Cabin Crew, Flight Attendant or Steward(ess). What are you called?

[ezygalleyboy]

Cabin Crew, Flight Attendant or Steward(ess).
What are you called?

I think most UK airlines are calling their staff cabin crew these days, and FA is more often used in the US.

What are you called?
What do you prefer?
Which reflects your job role the most?

[stanleystan]

We're called cabin crew at my airline and that's the name I prefer best. The other two sound as if you are just some waiter or servant.

[jettesen]

what i really can't stand is CABIN STAFF!!! That really offends me. Makes u feel like a skivvy

[nuigini]

What about being referred to as Cabin Attendant?

[ShesGreatintheGalley]

At FiveStar (jetstar) we are officially cabin crew and sometimes less commonly Flight Attendants.

For some reason, I get called 'Hostess' alot in the cabin and I dont think i like it particuarly. It always occurs in the sentence such as "Give the rubbish to the lovely Hostess" or "Ask the Hostess for a drink", "The hostess will wipe the vomit off the seat for you" "The Hostess will take you to the toilet etc etc"
Yet when they get off the plane i hear "Wave goodbye to the nice Lady/Stewardess" from the same people? Do they associate the word Hostess with 'rubbish cleaner?'
Because I think I am beginning to... I now seem to subconciously relate the word "hostess" to something bad happening, and everytime i hear it i sort of begin to shiver.

Before that i would of said it reminded me of a swishy gentlemans club or at very least, a brothel. I would be happy to be known as a hostess if it was for those above reasons or if I worked back in the days of glamour air travel, but now...

[Spongebobsquarepants]

I have always favoured "International Jet Goddess" myself. For some reason though they will not let me put this on my name badge. I cant understand why?

[Rabid Dog]

... and let's not forget the less savoury titles that I heard:
e.g Trolley Dolly, Biscuit Chucker etc., and as a male FA, some that are unprintable.
Whenever punters hear that I used to work for an airline, they immediately call it (Air) Steward (male) or Hostess/Hostie (female), but generally understand what the term flight attendant means.

[sinala1]

Some of the less favourable ones are quite amusing! Some of my favourites include Air Stupidess, Trolley Dolly, Coffee Bitch, Flying Mattress, Sky Waiter/Waitress, Cart Tart and Hostitute

Yeah they are demeaning but hey they are funy as all f*ck! I know quite a few pilots who call us Glorified Waiters/Waitresses, the response they usually recieve is something along the lines of "yeah whateva you say, Top Gun" or call them a Glorified Bus Driver!!! Its all VERY tongue-in-cheek though, lots of fun to be had :ok: :ok: :E

Its all about the sense of humour folks I think... if you did not have one, could would not survive in this industry! (even though I was reminding myself "sense of humour... sense of humour" when I had to scoop chunky warm vomit out of the fwd toilet sink with a paper cup the other day :yuk: :uhoh: ) LOL

(Oh and to answer the question actually posed at the beginning of this thread, we are referred to as Cabin Crew)

[Trolley-Dolly-Babe]

The worst thing someone ever called me while on a charter from BHX was "Wench!".

I was absolutely furious I can tell you. apparently its acceptable to call someone that in the black country? It creates that olde worlde image of me in pig-tails with my t :mad: s hanging out and some frilly white top on. Dredful name to use in my opinion!

TDB x

[sinala1]

Wench?

LOL

My response to that would be something to the effect "said the pot to the kettle......."

[KTPops]

sinala 1,

I think I just fell off my chair laughing at your post! I'll have to remember the "glorified bus driver" for the next time the F/D are giving me hassle!

I have to say that I find "Cabin Crew" such a boring term but it's more modern than "Flight Attendant" and particularly "Air Hostess", which frankly makes us sound like we should be turning tricks!!

I was recently called a "Tea Lady" by some jumped up old snob on a flight to EGC recently. I very nearly stuck her tea where the sun don't shine!

I favour good old "Hostie" at best!

X

[richterscale10]

When I started flying - in the good old days - we were referred to as either an Air Hostess or Air Stewardess........this changed over the years to Flight Attendant (British Midland 1980's). When I was flying bizjets I was a VIP Cabin Attendant and most recently with bmibaby I was just a Cabin Crew Member.
I'm not being snobby but the words Air Stewardess do have a certain 'ring' to them which made me feel important.
Whereas Cabin Crew Member.............mmmmm - a Member! Doesn't that take the p.ss?

