Cabin Crew FAQs

Heathrow & Gatwick

What is the difference between the “Cabin Crew with Attestation” and other Cabin Crew campaigns?

The Cabin Crew with Attestation campaign is only open to candidates who have a valid UK CAA (UK Civil Aviation Authority) Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA). This is a certificate of professional competency which permits you to discharge the duties of Cabin Crew. To be eligible for the Cabin Crew with Attestation campaign, you must have successfully completed the required initial training course. UK CAA regulations require that all current or former Cabin Crew inform us if they hold or if they have held an attestation from the UK CAA (issued with a GB reference number) in the last five years. (EASA attestations issued by an EU member state are not accepted in the UK).

I do not hold a Cabin Crew Attestation – can I apply?

If you are successful at your assessment, and once your pre-employment checks are successfully completed, we will invite you to attend your Cabin Crew New Entrant Training – where you will be issued with your Cabin Crew Attestation upon successfully completing your training. Prior to your training, you’ll need to complete a Wet Drill course with our appointed training partner, Skypeople – the course is approximately 3 hours long and you will be able to self-book on. Please note, you will need to complete this course no later than 10 days prior to starting your Cabin Crew New Entrant Training.

Can I apply for this role as an overseas resident?

To apply for this role you must have the right to live and work in the UK at the time of application; documents will be checked at the assessment and if you do not have the right to live and work in the UK, we will unfortunately have to withdraw your application from the recruitment process. We are unable to employ anyone who does not have the legal right to work in the UK. We do not offer migrant sponsorship for this role.

Are you offering any temporary contracts for Cabin Crew roles?

We are only recruiting for permanent, full time positions.

Can I apply for more than one Cabin Crew position?

You should only apply for one role at your preferred location, either Heathrow, Gatwick or London City. If you submit more than one application, we will not be able to progress with your application until you have withdrawn any other current Cabin Crew applications.

I have been asked to attend an Assessment Centre. Will my travel expenses be reimbursed?

We are unable to reimburse any travel expenses.

Where would my assessment be held?

Our assessments are held in our Waterside head office. It’s a great opportunity to find out more about what it’s like to be British Airways Cabin Crew. As a reminder, to apply for this role you must have the right to live and work in the UK at the time of application; documents will be checked at the assessment and if you do not have the right to live and work in the UK, we will unfortunately have to withdraw your application from the recruitment process. We are unable to employ anyone who does not have the legal right to work in the UK. We do not offer migrant sponsorship for this role.

I did not attend my assessment on the scheduled date. What do I do?

Please do all you can to attend on the assessment date you have selected. If you do not show up for your assessment, and you have not been in contact with us, we may withdraw your application from the process. You will be able to re-apply after six months.

When will I know the outcome of my application?

We will contact you with your assessment outcome within 5-7 days of attending your assessment.

If I am not successful this time, when can I re-apply for the role of Cabin Crew?

You can re-apply for the Cabin Crew role in six months’ time.

How long before I can start and when will I receive an offer of employment?

If you are successful in your assessment, we will notify you via email with your offer. Once you have accepted and signed your contract, please complete the additional information requested. We will then begin your personal history check. A third-party referencing company will conduct the checks on our behalf, and you will be sent a link to provide your pre-employment history.

You will have 7 days to register your information with the referencing company; if you do not register within 7 days, we will withdraw your application. You will be asked to provide comprehensive history for the last 5 years in both the UK and overseas, which includes employment, education and any gaps of over 28 days. You will be provided with details on how to obtain your criminal record check (CRC) required for cabin crew roles.

Prior to your start date, you will also be required to complete a psychoactive substance test – we work with a company called Abbot to facilitate these tests. You will be sent details of how to book your test approximately four weeks before your start date with us. You will need to need to provide a positive result to this test in order to attend the Cabin Crew New Entrant Training – failure to do so will result in your application being withdrawn.

Once your personal history check is complete, you have been cleared medically and you have completed the required steps, you will be ready to attend the Cabin Crew New Entrant Training.

If you have applied via the “Cabin Crew with Attestation” campaign, and are successful at assessment, you will be offered employment following the assessment and you will not need to complete the Attestation training.

What if I have booked a holiday before joining British Airways as Cabin Crew?

Annual leave cannot be taken within the first three months of joining. You can request leave once you join for any pre-booked holidays up to a maximum of 15 days; however, there may be times when we are unable to grant the requested leave, especially around school and bank holiday periods. Any annual leave required to cover a holiday will be deducted from your annual leave entitlement. Our holiday year runs from April to March and you would only be entitled to annual leave pro rata for the duration of your employment for that year, with a maximum of 14 days to be taken between April and September. Any requests that fall outside the current holiday year will need to be made in the appropriate holiday year.

If successful for the role, when can I book annual leave?

No leave should be booked within your first three months of joining British Airways and future leave should only be booked once you have received your timetable on day one. You will only be able to request a maximum of 15 days prior arranged leave.

How long is my training?

