Originally Posted by Litebulbs
The print unions went because of technology (simplistic I know), but crew will be here to stay.
But there's an element of technological change for crew too.
In the past there was an element of "danger money" as aircraft were more likely to be involved in incidents, the on board environment was less pleasant to work in (noisier, unpressurised, turbulent), fewer crew facilities on board (e.g. dedicated crew rest), more en route stops (with all the related extra work), and the focus on food presentation as the "in flight entertainment" requiring crew to put extra effort into this aspect of the service.
Passengers now have great IFE, flat beds to promote sleeping, pre-prepared food, and although still important, passengers are less focussed on crew to ensure they have an enjoyable flight. That's not to say they're not important, they are, especially from a safety perspective, but crew are less critical to a successful experience than might have been the case a generation ago.
Virgin America now uses its IFE system to order drinks and food, and if it's not already happening, there are plenty of ways technology can be deployed to lessen the cabin crews' workload.