Flight attendant pay — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about block time, TAFB, per diem, and how FA Trip Pay Calc estimates your pay. For the full walkthrough, see the user guide.
What is FA Trip Pay Calc?
FA Trip Pay Calc is a free, airline-neutral trip pay calculator for flight attendants. Upload a screenshot of a trip or enter your block time and time away from base, add your own hourly and per diem rates, and get a quick estimate of what the trip is worth.
How is flight attendant trip pay estimated?
The core estimate is simple math: block pay equals your block hours multiplied by your hourly rate, and per diem equals your time away from base multiplied by your per diem rate. Add an optional manual adjustment and you have the estimated trip total. Every number is editable before anything is calculated.
What is block time?
Block time is the scheduled gate-to-gate time of a flight — from when the aircraft door closes and the brakes release to when it parks at the destination gate. Most US flight attendants are paid a base hourly rate for each block (or credit) hour they fly.
What is TAFB (time away from base)?
TAFB is the total time a trip keeps you away from your base — typically from check-in on day one to release after your final landing. Per diem is usually paid for every hour of TAFB, including layovers and rest.
How does per diem work?
Per diem is an hourly allowance that covers meals and incidentals while you're away from base. The app multiplies your TAFB hours by the per diem rate you enter. Per diem is often non-taxable for trips with an overnight, and taxable for same-day flying — the app lets you choose how much of yours to treat as taxable.
Can I use this at my airline? Can I set my own rates?
Yes. The app is airline-neutral by design: it doesn't hard-code any carrier's contract or work rules. You enter your own hourly rate and per diem rate, so it works for flight attendants at any US airline.
What happens to my trip screenshots?
Screenshots are read once to pull out schedule data — dates, flights, block time, TAFB — and then discarded. The free estimator stores nothing: no images, no schedule data, no account.
What is a monthly minimum guarantee (MMG)?
Most airlines guarantee flight attendants a minimum number of paid credit hours per month, even if they fly less. The Pro paycheck simulator lets you set your own guarantee and shows how your actual flying compares to it each pay period.
Can I estimate taxes and deductions?
Pro users can build a take-home estimate: federal withholding by filing status, state payroll deduction defaults for all 50 states, retirement contributions, insurance, and custom deduction rows. Every value is an editable estimate, and you can calibrate the rates from a photo of a real pay stub — which is also read once and never stored.
Does this replace my official payroll?
No. FA Trip Pay Calc is an independent estimation tool. It does not calculate premium pay, holiday pay, junior assignment pay, critical pay, reassignment pay, cancellation pay, or airline-specific contractual rules. Always verify final pay against your employer's payroll, your contract, and a tax professional.
Is FA Trip Pay Calc free?
The trip estimator is completely free and requires no account. Pro — saved trips, the monthly paycheck simulator, take-home estimates, and pay-stub calibration — is $4.99/month or $39/year, and every plan starts with a 7-day free trial you can cancel anytime.