Donning my hard hat for this one - cabin crew appearance

[TellerTuesday]

I do realise I'm probably going to get flamed for this but has anyone else noticed a real decline in the appearance of cabin crew members?

Just had a flight with Virgin and the female members honestly looked dreadful. Ill fitting uniforms, red trousers stretched over VPL bottoms, tight white gaping shirts, one had a drab cardigan over the top.

I realise it's a sexist notion but when I was younger they always looked so glamorous strutting through the airport in their heeled court shoes (mainly flat now it appears), immaculate hair and make up.

Also thought the same when I last flew with TUI. The male cabin crew always seem to look well turned out.

I would actively seek to book with an airline that understands the importance of sturdy comfortable pants over appearance.

@PenguinLord fully agree I'd much rather have worked with someone who would either take spare food from a different class, give up crew meal/ sandwich, substitute a meal for pringles or pull the sausages off one bfast and throw in an omelette from another without breaking a sweat or having to ask for help/hold up the service but ultimately for the majority of crew we never face the scenarios we've been trained for and so have an equal footing on that aspect should the worse happen.

It's also true that some old contract crew were less able to resolve issues in economy than newer crew with more recent experience. The crew who repeatedly worked first or business are incredibly slow in economy. I'd imagine if long haul crew were suddenly thrown onto a night PMI/ FAO/ IBZ they'd be equally as slow and struggle especially with a paid for bar service. It's a different skill set.

I'm not denying the value of experience, I think airlines need that calm and authority on flights and i'd imagine even more so on cheap and cheerful sectors for the likes of Ryanair. I also think the deterioration in standards across the board has reduced the value of the role. I loved flying and I hate how it is perceived and what it has become.

That's refreshing to hear op. About time!

Last time I flew with TUI in June, the cabin crew looked good and more importantly were very professional - and they had a job on their hands as when the seatbelt sign went on for turbulence all the bolshy dads suddenly needed to take their toddlers to the loo. They dealt with the situations well.
Some of the men were quite unpleasant & rude to the staff when asked to sit down and put belts on.

I always feel reassured when the crew are relaxed but when they stop chatting and sit in their seats with their seatbelts on and look serious you know it's time to get concerned.

This time it was just quite bouncy for a while & the expected bad turbulence didn't hit, but this was just after the Singapore airlines incident & the crew were being hyper aware.

Btw high heels & turbulence really don't mix.

I don't know what you mean. You don't seem to have understood my point. I meant that for an airline to change from a beautifully smart, professional uniform - namely the Julien MacDonald one - to one that looks more like the kind of drab, dull gear that a factory or fast food worker might wear is a HUGE downgrade. Wearing a uniform that is comfortable is all very well - but if it ruins the look of the crew, then for me, that is a HUGE minus, I don't care what the casual-uniform-loving lot might say.

Keep cabin crew SMART and PROFESSIONAL. To HELL with drab slacks and sneakers and polo shirts!

That's a load of rubbish! Cabin crew should wear uniforms that are smart and stylish and professional-looking. If their uniform is crap - ie. one of drab pants and sneakers and polo shirts - then that will NOT project a good and professional impression of the airline company. I mean, who the hell wants to be served by crew that look as if they have just come from the gym or the factory???

Anyway, that is my opinion, and I am sticking to it. And I know a lot of people agree with me on this.

Well tut. I refuse to be served, in any capacity, if a serving woman is not tarted up like a drag queen. Its not good enough, skivvies! Get a grip, get the slap on and make other people's lives more entertaining. And bring that drink over here now.🍸

Really? What impact does it actually have on you if the airline staff are in polo shirts? Is the plane less safe? Your coffee less warm? Luggage less likely to arrive?

You’re entitled to your opinion but others are entitled to point out the ridiculousness of it.

I was on a jet2 flight a couple of weeks ago and one of the cabin crew was my size - at least an 18 which wouldn't have been a problem if her uniform fitted her. The skirt was at least 2 sizes too small and rucked up at the back, her blouse was un ironed and the back of it was hanging out and her shoes could have done with a polish. Did it affect how she did her job? No but quite frankly she looked a mess.

No I understood your point perfectly. There is no factory in which you’d wear a tight skirt and a neck scarf which is the new BA uniform.

You sound frankly very creepy if the “look” of the crew matters to you on a flight.

Exactly,if female staff have to be asthetically pleasing to the pp eye ..I think they should be pinged back to the 1950s.

You have a really weird obsession with the Julien MacDonald uniform 😁, you even chose your username in its honour. Are you… Julien MacDonald?!

Up until c. 2019 it was MANDATORY for female cabin crew to wear make up - a list of required items like eyeliner, blush, and lipstick - and high heels, per their employee handbook across almost every airline. I've been down an aviation rabbit hole this past week so your post is timely.

A former colleague's daughter got a cabin crew job with Emirates. Not only did the dress code specify a minimum heel height for their court shoes among loads of other nonsense, they were issued a colour chart of acceptable lipstick shades. There were only about 5 shades on it!

That is an absurd degree of control freakery imo.

So? I couldn't care less what they are wearing, I'm more concerned that they are good at their job. You are obviously someone who values style over substance (i.e. you are shallow)

No comment. Everybody to their own opinion.

Oh for goodness sake!

Incredible what you just said. And ridiculous!

So a person can't have an opinion anymore then if they like or dislike a particular aspect of the airline industry?

You are missing the point. Have you not realised that there are many people out there who like to see cabin crew dressed smartly and professionally - and NOT like bloody car tyre workers or checkout staff!

To judge by your comments, you don't seem to be a fan of smart, professional clothing.

Apparently, another fan of the too-casual, too sporty-looking attire of drab pants and slacks and T-shirts.

And may I add that this downward trend towards wearing less smart, more frumpy clothing is not just confined to the airline industry, but it is spreading to other organisations - sadly - as well. We are becoming a nation of scruffs.

And you like or lump my comments, but I am speaking the truth.

You are speaking your opinion.

The poster is pointing out that the new BA uniform is actually a tight skirt and neck scarf, and wondering how many tyre workers you’ve seen wearing that?

Of course you can have an opinion. I merely wondered who felt so strongly about Julien MacDonald uniforms in particular that they chose a username based on them and made multiple posts about them on a forum 🤷🏻‍♀️.

😂😂😂😂

Seriously OP? I mean wtaf ?
YABU , and grossly sexist, obviously.

I don't think he'd suit a tight skirt and silk scarf somehow.

Plus of course, I was joking. I don’t really think you’re Julien MacDonald. He doesn’t strike me as the Mumsnet type.