A reader writes:
I've always wondered about this too. I overheard the answer on a Southwest Airlines flight last year. A man across the aisle from me loudly and obnoxiously asked the guy next to him what happened to all the hot flight attendants from the '70s, and a passing flight attendant answered: "We're right here, buddy."
Sounds like McArdle nailed it: ageism laws and union rules.
Another quips, "Some of those gorgeous young women are still on the planes: one of them, a tall blonde named Karen, was the captain on my Airbus flight from Dulles to Denver yesterday." Another suggests that attractiveness is still a major factor for stewardesses on non-American airlines:
Do you ever fly Air France? Young, hot cabin attendants of both sexes, clearly chosen at least in part for physical attractiveness, are alive and well there. I should imagine on some of the other national carriers, particularly the Asian ones, too, but I have no experience.
A reader with lots of experience:
I think many of your readers are missing a big point in this stewardess discussion. Who could afford to fly in the Kennedy Era? Rich people and international businessmen right? I am lucky enough to fit both those categories, and from my viewpoint, flying is as good as it must have been in the "good old days." Off the top of my head:
– Sitting in the private cabin of a 1st-class Emirates seat, watching Bullet on a 24-inch screen, while a cast of international beauties kept refilling my champagne flute.
– Another time in Emirates Business, discussing with a Nordic bombshell whether the rock lobster or spring bok was a better choice. (I went with the spring bok.)
– Sacrificing thirty minutes of sleep in British Airways Business from JFK to Heathrow because the pretty stewardess convinced me to try the blue cheese and port.
– Heck, it's not even as bad on US airlines as people say. During my last trip back from Tokyo on Continental, the ruggedly handsome gay flight attendant spent several minutes explaining the different wine options to go with my osso busco. He looks were wasted on me, but the service was impeccable.
The people complaining about poor airline service and cranky middle-aged stewardesses are right. Flying for most people (dare I say the 99%?) is terrible. But, back in the day, they wouldn't have been flying. Domestic trips would have been on Greyhound or trains and they could have never afforded to fly overseas. In my younger and poorer days, it was a thrill to be able to fly to Bangkok and Prague, even if the seats and service were shitty. Because I can remember when flying was only for the rich.
The above image, from Emirates airlines, was featured in a blog post entitled "Top 10 Most Attractive Airline Cabin Crews". Not one of the ten airlines in the survey was US-based. Virgin Atlantic, unsurprisingly, was #1 by a long shot.
The Dish 