Although there is a greater availability than ever of cheap fares, be they cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages, the glamorous lives of stewardesses have changed dramatically over the years.
In the 1960s a recruiting ad for stewardesses said in part we are looking for young ladies who have a flair for making people happy, young ladies with just the right blend of friendliness, competence and poise. Hiring parameters were quite specific: Barbie doll height and weight requirements. It was understood that girdles and heels would be worn at all times and mandatory retirement was once they reached the ancient age of 32.
The following summarizes the role of stewardesses over the years:
In 1937 Womens Home Companion described stewardesses as a combination of nurse, ticket puncher, baggage master, guide, waitress, and little mother of all the world.
In the 1940s stewardesses were trained at charm farms whose purpose was to turn out clones who shared identical collar length haircuts and even smiles.
1956 was the 25th anniversary of the stewardess and over 300 girls competed to be Miss Skyway. The winner described her job as good training to be a wife.
1967 marked the memoirs of two fictitious stewardesses who made the phrase Coffee, tea, or me? famous stimulating the fantasies of many male fliers.
In 1972 Stewardesses for Pacific Southwest Airline were wearing miniskirts and pettipants.
In the 1980s as a result of years of lawsuits, flight attendants were allowed to gain a few pounds, let their hair go gray, get pregnant, be men, and wear androgynous pantsuits.
Today flight attendants tell passengers to turn off their cell phones and raise their seatbacks during take offs and landings and serve drinks and sell food during flights. Their primary responsibility is to know what to do in the event of an emergency.
As long of most travelers select their flights based on the cheapest price they can find on the Internet the level of service provided by flight attendants is not expected to change. The days of pillows, blankets, magazines, and a hot meal for everyone are a thing of the past. Airlines priority is to get passengers from point A to point B safely and at the lowest possible cost. www.cheapfares.com