British Airways has just updated its uniform and appearance guidelines for flight attendants and pilots, and the changes are proving unpopular with employees. Perhaps one restriction stands out more than any other — flight attendants and pilots are now banned from drinking in public while in uniform.
No, we’re not talking about alcohol, but instead, we’re talking about drinks like coffee. It’s common for airline crews to get their caffeine hit before a flight, given the constant exhaustion they deal with. The one exception to this drinking rule is water, but crews are asked to drink that “discreetly.”
These new appearance guidelines reportedly cover everything from acceptable lipstick colors, to how employees can style their hair. British Airways has asked crews to embrace these new guidelines, claiming that these new rules will make the company a better place to work.
Beyond that, British Airways has also banned employees from commuting to work (by plane) in uniform. Many employees are based at Heathrow Airport but commute from another city, with a lower cost of living. So if commuting, they now have to wear “civilian” clothes, and then change into your uniform prior to their flight. Oddly, crews of other airlines can still commute on British Airways in uniform.
This is only the latest employee crackdown we’ve seen from British Airways in recent times. A few months ago, the airline banned crews from posting pictures from layover hotels, in the name of safety.
Is this crew beverage policy update reasonable?
There’s no denying that airlines around the world have very different appearance standards for their employees, both in terms of how they dress, and how they act.
At US airlines, it’s common to see flight attendants and pilots walking through the terminal chatting on their phone, drinking Frappuccino, and eating food in the gate area with their fingers.
Meanwhile at carriers like Emirates, it’s a totally different story, with all kinds of restrictions on how crews are to present themselves while in public. They walk in a much more orderly way through the terminal, they’re not on their phones, they’re not eating in public, etc.
Quite honestly, I see both sides. On the one hand, there’s no denying that Emirates crews look infinitely more professional and well put together than your typical US airline crew. At the same time, US airlines aren’t selling any sort of glamor or appearance as part of their value proposition, really. They’re just providing transportation, and the crew is there primarily for your safety.
I will say, British Airways is certainly introducing restrictions more in line with what you’d expect from Gulf carriers, and in some cases, going even more extreme (like banning photos from layover hotels). I appreciate what the airline is going for, but of course there’s a big disconnect between how British Airways management sees itself (or pretends to see itself), and what the experience is actually like.
British Airways management claims it wants to become super premium, while management’s actions don’t otherwise really reflect that. Yet crews are being treated as if that’s the case.
Bottom line
British Airways has updated its uniform guidelines for flight attendants and pilots, and that includes restricting beverage consumption in public. Specifically, crews are no longer allowed to drink in public, with the exception of water, and that has to be consumed “discreetly.”
So you’ll no longer see British Airways employees walking through the terminal with their pre-flight cup of coffee. That’s certainly a strict approach for the company to take, and I question to what extent that’s warranted, given the experience the airline otherwise offers.
Credits: British Airway
