The Attire On This Spirit Airlines Flight Attendant Haunts Me

The attire on this Spirit Airlines flight attendant haunts me. I can’t stop watching it, and I can’t look away. She parades down the aisle dressed in concert, while another crewmember makes an announcement about it. She’s apparently promoting her Philadelphia-based cleaning services business that she runs on the side. (It’s always Philadelphia or Fort Lauderdale!)

Are any of the passengers on this Spirit Airlines flight likely to hire her company to clean their home? While it’s tempting to say ‘of course not, they’re Spirit Airlines passengers!’ that wouldn’t be fair – or an accurate take on who is flying Spirit. But if you’re going to hire a cleaning service, you probably want it to be one that’s become successful enough – by doing a great job! – that the head of the company doesn’t have to moonlight as a Spirit Airline flights attendant?

Some airlines pay flight attendants commission to promote products – but it’s commission on the airline’s products, for inflight sales, not a crewmember’s own business products.

And airlines are generally very strict on their appearance standards. For instance here’s the Flight Service uniform standards guide for American Airlines that was issued in 2020 along with their new uniforms. It reinforces behavioral rules such as:

  • Crewmembers “may not purchase or consume alcoholic beverages, gamble, or sit ata bar, including for the purpose of consuming food.”

  • In addition they aren’t supposed to use “cellphones, smart watches, headphones, etc.” while “onboard the aircraft with customers”

  • They cannot sit on baggage belts or electric carts, and avoid chewing gum in customer view

The female dress may not be more than 1 inch above or below “the crease at the back of the knee.” Female nail polish has to be the same color on each nail (but no green, orange or yellow). No glitter or artwork on fingernails is permitted. If any nails chip then “all polish must be removed.”

Yet here Spirit Airlines is, though, with a flight attendant looking like she’s just come from a housekeeping anime convention?

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. As a flight attendant, I certainly don’t agree with this advertising onboard the flight. I’m surprised the company allows it. It wouldn’t happen on any flights that I was working. Nuts. Secondly, as far as having a company and working as a flight attendant, there are many pilots and flight attendants that have very successful companies and careers on the side. They enjoy both and make money at both. I’ve flown with dental hygienists, attorneys, financial planners, people that own florist businesses, ranchers that raise cattle, chefs, caterers and even a judge. I could continue on but it boils down to that many of my colleagues have other interests besides flying and pursue those as well. I say good for them.

  2. No different than FAs giving a credit card pitch and walking up and down the aisle pushing them on people. Flying has become a free for all between the obnoxious crews and tacky passengers, it is no longer enjoyable.

  3. Perhaps Spirit Airlines, with union approval, should hire this professional flight attendant and her cleaning services to clean the aircraft before departure.

  4. Looks way better than having to put up with the annoying Southwest FAs that think they can sing or rap while doing the safety announcements

  5. Really? Something is not right (obviously) with this situation/behavior. Again, who said yes to this in your face advertising? I wonder if this was even permitted under airline rules. Nuts!

  6. It wasn’t a flight attendant it was a passenger. We were on that flight. And it was a joke really because they had a hard time finding a place for the head

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