Qantas - New Cabin Crew Uniform
 

I'm on a day off today, but just been told by a mate that we have received a new memo in our mailboxes regarding a new uniform. The memo doesn't state what it will be, but the CSMs on the BOS desk say that it is a silver tie and jacket, not sure about the girls. Its about time we had a fresh update to the uniform.....the current colour palette of "rock" and "black" is dull and lifeless.....if the rumour is true about "silver" and "black" then I'm guessing it will be more refreshing, modern, and futuristic looking.

Given that the current uniforms is still arguably fashionable, smart and professional I'd have to suggest that a new uniform is a complete waste of money.

I think the uniform change is tied more to the new A380 that is coming. There has been a lot of speculation that the company wanted to update its image in line with the new aircraft. Given that the whole aircraft interior colours are changing at the moment....seat fabric, curtains etc....I guess they wanted colours on our uniform to complement that also.....wise move anyway....black and silver look much better against the current interiors of maroon and mid grey. The Aboriginal print, when introduced about 6 years ago, was novel and fresh at the time....but now its time to move on with the future. I hope the new colours are more stylish and sophisticated.

Instead of unnecessary spending money why not do something useful?

Knitwear so that crew don't freeze during long night sectors.

Crew shouldn't have to wrap themselves in passenger blankets.:ugh::ugh::ugh:

Speedbird....Given the history of company priorities on spending then a new uniform could well be on the cards..

IFE....No need because it's only used by customers....
New aircraft....no...the 300's have got years in them left besides the A-330 can fly to LA can't it:eek:
More crew.....You have got to be kidding....why improve customer service?
Bonus's for the select...Now your talking:D
Oh..Hang on we have to be seen to be doing something.....Hey...New Uniforms and I'll bet the crew will love the in cabin gear we give them.Besides the current uniform is still stylish and current...and we can't have that now can we.Maybe we can go for that French label again..that was a huge win....for someone:ooh:

Speedingbirdhouse....I agree with you in some respects that a total uniform overhaul would be a waste of money....however, I think that it might actually be cheaper for the company, in terms of manufacturing runs. I'm not sure if you are cabin crew, but when we first started getting the jackets...they were lined with the Aboriginal print on the inside. Then as the years rolled on and we swapped old jackets for new, the inner print lining disappeared and now it is black lining. So I am beginning to think that it costs money to print intricate designs. If the company just updates the look by introducing a solid colour and no print for guys and girls, then I am thinking maybe it might be cheaper to produce? Anyway Speedingbirdhouse...its just a thought and I agree with the money issue.

domestos.....

I'm thinking more along the lines that it is more money because they have to pay a license fee for using it....:oh:

Knitwear
 

As daggy as it may sound...I do like Speedingbirdhouse's suggestion of knitwear. Oh I miss my old Harry Who cardigan, it was fabulously warm and was great to wear when sleeping. I used to secretly wear it under my jacket to keep warm in freezing ports. I think a stylish woollen neck scarf would be great too.

Oh, knowing Qantas, if they were to introduce knitwear, it would probably be fire retardant acrylic anyway....as if they would give us wool again!!!!!

2 words---comfort & pockets,

Oh, you can have a scarf, gloves [and perhaps knitware?] but only if you work out of the LHR base.

Lets face it, none of us go anywhere cold and the Thais who spend much [most?] of their time in and out of LHR don't feel the cold one little bit. :rolleyes:

What with all their excess body fat they carry and growing up in such a cold country.

Lowerlobe,

who will be the new Barruta [sic]?

French champaign and junkets to Paris for EVERYBODY, darling............

Uniforms
 

I agree a change to the uniform is a complete waste of money, unless of course the CSMs will get a gold lame jacket and sequined tie. I have often felt that looking like westfield security was so passe....now sequins and lame would be completely in keeping with our position of ringmaster of a flying circus

Silver ya say...............

Any coincidence it matches them A330/320's :oh:

why don't we also change the logo ever so slightly...

That ought to convince the travelling public and staff we mean business :E

Spot on Pegasus re Westfield Security.....LOL...you are so right! I was wondering why our CSMs were moonlighting as security at Westfield Bondi Junction...LOL.

