Aeroflot flight attendants pose for a publicity photo. (Image: Aeroflot)
Several female flight attendants at the Russian carrier (and SkyTeam partner) Aeroflot have reportedly filed legal complaints against the airline charging discrimination based on their age and weight, according to published reports.
They haven’t lost their jobs, but the flight attendants allege that the airline pulled them off long-haul international flights and reassigned them to domestic or regional routes, where they work fewer hours and earn smaller bonuses.
The employees said that last June, Aeroflot told them it needed crew information to prepare an order for new uniforms, so the flight attendants were photographed, measured and weighed. But they contend this was just a ploy, and that the real purpose of gathering that information was to assign jobs based on appearance, age and weight.
The flight attendants said anyone older than 40 and/or wearing a dress size larger than 14 (by U.S. size standards) was pulled from international flight assignments. Aeroflot has denied the flight attendants’ allegations.
Even in the U.S., airlines had a history of flight attendant requirements that were clearly discriminatory by modern standards. Before the 1960s and 1970s, airlines used to set strict weight standards for female flight attendants, and required them to give up their jobs if they got married, got pregnant or passed a certain age – usually in their early 30s.
Airlines generally would not hire men for flight attendant jobs, arguing that their male business traveler passengers preferred young, attractive women. (Are you old enough to remember Southwest’s “hot pants” flight attendant uniforms, or National Airlines’ notoriously sexist “Fly Me” ad campaign?).
But most of those discriminatory practices gradually went away, thanks to Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the deregulation of the airlines, and the determined efforts of flight attendant unions. Union seniority rules came into play that generally guaranteed the older flight attendants would be assigned to the plum international routes. You can see the history of those efforts here.
Still, the old ways died hard for some travelers, most famously the late USA Today founder Al Neuharth. In 1989, he caused a public firestorm with a column in which he longed for the days of “young, attractive, enthusiastic flight attendants,” who he said had been “replaced by aging women who are tired of their jobs or by flighty young men who have trouble balancing a cup of coffee or tea.”
What’s the regimen like for modern U.S. flight attendants? Check out this TravelSkills post from 2015 when our reporter went to a United Airlines training session.
Readers: Do you care what your flight attendants look like, how old they are, or whether they’re male or female? Please leave your comments below.
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I agree with Al Nenharth. Age discrimination is a fact of life in certain jobs. What if Michael Jordan complained he was fired for age? Stewardesses are expected to perform certain duties and it is evident they stop after a certain age. They get tired and not very attentive on long flights. I fly international and they are not very accommodating, responsive, or caring. They are too often busy sitting in their jump seats chatting among themselves. If you push the call button they act like you woke them up from their sleep. It is not solely a result of age but also attitude.
>Do you care what your flight attendants look like, how old they are, or whether they’re male or female?
I do care, I do notice (though age it’s not as important as looks), and I don’t care if it’s a man.
I have noticed (and it was confirmed to me before by people working there) that on Delta, for example, the flight attendants on long-haul international routes are usually seasoned employees, as it takes certain status and seniority to fly those. The new hires are assigned shorter domestic routes. Since majority of the new hires are young, the “business man” is a lot more likely to see a young attractive enthusiastic flight attendants on shorter domestic routes.
It’s hard to disagree with Al, though. Many (most?) FA on international flights to Europe, for example, do seem to be older, with years and years of flying. They are not going to be overly excited and joyful on a long overnight flights. The level of service is the same and good, but 50+ yo person will be more tired and jet-lagged that 30 yo person.
If you have ever flown internationally on any US carrier and then on an Asian carrier you might think Al Nueharth had a point. I don’t know how many times I hear the older flight attendants complaining and looking forward to the sleep break as a primary thing. Ring your FA call button on a US carrier and see what happens and then on an Asian carrier (usually two FA’s show up).