December 8, 2025, 4:10 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Flying on a private jet once in a lifetime–for most of us “regular folks,” this remains a dream due to financial reasons. However, there’s another way to board a private jet: as a flight attendant. That’s exactly what Katharina Chiao-Li Fuchs did. On Instagram, she regularly shares her absurd experiences. In a conversation with TRAVELBOOK, she revealed how she got the job, what she learned first, and why she eventually quit.
Stepping onto a plane relaxed, with enough space and, above all, privacy–that’s something you usually only get on a private jet. With the necessary funds, a trip is possible–or as part of the onboard crew. And you can become one even as a career changer, says former private jet flight attendant Katharina Chiao-Li Fuchs. “They were looking for people mostly from the hotel or restaurant industry, but sometimes they also take career changers because private jets are about service.” And that’s how she got involved. “I was in my early 30s, had broken up with my boyfriend, and wanted to reorient my career,” Fuchs says. A company in Hamburg was looking for flight attendants, and one thing led to another.
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Safety Training Focused on Protection From Passengers
Whether it’s a private jet or a commercial flight, all flight attendants must complete a so-called ground training before taking off. After a two-day safety training, the focus for the private jet crew was quite different. “Ninety percent was just ‘What do you do if five businessmen want to get fresh with you, but the captain’s door is closed?’–or how to open a champagne bottle,” explains the former private jet flight attendant. So it was more about protection from or entertainment for passengers.
If an inappropriate situation did arise, there were even special help codes. “Ideally, you should run to the back to the restroom, hold the door with one foot, and then open the luggage compartment behind it. A light goes on for the captain. If you open and close the door twice, he knows something is up.”
Cleaning the jet was also an issue: “We had many guests who had enemies. Therefore, no external cleaning staff were allowed on the plane, and we always had to clean everything ourselves.” Often, she felt like she turned into Superwoman. “Sometimes I felt like I was in the lion’s den. Like a little mouse thrown to the predators,” Fuchs says.
Former Private Jet Flight Attendant: “They Told Us the Plane Could Be Shot At”
“On river cruises, everyone has something going on with everyone else.”
“The Son of a President Kicked in the Door”
There were many dramatic situations–fortunately, she never had to trigger the alarm. Yet, there were moments she will never forget. “Once, the son of a president, who was completely drunk, threw money in my face and kept asking why I wouldn’t date him. And after he kept harassing me, I locked myself in my small kitchen, but he kicked in the door. By then, I had already informed the captain,” Fuchs says. The situation ended without incident.
Eventually, the job just became too much. “I still don’t understand how people can be like that. Ninety-five percent treated me like dirt,” she says. After two and a half years, it was over. “I realized I couldn’t do it anymore because it was just an exhausting job. I flew 21 days a month, and the pay was really bad.” Many think you get a lot of tips in such a job–but that’s not the case. “In two and a half years, I maybe got tips three times, and I always had to share them with the pilots.” The fact that you’re basically always alone, unless a second flight attendant is booked, also led to her quitting the job.
In the End, There Was (Again) a Corpse on Board
As if closing a circle, both the very first and the very last flight with the private jet had something in common: Each time, there was a corpse on board. “On my first flight, we transported the body of a former race car driver. A few days later, another race car driver was on board on his way to the funeral. And on my last flight, we had the body of a mother from Saudi Arabia on the plane. It was really sad because the daughter cried the whole time,” explains the former private jet flight attendant.