BTW...does anyone know what is happening with the new Y/C super duper aprons we were supposed to have gotten? I thought the company were re-issuing the aprons cos they were saggy and looked like we were selling vegetables at Paddy's Markets? I can understand galley operators and air chefs wearing aprons whilst working but please....not in the cabin...it denegrates from the whole "premium" image......

......oh that reminds me...I need to wash my apron after selling bok choy at Paddys in my moonlighting job.

Downturn?
 

There must be an impending financial disaster coming to QF. The track record of new uniforms impeccably follows downturns in the industry, with millions being spent when "We'll all be rooned!" messages come from management.

Watch this space!!:uhoh:

G'day ;)

Yes its true we are getting a "re-fresh" to coincide with the introduction of the A380. Yes have heard silver as well. But after reading the memo I think there will be a print option that even female CSM's have the option of wearing (not that many male CSM's would want to wear it). I say bring it on while they are spending money on us some executive is missing out on a bigger bonus payment. I would of course much prefer to see it spent on our customers but pigs dont fly (YET).

good! I'm glad they are getting rid of the "indigenous" print.......its bloody ugly and old.

However the CSS and CSM ties are fine the way they are.

but get rid of that ugly UA black dress and remove the option for women to wear slacks!
Some hosties simply shouldn't be wearing trousers it makes their @rses look even bigger than they are!

I know,

Silver with a big orange star.

cartexchange....I totally agree with you...there are waaaaay too many options for the females. This is gonna sound really sexist, but I think females should either wear a smart business skirt or a dress. I don't see other reputable big name airlines giving their females too many options....and if you work in Asia....forget it!!!!!

Wouldn't you agree with me...if there are too many options, it is hard for customers to work out who is who amongst the females...if its not print dress, then its black dress, if its not black dress then its the skirt....if its not the skirt then its slacks....and for goodness sakes, if its not slacks then its maternity wear. For cryin' out loud...we are an airline....NOT a Noni-B or Katies store front.

OK girls....I'm waiting for you to jump up and down and shoot me down with sexism....blah blah blah...yawn :zzz: But hey....flying is a perceived glamourous job...if other females from other premium airlines can look uniform, sexy, and smart...why can't ours? Guys too! Its all about eye candy....image is EVERYTHING!!!!! OK....shoot me down also for being vain...blah blah blah...yawn!!!!! :zzz:

you make me laugh domestos, very funny post...heh heh

Capt. Cynical,

You don't want pockets, mate, because then they can't accuse you of putting chockies and biscuits in them... :mad:

domestos sounds like crew we used to have in the old days before the anal retentive pc visitors/police started getting rid of any crew who had a personality or original thought.
Has anyone noticed how the visitors look at you if you are having a laugh in the office around the sign on area?
They can't work you out and it's kind of like they are some sort of aliens who don't understand fun.
With our uniforms its just another way of glossing over any probs and pretending alls ok.
Like lobey said I reckon they should spend some dough on the ife and then we wouldn't have to make so many apologies.I'd like that better thana new jacket or tie.But whatever they give me it's just something so I don't wear my own clobber.
Besides this means they will have to find a new bunch of would be models/crew who spend all their spare time in the office and make a new how to look great runway uniform book and that means even more money to waste.

Hopefully this will mean we don't have to see ageing Sydney LH crew squeezing into that Aboriginal print dress anymore. :yuk:

Although 'count the boomerangs' is one of my favourite pastimes!!! :D

It's to help the crew hide when the IFE packs it in.... yet again.... :E they can just 'blend in'... :p

They'll still be squeezing ..
 

From what I have heard, the print dress and tie are still staying. They will just be a different colour! Think ' Shiny Disco Balls' :p

I think the new version will be even harder to hide the bulges in :{

The problem is, so many people dont give a fat-rats how they look because it's just a uniform. They never know how much the passengers comment about what they look like. Particularly in the print dress! I have heard so many comments from passengers when a larger lady walks past in it!

They should only make the print dress up to size 12 :ok:

Why change the dress size? Change the flight attendant instead.

Well, all mainline crew just got a notice saying it's changing, detailing the changes and that it affects all Qantas mainline crew... the only thing they didnt say was what the new colour of the print dress and tie would be :p

I agree with you, Domestos. Airlines that put female cc in trousers just lower our prestige in the eyes of the passengers :ugh:.

Cut the sexist crap...half the guys are overweight slobs too so forget about how the women look.

