Private jet flight attendant explains daily work and earning over $100,000 a year

Kelley Lokensgard, a 33-year-old chief cabin attendant at Silver Air, describes long, irregular hours and hands-on service tasks that include catering, cleaning, and safety checks while earning in the low six figures and traveling with VIP clients.

Kelley Lokensgard works as the chief cabin attendant for Silver Air Private Jets and describes a day that begins with hours of preparation before passengers arrive. The job involves personalized catering, detailed cabin prep, safety checks, and ongoing cleanup and logistics on the ground. Private flight attendants serve wealthy vacationers, executives, and celebrities and often face irregular schedules and extended travel. Training and work conditions vary across operators, and Lokensgard reports she earns in the low six figures while seeing destinations through clients' itineraries. Key details: - Lokensgard said she often shops the night before, arrives about two hours before a flight, and prepares flowers, appetizers, and the cabin for VIP passengers. - She said attendants can be on duty up to 21 days a month and must be ready for last-minute calls and varied client requests. - Her preparation included five days of in-person training plus an online course, and Silver Air sponsored culinary classes; the FAA does not apply its airline flight-attendant rules to corporate cabin attendants. - Pay varies: Lokensgard reported earning in the low six figures, some experienced or specially skilled attendants can earn as much as $350,000 according to the article, and Glassdoor lists a nationwide median near $94,000. - Rest policies differ by operator; Lokensgard said her crew gets at least a day off after long international trips and a minimum of about 10 hours after shorter flights, and crews sometimes stay with the aircraft for several days at a destination. Summary: The role combines detailed service work, safety responsibilities, and frequent travel, with earnings reported higher than many commercial counterparts. Training requirements and labor arrangements vary across private operators, and how practices will change industrywide is undetermined at this time.