Thaindian News

Sydney, May 2 (ANI): American Airlines flight attendants have called for an end to what they have dubbed as a company “beauty contest” to find the best-looking female and male attendants.

Laura Glading, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said in an e-mail to the union’s 18,000 members at American, that the airline’s push undermines their chief duty of ensuring safety.

“This campaign just transported us back 50 years to the days of girdles, weight-checks and single, female-only stewardesses having to quit when they were married, pregnant or reached the ripe old age of 30,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Glading as writing.

She urged members to boycott the “ridiculous, insulting beauty contest”.

American Airlines began the ‘Face of Your Base’ contest this week, asking attendants to vote on who looks the most “superb” in new scarves, ties and striped shirts for their uniforms.

Winners will participate in a photo shoot to produce marketing materials for the pieces, according to an e-mail the airline sent to attendants.

The campaign was created by a team at the airline’s crew base in Chicago that includes attendants and managers, and the company wanted to include workers across the system, Missy Cousino, a spokeswoman for Fort Worth, Texas-based American, said in an e-mail.

“We understand that every campaign may not be of interest to every flight attendant, but encourage those who want to participate to do so,” she said.

“We’ve had several flight attendants express how flattered they were to be nominated to be featured in our internal company materials,” she stated. (ANI)