Trousers are for safety reasons. If you had to go down a slide in an emergency you would want to be wearing trousers not nylon panty hose that would give you severe burns and scar you for life.

get over the whole crap about appearance...if you want to go down that line then go to the FAAA and inisist that the EBA provides for scales at sign on.....

They wouldnt be able to crew a bloody flight!!!!

hi A B P, what is a pochette?
hi 747 , they could crew a flight with bkk crew...need to upgrade for csm/css

yes yes we know peg!
some of the guys are big! but there is nothing more "outstanding" than a chick in those pants or wearing the boomerang dress!
I once counted 4 boomerangs across one arse, can anyone beat that!:D:ok:

Indamiddle, Grab a copy of the runway guide. The pochette is worn by all cabin crew. I thought a QF employee would know that???

Patty...Do you mean that QF employees would know that there is a runway guide for uniform standards......

Or what a pochette is?

I admit I had to dig out the runway guide to find out ......but then again I am a heterosexual male so unless you are a woman,gay or sensitive new age guy I doubt you would either.....

By the way....The pochette is not worn by all cabin crew because it is not used with the dress.....

cartexchange....I have to say for argument's sake, I agree with you re female crew. Yes we sound sexist, but hey, we live in a world that has a label for everything and we stereotype this and that. This is just fact, this is the way the world revolves around its 24 hour axis. I'm just calling a spade a spade and not a 'splade'. I think (and it is my opinion, opinions are like a**holes, everyone's got one) it is socially acceptable, to some extent, to see a larger male than a larger female in the cabin. Also I think passengers have a glamourised view of female flight attendants and I have to admit those girls who work for Asian and Middle Eastern Airlines, premium airlines that is, are in the majority simply gorgeoous. Look, I'm a Friend of Dorothy anyway, but I looooove working on a cart with stunning looking girls who are really sweet on the eye candy. Makes me wonder what I missed out on!!!! LOL. Sorry if this offends anyone...but its my opinion and I am sorry if I offended anyone.

Anyway, we've digress now.

Back to the uniform issue....got wind of some crew gossiping about the new colours.....and they reckon its gonna be more grey than silver. Hmmm...I was hoping it would be more of a metallic silver with a subtle shiny lustre. I think that would look awesome against a black suit and white shirt. Any thoughts anyone......?????

Pegasus747,

If the nylon panty hose really are a safety issue in the event of an evacuation, why are they part of the uniform in the first place? Surely an OH&S issue?

It's a fact of life that customers like being served by attractive, well presented people and barge arse walking down the aisle banging into everyone doesn't fall into that category I'm afraid.


And Domestos, haven't heard the term "Friend of Dorothy", but would I be safe in assuming it's the same as "putting from the rough" or "batting for the other team"? :D

Transition Layer.....LOL...spot on re: Friend of Dorothy.

I'm gonna step up to the sexist limelight and say......if I were to run a fantasy airline, I'd have all my girls over 6' tall, all with 25" waists, all wearing stillettoes, tight above-knee business skirts, and tight fitted blouses and they all would be wearing pill box hats. Oh my god, what a vision.....I looooove gorgeous female flight attendants.

OK, I've had my peace now.

....oh I forgot to add....I'd make all my gorgeous girls wear fish net stockings.....!!!!! lol.

OK people, don't get offended, we can all have our fantasies!!!!! lol

Hey Peg,your a bit touchy today?

The others are right and the world is sexist so get over it.It's a fact of life and we live with it everyday day.
What the others are saying is that the company should understand that most of us could lose a bit of weight but then who doesn't.When they are picking out a uniform they should come up with something that flatters the average body that most of us have and let's face it the dress with the boomerangs does not.
Get down off your high horse and realise how lucky you are doing all that walking between QCC and the union bunker.

You know, it's a funny but sad ol' world: where if you're a Friend of Dorothy's it's quite ok to espouse old Domestos's fantasies, no drama. But if you're a mate of Bruce's and do the same thing, well, it'd be tea and bickies with the boss Monday morning.... :cool:

Ron & Edna Johns,
It's the same with the difference between a girl and a guy.If a woman pinches a bloke on the bum at work he won't do a thing but if it's the other way around it's a please explain and bring your lawyer with you.
Like I said it's a sexist world and we have to live with it.