An interesting topic - one that I feel is being handled a heluvalot more emotively rather than practically!
As a manager at a certain South Pacific Airline where big bones certainly run in the water, Im the first one to say that the personality some of those larger staff has certainly stands them in good stead for a very trying position. The whole life experience thing i suppose - without generalising - many larger people are somewhat more used to dealing with sh!t, and that relates very well to the role.
Unfortunatly, there are many practical implications, none of which have a brass razoo to do with discrimination, or any underhand efforts to keep larger people out of the role. Unfortunalty, Mr Boeing and Mr Airbus really seem to have built their aircraft to the more slender hosties of years gone by. In the airlines Ive worked in, Ive seen at least a dozen people terminated due to their "inability to perform their safety related duties". For example, as has been mentioned, if you cant fit a crew harness, then your off that plane. This might be ok for multi-fleet hosties, but not if you rely on one plane and one harness for your bread and butter.
Ive also seen crew terminated as they weren't of a size that could stand in an evacuation recess (ie, the place where the flight attendant stands as theyre pushing pax out of the burning a/c - im thinking specifically B737 and A320 here) without hindering the flow of an evacuation.
Both I feel are pretty standard requirements for the job... At the end of the day, I say go for gold, especially if you have the personality. Certainly, most airlines will do everything to assist crew they have already hired into the role and who have become big. My last airline would pay for diets and personal traininers and all sorts! But just be aware, as a potential new hostie, that if the size does come up as an issue, its nothing aimed directly at you! Just jump on a treadmill, and switch to lo-carb beer, and youll be laughing!
Good luck!
