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Galley Gossip: "Flight attendant" prostitution ring busted (in more ways than one)
Sex sells. That's a fact. But did you know that sex stories involving flight attendants will sell even more? It's true. Take for instance the flight attendant prostitution ring bust story that's been making the rounds. The travel site Jaunted even asked me to comment on it. Honestly, I really didn't want my name to be associated with a prostituting group of flight attendants, but then, knowing how the media loves a good flight attendant story, I decided to check it out and find out what was really going on. Ya know, in order to set the record straight, because whenever there's a flight attendant story there always seems to be a record that needs a little straightening.
According to Jaunted, 200 of the women involved in the prostitution ring were students and flight attendants. As soon as I read that bit of information I thought, Okay, but just how many of the women, exactly, were flight attendants? I read on. Only two flight attendants are mentioned in the article, one who works for British Airways and another who works for Jagson, an Indian airline I've never heard of before. This made me think, But that's just two flight attendants we know of for sure - Two!
Two flight attendants and it becomes a "flight attendant" story? Give me a break!
Google "flight attendant prostitution ring" and several links will pop up to a story entitled, Busted: massive flight attendant prostitution ring. Note the word massive. Just how massive you may be wondering? I wondered the same thing. Turns out it was so massive that the entire story is only two sentences long. In the article only a swami and a nameless flight attendant from British Airways are mentioned. That's it. Which does not sound so massive to me! Would you believe Times Online and Fox News did the exact same thing by running their own version of the "flight attendant story" even though both news groups only mentioned two flight attendants in their reports.
Now let's back up for a moment. There are approximately 15,000 flight attendants working for British Airways. Big deal if a flight attendant is involved in a prostitution scandal. That's a blip on the screen. Just fire the flight attendant and be done with her. Don't bring the rest of us down! When I asked Jaunted how one British Airways flight attendant could make "a flight attendant story," I was told that there were many flight attendants involved in the bust. (Many? But how many is many? Does anyone know?) Then I was informed that most of the women worked for India airlines. What I found to be shocking was that they, the flight attendants from India, were not considered to be as newsworthy as the British Airways flight attendant.
Not as newsworthy, but why? I find that, in itself, to be very newsworthy.
A bigger story, in my opinion, is why so many women (how many, I still don't know) at one airline who have what many consider a professional job would feel the need to prostitute themselves? Now that, I think, is what we should all be talking about. Am I wrong?
Which brings me to a little flight attendant pet peeve of mine, comparing US flight attendants to their foreign counterparts. Is it really so terrible that flight attendants in the United States are allowed to grow old, gain weight, get married, and have children? I know this screws up the whole hotness factor of the flight attendant fantasy that so many passengers can't seem to let go of, but this is a country where women, even flight attendants, have rights, right? Honestly, I can't get over how harshly some people judge flight attendants based on their looks alone - and this is 2010! Don't believe me? Read this letter from Big Daddy.
Did you know that flight attendants who work for foreign carriers, the very same airlines that passengers have a tendency to rave about, don't have the same rights as I do? In fact, if I worked for say Emirates or Cathay, I wouldn't even have a job. In my thirties, I'm too old! Most foreign carriers won't even hire a flight attendant over the age of 27, let alone allow the ones who are already employed to actually (gasp) age. Did you know that in the US, back in the 70's when flying was considered glamorous and the majority of people couldn't afford to travel, stewardesses averaged only 18 months on the job? This is because they were not allowed to get married or have children, as if only young, unmarried, and childless flight attendants could actually serve passengers the way they needed to be served. (Wink Wink)
Remember the "stewardesses" who seductively asked you to fly them, the ones who wore hot pants? Well they're still around. In fact, that flight attendant wearing the coke bottle glasses who served you a drink on your last flight may have been the same woman wearing the go-go boots so many years ago. That's right. Here in the US flight attendants actually had the nerve to stand up for their rights and put a stop to airlines using them as marketing tools that promoted their sexuality and little else. Yeah, I know, it's such a bummer that US airlines were forced to stop exploiting women.
Today a majority of flight attendants who work for foreign carriers only average three years on the job. This is because they are offered short work contracts, zero retirement, and low pay. How else could the airlines overseas keep their flight attendants young, sexy and desirable? Now mix in a poverty stricken country or a country where women aren't exactly treated with the same respect as men and you will find quite a few women turning to prostitution. Are we surprised by this? I didn't think so. And that's not newsworthy!
