oneant

Admit it or not, we all have preconceived ideas as to whether someone is gay or not based on their appearance, actions, voice, etc.

Before I start, I'm a straight male.

On a recent trip home from Paris on AA we had the best FA crew I've ever experienced. The three male FA's were the best. Attentive, fun, happy. I'd bet my status on these gents being gay.

Aside from those three, has anyone else but me found that the best FA's tend to be--based on my possibly very flawed presumptions--gay males?

On a flight a few weeks ago from ORD-DFW, I stood in the front galley on an MD-80 chatting with the FA about crap in the Us Weekly--my sister in law leaves them in our bathroom so I catch up on gossip--for the better part of the flight. Again, I never asked, but assumed he was gay based on my own crappy judgement.

I gave that guy--along with the FA's from that CDG-DFW flight--AApplause thingies and even wrote in to AA about them.

Am I alone in this?

Expatbear

As a gay man, I do have several mates who are cabin crew. They swear there are (and I have also met) many who, like yourself, keep to the straight and narrow. A few of my gay friends are miserable .......s though and swear that they barely tolerate the travelling public. Which always makes me wonder why they chose that job, but anyway...

But on behalf of all of us whose love dare not speak its name, thanks for your friendliness and support :-)

oneant

To be clear, I'm neither supporting nor condemning gays as a group or a lifestyle. That's a completely different post altogether.

I just seem to find that the ones that come across as gay--again, based on my own flawed and stereotypical perception--tend to make some of the best FAs.

So, let's just say that I've found overly-friendly, effeminate, swishy, happy male FA's to be the best of the bunch.

Silver Fox

Yes, but what are you when you finish?

Anyway, this is probably best in the BA forum

Joking aside I really think it depends. I have had some excellent, obviously gay ones (fnarr fnarr) and a small few of some of the miserable ones too, but overall I would say that the experience is a positive one and usually a good laugh once the drink flows ! They don't seem to take life so seriously and are happy go lucky.

alanR

QANTAS - Quite A Nice Type of Air Steward

enviroian

+1

My finest inflight cabin experiences have always been with gay male flight attendants. Always professional, upbeat, and funny.

Wally Bird

Well that's the sanitized version....
TMI I think.

Seriously, what is the point of this thread ?
If it's to troll for offensive responses, I'll bite:

enviroian

Why is that TMI? I an definitely not attempting to illicit offensive responses, I am merely contributing an opinion to the OP's comments.

Wally Bird

Sorry, attempt at humor. Double-entendre and all that, but perhaps just my warped mind.

britenbsas

Who cares about an FA's sexuality? If the service is good, great. If it's crap, not so great.

Of course, it goes without saying that all gay men are overly-friendly, effeminate, swishy and happy What level of service have you received from the gay FAs who don't meet your stereotype?

"They?" ALL of them? Oh yes, I forgot. All gay men are the same

Daawgon

Good service is so rare these days (especially on AA) - you should thank your lucky stars and forget your stereotyping. Yes, it's a fact that gay people are drawn to public service work - police, firefighters, physicians, vets, actors, rock stars, cabin crew - so what else is new?

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Yes, most male FAs with US, European and Aussie airlines are gay. But certainly not like 95%. Most straight married men would likely have relationship and child raising issues with the life of most FAs (particularly domestic based that tend to do very long three day trips.) Maybe that is why they might at times seem more at ease. Unlike possibly a female FA with a family at home in need of their mother, gay men have only maybe a plant to worry about. (I've heard my share of female FAs on a cell phone is some drama over an issue at home.)

But straight, gay, male, female its about the level of service for me.

PTravel

"Lifestyle"?

I'm a straight man, too. However, the difference between us is that it never occurs to me to play, "Gay or European?" with anyone. Frankly, if I encounter a happy, friendly and attentive flight attendant of either gender, the only thing I think is, "Gee, a happy, friendly and attentive flight attendant -- I hope I have one of those, 'Going The Extra Mile,' coupons I can give him/her."

Does it really matter to you what someone's sexual orientation is?

As a society, we really need to get over this preoccupation with what strangers do in the privacy of their own bedrooms.

emma69

Some of the better FA's I have had are the completely OTT camp ones - what they do with their man bits in their free time is beside the point - it is how they act that often makes me smile (the unrequested but funny commentry as they do drinks service, the slight .....ing - gotta love a bit of a ..... )

However the best (if we are grouping them as a whole) FAs are mid 20s - mid 30s German female FAs. Usually very polished service, very good manners, very helpful, and speak about a trillion languages (and still have the good grace to put up with me practising my frankly shocking German on them!)

QueenOfCoach

I enjoy professional, safety-minded, competant, fun, friendly flight attendants.

I could not care less if they are gay, straight, male or female.