Overweight Cabin Crew
 

It seems that old height / weight ratio restrictions have been relaxed heaps for both male and female fa's. Especially the case here in Oz.
Personally I think it's a good thing - any thoughts or comments on overweight fa's?

Well only a piece of tongue-in-cheek advice - don't get wedged in the overwing exit should something happen...

I don't think anyone should be discriminated against solely because of their appearance but surely there are reasons for "weight in proportion to height?"

I wouldn't want to be smacking passengers with my caboose every time I walk up and down an aisle or taking up half the galley when it's small enough already! I don't mean that in an offensive way but surely if you work in such a cramped space as we do, you have to take size into consideration?

Waiting for the backlash now... :uhoh:

I am overweight, but not by much, but wouldn't make it past the door of the airlines that still weigh you at interview.

I am average weight for my height, but I was not weighed in my recruitment process until my medical by my GP.

I think it's a good thing, but if you are extremely obese I can understand why u may get turned down for health reasons.

Fair play to anyone that actually gets through the interview process, no matter what size u are.
xxxxx

Surely the restriction should be "if you can fit in a pax seat without spilling over the side" then you are ok. :O

I suppose, but I always thought I was too big and fat to be crew, but there are bigger girls than me that are crew at my airline

Can't recall which airline it was (OZ I'm sure), but on one info sheet they said you must "be able to comfortably walk down the aircraft aisle without having to turn sideways"

So I guess as long as you can do that then you're okay.

(I just wonder "comfortably" for who? Coz I wouldn't want a CC's butt hitting me in the face as s/he walks by! :})

I guess as with all things moderation is needed. If the CC can perform his/her duties without posing any risk during an emergency (as was mentioned about fitting thru overwing exits), and won't interfere with pax comfort (no hitting pax with your hiney, please...) then I don't see why they shouldn't be able to be a (healthy) size bigger than the norm (we don't need stick insects thanks) - and before you lash me, I'm one of the "stick insects" who would rather be a bit heavier, coz then I'd actually have more of a chance of getting work as crew- they look at me and think "She's so tiny - how could she lift anything? ;)

Sky

It's funny to read that some people believe that hitting pax with your butt as you walk down the aisle means you are a little on the large size.

I don't consider myself big by any stretch of the imagination, although I do have a couple of curves, yet I find that at least once a day I suffer by what we call at work "C-D Disease". That's hitting the people seated in seats C and D as you walk up and down the aisle. Even the 'stick insects' suffer from this unfortunate infliction time to time. :E

Just thought I would add the Qantas Medical form states that a Flight Attendant must be able to fit in between seats with an adult passengers seated - in order to assist in an evac situation.. or something along those lines..

Smile, I'm not talking about the odd brush here or there - I know some pax deliberately leave their arms out as you walk by so they can... ahem.... accidently brush your butt....

I'm talking the "Im reading my book, and got my ear just about knocked off by some CC's ass" syndrome..... probably more common on some airlines more than others.

Agree, it does have to do with the a/c you are on... I mean, of course if you are on something small like a Dash 8, you will have more problem than on a bigger aircraft.

I'm talking the CC who really obviously need a wider aisle :E

I do have to admit, I haven'tsee it often - not in Oz, anyway.

I think it shouldn't matter too much - I have to say that QF lh has a few 'tubbies' from what i've seen lately, but it also doesn't seem to effect their work performance which is what matters.
I guess it just challenges the myths of what fa's should look like which is what makes it an almost controversial topic...
I've seen male fa's that would have been easily 220 lb (100 kg) - and it sure ain't muscle:\
If you can do the job well, then that's what matters most in my book...

There was a stranded pilot whale working for BA who was so fat she went down the aisle sideways and l do recall someone
whispering,capt Ahab ,man the harpoon. You would have thought she had a generous personality to go with her size but no
,she was a miserable cow. Bloody strong though,could take 2 suitcases a time off the carousel in arrivals,which was damned useful when you had a bad back.Thankfully has retired ,probably to join billy smarts circus.

I'm about 2 stone over weight, when i applied to fly my 1st airline was Britannia, who told me over the phone If i lost 1 stone in 6 days i would be invited for an interview! how bad is that? advert for eating disorders or what!
I flew for Airtours/Mytravel... AV8 and European Aircharter then Excel and altho im a bit over weight no one has said anything. I can fit down the aisle lol
According to airline height/weight charts my height means i should be no more than 11stone 7lbs... and im 13.3!

