Unlike the flight attendants of today, the stewardesses in the 1950’s had much stricter rules and regulations with regards to their appearance, age, and marital status. Good or bad we will dive into the differences we see today mid flight compared to the glorious 1950’s.
Safety and Customer Service vs Single Ladies
In the 1950’s it would seem the stewardesses were more often than not female, not male. Single, attractive, and to have a feminine look and outward appearance. Standards were more focused on appearance than safety and customer service as it is today. In the 1950’s they were more thought to be there to project luxury and over the top service with less intense focus on safety. The job was sold as a glamorous job to the young ladies, they advertised it to be a prize to be a stewardess. Unfortunately the backside of this marketing appeal was it ended up being branded in some circles as a job based more on sex appeal than air safety and enforcing mid flight rules and regulations. Below is a list of rules from one such airline back in the 50’s.
The Men and Women that Fly the Skies Today
Fast forward to today and you have a broader employee base, more men, more married women, less scrutiny on outward appearance and much more focus on safety and regulations mid flight. Even in the switch in nomenclature from “stewardess” to “flight attendant” shows an important shift from a role based on glamour to one focused on safety and professional service. No longer can you require applicants to be between the ages of 21 and 27, be between 5’1″ and 5’6″, and be between 90 and 150 pounds. Requiring them to have good teeth, no glasses, and a good figure are long gone. As well they should be. An applicant should be good for the job, not just good for the eye. Shifting from glamour to safety is definitely a worthwhile approach, especially as air travel has done nothing but increase (8+ million daily vs. millions annually in the 1950s) over the decades. Thus requiring more competent and trained employees to help the flight go safely as they usher customers all over the world. It isn’t a bad thing that the role is now a respected profession focused on safety plus service, and not outdated beauty standards. It is an improvement that the flight attendants are recognized for their essential role in safe air travel.
Looking Forward but Remembering the Past
Yes, there has been an adjustment and evolution with regards to the employees that help on board the flights we take each day. Airfare has changed quite a bit since the 1950’s, on the whole these changes are an improvement, especially when it comes to safety. And that is where we should most likely aim our sights on. While many who were able to fly back in the 1950’s might miss the so called “glamour days of air travel.” I am sure that most will trade increased safety and timeliness of flights in exchange of a few extra creature comforts. Were there more stories of flying internationally and receiving silver service meals on fine china in the 50’s? Possiby…and maybe air hostesses dressed in elegant uniforms who provided personalized attention? Sure, but it also came with much longer flight times due to having planes with props and not jet engines, and also included multiple stops due to flight range limitations where now we have direct flights to many of our stops. Overall air travel has improved since the 1950’s for both passengers and employees. And that is a good thing.
For the great men and women who help us on these flights each day, lets be sure to treat them with the respect they deserve.