Flight attendants say holidays aren’t holidays as burnout climbs in the skies

Estelle Jones, a Dubai-based Emirates flight attendant, says holidays aren’t holidays anymore once you’re up in the cabin. 'Something they don’t tell you about being cabin crew is, holidays aren’t going to feel like holidays anymore,' she says, detailing how back-to-back flights, layovers and changing time zones can erode the promise of a vacation.

Jones’ latest TikTok clip captures the paradox: after finally earning leave, she must pack again, head to the airport again, sit on a flight again, adjust to a new time zone again and sleep in a bed that’s not my own again. 'I finally got my leave, I’ve been working back-to-back flights,' she says in the video, '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 whole new time zone again and sleep in a bed that’s not my own again.' She concedes there are worse problems in the world than jet-setting, but the routine can dull the excitement of a holiday. Jones’ colleagues echoed the sentiment, with one commenter writing, 'Facts. It’s pure hell,' about the experience of flying again for leisure. 'We hear all the call bells… AGAIN!!!!,' another insider said. 'I sometimes book leave to just stay in my own bed for a week,' said a separate flight attendant with eight years on the job. 'The thought of going to an airport and getting on an airplane during my annual leave is nothing short of sickening.'

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Beyond personal anecdotes, burnout is a broader concern across many workplaces. A recent study found that four in 10 US workers experience burnout related to ongoing job demands, while nearly half report burnout at some point. For cabin crew, the fatigue can come from hours spent in the air, irregular schedules and the pressure of maintaining safety and service standards on a rotating roster. Even with perks like travel privileges, staff say the rhythm of constant departures and landings wears on daily life. Major carriers such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines offer employees free or discounted travel privileges, but those benefits do not eliminate the underlying strain of a job that travels with you.

The viral TikTok has amplified the conversation, drawing sympathy for crew members who are often perceived as part of the glamorous romance of flight while facing relentless schedules behind the scenes. The dialogue mirrors a broader social-media trend that pulls back the curtain on the day-to-day realities of airline work, including interactions with passengers, security demands and the physical toll of long-haul trips.

Ultimately, the clips and interviews reveal a culture-and-entertainment moment that intersects with labor, rest and boundaries. The public fascination with cabin crew life is juxtaposed with a practical truth: vacations can feel less like breaks when the job you do to get away keeps following you home. The conversation underscores the enduring tension between the allure of travel and the realities of a profession built on moving people around the world. As flight crews navigate this paradox, other workers in service industries may see parallels in their own struggles to carve out real rest amid demanding schedules.

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