Logging almost 1,000 hours in the air per year while traveling 48,000 miles, flight attendants are the true citizens of the skies
Story by Ryan Deto
Photos by Alex Stoltze
Illustration by Christopher Fellows
Flight attendants of the 1950s and ‘60s would have never pulled a Steven Slater: they never would have grabbed a beer and hopped on the evacuation slide out onto the tarmac after an altercation with a passenger. During that era, the so-called “glory days of flying,” such hubris was unimaginable. Their job was glamorous and respected and sought after by most women of the time. Then, the arduous process of airline deregulation from 1978 to 1985 came and along with dozens of discrimination-related court cases, brought the demise of the leg-baring high-heeled stewardess. The fancy cocktails they once served with propeller shaped stir-rods have been replaced with half cans of off-brand ginger ale. Gourmet meals presented with brilliant smiles and verbal acknowledgements transformed into packages of peanuts handed out with “thank you” stamped on every napkin.
By many accounts, customer service fell out of the sky. Before deregulation, US airlines charged $75 ($400 adjusted to inflation) per ticket, even on short flights. Because of federal mandates, this rate was instated for every airline, so customer service was the only way airlines could distinguish themselves from one another. Because ticket prices were so high, airlines employed attractive, female flight attendants to cater to the wealthy businessmen that constituted the vast majority of their passengers. This customer service first mentality ushered in the sophisticated age of air-travel when a non-stop from New York to Los Angeles was an event to dress up for. However, middle-class Americans grew frustrated with the exclusivity of flight, and so the government intervened.
After deregulation, airlines competed over ticket prices instead of customer service. They increasingly dropped ticket rates by eliminating services such as complementary meals and free blankets. Flight attendants’ wages and benefits decreased. Passengers’ priorities shifted from wanting a lavish experience to saving money. Over time, the glamour disappeared, and flying became just another method of commuting. Flights from coast to coast became a necessity, not a luxury. As the prestige surrounding flight attendants vanished, its glamour vanished too.
