If you just signed on with an airline and are wondering what the next steps you should take before training are, you’re in the right place! I have a few tips from personal experience and advice I wish I had known beforehand.
Study your airline
Before going to training, there are some things you should confidently know about your airline to help you succeed.
- Where are your bases?
- This is important because you can decide where you want to be based and start preparing for the other places they could possibly send you.
- Where does your airline fly?
- Study those airport codes! Some airlines require you to know more airport codes than others but trust me, it will be very handy once on the line regardless of the requirements.
- If you’re wondering what an airport code is, it’s the three-letter airport identification. For example, Dallas Fort Worth is DFW, which seems obvious; most of them are. Although Orlando is MCO, sometimes they’re not as predictable.
- What types of aircraft will you be flying on?
- This may be one of the most important things to know. You can look up what type of planes your airline flies and become familiar with these aircraft configurations. This is public knowledge I wish I had taken more advantage of beforehand.
Rest up & get healthy
- I wish I knew how many hours of sleep I was going to lose before going into training. Start taking naps and get more sleep than usual a week or so before training, so when you start getting less sleep it might not hit you as hard.
- Don’t forget to rest mentally as well as physically. Training will be hard on your body but also your mind!
- Start taking vitamins and supplements if you don’t already. Do anything and everything to get your immunity up because you will be in small rooms and interacting with the same people for weeks; if one of you gets sick, it’s bound to spread. Here are some vitamins I recommend taking:
- Vitamin C. This is amazing for your immunity. I like to incorporate it into my diet, as well as take a gummy vitamin.
- Magnesium. Great for keeping your energy up, focusing, digestion, and overall health.
- Omega 3. It helps lower triglycerides and cell health which is essential for fighting sickness.
- Immunity juice shots. These are a quick and effective way to get an extra boost! I take these a few times a week.
- If you like to work out, get an extra pump in here and there if you can because you won’t have much time during training.
Save some money
- I only know of a few airlines that pay their trainees; I for one, did not get paid for training. Before training, I did Rover, a dog walking/sitting app, to get a little cash before heading off to a few weeks of no income. This is especially important if you’re going to move after training.
- Keep in mind, as a new hire you won’t be making much money, so every little dollar you save will help.
- If you want to know how to continue to save money while traveling once you’re on the line, read my other blog post:
What to pack
- Your airline should send you a dress code with the itinerary, but if they don’t, it’s better to be safe than sorry and go with business casual.
- Pack for your days off too! This is something I didn’t do because my training facility was in the same town I lived in, and I would go home during my days off instead.
- Pack jackets even if it’s hot outside because the classroom will most likely be cold to keep it sterile.
- I made the mistake of not packing any heavy cover-ups or jackets, and my parents had to drop some off for me.
- Pack for any weather/social conditions. I cannot stress this enough, especially if your training is in Texas. You will want a bathing suit for when the sun comes out of nowhere and sweatpants for the late-night snack grabs for your friends. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to pack an outfit to go out in; training can get rowdy sometimes, and people like to party on the off days.
I hope some of these tips were helpful to you! If you just signed with an Airline and are about to go to training, congratulations, I am excited for you and this amazing journey you’re about to go on. You may meet some of your best friends in training and on the line; I sure did! I promise you no matter how hard training is, it is so worth it! Feel free to contact me with any questions or advice, I would love to get in touch.
The Jet-lagged Journalist 
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