Airline People Work Paying Fees Jobs Interact Travelers

Airlines "employ" (hire; give jobs to) people in many different "positions" (job descriptions). Most fliers interact only with a few airline employees, like "reservation agents," who help people select and pay for a flight, and "check-in staff members," who take travelers' bags when they arrive at the airport and print out "boarding passes" (documents needed to get on a plane).

Of course, the airline also employs "pilots" (people who fly the plane) and "co-pilots" (people who work closely with the pilot). Most travelers don't see the pilot, but they do interact with the "flight crew," or the team of "flight attendants" who guide people to their seats, "store" (put away) "carry-on luggage" (bags taken on the flight), and offer food and drinks to the passengers.

Many other airline employees work "behind the scenes" (in jobs where they are not seen by customers). For example, "baggage handlers" move travelers' luggage to the correct flight. "Mechanics" "maintain" (keep in good condition) airplanes and fix them when they are broken. Other "crews" (teams; groups of people who work together) prepare the planes for "take-off" (the moment when a plane leaves the ground and begins flying) by filling the "fuel tanks" (large containers for holding gas), applying "de-icer" (a chemical that prevents ice from forming on the plane's wings), "stocking" (putting something where it is needed) food and drinks, and cleaning the inside of the plane.

Airlines also have many employees in their "corporate offices" (buildings where administrative work is done). These include "top executives," like the chief executive officer, and many people who work in finance, communications, public relations, marketing, and "logistics" (deciding which flights should go where, and when).