u/StrawberryLocal588

Hey everyone!!

I’m currently a flight attendant on reserve and looking to pick up a second job. I just got offered a cocktail server position at a 24-hour casino and I’m trying to see if this is realistically manageable.
My main concern is balancing unpredictable reserve scheduling with a job that has flexible but still demanding shifts. I’m also considering switching bases soon to hopefully get a line, which might help.
Has anyone here balanced airline reserve life with a second job like serving or bartending? Is this actually doable or does it turn into a scheduling mess fast?

Any advice or experience would be appreciated.

Hey everyone!!

I’m currently a flight attendant on reserve and looking to pick up a second job. I just got offered a cocktail server position at a 24-hour casino and I’m trying to see if this is realistically manageable.
My main concern is balancing unpredictable reserve scheduling with a job that has flexible but still demanding shifts. I’m also considering switching bases soon to hopefully get a line, which might help.
Has anyone here balanced airline reserve life with a second job like serving or bartending? Is this actually doable or does it turn into a scheduling mess fast?

Any advice or experience would be appreciated.

Working for a regional airline specifically Republic and it has been one of the most frustrating and disappointing experiences because the reality of the job does not match the demands they place on flight attendants.

YES I KNEW THEY PAY BEFORE I STARTED SO SAVE IT.

The pay is simply not enough for the amount of time, energy, and sacrifice this job requires. Crew members are expected to maintain an extremely demanding schedule, be available constantly, deal with operational chaos, and still somehow survive on wages that barely cover basic living expenses. Unless you are constantly picking up extra trips and your schedule even allows it… people genuinely cannot afford to eat, pay bills, or live comfortably working here.

On top of the low pay, crew scheduling is vicious. There is little empathy, little flexibility, and feeling that crew members are treated like actual people. Instead of feeling supported, it often feels like employees are disposable and expected to just deal with whatever is thrown at them, no matter how unreasonable it is.

The union is another major disappointment. Money is taken out of our checks, yet there is little to no meaningful protection, advocacy, or power behind it. Even the union members who do care and try to help seem to have no real authority to change anything, which makes the entire thing feel performative. It is incredibly discouraging to pay into something that offers so little actual support when employees need it most.

Even the hiring process should have been a red flag. For a job that demands so much physically, mentally, and emotionally, the final interview being an eight minute phone call says a lot about how little they invest in properly evaluating or valuing the people they hire. It feels less like they are building a strong, supported workforce and more like they are filling seats as quickly as possible.

Overall, working for Republic feels like being overworked, underpaid, unsupported, and replaceable. The expectations are high, but the compensation, protection, and treatment of employees are nowhere near what they should be.