When have you faced an unexpected difficulty working in the airline industry?

"The biggest difficulty I have faced was when I was unexpectedly laid off during the last recession. The company was under financial strain, and some days we could not deliver the customer experience that we wanted. I strive to leave a good impression, and as the company was adapting to a new economy, I tried to overcome this by giving everything I had when it came to service, and then I faced that unexpected difficulty. By searching deeply for other skills and opportunities, I was able to earn enough to avoid financial strain and am quite proud of my ability to be versatile when required."

"A terrible storm delayed tons of flights and stranded crew and passengers at the airport. We stayed at a hotel that night, but some passengers slept in the airport. When we finally boarded the plane the next day, many of our passengers were short-tempered or difficult to deal with. Mid-flight, one passenger was clearly under the influence of alcohol and became belligerent and offensive. Before things got out of hand, I came over and started talking to this passenger with a warm smile, asking many questions, empathizing with him and giving him a sounding board for his frustrations. Eventually, when I could tell his mood was levelling out, I made a subtle, good-natured comment that finally got a laugh out of him. Not much later, I launched into a long-winded, dull story that I knew he wouldn't be able to follow, and he fell asleep. When he awoke later, he seemed a little confused and embarrassed. Later, when everyone disembarked, security had a word with him at the destination airport. I just wanted to keep things even-keeled and make sure the passengers were safe by ensuring things didn't get out of hand."

Tell your interviewer about a time you encountered an unexpected challenge. Use the STAR method (Situation/Task/Action/Result), describing the situation that unfolded, the required task, the action you took and the result of your actions.