Why are there so many older flight attendants on American airlines?

How did flight attendants go from symbols of attractiveness to punching bags in just a couple of short decades? You think about this not only when you read the words of a Southwest pilot who called his colleagues “granny” last year (and, by the way, received a suspension for this), but also when you read comments on the Internet and phrases that you heard with your own ears. .

Фото: Depositphotos

Of course, many people know that there are actually older flight attendants working in the United States - for example, an 83-year-old United steward and 60-year-old twins who still push carts on Delta planes to this day, but this is rather rare, writes Rick Schoney for ABC News.

Much more common are complaints that aging flight attendants are "rude" or unhelpful, and the Internet is awash with comments that include the words "hag" and the c-word. Not long ago, I even heard the following words from a veteran pilot: “In defense of travelers, some flight attendants actually perform their duties with “exceptional prejudice.” It is not surprising that he wished to remain anonymous.

For the record, I believe that the reputation of flight attendants is on the decline, and I will explain why. I also want to give some examples of very bad behavior by elderly passengers. But something is really happening. Maybe it's a confluence of ageism, attitudes and economics.

Speaking of age and ageism, I turn to the 2009 report from the Population Study Bureau:

In 1980, about 80 percent of US flight attendants and US stewards were younger than 35 years. By 2007, the number of these “youngsters” has decreased to about 20%, and the number of more mature crew members has increased. By 2007, half of all cabin crew were aged 45 and older, but the real shock: almost 22% of them were older than 55.

It's hard not to notice that two of the Internet's most popular examples of older flight attendants—an 83-year-old and a 60-year-old twin—are men. Would their stories be as compelling if they were about old women?

Of course, Heather Poole, a flight attendant and author of the popular Gossip column in Gadling, was tired of asking questions such as: “why are flight attendants fat, old, grumpy, lazy and ugly”, unlike some of their “foreign colleagues”. One of the Poole answers was, for example, this: “Just wondering, but what size are you?”.

Today, American flight attendants have the same rights and protections that everyone else has, although this was not always the case. In the old days, a flight attendant had to quit her job when she got married, or - oh, horror! - She will turn 32 years old. Then there were weight restrictions, certain makeup requirements, and so on.

As for foreign colleagues, it seems that we are talking about young Singaporean flight attendants, where, as reported, the flight attendants have five-year contracts, which are extended by order of the management. But let me ask the question: “What is more important, time-tested skills or appearance?”.

Фото: Depositphotos

I’m not saying that young people are not capable of anything: of course, they can do a lot too. But tell me if your baby decides to be born early - at an altitude of 10 thousand meters - which is what happened to the Delta passenger in Parel. I bet she appreciated the help she received from a 29-year veteran airline flight attendant.

American Airlines pilot fell ill during the flight last fall. His place in the cockpit took 61-year-old flight attendant, a licensed pilot. She coolly helped to land the plane. Officials of the airline praised its help as “outstanding”.

Let's go a little further. Remember the "Miracle on the Hudson" flight that Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger landed on the surface of the river? Who do you think helped all these passengers get off the plane safely? Three female flight attendants - 51, 57 and 58 years old.

If some of today's senior flight attendants seem a bit angry, you might also have been like that, losing as much in your salary as they are. After adjusting for inflation, their average hourly wages fell by 26% between 1980 and 2007 per year (despite the fact that wages of all workers in the United States increased by 13%). Some flight attendants said their earnings fell by a third after the September 11 tragedy.

Some argue that modern flight attendants don't have to do much. Yes, many airlines no longer have blankets, no hot meals, it was always less of a burden. A flight attendant's primary responsibility is safety. Yours and mine.

Plus, they have many other concerns, for example, an 50-year-old passenger who allegedly kicked and spat at flight attendants (on a US Airways flight in March); A 61-year-old passenger who forcibly grabbed the flight attendant, forcing her to seek medical help (on the United flight in April); or an 65-year-old woman who “forgot” that she got on an American flight with a loaded gun (and where were you, TSA?); and a 53-year-old passenger who allegedly did not stop playing Word with Friends and was exhibited from the plane (yes, it was Alec Baldwin).

The next time you get on a plane, try to smile at the flight attendants. Maybe they won't notice. Or maybe such a trifle creates a caring world.

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