When you join British Airways as Cabin Crew, you will be enrolled on the Cabin Crew New Entrant Training. The course will be between 4 to 6 weeks and will include studying for your Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA). Within your CCA training, you will learn all the general procedures and theory behind airline safety. Your CCA will be valid for 5 years and will be revalidated annually as part of your British Airways Cabin Crew Recurrent Training. Training schedules may fall over weekends and days off will be varied.

Where will my British Airways New Entrant Training take place?

Courses will take place at Heathrow or Gatwick, respective of which fleet you join. You will receive joining instructions with further details before starting your employment.

What does a typical Cabin Crew roster look like?

On our Heathrow and Gatwick fleets, you can bid for your work by choosing long-haul or short-haul trips, the length of trip and destination you prefer, and when you want to take time off between trips. You will be required to have recent experience of all relevant aircraft types, as well as up-to-date product, brand and service knowledge for every cabin and aircraft you operate.

What aircraft types will I fly on?

You will be flying a combination of either the 777 or 787, and the A380 or A350 on long haul, and the Airbus A320 family on short haul.

What routes will I be flying?

Our Heathrow fleet fly a combination of long-haul and short flights. Our Gatwick fleet operate a combination of long and short-haul flights, and the route network will change from season to season. Please see ba.com for more details of our network.

What is a Functionality Check?

A Cabin Crew role involves many manual tasks, including reaching overhead lockers and opening aircraft doors. Our functionality check ensures you’ll be able to complete these tasks.

You need to be of a required height, maximum of 2.01m, and have a vertical function reach of at least 2.01m. In order to be able to meet the reach requirement you likely need to be at least 1.575m in height.

We will measure your diagonal reach, as this is used to manually release an evacuation slide in an emergency. You’ll be asked to hold a handle with your right hand and reach down to touch a tag on the floor with your left. Your right arm will be at about 2 o’clock and your left arm at around 7 o’clock. You’ll squat a little to do this, so ensure your clothes allow you room to bend.

Please note - any offer of employment is conditional upon completion of the Functionality Check. If you are unable to complete the check, unfortunately your offer of employment will be withdrawn.

What if I have a tattoo?

Tattoos are permissible as long as they are not visible. This means tattoos must not be on candidates' hands, face or head.

What piercings are allowed?

Our uniform standards require a simple, elegant look. A single ear piercing is allowed, in one or both ears and no more than 10mm in diameter. These can be round or square. No other visible body piercings including tongue, tongue retainer and nose studs are allowed.

If I am offered a role as Cabin Crew, how will I have to wear my hair?

Our uniform standards require a groomed look where hair and makeup should meet a professional standard. Long hair must be tied back, so that it is not higher than the top of the head, or longer than the base of the collar. Dyed hair must be of a natural colour. Men are allowed shaven sides as long as there are no shapes or designs in the hair.

What pre-employment checks do you do?

Pre-employment checks begin on acceptance of the employment offer.

You will be contacted by one of our inhouse executives or our specialist 3rd party supplier (Click ID) who will talk you through what you need to do. They will stay in contact and update you throughout the process. They will talk you through the process and after the call you will be sent an email requesting that you complete your online profile within 3 days. (Please check your spam file to ensure you do not miss the email. If you don’t respond within 3 days we will assume you are no longer interested and will withdraw your application. You will need to provide all referee details.)

The criminal record check (CRC) typically takes about 2 weeks, the 5 year pre-employment vetting will take longer. Normally, we would expect to have these checks completed within 16 weeks. You will be contacted at 3, 6 and 12 weeks to keep you up to date. Please provide accurate and in-depth information as any discrepancies will cause delays and may result in any potential offer being withdrawn.

You will need to provide us with the names and/or companies that can supply us with 5 years’ employment history, education and any gaps of over 28 days.

If during the last 5 years you have been lucky enough to live overseas for 6 months or more, we will require a CRC from that country too. The cost of CRCs varies considerably globally. The timescales and application process for obtaining CRCs also vary significantly between countries. (If an Overseas Criminal Record Certificate is over 10 weeks old but you have not returned to the country of issue it is valid; if you have returned to the country of issue during this period it will be invalid.)

It is essential that you understand the importance of full disclosure. These checks are commonly used to verify the accuracy of your application, so please remember to include all of your jobs, even the ones you would rather forget!

Failure to submit accurate information will lead to delays and may result in any potential offer of employment being withdrawn.

What is the difference between Gatwick Cabin Crew and BA Euroflyer Cabin Crew?

BA Euroflyer is British Airways’ new short-haul subsidiary based at London Gatwick, operating on a point-to-point basis across our European network.

BA Cityflyer

Can I apply for this role as an overseas resident?

To apply for this role you must have the right to live and work in the UK at the time of application; documents will be checked at the assessment and if you do not have the right to live and work in the UK, we will unfortunately have to withdraw your application from the recruitment process. We are unable to employ anyone who does not have the legal right to work in the UK. We do not offer migrant sponsorship for this role.

Are you offering any temporary contracts for Cabin Crew roles?

We are only recruiting for permanent, full time positions.

Can I apply for more than one Cabin Crew position?

You should only apply for one role at your preferred location, either Heathrow, Gatwick or London City. If you submit more than one application, we will not be able to progress your application until you have withdrawn any other current Cabin Crew applications.

