Pros
Not a 9-5 job, cool lifestyle, lovely destinations, great memories of time spent with flying colleagues whilst exploring the world. Good brand to add to your cv. I was multi-skilled in several areas of the business by the time I left. Main crew can be boring but onboard senior and CSM became more challenging, with fleet development projects, people management, recruitment, training... the more I was willing to do, the more I advanced.
Cons
I end up a workaholic with 6 jobs, multiple name badges with multiple roles, sleep deprived, jet lagged, questioning myself about the state of my soul... my other half didn't recognise me anymore, I talked airline jargon all the time and money was certainly not great considering the efforts and hours I put in. Also, politics... never speak your mind, never tell how you truly feel, never flag issues. You can only be one thing: a pro-management high achiever who loves their job, puts shareholders first and employees last. Also a culture where going out drinking with managers gets you in charge of departments. If you're not that kind of person and don't fit in with the new management, watch your opportunities suddenly disappear and people who play the game receive extra slices of pie for xmas. Equal opportunities? I think not.
