Delta Orders Classier, Sexier Uniforms

Steve · 02-04-2004, 12:53 PM

probably not the best idea right now...

By HARRY R. WEBER
The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 3, 2004; 5:59 PM

ATLANTA - Cash-strapped Delta Air Lines has ordered up a makeover of its employee uniforms, hiring a big-name designer who promises a classier - and in some cases, sexier - look for flight attendants, airport agents and other workers.

The carrier said Tuesday that designer Richard Tyler, whose dresses have been worn by stars such as Julia Roberts, Heather Locklear and Jamie Lee Curtis, will be overseeing the uniform change.

"I want them to look sexy and great, but you have to keep that classic look as well," Tyler said in an interview with The Associated Press.

All Delta would say about the new uniforms, to debut in 2006, is that they will be better fitting and more durable. Their color, currently gray, could also change.

The Atlanta-based airline refused to say how much the project will cost - a new outfit Tyler created for actor Pierce Brosnan cost $3,500 - or give specifics about the design. No mannequins or pictures were displayed at a news conference announcing the project.

The potentially expensive move comes amid months of cost-cutting initiatives at Delta, which has lost more than $3 billion in three years and laid off 16,000 employees since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Andrea Taylor, a Delta flight attendant and union advocate from New York, said she has concerns about money being spent on new uniforms in light of pay and benefit cuts.

"That money would be much better spent supporting the livelihood of Delta flight attendants," she said.

But Taylor acknowledged the current uniforms are not exactly fashion-forward. "We have been referred to as prison wardens wearing them," she said.

Delta officials said the decision to redesign uniforms is a "wise investment" that will boost morale among employees and increase the airline's bottom line in the long run.

jetabout · 02-04-2004, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Their color, currently gray, could also change.

Betcha it's going to be navy blue. I don't know, sexier and classier uniform sounds like an oxymoron (it isn't, just sounds like one). Quoting Pierce Brosnan's outfit's price tag doesn't tell you much either, just that he can afford it. Definitely no more than $200.00 per outfit, tops. Still, one must wonder when one hears such decisions being made.

JOHN JOHNSON · 02-05-2004, 12:01 AM

Great news!

Tight-*** skirt please!

Short skirt enough to enjoy the scentary when she bend down.

(Hot damn here the wet dream above your head while your inflight nap.)

To put kidding aside. Yes About the time by comparing the foreign airliners and stewards' dress looks much sharpier than our domestic airlines. No question about that.

continental · 02-05-2004, 01:03 AM

They coulda saved a sh1tload of cash by hiring me. I'd work for "alternate compensation."

continental · 02-05-2004, 01:11 AM

Mmmmm... I like Delta. Delta goooood...

AirDar · 02-05-2004, 02:56 AM

Now THAT is great BRANDING!!!!!

jetabout · 02-05-2004, 08:48 AM

Yes, but wait till you see them on the 60 year old slightly overwight attendants. You'll be screaming MY EYES!!!!!!! MY EYES!!!!!!

NYCAAer · 02-05-2004, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jetabout
Yes, but wait till you see them on the 60 year old slightly overwight attendants. You'll be screaming MY EYES!!!!!!! MY EYES!!!!!!

That's what I was thinking when I see all the DL international F/As in Europe. A lot them shouldn't be wearing anything tight or revealing. That's true about calling them "prison wardens." I think an AA F/A originally coined the term.

AirDar · 02-05-2004, 03:07 PM

The babes of today are the battleaxes of tomorrow...

Bill G · 02-05-2004, 04:07 PM

Here is a picture I was in when Ozark intoduced their new uniforms in 1985. At least they weren't blue polyester. Sadly this was the last Ozark uniform before the TWA merger. I'm at the very top of the picture.

Bill G

ZX1100F1 · 02-05-2004, 06:41 PM

My objections with the flight attendants aboard Delta (and most other) have little to do with the uniforms.
When are the majors going to insist that the hired help in the back treat the paying passengers as customers?
“Customer service” is the first item listed in their job description and let’s face it, if any other employee in the workforce consistently performed their duties with the blatant disregard for customer satisfaction and lackluster performance as most F/A’s they’d be in the unemployment line faster than they could say “Put you tray tables in the full upright position for landing”.
I can’t remember the last DAL flight I was on that had an F/A onboard that I would dare want to see in something even “a little sexy”.
I was thinking more along the lines of issuing some of these pigs burqas.

Tony Sepanski · 02-05-2004, 07:47 PM

Did anyone here ever see the Late Night with David Letterman a few years ago when he had a United flight attendant on as an audience participant? This is back when the "United Rising" campaign was just getting underway. The FA was a younger female, probably 23 or so; attractive. I can't remember what the deal was for Letterman to have a couple of people picked out of the audience, but he would interview each of them in his own unique style. He got to the UAL FA and asked 'what's the United Rising thing all about' and she answered she didn't know and didn't think it made a lot of sense. Then came the best part: He asked if they ever dated passengers. Her response:

"I don't know. The passengers are the enemy."

Letterman about had a stroke, and he really got mileage out of it the rest of the show. He'd have a pause in the action and bust out laughing, saying "The passengers are the ENEMY!!" and the camera would flash back to the UAL F/A.

Not the best day for UAL PR, I think.

NYCAAer · 02-05-2004, 08:13 PM

I remember the UA F/A on Letterman. I heard later on she ended up getting fired for that remark, and the union couldn't save her job because it was on national TV.

