Long-haul flights at US airlines are typically serviced by the most senior flight attendants who tend to be older. Without devolving the conversation into ageism, can we just speak honestly and openly about older flight attendants?
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Not Ageism
As a young person, I have been the subject of ageism before. Many times I fly, business suits and gate agents will ask me to step out of the boarding lane, because “We are only boarding group one right now, we will call you up in a moment.” Except I am in group one. There’s a thin line between righteous indignation and throwing a tantrum, I try to stay on the righteous side of that line when possible.
I understand how it feels to be judged because of my age and it’s not nice. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t statistics and experiences that support stereotypes. To say that most Tracphone users are older and not as technologically adept as their younger counterparts is logically supported (I can only assume based on anecdotal information and their ads). That doesn’t mean that young people can’t use a Tracphone (in fact, it’s perfect for teens) nor that older people can’t use technologically advanced products. But it doesn’t change the fact that Tracphone customers fit that profile.
Age of the crew is not the only deciding factor on the quality of a flight. However, there is merit in saying that those with the longest tenure at the US carriers get the routes of their choosing and many choose long-haul flights.
The purpose of this post is to address the fact that older flight crews are different from younger flight crews and that depending on your route, your exposure to one or the other group is likely to weigh on your impression. In my experience, older FAs have some benefits and some drawbacks.
Some of the Kindest Flight Attendants Are Older
Some of the kindest flight attendants we have encountered are older. Just last week, a pair of older FAs on separate flights were fawning over our daughter, Lucy, sneaking her snacks and poorly resisting pinching her cheeks. They were enamored and that was fine by us.
Those who stayed in the business because they love their job and the people they serve are truly the salt of the earth.
The Best Ones Still Remember the Golden Age of Travel
Some of the best service I’ve ever received was upstairs on a United 747 from a flight attendant that remembered coming through the aisles slicing meat to the customer’s preference. Flying was different 30, 40, 50 years ago and those that are still in the industry but can remember what flying used to be, have a different approach than other flight attendants who never flew during the Golden Age of Travel.
They Own Long-Haul Routes
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker famously offended every US airline union when speaking to guests at a Gala in Dublin,
“So there is no need for you to travel on these crap American carriers,” Al Baker said. “You know you’re always being served by grandmothers on American carriers.”
While Delta’s In-Flight Service VP commented with her own terse words,
“We won’t let anyone demean our workforce with rude, misogynistic comments.”
The issue, however, is that when speaking of long-haul routes Al Baker isn’t wrong and his words aren’t demeaning or misogynistic (though the intent of his message was). I commented last week that all but two crew members on our American Airlines A330-200 were older and likely over the age of 59.
Older flight attendants tend to have seniority which allows them to hold the best service lines which are considered to be those with long flight times and exciting international destinations. While Al-Baker’s words might not be something that flight attendants and their unions want to hear, unfortunately, his description of flight attendants that serve routes competing with Qatar is accurate. Higher seniority staff are older, some really are grandparents.
The exception to this rule is those that have specific language skills as I often find on flights to Asia where younger flight attendants have an opportunity to jump to the front of the line due to their language abilities.
The Passion Is Gone
For some older FAs, let’s be honest, the passion is gone. Last week we had a US Airways flight crew (still wearing US Airways uniforms) on our American flight that was just as old as the previous flight. The purser was borderline unprofessional. He picked up my wife’s food before she was done, responded in grunts as opposed to words. Prior to departure, staff was clearly inconvenienced by hanging up our coats. That could be a bad crew of any age, but my experience tends to suggest that this is a common thread with those in the business the longest.
My notes are anecdotal, granted – there are certainly FAs that do not fall into this category. But that’s not what I (and other international long-haul flyers I know) experience. Some older FAs have bragged to me about how few days per month they work. It’s not the fun, exciting, eye-opening experience anymore like with any job. However, this is a customer-facing job specializing in service and a pleasant, positive demeanor and a passion for service are critical.
For some passengers, that trip could be the most exciting thing they have ever done and represented years of savings. In our case, we spent 10 years accumulating Business Extra points on American to take this business class trip. It represented more than $54,000 in spending over a decade that was hard to achieve for a small business.
Young Flight Attendants Not A Perfect Solution
If I describe a flight attendant as despondent and texting while ignoring a call light, how old would you picture that person to be? Bad service is bad service, good service is good service. Many of the younger flight attendants don’t have the experience to deal with all of the challenges that arise on long-haul flights. They need the guidance and experience of those who have been in the business longer.
However, I find that younger flight attendants are more likely to ask someone else a question if your information counters theirs. They (in my experience) tend to still be excited for layovers in desirable destinations.
This post is really for our readers, I want to know what you think. Comment (politely) about your experiences with older or younger flight crews. Does age matter at all?
“Many times I fly, business suits and gate agents will ask me to step out of the boarding lane, because “We are only boarding group one right now, we will call you up in a moment.” “
Sorry but this is tough to accept. Having flown hundreds of times, equal number of times business and economy, I have never. Not once. Ever. Saw a passenger OR a gate attendant go to a younger person ask them to get out of line and say sorry but we are boarding group one first.
Really? A guy in a business suit simply walks up to you in line and says get out of line only group 1? And this happens to you many times? I just don’t buy it at all
As a 23-year-old who looks young for his age, I encounter this more often than you would expect.
I’ve mostly encountered it when dressed casually, though. I think clothing is a much larger factor. My 50-year-old aunt and I were wearing sweatpants and teeshirts boarding a BA long-haul first class and told “we are only boarding first class” to which she politely responded “and we are traveling in first class” … shut that woman up!
I’ve seen it several times. And happened to me more than once when I was in my 20s
I assure you it happens, it’s even worse with a young family.
I’m 16 and have mvp 75k with Alaska which means I usually get upgraded I wouldn’t say all the time but there has been a few times where I’ve been asked to wait in the general boarding line showing them my boarding pass really shuts everyone up and I usually get an apologie.
Your lame attempts at sidestepping what is blatant ageism are pathetic. This “lets be honest” stuff while you stereotype thousands of people is akin to any other type of -ism where a particular group may be the majority. I’m in my 40s, EP on AA and I have absolutely not seen anything that’s worth writing a blog to demean a group of people. You speak from both sides of your mouth too- some older are excellent some are terrible. Some younger are terrible, some are not.
This fluff piece does nothing to further anything but ageism.
Maybe you are too old to continue blogging- clearly you can no longer find things to discuss as you fly about the world getting your meat cut to your liking. Only so much can be said about travel before the “airplane food” content becomes lame and repetitive.
Reality check: entitlement and disrespect is out. Appreciating what all people brings and who they are is back in. Try to read up on that.
For the record, you were responding to a different Matthew and this is not a piece that I wrote. Thank you with the best wishes.
Kyle, I’ve read your article with an open mind. I myself am 62 and have worked at a major U.S. carrier as a F/A for 26 years. It is truly the best job one could ever hope to have. While making point on ageism you seem to frequently point out that “of course this does not apply to all” the seeming go for the jugular.
I agree not all of my fellow co-workers are the best at people skills, even I have an “off day”, but doesn’t that really represent all people. We are flawed by nature. I certainly don’t expect every passenger to be courteous. Regardless of age some can be downright rude. The vast majority however a very kind when kindly spoken to.
As for age, no one ever asks an actor to retire early. Many work until they pass. F/A’s, I believe are as wonderful as any one else in any other profession. With all due respect, I hope (and think) that you will see this as you attain more years on your journey.
Peace out
Agreed. I fly over 150,000 miles a year on United alone and I have NEVER witnessed anything like that with ANY young person no matter how they are dressed. IF it would happen, it wold happen when the person is about to board and the gate agent sees their boarding number.
I guess I must be the exception here. I dont take note of the age of a flight attendant but I am quick to pick up on the characteristics of a good one and I have noted this skill set in flight attendants of all ages. It was considered a glam job at one time but as we are now in a pandemic some of the more seasoned flight attendants may have quietly retired. Here in Canada I think flight attendants need to be bilingual in both french and english as well. Both Air Canada and Westjet have great flight attendants and I have seen older ones as well. I chatted with one and she told me she will do the occasional flight as a stand in as she has retired. I have noticed on the KLM flights I have taken that the senior flight attendant is older with younger flight attendants working under her direction. This issue also comes up for pilots who have a mandatory retirement age and ageism the other way when you seem a twenty something pilot at the airport on the way to board her plane. It is all about perception.
Happens to me all the time. Especially when I am traveling with my kids.
Unless that’s not a typical picture, I have a clue why. The mid-30s look wouldn’t have me remotely questioning it
Believe it. Do you think Kyle is lying? You likely haven’t seen it because not any 1Ks are that young, or platinums for that matter (or whatever those equivalents are for other airlines if applicable).
@Df—it happened to me as well. Many times. When you’re a 16-year-old in first class…
It definitely happens and I am not even that young looking. Some GAs, regardless of age, are just jerks.
It happens less frequently now that our son is older but when he was younger, we would be barked at at least 30% of the time. We were always dressed business casual or resort wear so it wasn’t like we looked like slobs.
I’ve had it happen a few times – am 21 and travel roughly 130k miles a year. Happens roughly once a year with an employee, 2-3x yearly with other passengers.
I am a young woman who owns a company, I travel a lot and am a 1k and look very young. I’ve definitely gotten looks and have more than once been asked if I was in the right line.
If boarding was not organized, we’d all be crawling over each other to get to our row behind the person (and there’s always more than one) who meticulously arranges his or her things in the overhead bins and takes forever. No thanks! It’s done the right way. Let people get settled, then bring on the next group. What difference does it make when you board? Everyone gets there at the same time.
It’s a good question, and a legit topic for discussion, but I think your post misses the point entirely. US air carrier service culture has nothing to do with age and everything to do with work rules that don’t meaningfully reward and penalize flight attendants for exemplary or poor service. The problem is that the airlines aren’t structured to motivate flight attendants to care about good service, so it’s entirely dependent upon an FA’s own internal compass as to how service should be provided. That’s not an age thing.
Some of the best service I’ve ever had in >2M miles of travel have been from some of the most senior flight attendants, and the *worst* service I’ve ever had came from young flight attendants. The problem is that it’s so inconsistent. That will never change if airlines can’t figure out how to work with their unions to appropriately incentivize FA’s to deliver excellent service, and then make the investments necessary to enable FA’s to deliver that excellent service.
Whether the US FA’s are 25 or 65, there are great apples and horrible apples. They just need to move the horrible ones out.
Thanks for talking some sense into this horrible article.
I am with you Laura..a very “millenials” kinda topic.
Greg! You nailed it..an aside..flight attendant are safety professional first and foremost. I think this point is missed by most.
And what a topic..akin to slow news day on BBC..
flown with 50 y fa on aa in business. he was bored, tired and unmotivated. he just had NO LUST!
Auf Englisch bedeutet Lust etwas sexuell…sag mal „Drive”
I doubt that you are asked to wait for your turn in boarding because you appear to be too young. I see hundreds of young people and kids board first in premium classes every year with no problem.
And the fact that you suggest that age may have anything to do with good service is ageism at best. I agree with Greg that your post missed the point entirely. Maybe it is because of your age?
DL – It happens, I can personally attest, but you can also reference several others in a prior thread that echo my boarding issues including a couple of travel bloggers.
If I missed the point, what was it? If I observed that men under the age of 40 tended to work from home on Fridays and that their production was generally less than when they were in the office, is it ageist, sexist or just an observation based on my experience?
Part of “the point” of the article was that it seems we have to so gingerly broach an issue that could be controversial that it had to be phrased as a question. And you’ve answered it. No, no we can’t speak honestly about older flight attendants.
And is your response not ageist in and of itself. I am sure it was intentional tongue-in-cheek but it could also reflect genuine sentiment.
In pretty much every profession older employees are more prone to burnout and weariness and just plain tiredness than younger employees. Work is hard and many are going through the motions to keep their retirement in line or put their kids through college by dragging themselves out of bed every day for jobs that are a grind. Not having these people in the work force would be a real disaster for us societally unless we are prepared to make serious entitlement changes, which of course we are not.
Just put up with it and realize that in 30 or 40 years you will completely understand it. Young people pay for old people one way or the other and the deal is you do so because you too will be old some day. Be thankful that we are only paying for it by putting up with occasional grumpy service in first world contexts because it could be much worse.
Nobody is disagreeing with that… but when you can no longer perform the job, you shouldn’t be protected just because you’re old. In fact, it should be the opposite. If they can’t be bothered to get up when the service light comes on, how likely are they to be able to perform difficult safety measures that they deem so important?
I agree 100% with Mattt on this, it also applies to any protected position as far as I am concerned. “Tenure” for a University Professor is a similarly precarious notion as those who have no fear of losing their job behave differently than those at risk.
You have to gingerly approach it because it’s ageist and completely without merit. You use such a soft example so let’s put it out there – if you said the majority of prisoners are of color, than are you justified in writing a blog about how everyone of color is a criminal. No, you wouldn’t (I hope) but that’s what you’ve done. You have constitutional rights to say what you want, but in the US, people over 40 are as protected for their age by the same discrimination premises (separate laws) as people are for their race.
Why is that? Because it’s AWFUL. Please read how this hit your audience base and rethink defending it. Ads platforms aren’t big on bigoted content.
Recently flown AA Pek to LAX and had old crew and service is practically none, one of the FA couldn’t even bent down to get the food on the lower section of the cart , just have to think that one day we will be old as well so just have to be understanding and hope that if there is a safety situation, hopefully they are there to save us instead of the other way around.
I just want to check out super-cute Asian bunnies too.
I agree with you 100%. I’m in my 50’s and my partner is in his 60’s. We travel internationally multiple times a year. Usually on business or first. We always notice how nice, courteous, eager and energetic the flight attendants from international carriers are. Then when we return to the US and take a US airline back home we are always disappointed. We feel like the older US flight attendants are tired, have an attitude or just don’t care too much about customer service anymore. One time there’s this flight attendant in her 60’s who threw peanuts and chips towards us and went “SNACKS?”. Very disappointing since we just returned from a 3 week trip to Asia where we received top notch service, only to come home to that.
Older flight attendants are great, if they can service the cabin. Age is NO excuse for a lack in service, though, and I won’t say “she’s fragile, cut her a break” if she can’t or won’t do something that I ask her to do.
International flight carriers do have a immense advantage in service quality due to their values of courtesy and consideration for others, this is simply the culture ,hospitality and upbringing of the East that cannot be emulated.
What would you ask her to do?
Aside from serve your meal or evacuate in an emergency?
My personal experience is most older FA’s (50+) don’t have much regard for passengers or their job anymore. They are there for the perks and great pay for the little number of hours each month. They also set a very bad example and lower morale among younger eager recruits.
A couple months ago I flew UA DEN-EWR-MUC in domestic F and Biz. I was reminded why I try to favor foreign carriers when possible.
In F on my first leg, I had an older male FA who was flat out rude. For instance, when he came around for breakfast orders, he jumps right to “whadya want for breakfast?” without bothering to say what the options were. (That the options were cereal or “protein plate” was another black mark.) I get that it can be hard to be pleasant on a 6:15 departure, but I expect at least civility in F.
On my Polaris leg to MUC, the female FA, who was at least in her mid-60s and probably older, was almost as brusque as the FA on the earlier flight. Worse, she was actively unpleasant when I asked for a mattress pad (oh my, extra work).
If I’m paying thousands of dollars or miles, I expect better.
(Footnote: My aunt is a DL FA. She’s in her mid-70s and has been an FA for 50 years. She loves the idea of being an FA and she revels in being able to spend time in places like Paris, London, etc, but she’s an unpleasant battleaxe as an actual FA. I’ve been on her flights a couple of times and seen her level of service. That she’s still working with this behavior is bad. That’s she’s doing it in premium cabin is unacceptable.)
On a recent flight I was seated in the first row of first class and was able to see the millennial purser during takeoff. He was TEXTING while we weee running down the runway at takeoff!!!
Ideally a flight should have a mix of older tenured crews and younger newer crews.
Absolutely Ric, I was thinking of one similar FA in my last example on a flight from Florida.
Why not have a mix? If the experienced flight attendants are just as competent and friendly as the juniors, then there shouldn’t be any change in service quality, right?
Kyle, it’s very easy to dislike you. Flight attendants are not there to be eye candy for you. It’s a job. Try putting a smile on your face and hold it that way for twelve hours or more. Flight attendants are human beings. I’m glad you are one of those people who’s excited every day at work. You’re either very special or a man who needs to grow up a great deal.
Shots fired, Wendy. You’re making some broad assumptions about me and my assessment of flight attendants of age. I couldn’t care less about the appearance of the FA, I just don’t want to get grumbled at because they don’t like their job any more.
I get it, not everyone comes in happy to work every day any more, but if you were in a restaurant where the younger servers would fill your glass when it got empty while the older ones would walk past and collect in the back, would it be wrong to connect the two criteria and outcome?
And in regards to keeping a smile on my face for 12 hours, there’s two things to remember. First, it’s not real hard because the goal for both of us is for me to sleep for as much of that period as possible. Overturning a metal tin and plopping food on to it in whatever condition is a lazy approach. Second, that assumes every flight I take is 12 hours and the older FAs only work long haul international. That’s certainly not the case. I’ve been ignored on 2-3 hour flights in the pointy end of the airplane by older FAs (and sometimes younger ones too) for years.
Flight Attendant manuals are all digital nowadays, and the device looks like an iPhone. It’s true, it LOOKS like the Flight Attendant is texting. However, it’s more likely that the flight attendant may have been looking up information related to the flight, such as special service requests or flight status.
Theresa, I agree that many airlines now port their manuals and scripts to iPhones or other mobile devices. I have seen many read from them on the PA and that can be confusing. In the specific instance I outlined, I was waiting for the restroom to become available at the back of the aircraft, could see directly onto the screen – it was the same type phone I have – and it was clearly a text message exchange.
You said it was during takeoff and you were using the restroom?
Great comments (but a couple of you are a**es.)
I’m going to offer a contradictory PoV. It’s the airline, not the age. I’ve never had anything but stellar service from the stews on SWA, no matter the age.
OTOH, every complaint I’ve read about older FAs/GAs I’ve seen in younger FAs/GAs on UA. If I had to work for UA or AA, I’d probably be in a surly mood too.
Counterpoint: SW has younger FAs on average… by design.
Totally agree, and well written Kyle.
I’m an older looking 23-year-old, and while I’ve never had that exact situation happen, I am often approached inquisitively, especially as I describe my travel habits.
I flew AA DFW-NRT in J last summer and had a very interesting late 40s, male FA who came by and asked for my feedback specifically, noting my stack of boarding passes (100+ for the year) I keep in my Bose case.
We had a frank conversation about the gap between AA and JAL on this route and that I was only flying it because they had 4 open seats and JAL didn’t (flying with fam). He was quick to say that this product, while not bad, did not have some things you’d expect, like a mattress pad.
I noted that he had taken very good care of our aisle and was clearly still passionate about his job, but the older woman FA on the other aisle was totally despondent. He wouldn’t directly comment on it, but he made it clear that the dichotomy between the good and bad FAs is growing, and the good ones probably dislike the bad ones as much as customers… which actually makes sense to me.
I like Ric’s idea of a mixed seniority crew. Makes perfect sense… as my generation is coming of age, we would much prefer to interact with FAs closer to our age than our grandmothers. And in my experience, this is a purely American phenomenon… but if you think about it, it defeats the point. All FAs claim that their primary role is safety. I’d love to see some of the 60+ year old FAs open the emergency doors or perform other vital functions. Further proof that claim is nonsense.
I’ve thought about this topic a lot. One way is to implement an up or out policy adhering to certain standards. Look at Asian carriers where there are strict “image” standards and typically recruit younger FAs. The same goes for ME3.
The business value aside from customer service / retention is that they also load luggage — try getting a US carrier to put bags in the OH bin regularly. This, along with their boarding tactics, results in quicker turns.
While the older FAs are typically reserved for care management the bulk of the aircraft is younger FAs. There’s the issue with labor unions in the US that makes this unrealistic.
How goofy that despite Kyle and other commenters saying “Yes, this blatant age discrimination actually happens to me personally,” so many are commenting that they don’t believe it!
I think age alone shouldn’t be used to disqualify a flight attendant who can still do his or her job, and I’ll note that in the case of FAs, that especially includes being able to assist an evacuation of the aircraft, not just being friendly when handing out snacks.
Something I’ve found myself wondering a couple of times is whether considerable height, or, to be blunt, width, might interfere with the job. I don’t like sizeism, but a FA whose shoulders are too broad or who’s too wide in other ways to comfortably pass through the aisle might legitimately be a hindrance.
@kyly @matthew@angelina etc. Well enough people have weighed in so I stand corrected. Interestingly enough when my wife read the comments I wrote she stated didn’t you see the guy last time cut in front of me and say this is the first class line (she was in first I was in buisness) when we were boarding Cathay Pacific?
Ugh. Humble pie
I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone that can every publicly admit that they were wrong. I try to do it as often as I can, and even fail in that aspect when I should be more compelled. Kudos to you. Also, my wife doesn’t let me get away with anything so save a slice of humble pie for me.
total aside Kyle… but has anyone told you that your pic on here looks like Leo in Wolf of Wall Street when he’s super coked out? Specifically the wedding scene.
