Friday morning, 10.00, Lufthansa’s Flight Operations Centre at Munich Airport. Rabea Behrens has a quick breakfast in the crew café, then heads off to the briefing. The members of today’s crew introduce themselves to one another with a handshake. The captain of Lufthansa Flight 410 to New York begins by passing on all the important flight information to the crew. What’s the weather like? Is turbulence expected? Are there any special circumstances, such as a wild animal in the hold? How long will the flight take? After this introduction, the purser – the head of the 12-strong cabin crew – takes over. Now it’s time to discuss service and safety matters: how many special meals will there be? Are there any special guests? What should we pay particular attention to?
After the briefing, we take the bus to the aeroplane, an Airbus A350-900. This giant aircraft is one of the most modern long-haul aircraft on the market. Weighing just under 300 tonnes, it carries up to 300 passengers with 141,000 litres of fuel over a distance of more than 15,000 km and, when the aircraft is well utilised, consumes just 2.4 litres of kerosene per passenger per 100 km. Today’s flight to New York takes 8 hours and 40 minutes. It is what is known as a ‘pick-up’ flight, meaning the crew will spend just one night in the Big Apple before heading back to Munich.
Rabea Behrens has been with Lufthansa since July. The application process was tough. In December 2023, she took her recruitment test online. Anyone who passes this and can also successfully conduct a telephone interview in English is invited to Frankfurt or Munich for an assessment day. There, every applicant is put through their paces for a whole day. In the final interview, you then find out whether you’ve made it or not. Rabea was successful. But even then, the job isn’t guaranteed, as you also have to pass the tests set by Lufthansa’s medical service. If everything goes well, the three-month training programme begins at some point. And caution is advised here too: anyone who can’t behave appropriately or doesn’t study properly can quickly find themselves out.
On board the A350, everyone is now in their positions and waiting for the passengers. Now it’s time for friendly smiles, as around 270 people need to feel at ease on board right from the start. Sometimes this can be stressful, as passengers from all over the world have very different ideas about what constitutes appropriate appreciation. Some, on the other hand, are stressed because they nearly missed their flight or because they suffer from a fear of flying. A flight attendant must be able to cater to all these different needs.
A good half an hour later, we take off on time. The engines are started, the aircraft is pushed back, it taxis to the runway and 76,000 PS unleash their unimaginable power. After just under 3,000 metres, the colossus rises into the air, pierces through the grey clouds and, shortly afterwards, emerges into the glistening sunlight. For the crew, the first service now begins. 270 people need to be served food and drink. This is when it really becomes clear whether the crew is any good. A good team helps one another and keeps an eye on how the others are getting on. A sense of humour is also very important, because a flight can feel very long if people make life difficult for one another.
After a good three hours, half the crew goes to bed. In Lufthansa’s long-haul aircraft, there is a compartment above the passenger cabin fitted with reclining seats, known as the ‘Crew Rest’. On very long flights in particular – which can last as long as 12 or 13 hours – this is a godsend for the cabin crew, as it allows them to close their eyes for two or even three hours. Whilst some doze off, others are on duty, handing out drinks and keeping an eye out to see if any passengers might be feeling unwell. The fact that Rabea Behrens had to witness an elderly woman passing away on board during one of her very first flights is one of the less pleasant aspects of flying, particularly when you’re in the middle of the Atlantic and sometimes have to perform resuscitation for hours on end.
For the cabin crew, eight hours literally fly by. Towards the end, they hand out snacks and drinks one last time, then tidy up the cabin and wait for the instruction from the cockpit: “Cabin crew, prepare for landing.”
Barely ten minutes later, the aircraft touches down on the runway. Most of the work is now done. All that remains is to say goodbye to the passengers, go through immigration, and then a bus takes the crew to their hotel in Brooklyn. Lufthansa’s cabin crew and pilots enjoy the privilege of staying only in the finest hotels: at the Hilton, Kempinski, Grand Hyatt or Marriott, a room costs around €500 a night. It’s a different world.
Anyone who isn’t tired yet and has made friends on the flight might arrange to go for a stroll through Manhattan or have dinner together. Otherwise, it’s time to rest, as even the ‘short’ long-haul flights can be exhausting. Jet lag and a stay of just 24 hours can really take their toll on the body.
Rabea Behrens is happy to have become a flight attendant. After many years of feeling lost, she initially began a degree in ‘Social Work’ at the Hanse-Kolleg following her A-levels. It wasn’t her thing at all, particularly because of the ideological confusion that had taken hold at universities. You don’t get rich as a flight attendant, but depending on the number of flying hours and with expenses included, a beginner can earn €2,000–2,500 net. In return, you get to see the world, can travel privately at a low cost and, if things go well, can even have 15 days off a month.
Once the probationary period is over, training on other aircraft types is on the agenda. Rabea Behrens hopes she’ll also be trained on the Airbus A380, the double-decker and the world’s largest passenger aircraft.