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Cabin Crew FAQs

Who does Altara recruit cabin crew for? Can I apply for multiple roles?

Altara recruits casual cabin crew for Jetstar Airways and Qantas Domestic, and full-time cabin crew for National Jet Systems (Qantas Link).

Applicants are welcome to apply for multiple roles at once. Please note however, if one application is progressing faster than the other at any given time, we may ask applicants to make a decision on how they wish their application to proceed

What if I don’t have a driver’s licence? Can I still apply for the role?

The role requires an employee to work shift work and when on standby (at home on call for duty) to be able to report for duty (at the airport) within 90 minutes of being contacted. Therefore, due to certain airport public transport limitations, it is sometimes necessary for applicants to have a driver’s licence to enable them to get to work on time. This will be dependent upon the base in which you are applying for. If in doubt, please check your local airport public transport options.

What are the approximate costs associated with my application?

Here is a list of the estimated costs you could incur when obtaining the requirements associated with applying for a Cabin Crew position, as well as when they need to be provided. Note: You may already have some of these documents.

  • The estimated cost for a Passport (10 year validity) is AU$308. It needs to be provided on your Assessment Day.
  • The estimated cost for a Birth Certificate (varies depending on state of issue) is AU$50. It needs to be provided on your Assessment Day.
  • The estimated cost for a First Aid Certificate is AU$109. It needs to be provided on your Assessment Day, if you already hold one.
  • The estimated cost for an RSA Statement of Attainment is AU$58. It needs to be provided on your Assessment Day, if you already hold one.
  • The estimated cost for a Pre-Employment Medical is AU$310. We will contact you to advise when this is to be completed.
  • The estimated cost for an ASIC Application is AU$223. We will contact you to advise when this is to be completed.
  • The cost to complete a Water Competency Assessment is usually the entry fee into the swimming facility. We will provide you with all the information.

Note: All costs are listed in Australian dollars and were correct at the time of this publication. Some costs may be higher or lower dependent upon the state in which you reside or the provider you chose, and as such it is best to check with individual suppliers for accurate costs.

Are the roles Full Time / Part Time or Casual?

We currently provide casual roles with Qantas and Jetstar and full time roles with National Jet Systems. For the casual roles, there is a pathway to transition over to direct employment with Qantas/Jetstar after a minimum 12 month qualifying period with Altara. This is dependent on roles being made available by Qantas/Jetstar at the time, and requires the Altara cabin crew to apply and pass a selection process.

What are the minimum hours that I’ll be doing in a casual role?

For casual roles, there are no minimum guaranteed hours.

Am I able to get a transfer to a different base once employed?

Transfers to other bases depend on the operational requirements of the client. It is advisable to apply for the base in which you currently live, as transfers to other bases are not always available, and even when they are available, they can take a considerable amount of time to be approved.

Altara is not hiring in my home city, can I apply for a base that is interstate?

You are free to do so, however we have a preference for local candidates first. If you have intentions of relocating in the near future, we recommend that you apply for the role once you have completed your move and you are well settled in your new location.

What are the height requirements for the roles you recruit for?

Here are the height requirements for the three airlines:

  • Jetstar: Ability to reach 212cm in height above head with both hands (without shoes) and an arm span width of 127cm.
  • Qantas: Ability to reach 212cm in height above head with both hands (without shoes) and an arm span width of 127cm.
  • National Jet Systems: Ability to reach 212cm in height above head with both hands (without shoes) and an arm span width of 127cm.

 

I believe I meet the listed height / reach requirements on your website - but I’m not 100% sure, what should I do?

We recommend that before you apply you should accurately check your height / reach (without shoes). It’s important to note that every applicant through to an Assessment Day will have their height/reach checked as part of the assessment process. As it is an important safety requirement to be at or above the minimum height range, your application will automatically be withdrawn if you do not meet the minimum requirements.

What is an Assessment Day?

An Assessment Day is an invitation only recruitment day for applicants interested in applying for a cabin crew role with our Altara to work with one of our airline clients. Applicants attending an Assessment Day are evaluated on a variety of different activities and tasks.

An Assessment Day allows a candidate to learn more about the role they are applying for, our client and for us to assess and select candidates to progress through to the next stage of the application process.

What can I expect at an Assessment Day?

