Come me fly with me! ✈️ A whole new career opportunity?

Weren't aeroplanes wider in the 60s and 70s? I don't remember trolleys going past and knocking people's arms and legs. Or...... have we all got wider?

We could have a zip wire to dangle from thus eliminating the need for our zimmer frames, crutches etc.

JaneJudge

can we wear sensible shoes?

I've noticed in recent years that the cabin crew only wear their smart heels before and after the flight.
During the flight they always change into flat shoes.

No good for me. At the first sign of turbulence I'd be hiding in the galley sobbing "we're all going to die..." The benefits I got from taking a fear of flying course when I was 50 have worn off in recent years.

I'm sure it's nowhere near as jolly spiffing as it's knocked up to be. While my diplomatic skills and self-confidence have improved as I've aged, my groans as I urge my arthritic hips and knees up and down the steps would not be so welcome, so sadly it's a no from me.

We had a memorable flight once, starting with an older woman with wild hair and blouse half in and half out of her skirt calling for families with young children to come forward first at the boarding gate. When the usual chancers with no child in sight surged forward, she barked at them to sit back down and sarcastically asked whether they were deaf or didn’t understand plain English. I did wonder whether strong drink had been taken but it also crossed my mind that I would enjoy that job.

A friend of mine got a job with Monarch many years ago when she was in her late 30's. She wasn't the regulation height but she was bilingual. She told me that as part of her training the would be stewardesses had to swim fully clothed in a swimming pool with a wave machine and they collectively had to inflate a life raft and pull everyone out of the water. They were given old uniform dresses to wear and hers came down to her ankles! She told me she had to pull it up around her waste.
I also have relatives that are or have been air crew for apposing airlines. One lot for Virgin on one side of the family and the other for BA. My sisters daughter is now approaching her 50's. She does the long haul flights so effectively only works about 10 days a month.
However I would be no good because I swim like a brick!

kittylester

I failed the interview years ago - not glamorous enough, I suspect.

Of course I am much more glamorous now so should get in easily.

Maybe someone enterprising like Branson will start an airline for people who like the company of ‘glamorous grannies’!

I shall immediately practice chanting 'Chicken or Beef' to improve my chances.

The first time I travelled to the USA in 1996, I was surprised at how old the cabin crew were.
Males were easily in their 50/60s and the ladies were 50s. They were very efficient and professional. It certainly burst my bubble of stewardesses being glamorous 20 something models.
I hate flying so not an enticement for me.

I didn't get through because of my height 😫

A friend has recently retired from a long career as cabin crew with BA. She was on the old contract which was much more generous than today’s and latterly she worked in First Class, having her pick of flights for her work and then free flights for herself and family. Her daughter, who was at school with my youngest, had seen lots of cities on flying (ha, see what I did there! ) visits by the time she was 18. Her brother has trained as a pilot now.

The scariest cabin crew we’ve come across were with Icelandair in the 1990’s. They only seemed to employ fearsome-looking middle aged women who ran an extremely tight ship…um…airplane. There’d be no trouble from drunks on planes if they crewed all aircraft. 😂