a child, watching planes streak across the sky always filled me with wonder. I imagined myself soaring through those skies one day, utterly free.
But as a flight attendant—the profession that brings women closest to the blue skies and white clouds—I lost my freedom.
Being a flight attendant means locking yourself into a standardized cage: confined spaces, uniform greetings, uniform attire, even uniform smiles.
Looking out the cabin window, the sky beyond is absolute freedom.Inside the cabin, we're merely well-paid attendants, skillfully displaying what's called "more elegant, humanized service." What a stark contrast and exquisite irony! I fought my way through countless hurdles, only to reach the blue skies of freedom shackled. Looking out the window from here, the sky is blue, yet it pales in comparison to the wonder I felt as a child gazing up at it from the ground.
${FDPageBreak}Enduring Humiliation Behind the Glitter
Flight attendant work may seem elegant and glamorous, but anyone who's experienced it deeply knows it's exhausting and frustrating. Sometimes we're treated worse than waitstaff in small restaurants: we often have to wash up and apply makeup in the dead of night before boarding, then put on a sweet smile while waiting at the gate before dawn;Each flight lasts at least two hours, requiring us to stand and serve nearly the entire journey; restrooms must be cleaned every five minutes, maintaining pristine condition at all times; we push heavy meal carts like clockwork to serve water and meals; we must be on call for passengers' every need...
Yet what truly tests flight attendants' endurance—and what they must endure—are the unexpected demands beyond their job description.The aircraft's clientele tends to be relatively affluent, and we often encounter passengers accustomed to arrogance who treat us like servants, making unreasonable demands and even disregarding our most basic dignity.Once, a wealthy woman spat in my face over a trivial excuse—simply because her husband had glanced at me twice. Another time, a voyeuristic male passenger summoned me to his seat in the middle of the night to retrieve an item he deliberately dropped at his feet... In any case, we cannot complain about passengers. At first, I would sneak to the lavatory to cry, but now I remain unperturbed by insults or flattery, treating certain individuals' free performances as entertainment.
Simultaneously, navigating the industry's internal and external predatory "unspoken rules" often demands strategic wit and courage.
When I first joined, a senior colleague advised, "Treat normal things as life experiences; treat abnormal things as life's trials." I agree with that.
But my real worries lie hidden behind this job.
Flight Attendants: Flying Higher, Emptier Inside
Flight attendants trade their youth for this career—what comes after retirement?
Our social circles are small. During breaks, we either shop with colleagues or retreat to our cozy beds to rest our aching bodies, occasionally relaxing at home with music or movies.
Of course, I know not every flight attendant's leisure time is this simple. While I'm at home listening to music or watching movies, they might be waiting for some wealthy gentleman or businessman to pick them up in a luxury car, escorting them to high-end venues or showering them with expensive gifts.
I understand them. Youth slips away like water—this is precisely the manifestation of the emptiness and fear of the future that most of us in this profession carry inside.
I don't look down on them, but I share their fear of the future. I gladly accept the hardships of flying and the loneliness on the ground, but the one thing I can't bear is the panic of not seeing where my path leads.
We often joke about ourselves: "Flight attendants, flight attendants—the more we fly, the emptier we become."Heh, after years of flying, I've accumulated little more than a modest savings. Beyond that, I've gained nothing—no skills, no expertise.
This past March, I attended my friend Xiaoying's wedding. She suddenly married a wealthy small-business owner. From his appearance to his character, I couldn't see how this man deserved someone as beautiful and graceful as Xiaoying.But I've been to many such "mixed-bag" weddings among colleagues. Noticing my puzzled look, Xiaoying just smiled faintly. "If I spent the best ten years of my life just to earn a little money, then I have to work hard to keep it afterward. Besides, I have no other skills to maintain my previous standard of living after retiring from flying."My heart sank.
In truth, many of my classmates from the same graduating class now hold mid-level management positions in companies, earning six-figure salaries, living comfortably with cars and homes. Crucially, their past achievements give them vast room for future growth—their prospects are limitless. Meanwhile, I’ll spend years just trying to hold onto what I have, struggling even to prevent it from dwindling. It’s heartbreaking.
The gap in life now feels like a chasm—others are climbing up, while I'm sliding down. Before, they envied my stylish attire; soon, I might be drab and downtrodden, my days growing bleaker by the hour.
Where Lies the Path to a New Career?
In reality, few flight attendants on domestic routes continue past age 30. Typically, many resign before turning 28 to marry, often choosing partners who offer financial security. Some transition to ground crew after retiring from flying, but the working conditions and compensation are vastly different.
This past April, news broke of a flight attendant from a domestic airline who took her own life due to the industry's "unspoken rules." This only solidified my resolve: retire from flying before turning 30, then leverage my skills to transition into a respectable, well-paying career.
When I actually tried to make this happen, I discovered the immense difficulty. After all, few of my peers had successfully made such a career shift before me.
I majored in law, but when colleagues learned my background and sought legal advice, I often found myself at a loss. At my current level, passing the national bar exam after studying would be nothing short of a pipe dream.
I shared my predicament with college friends on QQ. They suggested, "You interact with foreigners at work all the time—why not switch to translation?" I nearly spit my tea onto the screen. With the limited English we actually use, switching to translation? Getting through the CET-4 exam again would be a stretch.
I know I should find time to upgrade my skills, but after work I'm usually too exhausted to do anything but crash. Plus, to maintain my professional image and boost my competitiveness, I spend a lot of time on "beauty work" outside my job. I've bought books, but I've spent more time buying them than reading them.
I have no idea what I'll do next. My past work experience offered little exposure to the outside world, so I don't know what I'd be suited for elsewhere.
Female acquaintances often ask me enviously how to become a flight attendant, probing about my salary and personal life. I always tell them honestly: unless forced by circumstances, don't choose this path; and if you are forced, many other professions pay better than this job. At least, that's the long-term reality.
Every time I retract the boarding stairs and close the cabin door, I wonder how many more flights I have left. But I know each landing brings me closer to the final stop of this career. This job is like a lithium battery—it can only be recharged 600 to 1,000 times.
Each time I gaze out the window, my heart feels as hollow as the sky.