Glamorous Life of a Flight Attendant?

A couple of recent pieces in the New York Times bring to mind our popular 2007 book Femininity in Flight by Kathleen Barry. Today writer Ann Hood has an op-ed recalling how different flying was in the 1960s and 1970s when she was a flight attendant for TWA. As travelers sit stranded in airports or struggle with overstuffed carry-ons trying to beat the new bag charges, they may not remember that flight attendants used to offer a choice of three meals, with a smile. Another article, from Sunday's Times, describes how becoming a flight attendant is still a glamorous career for women in the Middle East. Etihad Airlines of Abu Dhabi recruits women from Egypt and other Arab nations to serve on their planes. The women live in monitored dormitories, but still experience much more freedom than they  might at home. Their experience recalls the earliest American flight attendants described by Kathleen Barry who saw the job as one of the only opportunities to pursue a career outside the home. So enjoy safe travels over the holidays, and if you're flying, smile at your flight attendants and think of how much their jobs have changed over the years.