Cabin Crew interview process ended based on weight - discrimination?

[CityCommuter]

I feel sorry for a friend who has always wanted to be a flight attendant / part of cabin crew for as long as I can remember. She applied and got as far as the first interview phase having already submitted a detailed application form. The form states that 'weight must be in proportion to height'.

She believes that the interview panel judged her when she walked into the room by the way they looked at her (UK size 18, height 5'5"). Obviously weight wasn't mentioned but she didn't get approval for the next interview phase. She thinks it's discrimination on their part and that it shouldn't matter even if she was a size 24! She doesn't even look like a size 18 btw but more like a 14. I'd like to advise her to lose a few pounds but can't as she has always been very sensitive to any weight related conversation even if talking about someone else! What advise would you give her?

It would be interesting to see what the height/weight requirements are for men. Many male stewards can't squeeze past the trolley and are tall and broad, certainly weighing more than a size 18 woman.

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Certain jobs require certain things, it's not discrimination to say that, not anyone can do any job. Your friend was too big to do the role of a cabin crew member efficiently, doesn't matter how much she wanted to do it or how good with the passengers she would have been she was too big built to be in the restricted space that aircraft's have. If every cabin crew member was a plus size it wouldn't be practical and I say this as a very weight person.

I’m just amazed that there are cabin crew jobs going. I expect there are many people with experience going for those jobs

It's one of those job that requires physical fitness. You are working in the environment high up in the sky with pressured air, hard work for even fit person. Also they need to act fast in case of emergency. And another big role is a first aider. There were many cases I had to run through narrow aisle to get to the passengers when I was one.

As former cabin crew we were told that we had to keep below a certain weight as it was a safety hazard if we didnt! Dont forget that during training you have to crawl through a smoke filled cabin and i would imagine a bigger lady or gent would struggle with that.. its not discrimination its for the safety of the aircraft.

Her weight very clearly isn’t in proportion to her height is it? Did she think they wouldn’t notice?

@Peppallama

It's not discrimination because weight isn't a protected characteristic under the equality act.

It's called aesthetic labour, where organisations people to represent the brand. Just like hooters girls basically. It sucks that the job is seen more to be about image and lifestyle of passengers than safety but it's part of the brand and won't stop unless people stop flying with those airlines.

Is it bollocks aesthetic labour. The days of airline assistant being a glamorous job are long gone.

It's about safety. And there has to be an aspect of how much it costs in fuel to transport staff from a to b when they're a few stone heavier, too. You have to think about the job and the working environment and use your common sense to think perhaps why being overweight wouldn't be good.

^weight must be in proportion to height'.

@CityCommuter So for the job they have to be within a healthy BMI range, and she isn't.

As a PP mentioned I'm sure they would claim some safety reason for it.

@Wroxie , it’s not just a question of one size 18 person squeezing into the confined space of a galley - there will very often be more than one who needs to be there, and moving quickly.

(Speaking as someone who was once cc).

I have seen overweight flight attendants on previous flights. Perhaps they got into the job when they were smaller.

It would be interesting to see what the height/weight requirements are for men.

@helpfulperson As it seems like they're asking for a healthy BMI range, the requirement is the same as for women.

If they look broad then it's proportionate to their height.

Or maybe a lot of managers wouldn't say anything if someone put on weight once they were in the job.

@TillyTottenham, see my pp about the dreaded Fat List!

@TillyTottenham

I have seen overweight flight attendants on previous flights. Perhaps they got into the job when they were smaller.

Yes I literally find a world of difference between staff on east Asian and north American carriers. Quite surprised in the different standards especially as I am assuming particularly for business class regulars - the crew is as much about marketing a brand and service as it is about in flight logistics and fitness for role.

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia, I'm from East Asia, and worked for both East Asian and European Airline. I think the standard for healthy weight is massively different for a start. For priority vaccination for Covid, BMI of 30+ was considered priority after 60+ years old, along with all the other underlying conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

A lot of these comments just go to show how being biased against size, particularly women's, is somehow seen as fair game.

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I am cabin crew for a major international airline, there are crew that are overweight some are even in the obese category. They were hired at that weight too. My airline also regularly hires (well before covid/furlough) people well into their 50's and 60's. So I don't know what airline she applied to, but if it was mine she wouldn't have been rejected due to her weight it would have been for some other reason.

Why is this relevant to anything???

@Cavalierqueen

Talking about the difference between Asian and European airlines. Easy Jet are scruffy and don't even smile.

And Ryanair cc are all Russian and eat you if you asked for help.

Being cabin crew isn't all about glamour, it involves heavily swollen feet and backache, even for a young, healthy fit person.

She's being treated less well - she's not being offered the job - because she's fat

Just like someone isn’t offered a job because they don’t have a degree, or because they have a hard to understand accent, or because they have no experience, or becayse they interview badly, or any other reason someone doesn’t get a job. Not giving someone a job is of course treating them less well than the person who did get the job. Doesn’t mean it’s discrimination. Arguably every single person who doesn’t get a job is being treated less well than the person who did get it.

Of course its not discrimination how will they fit in the jump seat for example