What has made mainline cabin crew admired and looked upon as elite professionals in the airline community
I really don't think that people admire BA crew due, singulalry,to the efforts of BASSA.
Now I am no fan of BASSA, but to be fair to a union that probably started with good intentions/leaders (before their power and lunacy corrupted) they probably did have some minor influence on what you claim. The selection, training, service style and uniform, I guess, they would have had minor inputs into during the 'formative years'.
I think it is important to focus upon formative years, as most people (both in the industry and outside) would view BA as being a market-leader from our dominance of many markets from when BEA/BOAC first joined together. This being a market leader and a higly deserved safety record, along with well maintained fleet and good route network led to this image. Not Cabin Crews T+C's.
The Cabin Crew flying on British Airways aircraft who are (I think more and more the term should be 'were') looked upon as proffesional and elite has stemmed from the development of our airline, which owes much to our (UK) postion after the war and the joining of BOAC/BEA (ok and Cambrian, don't want to upset the Welsh
) and the high safety standards of the UK Civil Aviation Authority - This allowed us to have a National Airline that was the envy of many countries.
Sadly since we became privatised, air travel has got cheaper, the standards of World Air Travel have been raised with things like JAR-OPS etc and the rise of many eastern economies bringing money to aviation there. The playing field we enjoyed has been changed dramtically. The odds are no longer in our favour and, despite the fact I think
THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CREW ARE EXCELLENT, to believe they are superior to most other airlines is, I believe arrogant. Yes there are many that are well below us, but also many that are on a par (or perhaps even in front). To then sugest that our crews are better because of their
terms and conditions that the union fought for them, does not stack up for me. I know of many excellent crew (and airlines) where their crews are nowhere near the package of benefits our crews enjoy and they maintain their excellence, pride in their work and their companies GROWING reputation despite their lower T+C.
This is NOT an attack on our crew, just a defence of other crews and an arguement over why our crew are as good as they are...before I am attacked for crew bashing!!!