One of the biggest questions asked by those not in the industry or those who are trying to get hired is Don’t airlines pay for your housing?
In countries not the United States, there are airlines that provide housing for their cabin crew. However, this is not found at all within the United States. Airline crewmembers are required to find their own housing! We’re going to cover the most important details of when your housing is covered and when it isn’t!
Are crash pads ran by the airlines?
There are many misconceptions when it comes to the airline industry! While coming into an industry with a fresh set of eyes can be very exciting, it can also be very nerve wracking. Wondering how and where you’ll be spending the night can be stressful. Many wonder if the airline pays for accommodations and housing as a new flight attendant or pilot, or if you’re stuck with the financial burden of finding a place to sleep near your new domicile The simple answer to this question, especially for carriers in the United States is no, airlines do not provide housing for cabin crew on the line. Crashpads especially are not run by the airlines, rather by people, both people employed in the airline industry or not, renting out beds to crewmembers. Let’s break it down with how airlines come into play with cabin crew living!
When does the airline pay for a place to rest your head
While you are working a trip, the airline will provide hotel accommodations to you on your overnights, with no cost to you! These nights in the hotel are completely complimentary, and are part of the job as a flight attendant. It’s not mandatory to accept the hotel reservation that the airline provides, especially if you overnight somewhere such as your hometown or where you have family, but it is highly encouraged! They are there to provide you a safe place to get quality rest so you can work your best on your next day of flying! While it may be a huge bonus to overnight somewhere you have friends or family, if you have a long day of flying ahead of you, we recommend taking the hotel reservation made for you! Plus, you can even earn hotel loyalty points at certain hotels – and these add up quickly!
When would I need a crash pad?
Crashpads are great for both lineholders and those on reserve! In the airline industry, flights take off and land at all hours of the day. There will be times when you have an unreasonably early report time on the first day of your trip, yet on your last day, you aren’t getting home until after midnight! Because the airline will only pay for your hotel stays during a work trip, you are responsible for finding a place to stay before and after your trip. This means, when you get back to your base after the last flight back to your hometown has taken off, you are stuck there for the night and have to find a place to sleep! And trust us, sleeping in the crew room or on the airport floor gets old. Fast. Only a select few airlines provide commuter hotels to their flight attendants, so most likely you will either have to find a crashpad or pay for a hotel out of pocket. Due to this, flight crew got creative and formed spaces where they could all share a space while they’re commuting – thus, crashpads were invented! We always recommend crashpads over hotels because the cost is much, much cheaper!
Crash pads are independent of the airline
Flight crew saw the creation of crashpads as an opportunity to save money. With the high cost of hotels, buying food at the airport, transportation, and other travel expenses, crewmembers needed the extra money in their pockets! This is why many decided, and still do decide, that it would be a smart financial decision to share a crashpad with other flight attendants and pilots. Many have become entrepreneurs and started their own crashpads!
Who runs crash pads?
Crashpads are run by people like you and I! While most crashpad owners are crewmembers themselves, there are also owners who are retired airline personnel, or family who have a desire to help out the industry and want some extra money in their pockets. With cause and purpose, crewmembers realized they could eventually start their own crashpad businesses. Crashpads are now all over the United States in virtually every domicile! These entrepreneurial minded crewmembers caught on fast and those who have learned how to scale their crashpads have made signifcant earnings on the side! Some are so successful that they consider running their crashpad business their main job, with being a flight attendant their side hustle!
Why doesn’t the airline pay for crash pads?
One of the most difficult parts of becoming a flight attendant or pilot for those with families is packing up your bags and moving to a new city after training, especially while being on probation. Relocating to a new city or domicile can be a very difficult process and most people aren’t eager to give up their home right away. Airlines always encourage new hire crewmembers to move permanently to their new base. In fact, it is a requirement to be willing to relocate in order to get a contingent job offer. Because airlines do not want to encourage commuting, they typically will not pay for living or relocation expenses. The major reasoning behind this is because of frequent delays, cancellations, and being able to make it into base, it can be easy to miss work. Airlines need their flights to take off on time, and there’s only so many reserve flight attendants or pilots they can use. Many airlines do have a commuter clause in their union contract, however, commuting in general is discouraged by all airlines.
Do the airlines know about crash pads?
Every airline in the United States is aware of crashpads near their domiciles. Many of them even recommend them to new hires out of training in order to make the translation into the airline lifestyle easier and affordable. In most airport crew rooms, there are flyers hanging up that advertise various crashpads near the airport, and in other cities across the country as well. These are often helpful, however, they can be outdated or misleading at times. Some of them might be full or shut down, and they generally may not provide enough information about the living situation or neighborhood!
The future of crash pads
With Crewmates, we aim to eradicate the stress that comes with finding a crashpad. From referrals from your training instructors, scourging Facebook groups, or running into the crew rooms after graduation trying to find a place to sleep, Crewmates has taken all of the difficult guesswork out of finding a crashpad. With a simple, yet highly intellectual algorithm, Crewmates has identified the best ways to search for a crashpad and choose the living situation that best fits your needs. You can book, pay, and leave a review after your stay to let future guests know how your experience was. Crewmates has centralized the entire booking process to help crewmembers save money and thrive in their new careers.