Tattoo Policies
Removery has researched and interviewed cabin crew, airline, and flight attendant training programs to find the most relevant information for those that want to pursue a career as a flight attendant. Ultimately, tattoos can be hidden with makeup or covered with clothing but for some, removing visible tattoos is the only option to move forward as a flight attendant. If you think you need to remove a tattoo to become a flight attendant, Removery is here to help.
Find a location near you and book a time to talk with a tattoo removal specialist.
It’s understandable why flight attendant schools and airlines hiring flight attendants have these requirements — the cabin crew is the face of the airlines. Airline flight attendants are the primary contact points between an airline and passengers.
Flight attendants’ appearance is one of the first things customers notice, and it often leaves a lasting impression that affects the airline’s brand image. Your flight attendant training will require that you adhere to a set of grooming standards, which helps ensure that the cabin crew is projecting a unified and professional image.
For most US-based major airlines, tattoos cannot be visible when a flight attendant is in uniform. Many budget airlines, such as Spirit, Southwest and Frontier are also moving toward a stricter tattoo policy. You may face even more restrictions if you want to pursue a flight attendant career with international airlines.
For example, most airlines based in the Middle East won’t hire anyone with a tattoo. If you have tattoos, one of the first steps to becoming a flight attendant is understanding each airline’s grooming standards so you can decide which opportunities to pursue or whether you’d need to remove your tattoos before joining flight attendant school. That way, you can still adhere to your self-expression while respecting the job’s requirements.
According to United’s “Flight Attendant Uniform Appearance Standards“, tattoos must never be visible while you’re in uniform.
If your tattoo is on an area covered by the uniform, you do not violate the flight attendant’s requirements. You can refer to the guidelines for the uniform designs to see if the available options are sufficient to cover your tattoos.
Per Delta’s Uniform and Appearance Guidelines, those seeking a flight attendant career with the airline aren’t allowed to have any visible tattoo when wearing the cabin crew uniform (e.g., on the face, neck, hands, lower arms or legs).
You can refer to Delta’s latest flight attendant uniform design to determine whether your tattoos violate flight attendant requirements.
Similar to United and Delta, American Airlines’ grooming standard for cabins forbids tattoos that are visible while in uniform. To pursue a flight attendant career with the airline, refer to the latest uniform designs and see if your tattoos can be covered by the various options.
According to flight attendant training, JetBlue’s cabin crew aren’t permitted to have visible tattoos.
Check out the airline’s uniform design to see whether your tattoos can be covered by the garments. It’s also recommended that you wear clothing with similar coverage for your flight attendant job interview.
Becoming a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines requires you to adhere to their flight attendant appearance standards, which state that “tattoos cannot be visible.”
However, tattoos are fine as long as they’re “appropriately covered by pants, long sleeve shirts, hair, makeup or scarf.”
While there’s no tattoo policy in Spirit Airline’s employee handbook, information available on a career site indicates that tattoos must not be visible during interviews or when wearing the airline’s cabin crew uniform.
The airline’s uniform design is similar to those of most major airlines, and you should wear clothing with a similar level of coverage to your interview.
Per the airline’s guidelines, visible tattoos aren’t allowed while wearing the flight attendant uniform, even if covered by makeup, jewelry or a bandage.
The policy prohibits tattoos in areas visible while wearing the cabin crew uniform, such as the face, ears, hands, wrists and neck.
The airline’s regulation prohibits tattoos from being visible while in cabin crew uniform, and cosmetic and bandage coverings aren’t allowed.
On assessment day for your flight attendant training, you should wear an outfit that’s similar to the flight attendant uniform and follow the “no visible tattoo” policy.