Photos courtesy of fisserman and Plamen Stoev
Filed under: Airlines, Galley Gossip, Women's Travel
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Anders Mar 5th 2010 10:12AM
This just in: One per cent of prostitutes are flight attendants.
John Frenaye Mar 5th 2010 11:16AM
Heather, you missed it. Massive may have been referring to the attendants and not the ring. :)
Heather Poole Mar 5th 2010 3:09PM
I'll admit it, I laughed!
Kurt Mar 5th 2010 12:21PM
I am blown away at the commercial... that was before CGI special effects and they had that lady stand on a live runway.
With the economy on its rear, gamling - drinking - prostitution have all seen an increase. Then there are shows that portray it in a "nearly" acceptable fashion. So your article points out very clearly, that women in less fortunate regions with different cultural boundaries would see women in that role... well said.
I can't blame the editors though that tried to sell their story with sensationalism -- that's what media has become to us - they have to SELL us their news.
alexandra d Mar 5th 2010 1:17PM
Heather, just a thought for you. Instead of spending 1,000 words commenting about an incident elsewhere and on another (rival) blog site (Jaunted), that you in turn claim you don't "want to be associated with", why not comment about what's relevant in your own backyard instead? Meaning, Gadling running up Vegas to participate in the reality tv show promo for "Fly Girls". What does that say about Gadling, about you, about Virgin America and where women are at in terms of *genuine* respect and equality issues in the 21st century, specifically in the perception/interraction you receive as a flight attendant?
Here's what I'm thinking meanwhile, and it's a perfectly reasonable speculation. You're focusing on this prostitution thing as a cover to not address the issue of how women as FAs go on being demeaned both commercially and by the flying public, although you whine ineffectively a lot about it as far as senators and others you target as being the enemy of FA's. Wrong call when you focus on passing nuisances and incidents and ignore the big issues. In a general way, prostitution is just following the money in an unethical and amoral manner, not just spreading your legs for it. Think about that, about Gadling, about your own carrier or Virgin America and its stunts before you appear to run cover for the objectification of women as FAs where it goes on happening with a wink and a nod elsewhere.
Heather Poole Mar 5th 2010 3:08PM
Alexandra
1. I've already written a post about Fly Girls, so there's no need to address that again.
2. I'm all for women's rights, and I mean that, so therefore whatever a woman chooses to do with her life is fine by me. The key word here is choice. That includes prostitution, stripping, whatever. The point I was trying to make is that a majority of the women who were prostituting in the ring bust were from India where they don't quite have the same choices in life as we do. And everyone is focusing on the BA flight attendant. Who cares about the BA FA. My guess is she chose that lifestyle. I want to know about the other FA's and why there were so many of them involved. That's not normal. And also why they would take a story that has only included 2 FA's (that we know of FOR SURE) and turn it into a FLIGHT ATTENDANT story.
3. Jaunted WROTE the story and then they asked for a response. So I gave them a response. It's my response. If you have one, feel free to write about it.
Alexandra D Mar 13th 2010 12:03PM
That's not quite how it all happened though, is it?
More like, the true sequence of events was: Jaunted wrote the story, you KNEW someone at Jaunted, you sought them out and asked for a fee to stir up more controversy and get more mutual traction to both your blogs. The difference between you and the msm is that they are supposed to try and provide all the facts. WIth you, it's consistently telling only a select part of the picture -- and you do it again and again, whether with the Schumer story, the AA first-class melt-down or with this latest story.
So your feigned horrror at being associated with an inflight pro ring is kind of laughable. Especially since you by your own admission say that prostitution is just another option for women as part of women's rights.
Joe Mar 6th 2010 4:00AM
Heather,
I believe the news media focused on the BA attendant because a story about an international, jet-setting flight attendant flying out to exotic locations to meet her johns is way more fascinating then some flight attendants doing the deeds on their rest days.
AF Mar 6th 2010 5:35AM
Hi Heather,
I understand you were discussing about the whole world but I think it's wrong to write "Did you know that flight attendants who work for foreign carriers, the very same airlines that passengers have a tendency to rave about, don't have the same rights as I do?"
I would bet a little money that FAs working for Air France has more rights, more holidays and in general more benefits that you do. This is France after all. :)
Some of the stories about crazy time schedules and all I read on your blog, I've never heard from my friend working intercontinental for Air France.
As en example, schedule is delivered few days before the end of the month and the carrier has no right to change resting days. She came back two days later than planned due to connecting airplane not leaving Paris because of the weather and they reschedule her to a new flight, but then she would be working where previously her schedule said rest. She went to main office and asked to cancel the flight. They did.