May I suggest a change in topic title to FAT FA'S

:D :D

When I'm travelling off duty, I always ask for a C or D seat. However, skysista, that is so I can get off the aircraft faster, honest!

I in no way mean this to be offensive to our bigger sized ppruners but surely there are safety reasons why cabin crew are required to be a certain height/weight. I for one wouldn't like the person I'm relying on to get me out of a burning aircraft to be out of breath before I am! Just a thought!

Carlton...
 

I believe you... suuuure I do! :E

hehehe

I am sure your motives for getting the C or D are perfectly harmless...... ;)

lol...:D
i've been knocked on the head as a pax many times!! I have to say i've also suffered from row c & d syndrome while working, but if the pax is sleeping with their head half in the aisle what can u do!:confused:

I think I have 'c d disease'. I don't know how many times I have bent over while getting something out of the cart and some poor pax has got a 'hiney in the head'. To all the c's and d's I'm so sorry!
:ooh:

I agree..Too many lard arses getting into flying these days..

What is your definition of a 'Lard-Arse' though?

At the danger of moving the debate on....:rolleyes:

BMI (that's Body Mass Index) is probably a better measure than absolute girth. Equally, when (if???) you go to the gym, they're likely to have a chart which shows the healthy range of weights for a given height. For example, try this link:

Height against Weight

Something on these lines could be used as a sensible basis for recruitment. Weight in proportion to height is used for pilots (certainly at the initial medical), why not cabin crew? I'm 6'1" and 180lbs without getting paranoid about what I eat. If I can do it, anyone can.

When I joined, weight and hight HAD to be in proportion!!!!

Lard arse-Somebody who does not have weight in proportion to their height,in laymans terms FAT!

I agree with the other comments,weight SHOULD be in proportion to height..Airlines cannot be "weightist"However from a safety point of view some of the crew flying around these days coudnt get their big ol butts out of the overwing exit on an A320

Also we have to remember that the airline industry was founded on glamour and i know it aint like it used to be but people still like to see a bit of eye candy when they take a trip..Sorry to be so controversial but its true!!!

Hello all,

Interesting point with the BMI, however I have always particularly disliked this system.

I think technically if you put the England World Cup winning side on the scales they would all come out as 'clinically obese'.

Surely a simple test as to whether you can perform your duties effectively should be what is used?

Overweight Cabin Crew
 

This discussion reminds me of a crew I was with once. The Cabin Manager and R1P f/a were both very chunky (not necessarily obese, he was a big rugby player type, and she had very wide hips). They had to share a two-seater crew seat, and couldn't fit, so at the last minute the CM asked a slimmer f/a to swap with the R1P.

The point of the story being that it's all very well to talk about height to weight ratios, but you don't have to be obese to take up a lot of space. Maybe they should have a tester seat at recruitment sessions?

It is fine going by the charts, however....

I played prop forward for Edinburgh, I am big boned and my upper body is large...at a well discussed Gulf airline, I was weighed constantly...umpteen years as crew...it was a case of ..."but this is what the chart says..."

It does not make you not good at your job just because you have a few extra lbs...There are of course reasons as mentioned earlier in this thread, but some companies tend to be a tad OTT over this.

Cheers

HR

Don't seem to have much of a problem with this at Thai or Singapore.
(Love those uniforms :ok: )

weigh ins
 

I agree with Rae

At another (or maybe the same) well discussed Gulf airline, your weight was constantly measured and no matter how you looked ('overweight' or not), if the computer said you were overweight, you were overweight.

End of story.

:*

Obviously not working hard enough .... Gone are the days in aviation of the 60's glam when you had to practically be model thin with great looks!!

Last year, during SEP training a new guy had to be fired (or better, made redundant) because, despite he had been successful during the entire training course, passed all exams etc, he couldn't fit in the jumpseat seatbelt/harness.
How embarassing, poor thing.
But he was only a victim of the equal opportunities system.

Now BA state on their recruitment website that, as a mandatory requirement, the day of the interview you'll have to be able to demonstrate that you can fasten your seatbelt without the use of an extention!!!

I had the pleasure to fly with this crew member once....really a sweet person, but sooooo big that only 1/3 of my left thigh was actually on the double crew seat (and I am a UK size 6!!!) I had to balance myself the whole time. The flight was ok, but what about if I had had to brace?
Ground staff wouldn't allocate a seat at an overwing exit to a passenger of an equal size....

