Delta flight attendant training isn't just harder to get into than Harvard - it's also much more difficult to pass.
- For aspiring flight attendants, Delta Air Lines, ranked by its employees as one of the best places to work, is also one of the most difficult places to get a job.
- It's harder to get invited to Delta flight attendant training than it is to get into Harvard University.
- Keep reading for some of the most interesting details about the intensive training school.
Delta Air Lines flight attendant is perhaps one of the most competitive jobs out there.
On Glassdoor, employees rate Delta Air Lines 4.3 out of 5 stars, citing pros like great perks and benefits, a professional and friendly environment, and flexibility.
Danny Elkins, who's been a flight attendant with Delta since it acquired Pan American World Airways' North Atlantic routes in 1991, would agree.
"I started this career at 22, left my home in North Carolina, and soon found myself living in NYC, flying around the world. Both my home life as well as my professional life became an instant adventure," he told Business Insider.
Of course, getting the job is no walk in the park.
"I am told it's harder to get invited to the Delta Flight Attendant training center than to get into Harvard University," Elkins said.
And he's not wrong. According to Delta, of the 150,000 people that applied to be a Delta Flight Attendant in 2016, only 1% made the cut. By comparison, the acceptance rate for Harvard's class of 2021 was 5.2%.
"Our culture at Delta is important to us, so we have to make sure those we hire can not only serve to keep our customers safe and comfortable on board but also fit well within our organization," Elkins said.
Delta implements an array of techniques, including video interviews, Q&A sessions, and in-person meetings to evaluate candidates to see if they'll be successful as a Delta flight attendant. "It's a rigorous process, but we make sure it's fun and engaging for prospective crew members. And we often have an opportunity to select some amazing flight attendants," Elkins said.
For the chosen few who make it past the interview stage, an eight-week training school awaits.
Delta Air Lines gave outsiders an inside look into the intense training school as part of its "Earning Our Wings" series. Read on for some of the most interesting details: