The Pan Am Foundation continues to release amazing historic training videos that give us great insight into the way in which crews were trained just three decades ago. Today, I want to focus on the professional image of a flight attendant.
Professional Image Of A Flight Attendant
No, I’m not going to compare U.S. flight attendants to those on Gulf carriers or even to European ones (I’ve done that before and it did not go over well…). We’re not going to discuss weight and physical appearance beyond uniform. Rather, I want to talk to about the image of a flight attendant in uniform outside a flight setting.
This particular Pan Am video demonstrates how to act (and mostly how not to act) when a crew shows up at a crew hotel and their rooms are not ready. Note several problems:
- Loud conversations that disturbs other guests
- Poor word choice (talking about getting drunk, which you never want to hear from your flight attendant)
- Feet on furniture
- Eating (food which looks to be taken from the aircraft)
- Using plants for cigarette ashes instead of an ashtray (admittedly less of a problem in 2022)
One flight attendant is shown acting properly. She’s seated quietly thumbing through a magazine, her uniform is not loosened or wrinkled, and she keeps her voice low.
This topic is of particular importance considering the recent skirmish between a United Airlines employee and passenger at Newark Airport. It was bad enough that the United employee lacked the self-control to avoid a fight, but the fact that he was wearing a United Airlines uniform while doing so made it so much worse.
Flight attendants perhaps more so than other employee group represent the airline when they are in uniform. It is deeply unfortunate to keep crews waiting for a hotel room after a long flight and that annoyance of sitting around and waiting resonates with me. Still, even when not on the company clock, if you are wearing the uniform, you are representing the company.
I’m not sure the standards expressed here are any different than those today. Even so, it is an important reminder that this is part of the job and a flight attendant is not simply on duty when on the aircraft, but whenever the uniform is on.
CONCLUSION
Flight attendant professionalism is an around-the-clock job. At hotels, in restaurants, and even on social media, there is great responsibility when it is clear that you are an airline employee. This video is a great reminder that it is easy to get too comfortable sometimes and when it happens, others will notice.
I firmly believe that how one dresses and presents themselves is directly related to their performance and character on the job. Take a look at the FA’s that make an effort in how they present and they are often, if not always, the best at their jobs. I personally think that much of this falls on not only the employees but with management. They have allowed personal appearance with U.S. flight attendants to fall to dismal levels. It doesn’t help that uniform design in the U.S. is about as stylish as a $2 sales rack at Walmart.
Stuart is spot on.
US flight attendants are not the model of professionalism.
Professionalism is when you do a good job even when nobody is looking. Some FAs do a poor job when they think nobody is looking.
Part of the problem might be that there is not a great demand or desire to become a flight attendant. Maybe they have been coddled to do the least possibly by their unions? Or airline management doesn’t want them to do much?
Today’s FA’s are herding rude, entitled rubes on flying Greyhound busses. Get over yourself…..
It’s not politically correct, but these glorified sky waitresses have really gone off the deep end the past few years, and especially during covid, in terms of self-importance.
I also blame carriers racing to the the bottom with cheap tickets which have turned flights into literal air-busses and increased the number of terrible passengers who have no business being on an airplane
Again Rectum, Flight attendants just might be human beings that are over passengers like you. Walk little boy. Walk.
1. I’m a woman (thats my last name)
2. Again?
3. Not sure why you are taking this so personally. They serve drinks and make sure people are seated. Its a customer service job.
The fact that you say that, shows how little you know about what flight attendants are actually trained to do. A training, I might add that is not easy at any airline by any measure. It also shows a lack of respect for someone who could be tasked with saving your life. Please think about that the next time you fly and you are served that drink and snack.
Yes they also direct you toward an exit in the 0.00000001% chance of an emergency.
But seriously, the training program for flight attendants is usually three to six weeks.
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-a-flight-attendant
@Rectus…Just completed my annual recurrent training and testing. Too bad you weren’t with me. You could have actually been enlightened a bit about what we do instead of sitting in your seat thinking you know it all. I’m sure if I knew your job title I could throw out a quick synopsis of what you do too and I’m sure it wouldn’t even begin to encompass it all. I just wasn’t raised to act like this towards anybody out trying to make a living for their family. I’m so fortunate to get to do what I do.
You seem to be conflating two seperate issues.
The first is that everyone who works to provide for their family deserves dignity and respect. I agree. I don’t talk down to people with “menial” jobs. I’m courteous and polite to flight attendants. I often email the carrier to complement good experiences. I never gave them a hard time about masks.
The second is that flight attendant’s have an important and complicated role. I’m sorry, no. Its a job that almost anyone can do without much education or talent. Despite what they may think about themselves, they are not police, first responders, or psychologists. They are servers in the sky who also perform basic safety functions.
In Thailand, getting hired as a female flight attendant or cabin crew is a very prestigious job, a huge deal.
It means you can communicate in English and have the opportunity to travel internationally and meet with foreigners, something the majority of the population will never ever do in their entire lifetime. Think about it.
I have seen a few of these historic Pan American training videos. Great stuff. they should be sent to the VP of customer service at United, Delta, American, Jet Blue and SW.
I remember watching that video in initial training for Pan Am back in the 1980s. Most of the time, I do my best to look and behave professionally. It isn’t always easy as the uniforms these days are so cheaply made that they wrinkle terribly. And there have been times when waiting six or eight hours for a hotel room after a flight to Europe that all decorum pretty much goes out the window.