It’s an entitlement issue through and through, bred from distrust of management (rightly so in many cases) as well as the outlandish behavior of the unions ‘protecting’ their membership roles (which is 500% all about $$$, let’s be real).
Because FAs believe they’ve been mistreated, whether it’s justified or not, then they believe they are able to do the minimum of what’s required and what they claim ‘they are paid to do.’ Most of the senior FAs have been through several bankruptcies and the downward spirals of the industry, so it adds to their justification that they are in the right.
What I say to all of this is if you don’t like your job, move on. I’ve been laid off twice already in my short 14 years of work experience, had pay increases frozen years on end, no merit bonuses awarded in the lean times, etc. It’s life, and FAs are not in a different bubble than the rest of us. They are in a customer service role, so act like it.
Just my 2 cents, and my partner is a FA btw.
The truth is, frequent travelers want to look at and be served by younger (female) FAs. Might as well call a spade a spade.
Brilliantly stated . It a fact that burn out can occur with ageing, then it’s a curt attitude.
Whenever I received bad service I contact the airline. If everyone did this perhaps the attitudes would change.
NOTE: Yes, I know that people are busy and have no time but discussing it amongst ourselves really doesn’t make a difference.
EXACTLY! If you have time to post on a blog than contact the airline and let them know about your experience both bad or good.
For the avoidance of doubt, I did submit a complaint to American Airlines in regards to our last flight.
Ageism and sexism. Grow up
I think I defended the easy “ageism” response in the post and also in another comment thread.
But in regards to sexism? How so? I specifically called out a male that grunted his way through service paying no attention to the guest and throwing away food while my wife was still attempting to eat it. Wait, did you just assume that I was speaking about only female flight attendants? Wouldn’t that be sexist?
You kind of alluded to this, but I don’t think the issue is age so much as “prestige” routes being treated as the spoils of seniority vs. something earned through merit. That’s what leads to the maddening inconsistency between crew who genuinely want to provide exceptional service and those who are just going through the motions to collect a paycheck and perks. You also have the issue of domestic airlines’ “service” culture being one of “we’re primarily here for your safety”, which doesn’t encourage or reward great service.
The truth is life is hard enough. I would rather have nice looking young people both men and women as flight attendants or receptionists at the front desk. It makes things much more pleasant to be able to look at attractive people in a travel environment. In Europe in all 5 stars hotels there are usually attractive front desk receptionists and same with flight attendants on Norwegian air shuttle and Lufthansa in my experience. It is very pacifying.
In the U.S. we have so many unattractive and old flight attendants and receptionists it does make for poor presentation. Diversity is not a strength especially on planes and in hotels. There are enough jobs for older people and less attractive people not face to face with passengers. If someone said I shouldn’t be a flight attendant because I wasn’t good looking so be it.
What kind of self centered idiot are you?
Al Baker isn’t wrong and his words aren’t demeaning or misogynistic (though the intent of his message was).
If you can figure out the intent of his words they are misogynistic and therefore wrong.
Spoken like a nutless monkey.
FLY KLM , we have one of the most diverse crews in the sky on all wide body aircraft. Any age,size, shape or background. That Qatar CEO is known to be an …hole and your article gives his comments more credit than they deserve.
Best quote on the thread:
“in 30 or 40 years you will completely understand it. Young people pay for old people one way or the other and the deal is you do so because you too will be old some day.”
You are painting with a broad brush. Burnout and poor service happens at ALL ages.
It certainly does, and complacency is blind to age as well as I mention in the final paragraph, I couldn’t agree more.
Safety is the main reason why Flight Attendants are required on board in any passenger flight.
In my experience, offering a professional service is not a matter of age.
A qualified senior worker is always needed.
I think this is an important topic but I agree with Greg that the solution to motivate the FA’s regardless of age is working for an airline that rewards good service and smart people who work for them. I’d add that working for an airline that makes the workers proud (aka Delta) does wonders too. It is hard to be motivated to provide service when you are treated like crap, the product is crap, and the people you are serving are surly from flying an airline that is sub-par.
Just had amazingly good service from some very senior ladies on SAS who were proud of what they did and performed to an exceptional standard. That was in sharp contrast to my other long haul in recent weeks when Singapore girl delivered something lamentable in terms of service standards that was lacklustre and task driven without a hint of anything personal about the service – both in business class.
SAS have retained a customer and SIA have lost one.
