The
first flight attendants,
60 years ago, were nurses who swatted flies and served box lunches.
The job description has changed greatly, even over the last
twenty years; the “stewardesses”
of today are not just beautiful jet setters living in luxury
apartments with a lover in every city – they are safety
professionals. Their duties can be daunting, and a great deal
of the time these men and women consider the job neither glamorous
nor sexy. The work is physically and emotionally demanding,
with irregular hours, long days and being away from family and
friends for extended periods of time, including weekends and
holidays. The duties have also changed - no longer are they
just purveyors of food and drink – now they may be called
upon to accomplish much more.
Today’s flight attendants
may be called upon to assist customers with baggage, assist
ill or handicapped customers, answer customer inquiries, and
provide leadership and assistance during flight irregularities.
And major security measures have been implemented.
The
typical flight attendant
of the new millennium may be a college educated, 35-year-old
woman with a family, a former firefighter or police officer.
More men have joined the ranks; age is no longer a barrier,
and cultural diversity is encouraged. The average tenure of
a flight attendant
today is 10 years or more, and 25 years’ seniority is
not uncommon. More mature flight
attendants, who used to be unheard of, are now
treasured employees; airlines are finding that they can be more
reliable than their younger counterparts. Youth, beauty, gender
and weight are not the important factors here. It is a welcome
treat to find the employee who has had years of experience in
problem solving and dealing with difficult situations. Airlines
want to provide gracious and intelligent service for their customers,
and the level of customer service experience one can bring to
this job is highly valued. A person who can be “nice”
to people, who is sharp, crisp and well groomed, with a mature
and positive attitude, able to anticipate the needs of others
is highly prized.
In
general, the public is not becoming any friendlier; people are
more demanding, entitled and downright rude at times, as self-control
and frustration tolerance are at an all-time low. Flight
attendants must now be masters at calming passengers
and de-escalating hostility when the need arises. The airlines
are also attempting to improve things by hiring more customer
service-oriented candidates, who are seasoned in the art of
handling difficult situations. They must be flexible and easy-going,
and anyone who possesses a degree or a background in psychology
is nowadays considered a hot property by airline recruiters
and managers.
Flight
attendants
now take safety far more seriously than even a few years ago.
As a precaution, to keep arms from flailing around during a
perceived emergency, during take-off and landing many airlines
instruct their flight attendants
now to sit on their hands – a practice unheard of a few
years ago. Instead of sitting on the jump seat reading a magazine
or talking about their latest boyfriends, they now review emergency
procedures and escape routes in their minds while seated for
taking-off and landing. Emergency command drills and testing
are now a large part of initial flight attendant training. Nowadays
95% of initial training is about safety issues and is not unlike
a military boot camp. Training includes daily classroom lectures,
home study, proficiency drills, and oral presentations, with
training flights on the weekends. Topics covered include aircraft
equipment familiarization on several types and series of aircraft,
food and beverage service, hazardous materials, fire fighting,
emergency procedures, water ditching in a raft, FAA requirements,
first aid, cabin safety and company policy. There are tests
every day and trainees must maintain a 85 - 90% average or they
will be sent home. They are trained to handle medical situations,
how to deliver a baby, perform CPR, defibrillate heart attack
victims, and put out fires. Clearly, this is not a job for the
faint hearted!
All
things considered, the flight
attendant has made some huge inroads and strides
in the last 20 years. Racial, age and gender discrimination
is no longer acceptable; we no longer have to “weigh-in”
before we are hired or after we are out on the line; random
drug testing and passenger screening are now de rigueur, which
makes us feel safer, and employees are treated with more respect
and fairness. Supervisors and administrators are beginning to
encourage feedback from employees; they have become more approachable
for problem solving and are focusing more on improving employee
relations. There is generally a more casual attitude in the
industry today, reflected in the dressing-down of the flight
crews. Khakis, sneakers, sweaters, shorts and skorts are now
worn in the skies, and many airlines are implementing immovable
days off for reserve crewmembers. Crews are given more days
off per month than ever before, and the salaries are becoming
much more attractive. The flight attendant job is now considered
more respectable, and finally, flight
attendants are no longer the butt of sexist
airline slogans!
There
is really no better time to fly than the present! Contrary to
the obsessive accident coverage by the media, flying is the
safest form of transportation available today and certainly
the most convenient. The flight
attendant career is the only one for many free-spirited
individuals who have so much to give to others. Truly they are
winged angels, who sacrifice daily, but are rewarded tenfold,
as flight attendants
have the best job in the world! |
