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Original poster

Cabin Crew interview process ended based on weight - discrimination?

361 replies

CityCommuter · 07/07/2021 22:35

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?

OP posts:
motogogo · 08/07/2021 07:53

@Foobydoo

EasyJet? We had a very overweight cabin crew member last time but she was very much a people person and very friendly, helpful etc. She was joking she needed to shift some weight. That said it's different to keep someone on than to hire

TheGumption · 08/07/2021 07:53

If your friend has always wanted to be cabin crew she would have known that it's always been a "thing" for staff to need to be proportionate. Like this really shouldn't have been a surprise. If she wants it that much she'll lose weight.

youngandbroken · 08/07/2021 07:53

As others have said its for health and safety reasons which are very sensible reasons actually, I am under 5' and therefore will never be a flight attendant - again there are reasons for this it is sad but as I can't force myself to grow any taller it is something I have to accept. It also seems like a strange time to be recruiting new airline staff at the moment anyway.

a8mint · 08/07/2021 07:54

Maybe this will provide the incentive -you- your friend needs to get herself in shape?

MayorGundersonsDogRufus · 08/07/2021 07:54

I'm normally very vocal about the discrimination faced by fat people, but I think in this case someone's physical fitness and size is directly related to their ability to do the job. It's not about attractiveness or fitting a norm - it's about health and safety.

BIoodyStupidJohnson · 08/07/2021 07:54

Call me cynical but I’m intrigued to know which airline is a) recruiting right now and b) holding face-to-face interviews.

Bluntness100 · 08/07/2021 07:57

I suspect it wasn’t just weight that counted her out. She appears to know very little about the role itself if she doesn’t understand why weight is relevant here. That would have come across at interiview. So all round it is likely there were much better candidates and weight was only a small part of the decision.

TableFlowerss · 08/07/2021 07:58

Not discrimination at all. Safety of everyone on the plane comes first, over and above someone’s feelings.

My dad couldn’t join the armed forces years ago because he was colour blind and his eyesight wasn’t great. (Not 100% sure it was the armed forces but there was a job he couldn’t apply for anyway due to poor eyesight)

It’s like fighter pilots need to have good eye sight. If they didn’t, it could be catastrophic.

I’ll also add, you can’t help that you’re born with poor eyesight. Being over weight is not a disability! For the vast majority of people, through calorie intake is more than it should be. If she loses weight she, she can apply again.

You could argue it’s discrimination against people with quieter personalities, as generally speaking they want people that are outgoing. But again, it would be ridiculous to do so.

SoupDragon · 08/07/2021 08:00

I'm not sure why there's an argument! It's very obviously discrimination.

discrimination
(dɪskrɪmɪneɪʃən)
1. UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Discrimination is the practice of treating one person or group of people less fairly or less well than other people or groups.

But she isn't being treated less fairly or less well. There are reasons the job can't be done by people who are very short or, in this case, fat. There are many jobs that can't be done by people who are X, Y or Z for various reasons.

DinosaurDiana · 08/07/2021 08:00

A friend of mine did a degree and masters in a cabin crew related degree. Because she’s under 5 foot she didn’t get a job.
Your mate can do something about her weight.

moynomore · 08/07/2021 08:03

@PenelopeP1tstop

Clearly a load of nonsense thread designed to get some of you frothing about fat people. Airlines aren't recruiting at the moment
Good point.
Weebleweeble · 08/07/2021 08:07

I don't know if they deliberately aim for skinnies but knowing how obsessed they are with luggage weight, having heavy staff could reduce the number of passengers.

PearlNextDoor · 08/07/2021 08:09

@girlmom21 I don't think you understood my post.

Linguaphile · 08/07/2021 08:09

It actually costs the airline more money in fuel to fly around extra weight, and I imagine it would be hard for someone that size to be able to do the job because the work area is so tiny. They specifically said they wanted weight proportional to height, so either she doesn’t realize that a size 18 at 5’5 is very overweight, or she ignored the criteria when she applied. 🤷‍♀️ Either way, with this specific job the weight criteria are presumably there for both logistical and health and safety reasons, so I cannot see how it is discrimination.

SchrodingersMat · 08/07/2021 08:10

It’s a shame for your friend OP, I do understand weight restrictions are reasonable in this circumstance.

