Flight attendants have one of the most interesting jobs in the world—and one of the most demanding.
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They flirt with danger every shift, working hard to keep crew and passengers safe. They also do quite a bit of emotional labor, handling nervous flyers and last-minute requests often.
But there’s a lot that goes into being a flight attendant and member of the cabin crew that passengers don’t hear about. In fact, some details are outright shocking. One of my flight attendant friends once explained that she doesn’t start her shift until the flight takes off. All that onboarding is unpaid, in other words.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the reality of being a flight attendant. If you want to take a peek behind the curtain, these are some of the wildest rules flight attendants and other cabin crew must obey for specific airlines.
Surprising flight attendants rules from around the world
Rule #1: Height requirements are still a thing—and so is weight
US airlines still impose height requirements for flight attendants. Most airlines look for cabin crew between 4 feet 11 inches and 6 feet 4 inches tall. They need to be tall enough to help passengers with the overhead bins, but not too tall that they can’t easily move around the cabin.
Weight is another restriction, though it isn’t rigidly defined, like height. US airlines like Southwest and American Airlines hire flight attendants who weigh ‘in proportion with height’. That’s a vague metric, but the idea is that flight attendants must be capable of helping passengers in case of an emergency. In other words, they should be physically fit regardless of their final weight.
Rule #2: No selfies on layovers—even in hotel rooms
Airlines around the world are notoriously rigid about what flight attendants are allowed to do while wearing their uniform. (That’s not exclusive to airlines, either.) One of the most important rules flight attendants must follow is meeting behavior requirements while in uniform.
That usually means no eating, drinking, or smoking—but it could also be more rigid. British Airways, for example, doesn’t allow flight attendants to take selfies in hotel rooms even out of uniform, as it could pose a security risk. Meanwhile, Delta has banned all selfies in uniform for social media side hustles.
Rule #3: Watches are non-negotiable
Flight attendants must wear watches for security purposes. Virgin Atlantic revealed to The Telegraph that this is due to emergency protocols and service timetables. In the case of an emergency, flight attendants use their coordinated clocks to spring into action. In the case of great service, they use them to time things like meal prep and drink carts.
Rule #4: No crazy adventures between routes
When it comes to odd rules flight attendants must obey, there’s one unspoken and unwritten clause: Don’t get into a jam during your time off between flights. According to a former Emirates flight attendant, Jetstream Ginger, the airline wanted to ensure flight attendants weren’t involved in any activities that don’t align with their brand or that could cause crew harm.
That could mean going out to a crazy party—an airline doesn’t want its staff to be seen as irresponsible, even when off the clock. It could also mean avoiding adventurous activities like bungee jumping, which could cause injury and create staffing problems for the next flight.
Rule #5: No tattoos, no piercings, & no ladders in tights
Flight attendants need to fit height and weight requirements—but they also need to look the part. For example, women flight attendants wearing tights need to change immediately if they get a ladder, aka a run in the tights.
Every airline has different grooming requirements, from barring men from wearing ‘trendy’ facial hair styles to requiring women to sport natural-colored hair. Almost all airlines require staff to hide tattoos, as well, and piercings aside from plain earrings. The one exception is Virgin Atlantic, which allows flight attendants to show off their tattoos—just not on the face or neck.
Rule #6: Women must wear coordinated makeup
In addition to looking the part, some airlines actually require women to coordinate their makeup. That includes things like contouring, lipstick shade, and eye shadow. The most well-known example comes from Emirates. Emirates has a Beauty Hub that teaches flight attendants how to put together their look, along with which supplies to use. Emirates even has its own laundry service, which is designed to maintain its high-quality uniforms.
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