Cabin Crew Padlet by MYA BRAITHWAITE (633970)

How to do it correctly?

633970 — 2025-01-29 11:08:19 UTC

For women:

Flawless makeup
Hair tied back neatly and out of your face (unless it is shoulder length or shorter)
Wear the uniform provided (usually a pencil skirt or high waisted trousers)
High-heeled shoes while greeting the passengers, change to flats during the flight
Nails must be well-groomed if not painted
For men:
Wear suit and tie provided
Same applies if the man has hair longer than shoulder length
Different airlines have different beard grooming standards
Shoes should be flat smart shoes (loafers)
Men are also now allowed to wear makeup and paint their nails if they want to
For everyone:
No visible tattoos or piercings
Good personal hygiene
Clean body and hair
Perfume should be effective but not too overpowering
Long wear deodorant to last multiple flights

Stricter airlines:

633970 — 2025-01-29 11:22:24 UTC

Airlines that are outside of the UK are usually stricter on their standards and more discriminatory towards their staff, particularly women.

Women must have their hair in a slick back bun and if it does not suit them the airline will order them to cut their hair to shoulder length.
Women must only follow the makeup routine provided to them by the airline
Women's nails must perfectly match their lipstick
Men are not allowed to wear makeup or paint their nails in order to stay traditional
If a pregnant woman returns to the airline after maternity, she is required to fit back into size 6 uniform with no exceptions
Most Asian airlines have predominately male cabin crew as women leave to start a family
UK airlines are no longer allowed to discriminate like this as the equality and diversity act is in place.

633970 — 2025-01-29 11:27:26 UTC

What NOT to do in uniform:

633970 — 2025-01-29 11:56:38 UTC

When cabin crew are in uniform they are constantly representing the airline, whether they are on or off duty. When they are in uniform they must not:

Drink alcohol (even one glass of wine)
Smoke or vape
Swear
Act inappropriately

Cabin crew must change before going out to eat or drink during a stopover. Once they are out of their uniform they are free to smoke and drink alcohol, however they must not act inappropriately or take part in any drug activity. This is because a passenger may recognise them on their flight home from the night before which can lead to bad press.

How bad press can affect an airline

633970 — 2025-01-29 12:07:28 UTC

This is an example of a scandal which heavily effected the reputation of British Airways. The article describes how cabin crew and pilots took part in taking drugs the night before a flight which got leaked. This would prevent passengers from flying with them and using their services due to their behavior off-duty.

633970 — 2025-01-29 15:04:37 UTC

Uniform can also help potential customers identify an airline. For example, TUI is often associated with blue, Virgin Atlantic red and EasyJet Orange. The signature colours of each airline allows the company to market themselves purely based on a uniform, as people see their staff and are reminded of the airline and what they offer.

How the customers perceive you:

633970 — 2025-02-03 09:34:06 UTC

Bad hygiene can affect customer service. This is because cabin crew are the people that passengers see from the moment they board to the moment they land and exit the aircraft. For example, if a member of cabin crew looks and smells unclean while serving a customer food or drinks the customer is likely to be disgusted and not want to fly with that airline again. This also applies to ungroomed facial hair and unclean hair.

Being well groomed also adds professionalism, meaning passengers are more likely to trust crew members as they look like they know what they are doing and can take care of their needs. This especially applies when a passenger has a disability as they can clearly identify who to go to if they need assistance.

Personal image:

633970 — 2025-02-03 09:45:39 UTC

When crew are looking professional and healthy it is likely to boost their confidence and self esteem which will improve their mood therefore level of customer service. A uniform also unites a team as shown in the photo above, this will also give crew a sense of belonging and security which again boosts their confidence.

Women's uniform:

633970 — 2025-02-03 09:59:07 UTC

Cabin crew uniform, particularly women's is specially adapted in order to ensure 100% safety of both passengers and crew members.

Skirts are adapted to have a slit at the back (kick pleats) to allow full movement in an emergency. For example if a passenger requires CPR but is in their seat, crew need to be able to climb over to the passenger and safety carry them to the aisle to perform CPR or the defib. This also applies in another emergency such as a fire, the adaption allows them to move freely and quickly in the skirt to extinguish the flame on board.
- When cabin crew greet you before your flight they are often wearing heels. This is so they look smart and professional during the first impression. However most airlines now require a change of smart flats for during the flight. This is because in the event of an emergency and disarming of the doors, a sharp heel point runs the risk of popping the emergency slide which will put passengers and other crew members in danger.

633970 — 2025-02-03 10:02:08 UTC

How uniform differs depending on the airline:

633970 — 2025-04-08 11:52:29 UTC

Different airlines tend to have similar rules and standards but incorporate different colours in order for them to be easily identified. For example British Airways uniform includes a blue blazer/dress, with blue skirt/trousers with a red tie or neck scarf whereas Qatar Airways is more formal requiring a dark red blazer, dark red skirt/trousers with a dark red hat. Qatar Airways also has stricter requirement on nails and makeup compared to British Airways. For women at Qatar Airways, nails must be acrylic or painted dark red to match their clothing however this is not a requirement for crew at British Airways, their nails just need to be clean and well-groomed. Similarly, at Qatar Airways, women are required to wear red lipstick whereas at British Airways they are not.

Examples of different airline standards on representation on and off duty:

633970 — 2025-04-08 12:24:09 UTC

Cabin crew at Tui are expected to act the same on duty as they are off duty. For example, although they do not have to wear their uniform, they are still required to maintain a welcoming and positive attitude. This is because they are still representing the airline during a stopover therefore needs to remain professional to maintain a positive reputation for Tui. Although they are allowed to smoke and drink off duty, it is not permitted for them to do this heavily and they are not allowed to get intoxicated within the hotel. This is because passengers may be staying at the same resort/ hotel as them and will spread bad word of mouth if a member of crew is recognised from heavily drinking the night before, or seen being rude to others. This is similar for other airlines such as EasyJet or British Airways.

However, some Asian airlines do not allow their crew to drink alcohol or smoke at all, as it is frowned upon in some of their passenger's cultures, so they eliminate the risk all together.

Trends and Regulations

633970 — 2025-04-08 12:50:36 UTC

Virgin Atlantic in particular have adapted to changing trends in society. Recently, they have introduced gender neutral uniforms and allowed everyone to wear makeup in order to ensure staff of all genders and sexualities are comfortable in the workplace and do not feel discriminated against. Anyone can wear skirts and trousers there is no set gender for this anymore at Virgin Atlantic.

Similarly, British Airways have also introduced a rule that any member of staff can wear makeup and women are no longer required to wear makeup if they do not wish to. It does not matter as long as they look professional and well-groomed.