An Australian flight attendant has revealed her very generous compensation package from Emirates, which includes a tax-free salary and free accommodation.
Although Alexandra Cosoff only earns $5000 a month on paper, her salary is completely tax free.
She also has full medical, dental coverage, and perks like transportation and laundry provided by the company, meaning her entire paycheck is spent on fun things like “traveling the world.”
The 33-year-old from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast lives in Dubai, where workers do not pay income tax.
Her monthly base salary is 430 Emirati Dirham (AED) – about $A1800 – but she also gets an additional AED 63.75 ($A26) for every hour she flies.
On average, she flies 80 to 100 hours a month, including meal allowances for overnight stays.
Alexandra Cosoff, 33, from Queensland works as a cabin supervisor for Emirates and lives in Dubai
This means she gets an average of $5,000 a month if she flies economy class, and even more if she works first and business class.
As such, she takes home at least about $A60,000 a year, about the same amount as an employee in Australia who pays $78,000 in income tax.
But she pays nothing for basic living expenses.
“We are very well taken care of,” Alexandra said news.com.au.
She explained that she spends most of her money on fun things like travelling, as she doesn’t have hefty tax, rent and utility bills like in Australia.
“I live in my own apartment. You can contact the company for housing or opt for a housing allowance.’
Employees in Dubai pay no income tax, while Alexandra also has full medical, dental coverage, as well as perks like transportation and laundry provided by the company
‘I’ve been so lucky. I had a great time,” she added.
Alexandra started in economy class, where she worked for a year and a half, before she was promoted to business class and finally to the corporate promotions team.
The former makeup artist added that she is now living her “dream life” and has great opportunities including going on The Ellen Show, awarding awards to tennis players and working on shipboard lounges.
“I learned so much about the world, other cultures, and myself as well — and best of all, you make great friends along the way,” she said.
Alexandra previously told FEMAIL that she knows “all the details” about passengers before they travel.
Alexandra said that in first class, cabin crew are expected to take the time to get to know each passenger before boarding.
“We are diligent about providing a personalized approach to customers traveling first class for their flight, from greeting them by name upon boarding, to knowing all the details to make their journey with us memorable. This could be a favorite drink order or favorite magazines,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
“We all need to be aware of the personal preferences, itinerary and dietary requirements of their first class passengers. Before our flight we have a team briefing to make sure we are all aware of any VIPs flying with us, and we also have tablets on board to keep information handy. We make sure that these are kept up to date during our trip.’
With an extensive menu of expensive wines and spirits, first-class flight attendants must have a thorough knowledge of every drink they pour for their passengers.
“We serve wine from all over the world, such as wines from the Bordeaux region of France and the iconic Australian wine, including Penfolds,” she said.
“Because we have such a diverse offering, it is important that we know the details of the product range served to our customers in all cabins. Product knowledge is important in first class.
Alexandra started in economy class, where she worked for a year and a half, before she was promoted to business class and finally to the corporate promotions team
‘We must be able to provide an informative answer to all questions we encounter in our customer service. We have access to educational courses to strengthen our knowledge of the product range on board.”
Flight attendants – both women and men – are required to attend a beauty school to learn about the airline’s makeup and hair guidelines.
“The ‘look’ is an integral part of the Emirates brand image, which is why we have a dedicated Image and Uniform team to ensure that hair and make-up standards are followed by cabin crew,” said Alexandra.
“When it comes to makeup standards for female cabin crew, we’re not told which brands to buy because it’s a personal preference. However, we are told which garments to wear.
“We are often asked if there is a certain shade we should use as a crew, but it is not specified. What we need to know is that the color should match the red in the uniform and not be shiny.’
Hair standards require flight attendants to ensure that their hair is clean and neatly presented at all times.
“All loose strands around the face and neckline should be pinned back and our chosen hairstyle shouldn’t interfere with the proper positioning of our hat,” she said.
“Different styles such as French roll, up roll or the classic bun are allowed.”
Male flight attendants are also expected to meet hair standards.
“Their hair should be neat, conservative and styled out of the face. Their hair must not be overloaded with gel or wax and must be neatly trimmed at all times and must not touch the collar of their shirt,’ Alexandra said.