Traveling between continents, sleeping in different hotels, and landing in dreamy destinations - for many, this sounds like the perfect job. But for flight attendant Estelle Jones, the glamour of airline life hides an unexpected problem: her personal vacations no longer feel like vacations.
In a video shared with her 21,000 TikTok followers, Jones said: “One thing they don’t tell you about being a flight attendant, is that holidays no longer feel like holidays.”
Jones, who works for Emirates, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, went on to explain: “What do I mean? I finally got time off after flying back-to-back flights and now I have to pack a suitcase again; I have to go to the airport again; I have to sit on a flight again; I have to adjust to a new time zone again, and sleep in a bed that isn’t mine — again.”
She added: “Yes, I know there are far more serious problems in the world, but it just takes away a bit of the excitement of a holiday, because all you want is a break from the very thing you keep doing over and over.”
Many commenters expressed empathy. “I’ve been a flight attendant for two years and haven’t taken a single vacation,” one user wrote.
Another commented: “My dad’s a pilot and he says the same thing every time we go on a family trip.” A third added: “And then after 32 years of flying, you retire and get anxious every time you go to the airport.”
But not everyone shared the sentiment. “I was the complete opposite. I traveled every day off and used my flight benefits to the fullest. I reached 120 countries. Enjoy it while it lasts :)” said one comment.