William Lipovsky
There are currently no major U.S. airlines that will hire 18- and 19-year-olds as flight attendants. The minimum age for being a flight attendant is either 20 or 21, depending on the airline.
However, there are a number of airlines that hire 18- and 19-year-olds for other positions. We explain your options below.
Airlines Jobs for 18- or 19-Year-Olds
The following airlines don’t hire 18- or 19-year-olds to be flight attendants, but they do have some other jobs for people in this age range.
And, if you work a different job for an airline, it may increase your chances of later being hired as a flight attendant later. (Keep in mind, however, that this is not guaranteed.)
Most airlines prefer that prospective flight attendants have customer service experience. So, if you do apply for another job, you might want to look for one where you will be dealing with customers.
We’ve listed the jobs that are available to 18- and 19-year-olds at the major U.S. airlines, as well as the minimum age for flight attendants at each company.
We’ve ordered the airlines below starting with the best overall options and lowest required flight attendant age.
1. American Airlines
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Customer assistance representative, fleet service agent, ramp service agent/lead[1]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 20[2]
- Search careers at American Airlines
2. Southwest Airlines
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Customer service representative, operations agent, ramp agent[3]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 20[4]
- Search careers at Southwest Airlines
3. JetBlue
- Jobs available to 18 and 19-year-olds: Most JetBlue positions are open to individuals 18 and older. Some examples of entry-level positions include ground operations crew and airport operations crew.[5]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 20[6]
- Search careers at JetBlue
4. Frontier Airlines
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Aircraft appearance agent[7]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 20[8]
- Search careers at Frontier Airlines
5. Delta Air Lines
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Baggage handler/ramp operator, customer experience specialist[9]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 21[10]
- Search careers at Delta Air Lines
6. United Airlines
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Customer service representative, ramp service employee[11]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 21[12]
- Search careers at United Airlines
7. Alaska Airlines
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Customer service agent, ramp station agent, reservation agent, station agent[13]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 21; two years of customer/community service experience is required; must at least 5′ 2″[14]
- Search careers at Alaska Airlines
8. Hawaiian Airlines
- Jobs available to 18 and 19-year-olds: Airport ramp services, customer service, ramp agent, operations agent[15]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 21[16]
- Search careers at Hawaiian Airlines
9. Allegiant Air
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Customer service agent, ground operations agent, flex customer service/ground operations agent[17]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 21[18]
- Search careers at Allegiant Air
10. Spirit Airlines
- Jobs available to 18- or 19-year-olds: Ramp service agent, stock clerk[19]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 21; two years of customer service, hospitality, sales/merchandising experience required[20]
- Search careers at Spirit Airlines
11. Sun Country Airlines
- Jobs available to 18 and 19-year-olds: Commissary assistant, commissary driver[21]
- Minimum age for flight attendants: 21[21]
- Search careers at Sun Country Airlines
Other Jobs for 18- and 19-Year Olds
While you cannot become a flight attendant until you are 20 or 21, if you do not wish to work a different job with an airline, there are other lucrative and rewarding positions you can get when you’re at least 18 years old.
A few of these positions include working as an administrative assistant, beginning a trade apprenticeship, or working as a bank teller.
