Ever wondered how long it actually takes to go from submitting a cabin crew application to receiving your date of joining (DOJ)?
The answer is: There is no specific timeline for each airline. Every applicant has a unique timeline depending on various factors.
Some applicants move through the process within a few weeks, while others spend months waiting between stages. Even applicants who apply to the same airline can experience completely different timelines depending on their location, recruitment event, background checks, visa processing and training schedules etc.
Below are several real applicant timelines from Qatar Airways, Riyadh Air and Etihad Airways, showing just how different the journey can be::::
Sharing these so you get an idea of how it might be. I have tried to include all the info i could find about these applicants.
Applicant: 27 years old
Location: Algeria
Assessment: Algeria
Timeline
📅 16 January 2026 - Application submitted
📅 1 February - Invitation for
recruitment event
📅 7 February - Meet & greet
📅 9 February - English test
📅 13 February - Final interview
📅 19 February - Blue background
photo & document collection email
📅 28 February - Status changed to
assessments completed
📅 7 April - Talent Pipeline
📅 17 May - Talent Pipeline
📅 18 June - Talent Pipeline
📅 2 August - Talent Pipeline
📅 13 August - E-offer
📅 16 August - Coordinator's email
+ Accurate
📅 19 August - Visa valid to use
📅 25 August - Background check
completed ️
📅 30 August - DOJ received: 8
October 2026
This timeline is a great example of how ''Talent Pipeline'' does not necessarily mean rejection or that your application has stopped.
The applicant completed the assessment stages in February but then spent several months receiving Talent Pipeline updates before finally receiving the e-offer in August.
From application to DOJ, the journey lasted almost 9 months.
Applicant: UK applicant
Assessment: United Kingdom
Timeline
📅 13 January 2026 - Applied online
📅 19 January - Online assessment
📅 28 January - Invitation for
Assessment Day
📅 16 February - Assessment Day
📅 4 March - Congratulations email
📅 8 March - Documents link
received
📅 25 March - Offer received
📅 1 April - Welcome call
📅 2 April - Onboarding portal +
DOJ information
📅 8 April - Police clearance
📅 20 April - Medical appointment
📅 17 June - Flight ticket received️
📅 22 June - Visa received
This applicant moved through the recruitment stages relatively quickly, with the congratulations email arriving less than 2 months after applying.
Applicant: 25 years old
Background: Former cabin crew
Another Riyadh Air applicant had a slightly different timeline.
📅 20 December 2025 - Online assessment
📅 14 January 2026 - Invitation for
Assessment Day
📅 4 February - Assessment Day
📅 16 February - Congratulations
email 🎉
📅 8 March - Document submission
email
📅 25 March - Offer letter
📅 26 March - Onboarding portal +
DOJ information
📅 June 2026 - DOJ
Two applicants can go through essentially the same recruitment process but have different final timelines.
The former cabin crew applicant received the congratulations email only 12 days after the Assessment Day, followed by the offer in March.
Background: Former cabin crew
Location: UK
📅 16 July - Open Day +
final-stage interview on the same day
📅 21 July - Shortlisted + survey
📅 21 July - English test
📅 22 July - English test passed
📅 22 July - Offer letter
📅 24 July - Onboarding process
email
📅 10 August - All required
documents submitted and signed
📅 13 August - Email explaining
that document review could take longer than usual due to a high volume of
applications
📅 17 August - Documents received
📅 19 August - Contract signed
📅 21 September - DOJ
This applicant went from open day to offer letter in only 6 days.
Getting the offer is not necessarily the end of the recruitment process.
There can still be document checks, contracts, medicals, visas and other administrative steps before you actually join.
Here is another Etihad applicant timeline:
📅 1 June - Open Day
📅 2 June - Assessment Day
📅 6 June - Survey
📅 9 June - English test
📅 30 June - Offer letter
📅 2 July - Onboarding process
email
📅 6 July - Onboarding survey
📅 7 July - All documents submitted
and signed
📅 13 August - Email explaining
that the process was taking longer than usual
📅 26 August - DOJ
📅 27 August - Contract signed
📅 End of September - Date of
joining
Once again, the applicant received the offer relatively quickly, but the final stages took longer.
The email about higher application volumes is something applicants may encounter during busy recruitment periods.
Applicant: 22 years old
Nationality: Romanian
Background: Former cabin crew
Timeline
📅 30 March 2026 - Application submitted
📅 30 March - Video Assessment
received
📅 3 April - Video Assessment
completed
📅 4 June - Virtual Assessment Day
invitation
📅 8 June - Virtual Assessment Day
📅 9 June - Professional photos
email
📅 9 June - English test
📅 10 June - English test completed
📅 30 June - Offer letter received
📅 2 July - Onboarding email
received
📅 6 July - Documents received
email
📅 20 July - DOJ received
📅 21 July - Contract received
📅 28 September 2026 - First day ️
This applicant went from application to offer in approximately 3 months, and the first day was scheduled for September.
Looking at all these journeys together, there are a few important things future cabin crew applicants should remember.
Every applicant's timeline is different
One person may receive an offer within weeks, while another may wait several months.
Don't compare your timeline too closely with someone elses.
Talent Pool does not automatically mean rejection
The Qatar Airways timeline shows an applicant who remained in the Talent Pipeline for months before eventually receiving an e-offer.
Sometimes the airline simply needs to match successful candidates with upcoming training classes and operational needs.
Passing the assessment is only one part of the journey
After receiving a congratulations email or offer, there can still be:
Document checks
Background checks
Police clearance
Medical examinations
Contracts
Visa processing
Onboarding
Flight arrangements
Training dates
Your offer does not always mean you are flying immediately
Several applicants received their offer months before their actual DOJ.
This is particularly important when airlines are recruiting large numbers of cabin crew for future expansion or upcoming training batches.
Former cabin crew can still experience different timelines
Having previous cabin crew experience may be helpful, but it doesn't guarantee that every stage will happen faster.
The recruitment and onboarding process can still depend on the airline's internal requirements and current recruitment volume.
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