Answer: It depends how you use it

I stumbled across a thread this morning. The original poster asked:

“Is flight attendant school a scam?”

The top reply, from Anonymoususer38, summed up the overall mood:“They are useless af.”

As usual, I’m contrarian.

If you expect a college programme to wave a magic wand and place you directly with an airline… well, sometimes that actually happens. Certain schools have strong ties with recruiters, and airlines actively scout from them — especially when a programme has a reputation for turning out disciplined, well-prepared candidates who understand the role, show up on time, and behave like crew. Pipelines exist.

But let’s take a wider view.

At interview, recruiters aren’t shopping for certificates; they’re hunting for evidence. Can you shoulder responsibility? Keep your head when things go sideways? Communicate under pressure?Training, when used well, can give you the stories and proof that show you’re ready.

Consider these two responses:

Example 1 — Evidence:

“Having never been responsible for others’ safety, I enrolled in a cabin crew course. One of the things that surprised me most was how, even in a controlled simulation, my body reacted as though it were a real emergency. My heart raced, my breathing quickened, and I had to actively apply techniques I’d learnt through weekly meditation just to stay calm. We exited a smoke-filled cabin in full kit and I came out exhausted, but clear on two things: how the body reacts under stress, and how crucial self-control and clear commands are in a crisis.“

That isn’t “useless af”. That’s proof. Proof of self-awareness. Proof you tested yourself. Proof you are proactive and take the role seriously.

Example 2 — Speculation:

“You know, I’ve never had the opportunity to respond in a real crisis, but I do know I work well under pressure and tend to remain calm. For the past ten years I’ve been practising meditation, and that discipline has given me a practical toolkit for staying composed in high-stress situations.”

Only one of those answers demonstrates behaviour. The other just hopes for it.

So, is flight attendant school a scam?

It’s the wrong question.

The real question is whether you can frame your experience in a way that matters to airlines.

Courses are tools. Used well, they give you structured practice, feedback from people who speak “airline,” and real examples you can carry into interview.

If you can’t communicate how your training aligns to airline needs — safety, service, teamwork — even the most relevant experience will sound irrelevant.

That’s the flaw in thinking as an applicant and accepting things at face value.

At Crew Crosscheck, we help you bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world selection, helping you articulate your training into transferable evidence of competence, directly aligned with airline expectations.