Over the summer, a Delta Air Lines flight attendant asked whether supplementing her income with OnlyFans would get her fired? Probably, if she were ever identified as a Delta flight attendant in connection with sex work.
Now, though, we know that officially the answer is yes – flight attendants are now banned from appearing in uniform as part of a side hustle.
Delta Air Lines has told flight attendants that they are no longer to post photos of themselves in uniform on popular social media sites like Instagram and TikTok if they have a side hustle as a paid influencer.
The updated social media policy has been designed to prevent flight attendants and other employees from ‘leveraging’ the Delta brand to build their presence on social media and score lucrative influencer deals…as soon as they start earning any money from their presence on social media, the photo ban will kick in.
@__land_with_laurel__ Just another day at the office! Only downfall was a pinky nail casualty thanks to a galley cart #deltaairlines #flightattendant #aviationlovers ♬ original sound – Name’s Laurel
Airlines – like many large companies – are broadly concerned with reputation management. I’m not sure many of them have great reputations. Delta’s was harmed significantly enough during last week’s meltdown that this might improve it, but they won’t see it that way.
OnlyFans now has a surprising nexus with the airline industry as its co-founder is an investor and board member in questionable Airbus A380 transatlantic startup Global Airlines. It’s probably both more lucrative for many and certainly safer than the onboard prostitution which was apparently happening on British Airways.
And there’s a niche for everything, as one American Airlines flight attendant was advising colleagues on how to successfully sell feet photos online – something that became popular during pandemic-era furloughs.
In the early days of blogging, and before modern social media, Delta Air Lines flight attendant Ellen Simonetti became a poster child for the new online world colliding with work expectations. She started a blog, Queen of Sky: Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant in September 2003 but a year later was suspended and later fired for posing in uniform and on planes, combined with her online commentary (she never expressly identified her employer by name). Some of her photos were mildly suggestive.
We know now that the things you say online can get you in trouble offline, if they create blowback for your employer. But this was still new 20 years. We know it in part because of Ellen Simonetti, who sued Delta for sex discrimination (there were plenty of male flight attendants with photos of themselves in uniform online). The airline settled. And not everyone still understands – the airline even needs to tell aspiring cabin crew that they must wear underwear.
@elliefanyc #fyp #deltaairlines ♬ Own Brand Freestyle – FelixThe1st & Dreya Mac
My take here would be that Delta doesn’t need a policy change to go after their flight attendants with an OnlyFans (yet apparently many still do it). Identifying oneself as a Delta flight attendant (or being outed as such) is enough to be disciplined, whether in uniform or not. Although this certainly makes it more explicit, but captures all the TikTokers too. And of course some use TikTok to promote OnlyFans.
“Reputation management” is an extremely old school way of thinking that has zero evidence in data. What is the evidence that DL FAs on OnlyFans have any effect on any business metrics?
Here’s a way to immediately improve net revenue. Fire your entire “reputation management” staff. Stop wasting time creating silly corporate policies which your bloated HR org has to enforce.
this is repugnant. Lots of passengers would know who she is. She deserved to be fired.
For an opportunity to be served by a flight attendant that is an influential thought leader and agent of change, please select Delta.
Delta didn’t go far even. But they don’t have the balls to outright ban social media because they don’t want their flight attendants to unionize. No employee should be using their employer in social media. Period.
if there’s no written Contract Delta FA’s are ‘at will’, meaning the Employer can fire them for any reason or no reason, at any time. Conduct viewed as ‘detrimental’ to the airline is an excellent reason. If there ARE Contracts, there’s definitely something in there where the FA’s agree they won’t do anything especially stupid that could possibly Delta’s image and goodwill with anybody.
@SFO/EWR
What a shock that no only do you support these trashy people, you also clearly have no business acumen whatsoever. You must be a crusty old Karen flight attendant. It all makes sense now: entitled, arrogant yet clueless. It all fits. Stay in Jersey, we don’t want you here, we have enough Karens in the bay area.
I’m a Diamond with Delta and fly with them weekly and I can tell you first hand that these poor employees are walking on eggshells. I’m always so kind to the flight attendants and go above and beyond to make small talk and ask them how they are doing and how their day is going. 99% are so afraid to talk and just simply say “thank you” or “I’m excellent” even though you can tell from the look on their face that can’t tell you how they are feeling. Even though I fly with them, I would HATE to work for an employer that treats their employees like this (fear and termination for talking or posting on social media). I’ve been in line at Starbucks and had spoken to Delta pilots and said hello and it’s a totally different vibe that you get from them. They joke, tell you exactly how exhausted they are, long days Delta has created, crazy people Delta transport and idiots on their phone and the “gate lice”. It’s a normal conversation, but Delta flight attendants it’s fear that I see or hesitation. When I fly American and United their flight attendants are great and there is definitely more talk and they do not hold anything back. I’ve never been offended and value their opinion and feedback, but not with the Delta flight attendants because they are not true and talk to you like they are reading a text-book statements. Very sad.