Philippine Airlines (PAL/ PALex) Cabin Crew Recruitment Full Guide

Is it your dream to be one of the flight attendants of the flag carrier of the Philippines? Look no further, PAL is hiring!

How to Apply

The recruitment event for Philippine Airlines is on-going as of December 2023. Right now, the only way to apply is through their job hiring post on LinkedIn and get an invitation. Once the recruiter has reviewed your profile and information, PAL will send a confirmation form and invitation for your scheduled interview.

If you do not get an invitation or if the job post expires, try to submit again. Make sure to optimize your profile to catch the recruiter's attention. The recruitment day is invite-only and there are no open day hiring announcement yet. So, you have to make your LinkedIn profile catchy and equipped with the skills or experiences for them to review. 

The hiring event is for both Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Philippine Airlines Express (PALex). If you are not aware yet, PALex and PAL are from the same company, however they serve different markets. PALex follows a low-cost model and is focused on domestic and regional flights. On the other hand, PAL does full-service model and serves international and long-haul flights like U.S.A. and Middle East.

Ready to send your resume? Here are the general requirements for PAL recruitment.

(From PAL LinkedIn)

Basic Requirements

Must be at least 18-years of age and above

Must be a Filipino citizen

Must be able to communicate in English (verbal and written)

Must have completed 2-years of College/University (Bachelor's program and above. Diploma and vocational/ certificate programs are not counted)

With pleasing personality and must have clear complexion

Preferably with 20/20 vision or with contact lenses but not more than 20/30 and must not be color blind

No visible tattoos

Must be willing to work during weekends and including holidays

Must be willing to be assigned/ stationed within the different Philippine Airlines and/ or PAL express locations in the Philippines or outside of the country

Must be willing to complete all necessary pre-employment checks (medical and security)

Additional Requirements for Female Cabin Crew

• Must be at least 5’2" tall

• Must wear bright red lipstick and appropriate makeup

• No false eyelashes

• Must wear basic corporate attire with black corporate skirt (knee-length) and black blazer

• Hair must be neatly tied in a bun

• Must wear skin tone stockings

• Black shoes with at least 2-inch heels

• No colored contact lenses

• No hair coloring

Additional Requirements for Male Cabin Crew

•  Must be at least 5'6" tall
• No make up, no powder, or no foundation
• Must wear corporate suit with classic necktie and classic leather belt
• Must wear corporate socks and with classic, polished leather shoes
• Must have a clean corporate hair cut
• Must have a clean shave
• No colored contact lenses
• No hair coloring

Interview Stages

1. Go-See

The first stage in the recruitment is Go-See. I think this stage is called go-see as it is similar to modeling job go-sees where you go to the model agency and the agents will focus more on your visual impact unlike in normal job interviews. As you know, airlines focus a lot on grooming and pleasant appearance as it is part of customer service. You will be in the room with 3-4 other applicants where the recruiter will ask you to introduce yourself, give your best smile, and show your side profile. It only takes 1-2 minutes for this part so make sure that your grooming is according to their standard already and show your best self. Visualize yourself as one of PAL's cabin crew. Afterwards, either the recruiter will tell you the result immediately or you will be escorted to another room where you will wait for the result. If you made it, the recruiter will call your number to move to the next stage.

2. Initial Medical (BMI and Vision check)

The second stage is focused on the basic medical requirements. 

Your height will be checked if you match the minimum requirement and weight will be checked if it is in the normal body mass index (BMI) range. The minimum height requirement for female cabin  crew is 5'2" (158 cm) and 5'6" (171 cm) for male cabin crew. To check if you are in the normal range, use a BMI calculator. Make sure that you are not underweight or overweight. Typically, airlines want you to be in the middle of the normal range. For example, I am 5'5" (165 cm), so ideally I should be at least 54 kg - 59 kg to be on the safe side.

The next one they will check is your vision. You will be asked to read something from a distance. It is stated in the requirement that 20/20 vision is their preference, however you may use natural-colored contact lenses within 20/30 grade. If you have noticed PAL cabin crew do not or rarely wear glasses, so they prefer applicants with healthy vision.

Lastly, your color vision must be normal. You will take the Ishihara test to check if you have red-green color deficiencies. If you pass these requirements, you will proceed to the group dynamics.

3. Group Dynamics

In this stage, you will be assessed with 3 or 4 other applicants. You will have a discussion about a scenario or a topic as a group. There will be a panel of recruiters who will observe your group throughout the group assessment. Mainly, they are assessing the way you work as a team and your communication skills. Your body language, verbal and non-verbal skills, and everything else is observed here. The recruiters will not speak at all. They will just watch everything. This is a chance for you to show your interpersonal skills and your eagerness, so don't be afraid to talk and to give your ideas. But also, don't talk too much that you will talk over other people. You also cannot look at the recruiters while talking. You will be given 5-10 minutes (depending on the given time) to discuss.

Some topics you might discuss could be about personalities, current events or topics like what you would do if you were stuck in an island. It could also be flight related like handling passenger complaint. If you pass this part, you will move to EPI.

4. Executive Panel Interview (EPI)

This is the final interview where they will get to know you personally. It is technically the final step of the interview day. You will be interviewed alone and there will be 3-4 interviewers who are high-rank members of PAL such as the head recruiters, pursers, cabin crew instructors, and other executive members of the company. The focus of this part is your work experience, your education, and about yourself. Do not be intimidated, instead show them that you are capable to be a part of their company. Make sure to review your resume and tell them interesting things about you.

Common questions that they ask are: "Why do you want to be a cabin crew?", "Why do you want to join PAL?", "What do you know about our company?", "Why should we hire you?", "Tell me about your work experience."

More than the questions, they also assess your body language and your communication skills. Maintain your composure, your smile, and your nervousness.

Once the interview is done. They will tell you to wait for the result through e-mail.

5. Online Exam (English/ Math/ Abstract Reasoning Assessment)

If you passed the EPI, you will receive an e-mail for the final part of the interview process. The e-mail contains a link to the online exam. PAL requires their applicants to answer a test not only in English, but also in math and abstract reasoning. Before the test, review everything by answering questions available online. 

English test is usually about subject-verb agreement, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Math includes questions about time zones, basic math, or interpreting charts or tables. The abstract reasoning part focuses on your ability to distinguish and make conclusions. Questions could be about sequences and patterns of images or numbers. The online exam is time-restricted (15 minutes per section).

Once you are done with the test, you just need to wait for the result. If you pass, you will proceed to medical and training.

I hope this helps you!

Related: Best Make-up Products You Should Have for Your Flight Attendant Interview

Update: New PAL Hiring Link (01/06/2024)

PAL LinkedIn Hiring Post