However there are some absolutely mental and comments on this thread. Assuming someone who is size 18 is morbidly obese, weighs 20 stone, has a BMI of 41, can’t carry trays up stairs?! Utterly ridiculous. It’s only one size bigger than the average uk female size Hmm

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 08/07/2021 08:10

I suspect because of the current staffing issues in civil aviation with recent mass redundancies, airlines are now rehiring and being more selective from the original pool of suitable candidates and having less favourable terms for prospective rehires. It’s just business suffering and now optimising the market conditions to minimise their losses.

LeonoraFlorence · 08/07/2021 08:10

DHs best friend is a pilot and his wife is CC. She decided not to go back to it (even though she loves her job) after having her twins because she’s now a size 14 (was always an 8/10) and doesn’t feel physically up to the job.
It would probably be harder on your friend than she thinks at her size.

careerchangeperhaps · 08/07/2021 08:14

@SchrodingersMat

It’s a shame for your friend OP, I do understand weight restrictions are reasonable in this circumstance.

However there are some absolutely mental and comments on this thread. Assuming someone who is size 18 is morbidly obese, weighs 20 stone, has a BMI of 41, can’t carry trays up stairs?! Utterly ridiculous. It’s only one size bigger than the average uk female size Hmm

Yes, and the average UK female is overweight. In fact more than half are overweight or obese. So size 16 being the average size doesn't mean that it's a healthy size. Far from it.
Cinnamon12345 · 08/07/2021 08:14

Doing CPR on a sick passenger in the aisle of a busy aircraft would be very difficult if you were very overweight...

Newkitchen123 · 08/07/2021 08:15

Are you the "friend" OP?

SchrodingersMat · 08/07/2021 08:16

Yes, and the average UK female is overweight. In fact more than half are overweight or obese. So size 16 being the average size doesn't mean that it's a healthy size. Far from it

I didn’t say anything about health. People are implying size 18s are so enormous as to be completely incapacitated which is absolute rubbish.

LucilleTheVampireBat · 08/07/2021 08:17

Being a size 18 would hamper the ability to do that

That is hilarious. I am a size 16/18 and I can run absolute rings around younger, much slimmer friends who get out of breath walking the dog around the park. My friend, 10 years younger and probably 4 stone lighter than me, couldn't keep up with me on our run last night.
Such a ridiculous attitude. "This dress size means you are an unfit fatty". Get a grip.

TableFlowerss · 08/07/2021 08:18

@SchrodingersMat

It’s a shame for your friend OP, I do understand weight restrictions are reasonable in this circumstance.

However there are some absolutely mental and comments on this thread. Assuming someone who is size 18 is morbidly obese, weighs 20 stone, has a BMI of 41, can’t carry trays up stairs?! Utterly ridiculous. It’s only one size bigger than the average uk female size Hmm

I think the issue is, it might be just one size above the national average, but for some people, being a size 16 will mean they aren’t a healthy BMI. Not necessarily for everyone but for some, they will be classed is overweight. Average doesn’t necessarily mean a healthy weight.
cuju2407 · 08/07/2021 08:19

Sometimes you just have to accept the hard truth. We try to promote body positivity and the be kind movement because of bulling on social media which rightly so as no one should be shamed for their weight.

However sometimes there are facts in life you have to accept. I needed ivf to conceive and was very overweight at the time. As upsetting as it was to be told I couldn't have ivf until I lost weight I still had to accept the fact that it was a requirement. The same applies for this job. It's a requirement for many reasons. She needs to accept this and lose weight or choose a different career

notimagain · 08/07/2021 08:23

@BIoodyStupidJohnson

Call me cynical but I’m intrigued to know which airline is a) recruiting right now and b) holding face-to-face interviews.
Outside of the UK there’s quite a bit of airline flying going on and certainly in one country there have been flight cancelations due to crew shortages (pilot and CC) because the airline(s) in question had furloughed or laid off and hadn’t anticipated the upturn..even in the UK there’s bit of hope that traffic/flights will increase before summer’s end Hmm.

There’s at least one UK airline whose CC recruitment page is still appears to be active and who historically seemed very happy with a recruitment/retention “churn” so I think the OP is credible.