Flight attendants can anticipate varying starting salaries and benefits when joining the major airlines.

EasyJet, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways all provide pay structures and financial incentives to their cabin crews. Some can receive bonuses for spotting passengers with oversized bags, while others earn for every hour spent airborne.

Although certain airlines have been reluctant to disclose exact staff pay details, we’ve compiled an overview of the remuneration and benefits based on publicly available information.

Are you a flight attendant? Please drop us a message at webtravel@reachplc.com

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic was the sole airline we approached willing to reveal its official flight attendant salary figures.

Cabin crew receive an initial basic salary of £22,447.32, plus average anticipated trip pay of approximately £5,000 (based on 48 trips annually) and any commission, alongside additional variable payments and down-route allowances.

Its spokesperson said: “Virgin Atlantic offers competitive packages that reflect long-haul travel alongside travel opportunities, career progression, wellbeing support, training, private health, an inclusive work environment and rewards for loyalty designed to support long-term careers – which is why we continue to see strong retention amongst our cabin crew.

“Loyalty and experience are rewarded with more experienced cabin crew earning higher basic pay and overall packages, with senior Virgin Atlantic cabin crew amongst the highest rewarded in the UK market, reflecting the level of expertise, safety responsibility and customer experience delivered onboard”

Ryanair

Based on salaries disclosed by staff members on Indeed, Ryanair cabin crew receive a base salary of £17,630.

A 2024 Telegraph piece – where one of their journalists participated in a Ryanair recruitment day – indicates that cabin crew were paid an average salary of around £23,000. The initial salary stands at £15,750, though this excludes flight payments (crew members receive a supplement for every hour they spend airborne) or commission. Furthermore, staff are reportedly entitled to unlimited standby tickets.

As of mid-2025, Ryanair flight attendants and gate staff benefit from additional payments, including a “gate bag bonus” of approximately €1.50 (£1.30) – €2.50 for spotting oversized luggage, though this is capped at €80, alongside a 10% commission on onboard sales.

British Airways

British Airways provides a structured pay package comprising base salary, flight duty pay, and allowances, with earnings rising through experience and route type.

AviationA2Z places the starting salary at £24,000, while one cabin crew member with a year’s experience, operating from Gatwick, reported their total take home pay was £30,000.

EasyJet

According to Aviation A2Z, easyJet crew members receive a basic standard salary. Presently, easyJet cabin crew earn an overall salary starting from £22,000 annually, with average increments of £2,000 in each yearly cycle. Individual salaries depend largely on overall experience, total length of service with the airline, flight hours accumulated, and applicable taxes when working across different EU countries.

In addition to their base pay, easyJet cabin crew receive layover allowances for meals, which differ according to destination. The airline also provides transportation for crew members travelling to and from the airport while in transit. Moreover, cabin crew can earn 10% commission on every sale completed during a flight, encompassing food, beverages, and duty-free products available on board.

One flight attendant revealed that easyJet’s flight fee is generous, at £55 each way for a trip to Egypt, for example. A layover payment of £30 is also given to staff.