Inside The Intensive, Two-Month Training All Delta Flight Attendants Must Attend That's Harder to Get Into Than Harvard

The thing is: When Delta bought out Northwest, they got all of Northwest's Flight Attendants, who certainly are not on the level of Delta's Flight Attendants. Until the Northwest FA's retire, the level of standards out there flying has certainly been diminished.

the basics of the flight attendant position and the requirements are the same as they were 25 years or more ago..the difference these days is there are more hiring cycles because there are so many new aircraft and routes,and in todays world, training includes self defense techniques,psychological profiling and the use of computer technology..in "olden days",the application process was not online or in a video, but a resume and a cover letter,carefully worded,and depending upon the competition, you might or might not get a reject letter or an invitation to a first interview..experience in customer service and a college education was a plus, but not necessarily required..the interview process was a 3 part one,first one if they might be interested,2nd one to get to know your interest in the job and give you a "once over" as far as physical appearance,and a 3rd one to possibly "close " the deal and set a training class..training classes have always and will always include personal grooming for hair and makeup,nails, etcetera,(both male and female)water raft training,smokey cabin 90 second evacuation training with and without slides,serving from the carts (now they have to take money or credit cards for food)and testing to see how much knowledge of aircraft,equipment,saftey procedures and People the trainee has acquired..delta was at one time not known for a standard of harvard university applicants..they hired by basic qualifications just as the other carriers..possibly the "harvard" comparison has come about because of new management and the merger with northwest..the "quality" or "level" of the flight attendants hired has more to do with yes,some basic standards.but also the personalities,likes and dislikes of those in human resources or the flight department who interview applicants..