Flight attendants share 20 things most people don't know about the job

flight attendant

Despite the frequency with which people fly these days, flight attendants' jobs are still, surprisingly, shrouded in a fair amount of mystery.

In fact, we know so little about what they do for a living that misconceptions abound.

To help lift the veil a little, we asked flight attendants everywhere to share some things that might surprise people about their job, and more than 60 responded.

We've anonymously included some of their answers here:

DON'T MISS: Flight attendants share the 21 things they wish passengers would stop doing

'We only get paid for flight hours'

"So, for example, your duty day could actually be 12 hours, but you only get paid for six hours of work."

"We aren't paid for boarding or deplaning. We are only paid for time away from the gate."

And 'it's especially hard to make ends meet at the start'

"You are bombarded with new and unexpected expenses that come along with the job, like a second apartment (your "crash pad") since you usually don't get based where you live, countless Ubers/Lyfts to get you to and from the airport, meals on the road, uniforms, luggage, tips for drivers, and petty cash in case your fellow crew members want to go out."

"For the first five years you are DIRT poor, and five to 10 roommates is a must."