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Galley Gossip: The flight attendant was a mess!

by Heather Poole (RSS feed) on Apr 16th 2009 at 9:00AM

Heather,

I am going to assume that you are a well put together flight attendant when I ask this question...Can you honestly say that you have never been embarrassed to walk through the terminal with any of your flying partners? You know the ones. They don't starch their shirts--or worse, they wear "the dress" because they think it doesn't need to be ironed (even on a 4 day). If they wear a jacket, the elbows are shiny from wear. The shoes have never seen a bottle of polish and they have "cart toe" so bad you're not even sure what the original color was. Hair is halfway down her back and in desperate need of a comb--or perhaps she's sporting the "cheerleader" ponytail (complete with whispies) that is just oh-so professional. And don't even get me started on the ones with the skirt up to THERE and the 4 inch jumpseat heels.

Be assured, I am far from the 115 lb petite beauties of yesteryear. Honestly, I am short and pudgy--but my uniform is always clean and pressed (even on reduced rest layovers), my hair and make-up (the minimum amount) are clean and tidy. My shoes are clean and polished. (I usually block between 100 and 120 hours per month doing domestic--so there's a lot of mileage on me, but I keep it together.) It doesn't take that much effort to look professional--and I think that is really what this whole discussion comes down to.

It's not about being attractive (except maybe to Big Daddy)--many of our fellow US based FAs give the appearance of being haggard and tired and...well, unprofessional. I recently worked a trip with an FA who was a damned good FA--exactly the person you want in the jumpseat with you in an emergency. However, she was an unholy mess in the appearance department--wrinkled dress, scuffed shoes, fly-away hair.

I couldn't figure out why I was so run-down on this trip until I realized--the PAX asked me for EVERYTHING! She would go through w/ the trash cart and a minute later I'd walk the aisle empty handed and everyone would try to hand me their trash. She would be doing a water walk and PAX would wander back to the galley to get water from me. She is an amazingly warm and outgoing person, but to the PAX she was unapproachable and did not convey confidence-just because of her appearance.

Mary

Gallery: Galley Gossip: Photos in the lav

Dear Mary,

I am not as well put together as I'd like to be, and that's the honest truth. I'm working on it, though, and it's because of you, Mary, that I'm working on it. I received your letter a month or so ago and it has haunted me ever since. Whenever I get dressed to go to work I look in the mirror and think of you. I look at my shoes and think of you. I'm not kidding, I've been through two pairs of in-flight shoes because of you. My comfortable navy blue Aerosoles, the ones I bought just last month, only lasted five days of flying back and forth from New York to Los Angeles before the dreaded cart toe began to appear. Of course I thought of you. I'm always thinking of you!

CART TOE / HEEL - happens when the leather on the shoe gets worn down from constantly locking and releasing the break on the food or beverage cart during the service and from kicking the cart door shut - Bam! when the service is over.

While I prefer to wear the uniform dress to work, because it's easier to pack and I don't have to iron after I hang it up to dry, I do not wear it for four days straight. I haven't checked the elbows on my navy blue blazer, but I do not believe they're shiny (gulp.) As far as my hair goes, it is long so I wear it pulled back in a low pony at the nape of my neck. Because it's naturally curly I tend to get frizzies when I'm flying in and out of the Miami airport. Umm....yikes...do you think maybe we've flown together?

As for the short skirt up to THERE and the six inch heels, I hear you Mary, I hear you loud and clear. There's nothing less attractive than a Cockpit Connie. Will someone please tell these ladies that the Heather Locklear look from Melrose Place went out of style in the early 90's! Today the sky high heels and long fitted blazer that hits the thigh an inch above the hem of the skirt just looks dated and...well...kind of desperate. Not to mention, I really do not want to see THAT! As Cockpit Connie reaches up to close an open overhead bin. Trust me, I've seen it - THAT - several times and every time it gave me nightmares.

You mentioned you fly over 100 hours a month and you still manage to look good. I give you props for that, Mary. I really do. I only fly around 35 hours a month. That means I fly six days straight trying to get as many hours as I can in a week of flying back and forth across the country like a lunatic, and I'm here to tell ya, I don't feel so great by day four. I'm exhausted. I've got dark circles under my eyes. Half of the time I don't even know whether I'm coming or going. I can't always remember what passengers want to drink. But I try. I get up an hour before pick up time to do my makeup, curl my hair, and slide into the blue suit. I always drink a ton of coffee and though I may not look as fresh as I did on day one, there's only so much a flight attendant can do when they've been logging in the hours with an eight hour layover in-between trips.

Tell me, Mary, what's your secret? I need to know!

Now back to messy coworkers. I've seen them - the guy who refuses to tuck in his shirt or forgets to wear a belt and the gal whose bun is not only wet, but sits on her head at an angle. But do you truly believe that passengers avoided your coworker, the damn good flight attendant, because she was a mess? Maybe it had more to do with you than her? I know my coworkers who look great can walk down the aisle and no one will ask them for a thing, but the moment I head to the back of the airplane I'm stopped every few rows. My face just says, ask me! Even when I'm not smiling and my hair is frizzy. The same thing happens when I use mass transit or while I'm out walking around a foreign city on vacation. Some people are just more approachable than others. I'm afraid we might be two of those people. And that's a good thing! I think.

