Tattoos are now mainstream, like it or not. The posters above noting that, what was completely unacceptable in the 70s no-one now blinks an eye at, are right. Well sort of. There are still some who think men should be wearing suits and women should always be in a skirt and heels. Just as I'm sure in the 70s there were still people who bemoaned the fact that crinolines were no longer worn.
For general enlightenment, in the UK it is *not* illegal to be naked in public. But you can be arrested if it causes a public nuisance or a breach of the peace.
I like tattoos and have several. I also like Japan. That they choose to ban people from certain venues like water parks if they have exposed tattoos is annoying but part of the quant nature that I enjoy. I also enjoy great service from people with polished manners and appearances. So I wouldn't want all service roles to be stopped from constraining the appearance of their staff.
So if BA choose to maintain a policy of no visible tattoos, hair a certain way, etc. I have no problem with that. I have no problem with Virgin et al choosing another path. Some people will be more confortable with one style or the other and it may have a small part to play in their choice of airline. For me it won't make a lot of difference. Modern tattoos are generally quite tasteful compared to those of a lot of people I knew in my youth. 'cut here' on the neck or 'HATE' across the fingers. Many of those were actually done in borstal or prison out of boredom and as a means of expression. The tattoos that a lot of people get these days cost four figures and there are long waiting lists for the best artists. So I think there is an element of common sense. If the tattoo is offensive to many customers then it should always be covered if you are in a service role, comparisons to shelf stackers are specious.