Tati joined Altura as a Crew Performance Specialist after years of flying. She talks about why engaged crew sell better, what most people don’t appreciate about the job, and the project she’s most proud of. 

About Tati 

How did you get into the aviation industry? 

I took my first flight when I was 8 years old, and from that moment on I knew I wanted to be cabin crew. 

What does a Crew Performance Specialist do, in your own words? 

We give cabin crew a clear understanding of how the onboard sales operation works, whether they are new joiners or have been flying for years. That bigger picture matters, because knowledge is what lets crew feel like a fundamental part of the programme rather than just people delivering it. Crew are our sales force onboard, and a confident, engaged crew sells better. So we also work on engagement, through incentives, training and the small things that keep people connected to the programme over time. 

What does a typical week look like for you? 

There isn’t really a typical week, which is part of what I love about the role. In any given week I might be designing an incentive, building training materials, running virtual sessions with crew, coaching new joiners or working through the admin that keeps it all moving. It is a role that asks you to switch between the strategic and the practical constantly. 

“Crew are our sales force onboard, and a confident, engaged crew sells better.” 

The craft 

What do you find most interesting about working with cabin crew? 

Having been crew myself, I love sharing what I know about the onboard sales side. We speak the same language. The moment I tell them I’ve sold onboard too, something shifts. They trust you differently because they know you understand what they are working with at 35,000 feet. 

What makes a crew team really click together? 

Trust, more than anything. Communication and shared responsibility are how you build it, but trust is what you are really working towards. A crew that trusts each other handles a difficult flight or a tough sales day completely differently. 

What’s the most rewarding part of the work you do with airline partners? 

When crew start bringing their own ideas to the programme. The moment they go from following the incentives to suggesting them, you know the engagement is real. 

What’s something about cabin crew life that people on the outside don’t appreciate enough? 

How hard it is to actually become crew. I’d almost given up before I finally got in at 33. And it doesn’t stop once you’re flying. There’s constant studying, and every year you re-sit licence exams to keep flying. It’s demanding. It’s also one of the most beautiful careers I can imagine, but the effort behind it is rarely visible from the outside.

Working at Altura 

What’s the best part about working at Altura? 

Being trusted with new things. Altura keeps giving me work that pushes me outside my comfort zone, but with the tools and the support to actually do it well. That combination of trust and backing is what has made me grow here. 

How would you describe the team culture? 

Flexible, committed, honest. People listen to each other’s ideas properly, not as a courtesy. That’s rarer than it sounds. 

A project that’s stuck with you? 

Too many to pick one. The crew workshop we ran in London, where we spent days working directly with the crew in the field. And the system transition in Argentina, which pushed all of us. We had to go the extra mile, and the result was something I’m genuinely proud of. 

Off the clock 

What did you want to be when you were growing up? 

Cabin crew. 

What are you into outside of work? 

Training my dog, plants, hiking, reading and finding new coffee shops. 

One piece of advice for someone starting out in aviation? 

Take every opportunity to learn. Aviation has so many directions to grow into. Form your own opinions from your own experiences, and put your full effort into whatever you are doing. It’s an addictive industry in the best way. Once you’re in, you always come back.