Candidate’s documents will be checked to ensure that all requested documentation has been provided. Each candidate will be required to go through various assessments including a height/reach assessment, one on one interviews, group activities and skills and knowledge testing. The assessment process may change from time to time at our client’s or Altara’s discretion.

How long does the Assessment Day go for?

It can be anywhere from 4-8 hours. Candidates will be asked to make themselves available for the whole day.

What should I do to prepare for the Assessment Day?

We recommend that you complete your research on Altara, our client and the cabin crew role.

Please remember to prepare all requested documents and bring these with you (including requested original documents) to the Assessment Day. All original documents will be returned to you on the day. Please have the requested documents placed together with a paperclip only.

There are a large number of candidates to assess on any given day, so this enables the day to flow smoothly and efficiently.

Why do I need to supply all of the documents on an Assessment Day?

The documents requested are required for compliance purposes. It is preferable that applicants bring all requested documents to an assessment day to be sighted by our appointed assessors.

What if I currently don’t have one or more of the documents requested to bring to the Assessment Day? (Example Passport, Birth Certificate and/or First Aid/RSA Certificates)

If you are invited to one of our upcoming Assessment Days and at the time you don’t hold a document that is requested, please be assured, this is okay.

If you are successful from the Assessment Day, our recruitment team will be in touch with you to follow-up on what is required.

How many referees should I provide?

We require a minimum of 3 work references, from previous or current supervisors, managers or team leaders. Please do not provide personal references as they will not be contacted.

For self-employed candidates please check with the recruitment team as to what references to provide.

If I am successful or unsuccessful at the Assessment Day, when will I be contacted to notify the status of my application?

Dependant on the client requirements, all applications are further evaluated after the Assessment Day has been completed. Candidates will be notified of the status of their application generally within 1 to 2 weeks.

What if I cannot make it to the Assessment Day?

Please respond to your invitation and state the reason why you cannot attend. We’ll keep your application on hold for our next round of Assessment Days (note this could take a number of months).

If I am successful into a Ground School Training and Assessment Program (Ground School), are the onboarding costs (ASIC/Medical) refundable if I can no longer proceed?

If you are enrolled and accept an invitation to attend one of our Ground Schools, and for whatever reason can no longer proceed in the Ground School, unfortunately, all costs and expenses paid associated with your onboarding, are non-refundable.

What are the Ground School Training and Assessment Program (Ground School) hours and what is involved?

The Ground School is the final stage within the recruitment and selection process. As such, there is no payment provided for this full-time training and assessment process, and 100% attendance is required. The Ground School consists of many written and physical assessments – including evacuation drills, swimming, and commands. The training will mainly run during business hours, Monday to Friday. However, cabin crew is a 24/7 role, therefore, please be prepared for occasional weekends or late nights too.

It's important that candidates understand that the Ground School will involve physical activity that may be strenuous and may contain an element of risk.  Candidates applying for roles must first determine if any activity or practical exercise is suitable for them to complete and ensure that they are medically fit to do so before commencing such activities.  Candidates understand that they complete this final stage of the recruitment and selection process at their own risk.

After completing the final stage of the assessment process, the Ground School Training and Assessment Program (Ground School) and becoming an Employee, how soon until I start flying?

The day of graduation is very exciting – cabin crew who successfully pass the final stage of the assessment process will obtain their ‘Wings’ and be offered employment with Altara and will be paid a graduation bonus (amount varies dependent on the client).  At this point the successful candidate will be provided with a flying roster. After graduation, cabin crew are expected to be available to operate their ‘Check to Line’ Training Flights. These training flights can be rostered any time following successful graduation.

Am I able to obtain feedback as to why I wasn’t successful through the recruitment process?

Unfortunately due to large volume of candidates and in accordance with our company and client policies, we are unable to provide feedback.

Is there career progression available?

Commencing your cabin crew career with Altara is a fantastic starting point and a great entry point into a successful career in aviation.

Many of our Altara cabin crew team, have qualified after set periods determined by our clients (Jetstar and Qantas) into casual and full time employment with our client airlines.

What is an Altara cabin crew’s favourite aspect of the role?

Our cabin crew love that no two days are the same. Every day is different. The exciting opportunity of meeting and working with new friendly faces and encountering new and interesting situations or challenges. Our team enjoy the flexibility the role offers, benefits like staff travel and career progression directly into roles within the Qantas Group.