Bringing back the word "stewardess"
 

I like retro words, I also have never understood why the terms Steward and Stewardess were eliminated by most peoples lexicons over the last 30 years, to be replaced by "flight attendant" or "cabin crew". Yes I know its gender neutral, however we do not call waiters or waitreses, waitpersons, waitroids or restaurant crew.

Therefore over the last year or so I have been doing my own real word research by either calling Stewards or Stewardesses by these names or when speaking with them in the galley ask them what they think of the term.

Truth be told, I would estimate that over 80% of female flight crew like the word stewardess as either

1) They just like it better than other words
2) Older flight crew, will tell me things like "that's what I was when I was hired, and as the industry has become worse, we have been depersonalized with these new terms".
3) Some feel that it brings "class" and harkens back to a more elegant time for the industry.
4) The only people that still regularly use these terms are generally older passengers that have much more respect for them as they to come from another era.

10% are against the word and another 10% don't really care.

I tend to find that Stewards are more neutral on this matter than Stewardesses. In any case many tell me that they are often reffered to as "Purser' even though it is NOT there position (as on many carriers it doesn't exist) and in any case Purser is supposed to also be gender neutral, but much of the flying public only uses the term when speaking to males!

Now here is a really crazy idea, both as an experiment, but also to gauge the influence of FT on the broader flying world. Imagine if a large proportion of FT members were to start using these expressions regularly on every flight? Would it catch on in wider society? I wonder, I really do. If anything it would be an interesting experiment.

What does everyone think??

Well its better than some of the other terms I've wanted to call some of them lately..:D
I kinda like the idea^

I have a few thoughts on this subject.
I like words, old as well as new, in favor as well as not in current usage.
The airlines use the newer nomenclature: flight deck instead of cockpit and flight attendant instead of steward or stewardess. So I do likewise.
The name, Constantinople, falls gracefully and playfully on my ear; however, I would request to purchase passage to Istanbul.
I am glad you brought this up.

If it's steward and stewardess, why isn't it flight attendant and flight attendress?

I guess you missed the memo; they're frequently called "servers" now.

This another example of the same concept: take a job with low-status and rename it to make it sound better. Another one: secretary. There aren't too many of them any more, except officers of corporations and federal government cabinet members. The staffers in office buildings are now administrative assistants (some are senior executive administrative assistants).

I'll play along, as I don't want to get yelled at, but it sure seems silly to me. If the point is to have others treat you more respectfully (and I wholeheartedly support that concept), there are more direct and effect ways to do that.

I don't think the shift from steward/stewardess to flight attendant has done anything to alter public perceptions of the job. It just adds more letters and syllables.

I agree. Imo, changing job titles doesn't solve problems, real or perceived.

My only intent was to point out the flaw in the OP's statement (that waiters and waitresses don't currently have gender neutral titles).

The funny thing about "server" as a replacement is that it sounds more menial and submissive. Waiter and waitress have a certain dignity to them, conveying how the job isn't merely about serving the food and drinks, but has an important interpersonal aspect to it.

I'm one of those flight attendants that does prefer to be called a flight attendant. I have to admit I am insulted when a person who is forty or younger calls me a stewardess. Plus, it's been "flight attendant" for about 20 years now, it's not new.

You have referred to this title as a retro word, but we aren't in a retro world. We all know airline travel isn't what it used to be, and believe me when I say my job isn't what it used to be. When I hear the word stewardess, I immediately think of sex kittens wearing hot pants and boots. To me it also implies that all we're capable of doing is bringing drinks. Now, I spend more time being a police officer, babysitter and nurse than I do serving meals. I still love being a flight attendant and do my very best everytime I'm in the air, but it's far from the "I love to travel" and "I love people" era of the 70's and 80's.

It's all symantics and really isn't that big of a deal, but to me being referred to as a flight attendant is much more respectful than being called a stewardess.

As far as the publics perception of the job, it's too bad it really hasn't changed over the years, because most of us work very hard at what we do. We spend a lot of time training in emergency evacuations, first aid, fire safety, and now you can add self defense and fending off troubled passengers. On my last few flights alone, I've had 3 medical situations that needed immediate attention, and a drunk who was fighting with his seat mate. What would the stewardess have done?

I agree, I would like to suggest an alternative, "comestible distribution artisan" :p

I'm old fashioned. I call airplanes dirigibles.

I agree with this one wholeheartedly. I believe that we should treat everyone with respect, especially those that 'serve in the skies'. But, to sugar-coat something and make it what it isn't is just preposterous. At my previous high school, the janitor was no longer a janitor. He became the custodian and then eventually, he became the CUSTODIAL ENGINEER.

Sorry to go OT (I really do apologize) but we are so stuck up on the becoming PC and trying to please everyone for no apparent reason, we become useless.....

So, to get to the point, I really like the term STEWARD or STEWARDESS and I'm only 23. I would hope that no flight attendant would take offense if I addressed them as a stewardess, etc.. :-)

-t.

laxskygal's feelings are those expresed by the 10% or so that seem to not like the word. Thw hole "sex kitten" thing or whatever was a 70's blip, as previous to that time the words steward/stewardess were quite glamourous, and I believe still are and much more so than flight attendant.

As for server, personally I find the word so demeaning that it doesn;t even come into my mind. I know of no quality restaurant where these people refer to themselves as servers, to me it seems like a more fast food or lowend chain restaurant type term.

Same here.

;


"I'd like to send this letter to the Prussian consulate in Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4:30 autogyro?"

:p