Guess he didn't use the "Tea, Coffee or Me" advert from the US but that was probably just because he didn't find it rather than a conscious decision on his part.
Ultimately someone is there to do a job, call it Stewardess, Flight Attendant or whatever but let that be the decision of those who do the job, I'll go with the flow.
They earn the right to be called what ever their job title is by the work they do 365 days a year keeping passengers safe on board and safe in the event an emergency is called..
Frankly it matter to me little on what they are called or how they look or how young they are as they are not sex objects just people doing a job hopefully they like and enjoy.
The author may love to go back to the old days when Flying was a privelege, enjoyed by the few, with far fewer few jobs than now, those days like the Mullet have long since gone.