Why Do Airlines have Appearance/Grooming Standards for Flight Attendants?
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 steward/esses are the main points of contact between an airline and the passengers.
Flight attendants’ appearance is one of the first things noticed by customers, 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.
No Visible Tattoos
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.
If you want to pursue a flight attendant career with international airlines, you may face more restrictions. 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 to understand each airline’s grooming standards so you can decide which opportunities to pursue or whether you’d need to have your tattoos removed before joining flight attendant school. That way you can still adhere to your self-expression while being respectful to the job’s requirements.
Airline Cabin Crew Tattoo Policies
Here are the policies of major US airlines regarding tattoos for cabin crew.