[Trislander]

We're generally known as Cabin crew in our company but our contract states 'Cabin Attendant'. But I guess any old one will do at the end of the day.

It bugs me when the flightdeck make a PA like: '...the girls will shortly be running through the safety demonatration...' and forget that there is a guy (me!) down the back too!

Some funny ones I've heard: Flight Maid:ugh:, Jet Slag:E, Flight Deck Flousie:D

Tri

[You splitter]

In my place you lot are known as cabin crew. However in a more informal funny kind of way we guys call you the 'clippies'. I think you might have to be an on-the-buses fan to understand that. All meant in the best possible taste!! :ok:

[jag_girl]

[SIZE=1][SIZE=3][FONT=arial]:mad:

[brockenspectre]

I am a lowly SLF and am reading this thread with interest - thanks to proon I consider myself fairly "up to date" so if I were to refer to the collective noun it would be "cabin crew"... as for asking for help? I usually wait to catch someone's eye (if they are looking and not busy with something else)...I have only once pressed a call button and that was on a long-haul flight when my (stranger) neighbour was clearly not feeling well (not alcohol induced, just unwell)... so thanks for this thread ... :ok:

BTW this has probably been covered elsewhere, but how do cabin crew like to be "summoned" if someone needs non-urgent assistance? I always wait to catch the eye or, if on a long-haul and the meal service etc is finished but I would like some more coffee or wine I tend to walk to the galley area ...but don't enter if I see crew are trying to eat :) instead I pretend I need the loo and then return to seat and drink from self-bought/brought-on water bottle until a suitable time has passed and I think crew will have eaten!! :D

[flybywire]

Brockenspectre....I wish all passengers were like you!!!! :) :ok:

In Italy we were called "Assistenti di volo" which means Flight Attendants but has some kind of professional flavour...
You have to hold a licence there to do the job, and it's subject to many exams, a minimum of 100hrs as a supernumerary and a state exam at the end of your training. During that period you're sadly referred to as a "N/C" which means "not certified". Oh Joy!!! :ugh:

In FCA we were called cabin crew, though the company "encourages" you to use your own initiative and you can then call the aeroplane the names you want and also your colleagues.

We've been once called "sky sirens" :yuk: by a N1 and "dinner ladies" and "domestic staff" by some funny (NOT) pilots. :mad:

The other day an old lady from Newcastle waved at me in the airport and called me loudly "Hostess!!!" It really made me chuckle. Some other guy on the plane kept calling me "Luv" for the entire flight. Surely better than coffee maid!!!! :E

On BA contract we're referred to as "Air cabin crew". Do they have any ground cabin crew?? ;)

FBW:)

[ShesGreatintheGalley]

BTW this has probably been covered elsewhere, but how do cabin crew like to be "summoned" if someone needs non-urgent assistance?

I dont mind answering call bells at all - thats what they are there for and it prevents the aisle jamming up with people wandering to the galley. The only thing that annoys me about them is when parents let their children play with them!
On another note, it does annoy me when people on an aisle seat press the call bell during meal service (when its obvious we are busy) and ask for a pillow. If its a parent or elderly person i am sympthatic but an able bodied passenger sitting on an aisle seat? makes me want to roll my eyes!!!

[sinala1]

but how do cabin crew like to be "summoned" if someone needs non-urgent assistance? I always wait to catch the eye or, if on a long-haul and the meal service etc is finished but I would like some more coffee or wine I tend to walk to the galley area ...but don't enter if I see crew are trying to eat instead I pretend I need the loo and then return to seat and drink from self-bought/brought-on water bottle until a suitable time has passed and I think crew will have eaten!!

Brokenspectre thats very very considerate of you, and appreciated... but as shesgreatinthegalley pointed out, call bells are there for a reason, and hey mate if you are hungry/thirsty press it - we are there primarily for your safety, but also to ensure your comfort :) :ok: Because its the pax who pay our wages and ultimately our bills... On long flights and especially red-eye flights (overnight flights) I encourage my crew to take it in turns wandering through the cabin every 5 to 10 minutes, just keeping an eye out on who's awake, because there are quite often people like yourself who are crammed into a window seat next to two people sleeping who are dying for a drink but don't want to press the call bell!

As far as call bells go though, I agree again with shesgreatinthegalley - parents should prevent their children pressing them for the fun of it, especially when the kids press them repeatedly/rapidly - makes the crew think there is a medical emergency!