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 have just come back from a Jet2 holiday. The flight attendants all looked smart and well turned out. They don't wear heels on the flight. They might do so in the airport, but change into flats for the flight.

I never really understood why they had to be so dolled up anyway.
One flight I was on, one of the cabin crew was a transwoman albeit with a very masculine face. Had such heavy make up and lipstick on.... looked ridiculous.

As to the PP saying they are just waitresses in the sky... um no. I have have flown less than 10 times in my life, and it was short journeys, and even I know they do so much more than push a trolley up and down the aisle and demonstrate how to use a life jacket.

I was cabin crew for ten years. A purser for many of them. Standards on my last flight in January were as they were when I flew tbh.

Given the roles cabin crew may have to perform in an emergency I'd much prefer they all worked in trainers, joggers and a t shirt tbh. Utter nonsense to expect people in skirts, heels and fitted blouses to potentially help passengers evacuate.

Love this!

Yep we can see the original btw.

Really kind.

I love the jet2 red lipstick they wear. Not sure if it is an official red. I should hope they all get one allocated per year for free really.

I'm pretty sure this is a wind up thread. It can't be real.

Well it’s not exactly exclusive, luxury travel anymore is it? Mass market transportation now. I’d guess the cabin crew on some privately hired jets would still fit the old stereotype if you can afford them ( I can’t!)

But I never understood why female cabin crew had to wear pencil skirts and heels anyway - surely it just inhibits quick and easy movement in an emergency 🤷‍♀️

At least the heavy makeup, a gale force surviving up-do and having to be within a particular height and weight range for aesthetic reasons isn’t going to affect passenger safety!

So do I.

and having to be within a particular height and weight range for aesthetic reasons isn’t going to affect passenger safety!

I think they still have to be within a certain weight/BMI from a health and safety point of view.

Thinking about it, I have seen flight crew on any airline wear heels oduring a flight for years. I think they only wear them in the airport. Again, this would be from a health and safety aspect.

One of my sisters is cabin crew for Ryanair, and she's been called out on a couple of occasions by passengers for her uniform, one where she was told to iron her skirt because of the lap wrinkles in it, and on another time when the back of her shirt had become untucked.
She was pretty upset because she tries hard to look smart but there's nothing she can do about the fit of the uniform and she and her colleagues have to work really hard during their shifts.

Probably true... and to the PP who said -us mere mortals trying to squeeze ourselves into last year's summer dress- everyone is different.
Personally I wouldn't know, because I have been avoiding flying since COVID.
😊

That’s a fair point but OTOH in the event that the brown stuff does hit the fan and you have to evacuate the crew have to be readily and quickly identifiable as such to the passengers and emergency services, hence the need to wear something that looks like a uniform.

Aviation being as it is it’s even codified, e.g.

https://regulatorylibrary.caa.co.uk/965-2012/Content/AMC%20GM%201/GM1%20ORO%20CC%20210%20d%20Additional.htm

It doesn't matter as long as they are competent in the role and treat customers with respect. Couldn't care less how they look to be honest! Their comfort is important so if they want to wear flat shoes and cardigans leave them be!

Thinking about it, I have seen flight crew on any airline wear heels during a flight for years.

That should say haven't

Hhmm...here we go, yet another 1 post wonder! OP lobs a hand grenade and then mysteriously disapears....

Totally agree, also the way they speak to passengers on the tannoy is often Unintelligible too, they shout, zoom the words out and use clumsy English

I was rejected by Emirates twenty odd years ago because I had a spot on the day of my interview. They told me to go away, take antibiotics, and they’d see me again in three months. If my complexion was clear, the job was mine. Bonkers. I went and got a job with BA instead, whose appearance rules were more sensible.

Those were the days. Best years of my life actually. We had an absolute blast.

Emirates crew always look immaculate. If you fly with cheap airlines then the quality of clothing and standards are lower?

Yep agree. Flight to Barbados from Heathrow in March. One was over made-up, shiny and rude one was the size of a house. Sorry

You won’t care about their VPL when they’re the people responsible for your safe evacuation of the aircraft in 30 seconds or performing CPR on your loved ones.

I have no problem with flat shoes or ladies choosing not to wear make up. That is choice and comfort. But I do with seeing chipped nail varnish (just remove it and redo/don’t wear it), excessive jewelry (not allowed in many professions, especially those horrid unhygienic concert wristbands), shirts so tight that boobs are on show (get one in your size!), hair not looking tidy (doesn’t have to be salon perfect but at least neat - same for any customer facing job really).

DM was an uber glamorous BA hostess. She encouraged me to apply but I gave up the moment I saw that the application form required a photo, height and weight details. (I missed the glamour gene). This was about 2002. Can’t remember which airline, not BA but flew out of Gatwick.

So long as they're clean and hygienic, why should it matter? They're there to help to look after travellers, not to be 'eye candy'. In particular, why should they be expected to wear high heels? For most people, this would be uncomfortable in the long term, and might make them slower in dealing with an emergency.