10 Best Flight Attendant Side Job Ideas To Make Extra Cash

Need side some ideas for flight attendant side jobs?

As a new a flight attendant you may want (or need) to make extra cash.

Flight attendant side hustles are not uncommon at all stages of the flight attendant career. The flight attendant job is so flexible that you can have a business or second job while you are working as a full time flight attendant.

Being a flight attendant can be a great paying job, but it’s nice to have a second income so that you are not entirely dependent on putting your body through the constant rigors of flying.

If you are just now going through the interview process and have not started your career, it’s a great time to start putting money aside.

Making extra money for those first few years before your raises start kicking in is super helpful, even if you work for one of the best airlines for flight attendants.

What Is The Best Side Job For Flight Attendants?

You can do so many side jobs as a flight attendant, but the number one thing I always advocate for is starting your own business. I’m a fourth-generation entrepreneur, and there has never been a better time for starting a business than today.

As a business owner, you can control how much time you spend working and how much money you would like to make. Some businesses have high startup costs, while others are practically free. You can do anything you set your mind to, and being a flight attendant with your own business is easily within your reach.

Before we get into flight attendant side businesses, I want to go through some second jobs you can take as a flight attendant. As a new flight attendant on reserve, you may want to supplement your income with a job and a business. Businesses take time to build, but they can be pretty lucrative and emotionally fulfilling once you do.

Millionaires generally have seven income streams, so why not have more than one or two streams of income?

I know not everyone is all about money, but I’ve been rich and poor, and I can tell you that having money is much easier on the body, mind, and soul.

Secret Shopper – Yes this is legit. You do get paid to shop.

Startup Costs: N/A

I did secret shopping in the past as a flight attendant side job (it’s been quite a few years now since I’ve done it), and it was a lot of fun. Of course, it’s not something you will get rich off from, but I did get paid $135 to test-drive a Porsche. I would have done it for free, but since I accepted the offer, I got to drive a Boxter and spent about 15 minutes writing a review of the salesman and got paid.

There are different secret shopping companies you can use, I used iSecret Shop, and you can download the app and find gigs right from your phone.

There are other gigs you can do that are similar to secret shopping. It’s almost the same thing as secret shopping where you go to stores, take pictures and answer questions. Although it’s not usually a secret like secret shopping, occasionally they ask you to be discreet.

Pick Up Gigs & Shifts For Extra Income As A Flight Attendant

Investment: N/A

My favorite apps for this are Gigwalk, Field Agent, and EasyShift. Shifts are usually worth about $2-$20 on EasyShift & Field Agent, and Gigwalk is about $20 per gig.

Like secret shopping, you won’t get rich doing this, but it’s fun to do, and you can make some money.

Technically, if you have a long layover, you may even want to pick up a shift for some extra cash if there are any shifts available in your layover city.

Flight Attendant Second Job – Dog Walker

Another excellent side job is a dog walker.

With this flight attendant side hustle, you get to exercise, walk dogs, and get paid. This may be a great way to earn extra cash if you love dogs.

Apps like Wag! or Rover can help you find dog walking jobs all over the country.

Most Popular Flight Attendant Side Hustles – Be A driver

Startup Costs – If you don’t have a car $ if you have a vehicle that meets the requirements: $ (fuel and wear and tear on your car)

Being a driver is one of the best part-time jobs for flight attendants because it’s flexible. You can work as much or as little as you want. In addition, people always need a ride to the airport, so if you live near the airport, you will never run out of customers.

Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash InstaCart are great options because you can make your own schedule. You will need a car, and if you are in a crash pad, you can make a side business taking your fellow crash pad mates to the airport.

It’s nice when someone in the crash pad offers a car service because you know you won’t be late getting to work or have to ride with a stranger at odd hours of the day and night that we flight attendants often have to travel.

Crashpad Owner – One Of the Best Side Jobs For Flight Attendants

Startup Costs – $ to $ depending on location

You may be able to have your own crash pad when renting, but I highly recommend buying your place for a crash pad. 