I have been asked to attend an Assessment Centre. Will my travel expenses be reimbursed?

We are unable to reimburse any travel expenses.

Can you carry out my assessment for Cabin Crew London City overseas?

Yes - our assessment centres are held virtually, from the comfort of your own home. It’s a great opportunity to find out more about what it’s like to be British Airways Cabin Crew.

As a reminder, to apply for this role you must have the right to live and work in the UK at the time of application; documents will be checked at the assessment and if you do not have the right to live and work in the UK, we will unfortunately have to withdraw your application from the recruitment process. We are unable to employ anyone who does not have the legal right to work in the UK. We do not offer migrant sponsorship for this role.

How long will the assessment take?

Details will be provided if you are invited to our assessment day.

I did not attend my assessment on the scheduled date. What do I do?

If you are booked onto an assessment, then you must attend on this date. If you do not show up for you assessment, and you have not been in contact with us before this date, we will withdraw your application from the process. You will be able to re-apply after six months.

When will I know the outcome of my application?

We will contact you with your assessment outcome within 5-7 days of attending your assessment.

If I am not successful this time, when can I re-apply for the role of Cabin Crew?

You can re-apply for the Cabin Crew role in 6 months’ time.

How long before I can start and when I will receive an offer of employment?

If you are successful in your assessment, we will notify you via email with a provisional start date. Once you accept this, your offer and contract will be available via the portal. Once you have accepted and signed your contract, please complete the additional information requested. We will then begin your personal history check. A third-party company will conduct the checks on our behalf, and you will be sent a link to provide your pre-employment history.

You will have 7 days to register your information; if you do not register within 7 days, we will withdraw your application. You will be asked to provide comprehensive history for the last 5 years in both the UK and overseas, which includes employment, education and any gaps of over 28 days. You will be provided with details on how to obtain your criminal record check (CRC) required for cabin crew roles.

Once your personal history check is complete, you have been cleared medically and you have completed the required steps, you will be ready to attend the Cabin Crew New Entrant Training.

What if I have booked a holiday before joining BA Cityflyer as Cabin Crew?

Annual leave cannot be taken during your New Entrant Training. You can request leave once you join for any pre-booked holidays within the first few months of employment; however, this is not guaranteed to be granted and there may be times when we are unable to grant the requested leave, especially around school and bank holiday periods. We will require evidence of a holiday booking made before the date of your assessment day although the requested leave is still not guaranteed. Any annual leave required to cover a holiday would be deducted from your annual leave entitlement. Our holiday year runs from April to March and you would only be entitled to annual leave pro rata for the duration of your employment for that year with a maximum of 14 days to be taken between April and September. Any requests that fall outside the current holiday year will need to be made in the appropriate holiday year.

How long is my training?

BA CityFlyer training lasts 30-32 days including days off. All training schedules may fall over weekends and days off will be varied.

Where will my training take place?

Training will take place at British Airways London City, City Aviation House, London City Airport. You may be required travel to other training facilities to undertake parts of the course.

What does a typical Cabin Crew roster look like?

A typical roster pattern can vary from 2 to 5 sectors (flights) per day. Our Cabin Crew also night-stop in many of our destinations and can often be away from home for anything up to 5 days. Each month, you have the opportunity to submit a request for certain days off or particular flights, although these cannot always be guaranteed. Rosters are published monthly, approximately three weeks in advance.

What aircraft types will I fly on?

BACF currently operate a fleet of Embraer 170s and Embraer 190SR.

What routes will I be flying?

BA Cityflyer serve a variety of business and leisure destinations in Europe out of London City Airport.

What is a Functionality Check?

A Cabin Crew role involves many manual tasks, including reaching overhead lockers and opening aircraft doors. Our functionality check ensures you’ll be able to complete these tasks.

You need to be of a required height, maximum of 2.01m, and have a vertical function reach of at least 2.01m. In order to be able to meet the reach requirement you likely need to be at least 1.575m in height.

We will measure your diagonal reach, as this is used to manually release an evacuation slide in an emergency. You’ll be asked to hold a handle with your right hand and reach down to touch a tag on the floor with your left. Your right arm will be at about 2 o’clock and your left arm at around 7 o’clock. You’ll squat a little to do this, so ensure your clothes allow you room to bend.

Please note - any offer of employment is conditional upon completion of the Functionality Check. If you are unable to complete the check, unfortunately your offer of employment will be withdrawn.

What if I have a tattoo?

British Airways uniform policy requires that tattoos must never be visible outside the uniform.

As a guide, areas shown in grey on this diagram will not be covered by our uniform (when wearing a short-sleeved shirt). No tattoos must be visible on the face, hands, neck or arms. Additionally, as all our uniform shirts are white, you will be required to wear an appropriate white undergarment if you have a tattoo on your upper body in the blue area, so that your tattoo is in no way visible through the uniform shirt. Any tattoos in the red area must be covered.

Please note that covering tattoos with plasters, jewellery or watches in the grey areas is not permitted and it will remain your personal responsibility that tattoos are never visible when in uniform.