Happy Travels,

Heather Poole

If you have a question email me at Heather DOT Poole AT Weblogsinc DOT com.

You're thirsty and the flight attendant is a mess. What do you do?
Overlook the mess and ask him or her for something to drink	198 (72.3%)
Wait and ask a more put together flight attendant walking down the aisle	38 (13.9%)
Go to the back and get it myself!	38 (13.9%)

Photos courtesy of (doll) Mimihau0507, (blonde flight attendant) Tom Purvess, (male flight attendant) avgapfel

Filed under: Airlines, Galley Gossip

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Katie Apr 16th 2009 1:21PM

This is why I chopped off all my hair when I was a flight attendant. I was tired of averaging five hours of sleep a night because I had to wake up an hour early to get my clothes ready and do my hair and make-up! So I cut it all off to a length (i.e. boy length) where it only took me about five minutes to get it ready in the morning. Trimmed my prep time to about 20 minutes. Hooray for 5 hours and 40 minutes of sleep!

Stijn Apr 16th 2009 2:02PM

I always go to the back and ask/get it myself instead of stopping a walking and working FA or pushing the call button.
Those call buttons are stupid anyway. Can't people walk to the galley?
Well, maybe when the seatbelt sign is on, but that also means it's partially unsafe for FA's to walk around.

Brian Apr 20th 2009 3:26PM

I've never used a call button in thirty years of flying (riding in others' airplanes).

Jeremy Apr 16th 2009 8:22PM

Different Airline got different policy. European airline always setup a bar at the back and ask the pax to get it themselves. AirFrance FA even told me that they don't bring drinks and that I should get it myself at the back. Anyway, shouldn't appearance been corrected by the Flight supervisor or Purser if it is a mess. I doubt that most pax would care about an appearance of a FA look a bit untidy. Although, if a FA is smelly, then I would avoid such FA as well.

Carrie Apr 16th 2009 11:24PM

I wasn't sure how much sarcasm laced that letter, but nonetheless I feel your pain regarding hygienically-disinclined coworkers.

As for approachability... the last majorly long flight I took was from Duesseldorf to Chicago. The attendants I had on the night flight TO Duesseldorf were early twenties and as perfectly put-together as one might wish their flight attendant to be. However, it was the forty-something with the boy-cut-flyaway hair, scuffed shoes, and slightly-worn uniform who, on my flight home actually made the difference. As I flew to Germany, the girls who were on that flight seemed hesitant to do anything that might disarray them, including opening my bottle of beer (she handed it to me, without an opener, and it was not a screw-top) or assist the lady in front of me who had a baby and wished to use the toilet (really, it may not be a specific part of the job, but would it kill you to hold a six-month-old for five seconds until the woman is out of her seat and can take it again?). They were giggly, talkative about the passengers (not realizing that at least three Americans on the plane understood German, not to mention the Germans themselves), completely obsessed with grabbing a compact and running back to the galley. The lady on the way back was rather less perfect in appearance, but did her job with a grace and efficiency that most women would die for in ANY job, let alone a stressful one such as being an FA. For me, and I should hope most passengers, the equilibrium and composure to perform the job at hand are far more professional qualities than a perfect coif or mirror-shined shoes.

Siobhan Apr 17th 2009 8:57AM

And yet, here am I thinking, wow, I am sure glad I don't have to work with the letter writer, because my god, what a miserable, miserable existence it would be to constantly judge someone on tiny little details, instead of the important things, like their job performance.

I realize that appearance is more important in some professions (fortunately, I work in IT, so my frizzy "cheerleader ponytails" are just fine, thanks), but my god. If you resent wearing the costume that much, or resent other people who may not be as exacting as you are, perhaps a job without interacting with other people might be a better option for you.

I have never, in a million years, even noticed the state of a flight attendant's uniform. It is far more important to me to have a capable, friendly and helpful flight attendant, and I think a certain level of comfort (regardless of the status of the toes of their shoes, shoes that they have to wear standing for long periods of time) only contributes to a greater level of happiness in the FA world, and a happy FA = a happy me.

Boy, this original letter writer really just kind of sucks.

Brandi Apr 20th 2009 3:34PM

Being a flight attendant for the "new Delta" and working for the "old NWA" I can tell ya all the ladies (and gentlemen) are looking pretty damn sharp sense we got our new uniforms.

Simply put I think for most people, after wearing the same style uniform for almost 20 + years ... you kinda get over it and don't feel like there is anything else that can be done for yourself. NOW people are walking through our airports and smiling in their bright and new uniforms.

I am enjoying it completely! :D

Brandi

Brandi Apr 20th 2009 9:38PM

I'm just a passenger and have to say that I take notice to pretty much everything and can honestly say I've never taken notice to what FA's are wearing or if their elbows on their jackets are shiny. Now, walk down the aisle with toilet paper stuck to you or your hair being strange colors....I'll notice. Everyone has their good and bad days and the letter writer needs to examine why she is so judgmental. So, to all of you FA's who take great care of passengers, even with your cart toe, don't put to much thought into what the letter writer wrote...believe it or not there are far more important things on the passengers minds than if FA's look perfect. Letter writer should use the extra time to sleep so she can think with a clear head!