LOT Polish Airlines is said to be investigating a social media post by its Director of Cabin Crew after she apparently disparaged flight attendants at British Airways for their appearance and grooming. The post, which was first revealed by the popular cabin crew Facebook page A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge, has since been deleted and an apology issued in it’s place.
Travelling recently as a passenger on a British Airways flight, the head of cabin crew for the Polish flag carrier appears to have taken photos of the flight attendants without their permission. She then uses these photos to call them out on their appearance.
Note: We have decided not to name her or publish the photos of the BA crew members.
“Today, my attention was drawn to grooming and appearance of British Airways Cabin crew members, unpolished shoes, holes in tights, too tight uniform, double chin, rotten and uneven teeth, messy hairstyle,” the post is said to have read.
The airline executive, who has only been in her post for around four months, then apparently asked her followers if they too judge cabin crew on their looks.
She is said to have previously worked as cabin crew for both Gulf Airways and Etihad, before moving into cabin crew recruitment.
Many flight attendants have called her out on her views and defended the British Airways cabin crew.
The editor of the Facebook page that broke the story, likened her post to “cyber bullying” and said “BA crew have been making an effort to maintain a liveable wage and just survive, let alone thrive.”
“I wonder if she considered the airline she was questioning doesn’t provide the pay and perks that she was used to at Gulf Airlines. Just maybe the crew can’t affird to replace tights after every flight or fix the uneven teeth they were born with?”
Many airlines in the Gulf provide free uniform dry cleaning for cabin crew and some even offer allowances for hair and makeup. It’s widely believed that some airlines in the region recruit partly based on looks, while Emirates’ ‘appearance management policy’ came under scrutiny last year.
While a good standard of grooming is always important, European airlines are not allowed to discriminate against potential crew based on their looks.
Uniform polices have increasingly come under the spotlight, with Virgin Atlantic recently removing a minimum makeup rule for cabin crew. Air New Zealand has also said it will happily recruit cabin crew with visible (but not offensive) tattoos.
British Airways, however, has recently been criticised for maintaining a makeup and high heels rule for female crew. The airline is set to reveal a brand new uniform at some point later this year.
In response to the allegations, the official LOT Polish Airlines Facebook page replied to A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge, saying:
“Thank you for bringing our attention to this story. As LOT Polish Airlines we’re strictly following policy of not commenting our fellow colleagues from other airlines activities. Therefore, we are currently investigating this case. We’d like to assure everyone, that we take it very seriously.”
