Working at 38,000 feet is one way of doing that, as Emirates launches a fresh recruitment drive in Ireland.

The Dubai-based airline, which already employs around 200 Irish cabin crew, is holding several open days in Cork, Dublin and Galway as it seeks to staff an airline in growth mode post-pandemic.

Applicants must be at least 160cm (5ft 3”) tall, able to swim, and have at least a year of customer service experience, among other requirements.

While Ryanair and Aer Lingus have been on a similar hiring sprees, Emirates offers eye-catching benefits for applicants struggling with accommodation and cost-of-living challenges in Ireland.

Its salaries are tax-free – averaging around AED10,388 (€2,635) a month, or approximately €31,620 a year. Successful recruits also receive their own room, rent-free, in a Dubai apartment.

Emirates cabin crew applicants should:

• Be aged 21 or over (no maximum age listed)
• Be fluent in written and spoken English
• Be at least 160cm tall and able to reach 212cm high (into overhead bins)
• Be able to meet the UAE’s employment visa requirements
• Have one year’s hospitality or customer service experience
• Have no visible tattoos while in uniform
• Be “a natural team player with a personality that shines”

Emirates flies twice daily between Dublin and Dubai, and has over 20,000 cabin crew. Its fleet of A380s and Boeing 777s serves more than 130 destinations from its UAE hub.

Successful applicants start their careers with eight weeks of training in Dubai, ranging from safety procedures to customer service and emergency medical training for situations ranging from CPR to “emergency childbirth”.

Candidates will also have to show their ability to swim during training. “All trainees will perform a ditching scenario” (the term for an emergency landing on water), it says.

While working with the airline may involve living a 7.5-hour flight from home, crew get 30 calendar days’ leave a year “and one firm free annual leave ticket is provided to your country of origin”, it says.

"Besides complimentary annual leave flight tickets, all cabin crew enjoy deeply discounted flight tickets for themselves, dependents and wider family and friends, so that you can travel, explore and experience new cultures and the world together,” says cabin crewmember Éabha Sloyan from Kilkenny.

Ms Sloyan (pictured top), a NUIG graduate, has travelled to Bali, Rio, and Tokyo since landing her “dream job”. Her sister Doireann is currently training with Emirates in Dubai.

Recruitment days are walk-in events, and pre-registration is not required. However, there is a “business attire” dress code stipulating that male applicants be clean shaven and women wear “full make-up” and heels.

It is also recommended that candidates read the role requirements before attending.

The open days are as follows:

• November 8: The Metropole Hotel, Cork
• November 27: The Hilton, Charlemont Place, Dublin
• November 29: The Maldron Sandy Road, Galway
• November 16: Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin
• December 18: The Maldron Sandy Road, Galway
• December 20: The Metropole Hotel, Cork

More info: emiratesgroupcareers.com/cabin-crew