If I'm not wrong, they can stay home until their child is 5 years old and still keep their job, and I would be surprised to hear that from an american carrier.
But if it is better for you, then I'm curious to hear about these benefits. :)
First time I write, so thanks for the entertaining blog!
George Panagakos Mar 6th 2010 10:41AM
I am a photographer and I was on a puddle jumper from Portland, Maine to LGA one day, heading from one shoot location to another, when the attractive attendant asked me what I would like. OK, I assumed she meant what I would like "to drink". So I said "a Coke". She brought me the Coke, with a cup, with ice.
Then she said "Is there anything else you would like?"
I said "No I think that's all, thank you".
Then she said "Are you sure there isn't ANYTHING else you would REALLY like?" This, with a wink and getting very close. I was speechless, dumbfounded.
I just said, "Yes. Yes, I am sure."
I was kind of blown away because no-one is ever THAT forward. It was really a turn-off, if anything.
That was several years ago, I do quite a lot of flying and it had never happened before, nor since. But it is not until this flight attendant prostitution story that I ever though that, "Gee, maybe THAT was it!"
Stuart Mar 7th 2010 3:52PM
Perhaps it is not the view that flight attendants need to be "sexy" but in their general attitude towards customer service.
I'm a Canadian so I've flown Air Canada and WestJet quite often. I have also flown United and American Airlines but have been so uncomfortable on these "cattle crates" I have not noticed the flight attendant service much. Give me a Canadian airline any day.
The difference between Air Canada and WestJet flight attendants are night and day. Air Canada offers surly, unionized workers with "I'm getting my paycheck whether you like it or not" attitude where as WestJet offers non-unionized workers who own stock in the company and seem genuinely interested in the comfort of their customers. They tend to have a lot of fun. In fact, my last flight on WestJet last month consisted of an all male flight attendant crew (737, there were four) and I could care less on what they looked like. They were friendly, happy and fun who made the entire trip enjoyable. They in fact played up a lot on the fact that the only female crew member was the Captain! This is coming from a company who modeled their service on Southwest Airlines.
It's interesting to note that Air Canada is always being baled out of bankruptcy by the government due to Union strikes and what not and non-union WestJet is one of the highest earning airlines on the planet.
frank96 Mar 8th 2010 4:10PM
Which brings me to a little flight attendant pet peeve of mine, comparing US flight attendants to their foreign counterparts. Is it really so terrible that flight attendants in the United States are allowed to grow old, gain weight, get married, and have children? I know this screws up the whole hotness factor of the flight attendant fantasy that so many passengers can't seem to let go of................
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The FLY GIRLS show is about two weeks away and did you all see the article in the USAToday section about the show? All "young", all "sexy" ...article mentions she purrrred at the exit row guy. We all love to go to "hot" restaurants, "hot" bars, etc. Sounded sexist.
I really wonder if this show will be a DETRIMENT to our profession?
Alexandra Mar 12th 2010 2:09PM
Frank, you're completely right to wonder if this type of pandering and the "Fly Girls" show aren't a detriment to the perception of women working as FA's, but if you read what Heather Poole wrote to me in response above, according to her all "choices" are equal and that means prostitution is "equally" a good choice as any other. That's her notion of "women's rights". So by that logic, i't's no surprise that women in India where women may have fewer viable career choices is a place where FA's are involved in a prostitution ring. The "Fly Girls" reality show does tie into this other more literal form of prostitution, because again it's about the perception of women as objects and playing up to people's fantasies of all that, one step away from the woman herself going the extra step to pimp herself in the air. It's the BA FA whose involvement is the most surprising.
JohnnyRock Mar 23rd 2010 9:32AM
Good God, can you IMAGINE being stuck on the tarmac with Alexandra as your FA?
Is it really so terrible that flight attendants in the United States are allowed to grow old, gain weight, get married, and have children?
Yes.
Stuck strapped to a seat in a pressurized tube for hours, given the choice between a 20 year old nice ass in stretch polyester and a 40 year old one that is as wide as the beverage cart, considering that the asses in question are roughly at eye level, I would prefer the young ass.
tom Mar 31st 2010 10:01PM
johnnyrock, I feel the same way when I come into McDonald's and see your fat greasy face. If flight attendants should be fired for being over thirty and overweight than so should everyone else. Everyone can go on welfare. Sounds great.