Nothing changes ??

[olden4ever]

I was very interested to find this website.
I flew as cabin crew with BOAC in the 50's 60's.
Reading through the Cabin crew messages it takes me back 40 years. The same gripes - crappy hotels - obnoxious punters and moans and groans about various conditions and also about the fun times, also flight deck/cabin relationships.
I certainly wouldn't want to be crew these days - all too fast
and big.
We had it a lot easier. Slower, more time to serve meals, max load about 146, of course still a bit hard on the feet :8

[flapsforty]

Olden, welcome. :)
While not quite as old as you I think, I too remember 'old times', though unlike you, I don't view them as generally easier.
Serving each individual tray by hand because there were no trollies wasn't easy.
Having to keep the drinks covered in ice 'cause there was no cooling wasn't easy and very messy with water all over the galley floor.
Trying to sleep in an upright chair aft in the smoking section of a 747 wasn't possible, let alone easy. Sleeping in an overhead crew rest is fantastic :ok:
Working with captains who considered themselves God wasn't easy nor fun. Captains these days are human, have learnt CRM and are generally easy to work with with.
Purser who believed themselves to be on board only to read the newspaper from Europe to Asia weren't easy. Pursers who work and add their expertise to solving problems make life easier.
Lack of an APU turned an Ac into a boiling drum on hot tarmac pretty fast. A running APU keeps things cool and pleasant for everyone.
Having to work until you were 6 months pregnant wasn't easy. Leave after 3 months is much easier and healthier.
Eating the pax' leftover food wasn't fun, getting your own is better.

Well, I could go on but I think you catch my drift. ;) Some things were definitely better on the old days, many things are better now.
In the end, it's still a high skilled low paid job which isn't for everybody but which is the best job in the world for those who have the genes for it. :ok:

[wan2fly]

Hi

Thats really interesting...

I recently watched the documentry "Come Fly With Me" all about the history of the stewardess and it was great to see - It would be fantastic to offer that level of service on todays flights but on a 2 hour Palma we do six services !!! its a bit difficult.

You may be intersted to know that there is a book called "come fly with us" again its the history of the stewardess and airline crew in general - really good book, someone bought it for me and got it from Amazon !! that will take you back a bit.

If you have any stories you would like to share, I guess there would be 100's of crew who would love to hear them.

Great to read your post.

[crewmeal]

I too started flying for BOAC in the good old 70's where you were rostered with 21 days to SYD via HNL working down the back galley of a 707 or giving passengers a little VC-10derness!!

We used to wear white jackets and dicky bows if you were in EY or cream jackets and dicky bows if you were in 1st Class.

The parties we used to have down route were fab and as there were only 6 of you (flight deck were in different hotels) everybody got on well together.

One of the best trips I ever had was on a 747 where we went
LHR-NBO (1 night)
NBO-MRU (7 nights)
MRU-NBO (1 night)
NBO-LHR it was like a holiday with free booze!!!

Qantas crews judging by site (http://users.wahroonga.com/lawrence/qantas-stories/qantas-stories.htm) had a brilliant time and we would get together down route for sme real fun!!