I know the focus of all of this has been the service. As to that, I have had some fabulous older FAs and some fabulous younger FAs, and goodness knows I’ve had some sh~tty ones of all ages. To be honest, when I see a “grandma” I usually expect a pleasant FA who was likely trained in the “golden age” when first class really was something special. But what I also wonder is that in an emergency, would an elderly FA still be able to perform the physical feats necessary to evacuate the aircraft? The doors on a 777 are pretty heavy.
Wait, so AA flight attendants were still wearing US uniforms? Is that a thing? I would think AA would frown on that unless there are still some work rules in effect.
One would think that would have been corrected by this point. Imagine if, on a Delta flight, the crew was wearing Northwest uniforms.
You’re right.
It is tough to say it. You are actually being really nice about it by prancing in, not trying to upset anyone.
To all of the Veteran FAs out there. The number of customers opinions don’t lie. You all know that If not you, then some of your fellow older FAs aren’t as nice and worried about customer satisfaction as they once were. It is what it is.
I say they should split the international flights with newer and older FAs. Have shadow FAs. One of the two brings more energy, one brings more knowledge. In the end, I think it will help everyone.
However, unions and OLD policies won’t allow that…
I always think of that film Airplane, when the young FA Elaine is asked by the doctor if she can take on this task. (A plane about to crash and lots of panicking passengers). She answers in a squeak, “No!”
I think that the various American Airlines are not allowed to put in age limits, as they once had, because unions got stronger. Other nations like Qatar put image first, the rights of the workers be darned.
The golden age of travel is over and flying is mostly about getting from here to there. You can pay all sorts of extra money for so called “perks” that are mostly meaningless except to promote elitist passengers.
Inconvenience starts at TSA and drags on from there until you reach glorious relief at your destination airport. Grin and bear it and realize that with all that air travel entails, a grumpy flight attendant is seriously the least of your worries.
This is the most sanguine comment on the subject I have read.
I do not fly often. I dread waiting on long lines at the airport, no legroom, can’t carry my stuff on, person next to me has smelly pet underneath their seat, screaming parent/child duos, etc.
My very first airplane trip was in 1974. It was on an American airline with a stopover en route from NYC to Tokyo.
There was plenty of legroom, no smelly or barking pets at all (except a really legitimate seeing eye dog or true service animal) on board, lots of room to move around the cabin.
At that time I was a foreign exchange student flying coach. Every one in the cabin was well dressed, well behaved, calm and courteous.
Flying was a special thing and the service was excellent. Also, the customers were equally polite and, most significantly, not crammed into the plane like sardines.
The flight attendants today are working under much more difficult circumstances with loads of animals on board (if the flight attendant is allergic to animals, do they have to quit their job? OSHA anyone?), uncontrolled children and entitled, rude passengers.
The flight is no longer the pleasant experience it once was. Add to that getting X-rayed for weapons on your way in – not exactly prelude to a dream experience. I think flight attendants are under an enormous amount of pressure.
I have never, frankly, noticed the age of the person serving me. I have been much more concerned about what type of ill mannered individual I might be seated next to on the flight. Does he/she snore? Have they bathed? Also, I am slim and not too tall. I wonder if the circulation in my body will be cut off by the time we land due to the extremely cramped seating.
The flight attendant is too old? Really? Is that the problem with your flight?
Opinions are like but holes everyone has one and thinks their’s doesn’t stink. So Kyle, what’s the age older people should go off in the desert and die? Ever see the movie Logan’s Run? Their’s were 30 – after that you are just a burden. Crap customer service doesn’t have an age. If you are lucky you will get older too and you will see you just spewed a bunch of BS.
You can tell that many of these modern western posters have totally been sensitized and socially potty-trained. Non-western nations still understand basic human nature and don’t want some old air hag F/A darkening their air travel adventure.
I’m a FA for a major US carrier. I’m 29 female and have flown with much younger and one person who was 70. She was incredible and had an amazing attitude. I’ve also flown with some 50s and 60s that were there simply because they had to be and it was easy to see they no longer enjoyed their job. However, I will say the youngest are sometimes the worst to work with IMO and I’m not sure why. I chose the profession and have loved every second of it, but some of my crew mates don’t feel the same. So believe me when I say younger isn’t always better especially if something goes wrong. I have had three people pass out and one medical emergency where the person was unconscious for a significant amount of time. Thank goodness for those experienced FAs.