Delta Airlines: 100,000 Apply for 1,000 Openings

Delta Airlines is hiring 1,000 flight attendants. So far, more than 100,000 have applied, reports Scott Mayerowitz at ABC News.

But the high unemployment rate in the United States is not the primary reason for the popularity of Delta Airlines as a employer. Those applying also are opting to being in an office cubicle from 9 to 5. In addition, they want to see the world, be it Europe, Asia, or South America.

They are those who, unlike JetBlue malcontent Steven Slater, see working as a flight attendant as being a combination of a career path that's full of glamour and the opportunity to deliver impeccable service to customers. Among the passengers are many paying $6,000 for a first-class ticket.

The pay starts in the upper $20,000s. A nice perk is the travel. Company flight attendants have an average of 20 years service and have voted down unionization.

Delta Airlines looks for those with high emotional intelligence, particularly when it comes to dealing with conflict and crisis. Knowing a second language is a plus. Because the company is customer-centric, it tries to make the hiring process pleasant, even fun. After all, the odds are that a particular applicant will not be hired. However, Delta Airlines wants to lay the groundwork for that person to be a loyal customer in the future.