As for the "C & D Syndrome" I think I will have to join the club!!! :}

FWB:)

Well dungfunnel, love to know what you look like ... no oil painting, I'm sure!!! I'm not one of the larger girls and I would never of dated someone so into himself, what a joke!! ... you need an attitude adjustment!! Grow up darling!! And by the way, there probably not dating you for you, I'll give you the tip!! Competitive ... get in the real world, sounds like you're on the 'Milan catwalk', PLEASE!!

Lets face facts here.

NO paying passenger likes to look at overweight cabin crew.
Clearly that is why the asian airlines don't have any, and the cabin service on these asian carriers is generally second to none.

However, being slightly overweight is not generally a safety issue.
Of one particular concern however was a female CC on one recent flight who was very pregnant.
She had great trouble getting down the narrow isle, could not push (by herself) the booze/food cart and, absolutely could not reach up and close an overhead locker.

Absolutely useless in any type of an emergency situation, yet here she was on duty.

Oh yes, the airline....Delta.

dungfunnel, according to Roger Mellie all 'Kakpipe Cosmonauts', should be decaffed. Hows your collection of fartleberries coming along? Tw@t.

TightSlot, for a moderator, I find your user name as offensive as dungfunnel. Have you had surgery?

Human Factor, great link. All you lard arses out there, click on that link and explore the whole website.

Thought for the day..

'Nothing tastes as good as thin feels'

TightSlot,

I do agree with your concern about Dungfunnel's attitude and opinion but i have to disagree with your concern about his grammar and spelling.

As a moderator you know that Pprune is a worldwide forum. A direct result of this worldwide status is that there are people posting on this forum whose first language is not english. With your status as a moderator i find your comments on somebody's grammar and spelling offensive.

Regards, FT

TightSlot,

In almost every thread on this forum there seems to be somebody who finds it necessary to comment on spelling and grammar mistakes. This is annoying because it sometimes destroys a interesting subject and starts another fight about spelling and grammar mistakes. Therefore it is a shame that a moderator gives the example by doing it aswell.

But i have taken your point and indeed after reading Dungfunnel's follow up post it is apparent that his english is of a higher standard than in his first post.

Back to topic.

411A,

In several airlines when the cabin crew informs management that they are pregnant they are taken of flying duty with immediate effect. Thats the same in my company and the girls are given office duty. This to protect child and mother.

Indeed you are right that paying passengers don't want to see a overweight member of cabin crew. Most pax still expect cabin crew to be female and beautiful. Asian carriers got strict rules for cabin crew.

EVA AIR is advertising for cabin crew and the requirements are:
Female - Single - under the age of 24 and have their weight in proportion to their height.

No offense to older cabin crew but some airlines can follow this example. I have flown NorthWest several times from AMS-DET-AMS and if i have to guess the youngest cabin crew was between 35 and 40 years old. However that you need to be single is a little bit over the top.

FT.

Overweight Cabin Crew
 

It's interesting that fellow cabin crew perpetuate the narrow minded views of passengers "who want to look at attractive flight attendants".
What matters is being proficient in our jobs and professional (in both our coduct and grooming).
It is one thing to demand a certain level of health and fitness from prospective cabin crew, but openly advertising for young, slim attractive, female flight attendants is the type of discrimination that belongs in history books.

<<It is one thing to demand a certain level of health and fitness from prospective cabin crew, but openly advertising for young, slim attractive, female flight attendants is the type of discrimination that belongs in history books.>>

You are very wrong, EAAFA.
The desire of some airlines to hire only the prettiest and slenderest female CC (and even perhaps...male:} ) will not change anytime soon.
You see, the CC are the face of the airline to the paying passenger, and if that face is growing fat and ugly, those paying pax will go to another airline, for the pretty gals (or guys...depending), provided the fares are about equal.
It really is that simple, as many asian airlines have proved, time and again.

Take travel USA-Asia for example.
You could take UAL or NWA ( rather senior routes for both) and be served by grandma, or you could take CAL, SIA, CX...etc, and see a pretty face, and superb service.

Pax aren't blind.
Now, if the older gals and guys keep themselves in shape, it might indeed help...but it will never replace the 20 somethings that serve up the booze.