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- There Are Many Hidden Perks That Airline Employees Tap Into
Summary
- Alaska Airlines provides comprehensive benefits including free flights, 401K, bonuses, and more. It is committed to creating a safe environment for diverse employees.
- Southwest Airlines offers lots of vacation time, profit sharing, and heavy discounts on hotels, car rentals, and flights. It is highly rated by flight attendants.
- Delta Airlines offers amazing benefits such as college tuition assistance, paid maternity leave, and good healthcare. Employees also enjoy free or discounted travel.
Working for an airline seems like a super cool and glamorous job. While the majority of us spend our days in offices, flight attendants get to travel the world and see some amazing places. It seems like a really interesting way to make a living, and it seems perfect if you're someone with a lot of wanderlust. Whether an airline focuses on pushing sustainability or values company culture and experience, all these factors trickle down to the customer.
While this seems like an awesome job, it's still true that, like any other position, some companies are better to work for than others. Keep reading to find out the airlines with the highest employee satisfaction.
UPDATE: 2023/11/22 16:33 EST BY NOAH STAATS
There Are Many Hidden Perks That Airline Employees Tap Into
This article has been refreshed with a new employee-friendly airline and facts about benefits one could expect working for each respective company. Although some airline brands are not as friendly to those who help them operate smoothly, these listed ones are.
Alaska Airlines Offers A Comprehensive Health And Benefits Package To Employees
Alaska Airlines is one of the better companies to fly with as an employee. Here, those who work for the brand can access a comprehensive list of benefits, including free flights for you and a loved one whenever you wish to fly. It will be stand-by, but it's a free flight nonetheless. Moreover, Alaska Airlines provides employees with 401K, occasional/annual bonuses, profit-sharing programs, paid vacations/vacation time, free flights, medical/dental/vision plans, comfortable uniforms, overtime, and countless other services.
Out of 1,471 employee reviews, Alaska Airlines received a 4.0 out of 5. That's pretty good considering the sheer number of employees interviewed and many other companies being closer to 3-3.5 stars.
Something else worth adding to, Alaska Airlines remains committed to a safe environment for employees of all backgrounds. It's a top-rated airline for LGBTQ+ employees, women, and minorities and continues to expand its hiring to veterans and those with disabilities.
- What it offers: Friendly flying, free tickets, healthcare, vacation time, and good working conditions.
Southwest Airlines Offers Lots Of Vacation Time And 'Profit Sharing'
According to Simple Flying, Southwest Airlines has been "the top 20 best employers in Forbes" for a really long time, so this is one of the airlines with the highest employee satisfaction. Cheat Sheet says Southwest hasn't fired anyone in its entire run, which is definitely impressive to hear.
If there are two things that people who love to travel enjoy, it's time to take trips and a way to cut down on vacation costs. And it turns out that this airline company offers both. Travel + Leisure says that Southwest Airlines employees can save some money when choosing hotels, renting cars, or flying with another airline, as the company will give "heavy discounts." And that's great news since employees are given three "PTO" (paid time off) weeks after being with the company for twelve months. Southwest is also one of the better-rated airlines for flight attendants.
People are also impressed by Southwest and its "ProfitSharing Plan." The company's Director of Talent Acquisition, Greg Muccio, was interviewed by Travel + Leisure and said that because of the ProfitSharing and the great 401(k), "every year for the last three to four years I’ve had the opportunity of giving some 20 percent of my salary back in this form. That's somewhere between a month and a half to two months of extra salary.”
- What it offers: Southwest Airlines offers comprehensive 'ProfitSharing' to employees, health benefits, complimentary flights, and a great 401k.
Employees With Delta Airlines Get Amazing Benefits
Simple Flying says that Delta has amazing benefits for the people who work for the company, along with "highest paying flight attendants." According to Future Fuel, "Delta offers college tuition assistance to its employees and their families."
The benefits don't end there, and there's a long list. Employees can take "sick leave" or request a week off work for "personal" reasons. As for vacation time, employees can get as little as two weeks off (if they're starting to work for the company) and as much as five weeks off (if they've been there for a decade). If you're pregnant, you also get six weeks of maternity leave, which is totally paid, which is amazing. The company also gives its employees truly great healthcare. They get vision, dental, and health insurance.
Cheat Sheat says the families and people working for Delta get "free travel." The airline offers up totally free air travel, or if not totally free, then at least there will be some good savings. One employee shared on Indeed, "In my 25 years of working Ground Ops for Northwest and Delta, One could not ask for a better experience. World travel at the drop of a hat. First-class seats, the opportunity to live worldwide and get paid, with full benefits."
- What it offers: Delta Airlines offers employees high salaries, college tuition assistance, a week off from work each year, 2-5 weeks vacation, and great maternity leave.
These are some upgrades that seem worth it on planes but secretly are not worth the money.
JetBlue Offers A 12-Week Maternity Leave And Good Benefits For Living a Healthy Life
JetBlue offers 12 weeks of maternity leave, according to Future Fuel, which is definitely a lot more than many other companies. JetBlue is not as cheap as it seems for passengers, much in part because the airline is so generous to its workers.
This is another airline company that is considered to have happy employees. Investopedia explains, "JetBlue does offer a comprehensive package of insurance, retirement and profit-sharing benefits. In addition to free JetBlue travel, employees receive reduced-rate standby flights on other major airlines."
One review from an employee on Indeed says, "Jetblue has an amazing working environment. The coworkers are like family. Leadership treats you with respect. The benefits are great. The pay is good."
Another thing worth noting about working for JetBlue is, according to Future Fuel, there is something called "Active And Fit Direct." This enables employees and their "eligible family members" to spend $25 on a monthly gym membership (after $25 to sign up, which is still pretty cheap). This makes it a lot easier for employees to stay healthy and work out regularly, and since we know that exercise keeps people feeling good and happy, that's great news.
These three airline companies are said to have the highest employee satisfaction. With great benefits, a lot of time off, the opportunity to fly free of charge, and even a cheap gym membership, it's easy to see why people are glad to work at these companies.
- What it offers: JetBlue offers family benefits, high employee satisfaction, gym memberships, fair pay, great vacations, and healthcare.