It would seem that the job of flight attendant makes one dream—to the point of actually being able to charge applicants an interviewing fee. That's the conclusion reached by Jetstar Airways, the low-cost subsidiary of Qantas Airways, the national Australian airline.
As part of its ongoing efforts to cut operating costs to offer the lowest possible fares, Jetstar has come up with a way to reduce its recruiting costs, i.e. charging would-be flight attendants A$89, which includes A$40 for the personality test and $A49 for reference checks. According to airline spokesperson Simon Westaway"It's a cost recovery process. We’re making nothing on this.”
Applicants who are lucky enough to proceed to the next stage will be charged fees for the medical exam (teeth, chest -ray, eyes, etc.)
This measure will also be applied to pilots, who too will have to pay for the external costs of their hiring. Moreover, pilots will be responsible for paying their A$10,000 "endorsement" fee themselves. Even if they're guaranteed a job once the probation period is over—surprise—this period of time is not compensated. If this trend continues, it won't be too long before Jetstar starts charging employees lay-off fees!
If you don't believe it, check it out for yourself in the recruiting section of the Quantas Web site. The fees are clearly specified.