Flight attendants always need a place to stay, and a crashpad owner is a great business to have. Providing flight attendants with a clean, safe, and quiet place to stay can be very rewarding.

Another nice thing about owning a crashpad? You can live there for free while moving up the pay scale. If you are willing to relocate, you can buy a house or an apartment in the city near the airport and start your own crash pad business.

As long as there are flight attendants, there will be crash pads. Real estate is always a good idea.

Rental Property Owner – For Passive Income

Startup Costs – $ to $ Depending on the location

Before I left for initial training, I closed on my first rental property. It was nice to have, but I made a HUGE mistake. I managed the property myself. I should never have done that. If you become a rental property owner, have someone manage the property for you unless you are already a property manager.

A property manager will vet your tenants for you, collect rent, and they will be the ones that your tenants call when anything goes wrong. But, of course, as a flight attendant, you don’t want to be worrying about any of those things so a property manager will give you freedom and the help you to run your rental like a professional.

Flight Attenant Side Hustles – Subscription Box Service

Startup Costs – $ to $

Another business with a little bit of a startup cost, and you will need a place to store your items. 

Subscription boxes are big business and so much fun to give and get. I love the flight attendant subscription box, but the possibilities for different boxes are endless.

Especially when traveling the world as a flight attendant, there are so many fun things that you can find to include in your boxes.

FlyGirl Box is one of my favorite Flight Attendant Subscription Boxes.

Printable Business – As a Side Hustle

Startup Costs – $

I love printables. I don’t even print them anymore, but I use them on my iPad and write with my apple pencil. There is a whole movement of digital printables, and they can be one of those excellent flight attendant side jobs for you.

You can sell your digital printable on your own website, or on a site like Etsy or Shopify.

You can make and sell so many different kinds of printables:

• Meal Planning & Meal Prep Printables
• Bridal Shower Games Printables
• Baby Shower Games & Invitation Printables
• Digital Art
• Homeschool Printables
• Coloring Printables for adults and children
• Scavenger Hunt Printables – Bonus points if you make them for cities you visit across the country
• Digital Planners
• To Do Lists
• Packing Lists
• Chore Charts
• The list is endless

Virtual Assistant – Flight Attendant Side Job

Startup Costs: $

Virtual Assistants are in high demand. There are so many different kinds of virtual assistants, and perhaps the job you did before you became a flight attendant could match the type of virtual assistant job for you.

Did you work in an office as a receptionist? You could handle calls, emails, and more as a virtual assistant.

There are virtual assistants for everything. 

What are you good at, and what do you love to do? Once you decide, you can start finding clients and customers on social media. Join groups and learn everything you can to offer top-notch customer service.

You can find virtual assistant jobs on Fiverr, Upwork, and even LinkedIn.

If you want to do tasks such as assembling Ikea furniture for someone, check out TaskRabbit. You can get paid to do household tasks, errands or personal assistant tasks, and even pet sitting all for an hourly rate.

Make Things Flight Attendants Like/Need/Want

When I first got hired, flight attendants sold all kinds of creative things. I don’t see it so much anymore, and I miss it.

When we finished the service, flight attendants would pull out what they were selling, and someone always bought something.

My airline does allow flight attendants to set up tables to sell things in the crew room during certain times of the year. What makes that so much fun is that flight attendants also fly around the world and bring back things to sell. I’ve gotten so many cherished items at these “flight attendant fairs”.

Why not start or support a side businesses and get something cute and fun for yourself at the same time?

Some Items You Can Make To Sell:

• Jewelry
• Lanyards
• Travel Themed Cosmetic Bags
• Airplane Zipper Pulls
• Shoe Bags
• Travel Themed Phone Cases
• Travel Themed Airpod Cases
• Personalized packing cubes
• Luggage Tags
• Crew Tags
• Pins
• & More

So there you have it, ten different side hustles you can do as a flight attendant to make extra cash. Do you have any other side jobs as a flight attendant that you can add to the list? Let me know in the comments I would love to hear from you.