My 57 y/o sister was flying today and was recruited by a 65 y/o United flight attendant to come work for United. The old gal has only been working for United for 6 mos. and is very happy in her new job.

She said United has begun recruiting "older" workers. Apparently svelte bodies aren't required since the old gal was chubby.

I thought the attendants had been looking pretty long in the tooth lately but assumed they were near retirement- not new employees.

Thanks for the post. If my job situation changes in the next year, I may seriously consider this! Who knew?

Who knew indeed?? The times have changed..remember back when the requirements were so strick for "Stewardess" that most females wouldn't qualify.

The original female flight attendants were registered nurses.

I saw a lady on TV who said a stewardess was required to be single, not a parent, a certain height and weight, a certain age, and she could not color her hair.

I'm not a parent, but that's the only requirement I would meet.

I'm not a parent, I don't color my hair & I am getting to be a "certain" age. Best of all, my body doesn't seem to need any sleep on an airplane.

Coffee, tea or Geritol!

Hey calville, if your sister is 57, how old are YOU?

>>Apparently svelte bodies aren't required since the old gal was chubby<<

So they more resemble the girth and demographics of the travellers. Like you.

My sister had quite a long conversation with her while waiting to use the rest room- she mentioned enjoying a trip to Tokyo and telling an unruly passenger if he didn't stop she was going to put him in the "time out chair."

The old gal claims the airlines (or United?) really like older workers and find they make good employees.

My mother has a story about a cousin (not unattractive) who went to apply for a stewardess job, and was told point blank she wasn't pretty enough. I suppose this would have been in the 1950s, possibly the 40s.

Obxgirl- did I say I was young or thin?
Is it OK to be a "young gal" but not an "old gal"?
OK to be an obxgirl but not an obxgranny?

On another airline, one FA also of a well seasoned age but new to the job told me that some airlines sought out older cacndidates for FA positions hoping they would be retirees who did not need a full time income and/or benefits and less likely to have child rearing obligations that would reduce availability for short notice flights. Of course it would not be PC to admit that - maybe even illegal in some way or other - but that's what the FA said. Quite honestly, though I really like my job and coworkers, if my employer offered an acceptable golden handshake I'd certainly consider earning my wings as a FA.

Gramps, oops I mean calville, where I come from people who are physically and intellectually capable of doing a job don't get derided or called out for being older or chubby.

Just curious, how'd your sister react when you called her a Granny? Have you called your wife or SO "old gal" lately?

Fortunately the world still accommodates fat dumb old farts. That wouldn't be you of course.

LOL obxgirl- I'm not a man and all the women I'm friends with joke about their physical imperfections- saggy breasts, wrinkles and fat.

My sister would love to be called Granny someday. I have a feeling you are already a grandma but don't allow anyone to call you that name.

Oh God, please, never let me be old enough that I will sit around with a bunch of other women talking about our sagging breasts and wrinkles! Even if I have a passle of grandbabies running around..lol.
Flight attendants can have children now, I think. I seem to remember an attendant talking to me about her children..
Oh and "long in the tooth" cannot be meant in a flattering way no matter how anyone tries to justify it

http://tinyurl.com/nl87k

This is interesting, flight attendants can have children, they have pregnancy rules etc. More flight attendants are over 34 .. it is long but it answers a lot of issues brought up here