Privatized Air India has updated its grooming and appearance standards and now more closely regulates balding and bans gray hair amongst cabin crew members. Are such policies reasonable?
Air India Bans Gray Hair, Restricts Blading For Cabin Crew
One Mile At A Time notes that Air India has revised is grooming standards and introduced a number of questionable new standards as it seeks to make Air India more competitive on a global stage.
Gray hair is banned.
“Grey hair must be colored regularly only in a natural hair color. Salt and pepper look, and grey hair is not permitted with uniform.”
While male pattern balding is permitted, other types of balding now require that a flight attendant shave his head daily:
“Bald look is allowed for crew with male balding patterns. Crew with U and V shape hairline on crown, visible scalp and large bald patches must keep a full bald look. Head must be shaved daily for a clean look.”
Fancy hairstyles and dropping mustaches are not permitted (though it is not clear if these were permitted before either):
It’s easy to look at these issues from a western perspective and condemn them. The idea that flight attendants are not merely present for your safety, but also for your comfort is a tension point with many U.S. and Western European carriers. U.S. and European carriers also used to blatantly discriminate on the basis of age and body weight. While those days are largely over in the West, in much of the world such concerns still dominate.
For example, we can pick on Air India for its odd aversion to gray hair (as far as I am concerned, gray hair is the splendor of the old) but as far as I know other Indian carriers like Indigo and SpiceJet are far more discriminatory, placing age limits, stricter weight limits, and more punitive grooming standards on their all-female flight crews.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but I am not sure “right” and “wrong” is the right way to think about this issue. On the other hand, I agree with One Mile At A Time that with a poorly-maintained fleet and totally uncompetitive premium cabin product, Air India has much bigger worries. That said, I understand that a carrier can walk and chew gum at the same time.
CONCLUSION
I’ve discussed my own view in the merit of looking “uniform” through strict uniform standards. The idea is not individualism but the opposite of it…and there is value in that. Here, I find the odd fixation on youth a strange thing from my perspective, but I quite understand that my worldview is quite different than many others.
As Air India seeks to reinvent itself, I hope we can all agree that it must place its primary focus on updating its business class product.
What are your thoughts on the latest Air India grooming and appearance guidelines?
image: Air India
I’m Western and support Air India’s standards. What’s wrong with having a nice-looking crew? It’s part of the experience. Michelin-rated restaurants I am sure have different grooming standards than McDonalds. Anybody who feels offended by this should fly a different airline!
It’s a distraction from noticing the aging planes and their interiors. Air India said moly found a cheaper way to refresh the brand.
So much for my dream of becoming an Air India flight attendant
Hair color does not necessarily give a more youthful or well groomed appearance. Example: Rudy Giuliani and the dripping hair.
Did anyone even confirm this is accurate? One Credit Card At a Time is primarily a corporate mouth piece. Suppose even a clock is right twice a day but really low quality source. Not even sure why this is a story. Nearly every service business has grooming standards and those standards vary based on many factors including geography. Was I supposed to be outraged by Air India?
I attached the original document.
Service and Attitude are the big winners with any PAX.
As to grooming, a certain level of decorum goes with anyone wearing a uniform…
I mean, balding and grey hair on the FAs (who at least have a decent reputation service wise) shouldn’t be this airline’s biggest issue on things they need to improve…
Gonna have to agree with Air India
Lowering standards to avoid discrimination as done in the west is not something to look up to. As another commenter stated its like upper class restaurants vs mcdonalds. I do not expect to be attended to by an overweight, blue haired, or old person in business class and vote with my wallet
Strangely, the best flight of my life was on Swiss in first class, attended to by a slightly overweight, balding 50-60 year old. His manner and service was of a hotelier welcoming you into his hotel/restaurant. Proud of his product, impeccable service, but you knew he had seen everything before and would use that knowledge to make sure you had a great flight, and would help you out with things and offer things that you didn’t even know you wanted. Experience does count, if it is accompanied by that attitude.
I’m not on a flight to gawp at a 20 year who looks pretty and doesn’t have a clue.
Air India’s priority to uplift it’s standards should be to pay attention to the planes’ interiors first, which are in desperate need of not just a makeover but proper maintenance to cover broken seats, lopsided trays, non working entertainment system and dysfunctional reading lights to name a few. Additionally the flight attendants have to cope with inferior product in terms of in-flight meal and bar service. The desired good grooming doesn’t compensate for the failings of the in-flight experience.