JOHN JOHNSON · 02-05-2004, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jetabout
Yes, but wait till you see them on the 60 year old slightly overwight attendants. You'll be screaming MY EYES!!!!!!! MY EYES!!!!!!

Everyone will have gray puberty! By then for us Gray power will rock soon.

Sheesh..........

jetabout · 02-05-2004, 09:30 PM

JohnJohnson:

Perhaps I should've been clearer. My jab is not aimed at the "60yr old slightly overweight attendants". It's at the people who imagine all cabin attendants should be dressed in skimpy outfits like the one(s) in the photos. Just a dose of reality shot.

Me, I pesonally don't think male flight attendants walking down the aisle in posted bikini would look attractive either, no matter how good he looks. And the same people who wanted those pretty female FAs in bikinis would still be screaming MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!!

..... and frankly, so would I

Eddy Two · 02-06-2004, 08:56 AM

Ah hush with the nay-sayers.

British Airways is in the same situation right now - as of April 1st, new uniforms will be rolled out to the airline's 30,000+ employees. The uniform design itself cost perhaps a few thousand £££s -but certainly nothing major.

The largest cost associated with getting new uniforms is the actual manufacture of the uniforms. HOWEVER the airlines have a choice :

1) Make new uniforms following the older design to replace uniform items that may be old and suffering from the effects of wear-and-tear.

2) Make brand new uniforms, using the money that would otherwise be spent on just replacing the existing one with the same items again.

So you see, the only real difference in the cost of the uniforms is the few thousand bucks it costs to design the new one. No biggy.

continental · 02-06-2004, 09:50 AM

OK. If no one likes the idea - however ludicrous - of smokin' hot F/As, then let me propose the following:

DirtyBird · 02-06-2004, 06:08 PM

I dont think dressing up some of those old Delta battleaxes is going to cut it, if you've been on a Delta flight lately you would know what I am talking about. I dont wanna see granma sporting a mini skirt and a holter top if you catch my drift. By the way anybody got a picture of that beautiful blue eyed blonde they have making an appearance at the end of their safety video, she's absolutely stunning!

dylan · 02-07-2004, 02:28 AM

Alot of these honeys are now "battle axe's" for USAirways

True, some of the high-seniority babes dont look that good in hotpants anymore......they are usually the best at taking care of non-rev's. If Im stuck in coach, most the time its the old hag that still gets me a cocktail or headset for free....while the younger, hotter FA's seem miffed at the request. I dont know....anyone else who flies alot feel the same way??

Bill G · 02-07-2004, 11:24 AM

Dylan

Man, sorry to hear about the way you've been treated by some of the flight attendants. I certainly don't like reading that. I usually try flying the senior position and if I have available seats in first class I always invite the non-rev's up front. You have to look after your own if you know what I mean.
If not I make sure the f/a's working coach get the manifest so they can know where the non-rev's are seated. If not I usually bring back head sets if it's a movie flight and give them out.

, just because some of the f/a's are younger sure doesn't mean they're hotter. I'm sure you've seen what I mean.
Hope your next flight is better.

Bill G

FLYFRONTIER · 02-07-2004, 03:02 PM

You can't frost a turd and call it a cake

dylan · 02-07-2004, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill G
Dylan

Man, sorry to hear about the way you've been treated by some of the flight attendants. I certainly don't like reading that. I usually try flying the senior position and if I have available seats in first class I always invite the non-rev's up front. You have to look after your own if you know what I mean.
If not I make sure the f/a's working coach get the manifest so they can know where the non-rev's are seated. If not I usually bring back head sets if it's a movie flight and give them out.
, just because some of the f/a's are younger sure doesn't mean they're hotter. I'm sure you've seen what I mean.
Hope your next flight is better.

Bill G

See, Bill knows whats up...he's old school. Congrats on WN and good luck w/ your career.

Dylan

02-04-2004, 12:53 PM	#1
Steve Master Collector Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 838	Delta Orders Classier, Sexier Uniforms probably not the best idea right now... By HARRY R. WEBER The Associated Press Tuesday, February 3, 2004; 5:59 PM ATLANTA - Cash-strapped Delta Air Lines has ordered up a makeover of its employee uniforms, hiring a big-name designer who promises a classier - and in some cases, sexier - look for flight attendants, airport agents and other workers. The carrier said Tuesday that designer Richard Tyler, whose dresses have been worn by stars such as Julia Roberts, Heather Locklear and Jamie Lee Curtis, will be overseeing the uniform change. "I want them to look sexy and great, but you have to keep that classic look as well," Tyler said in an interview with The Associated Press. All Delta would say about the new uniforms, to debut in 2006, is that they will be better fitting and more durable. Their color, currently gray, could also change. The Atlanta-based airline refused to say how much the project will cost - a new outfit Tyler created for actor Pierce Brosnan cost $3,500 - or give specifics about the design. No mannequins or pictures were displayed at a news conference announcing the project. The potentially expensive move comes amid months of cost-cutting initiatives at Delta, which has lost more than $3 billion in three years and laid off 16,000 employees since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Andrea Taylor, a Delta flight attendant and union advocate from New York, said she has concerns about money being spent on new uniforms in light of pay and benefit cuts. "That money would be much better spent supporting the livelihood of Delta flight attendants," she said. But Taylor acknowledged the current uniforms are not exactly fashion-forward. "We have been referred to as prison wardens wearing them," she said. Delta officials said the decision to redesign uniforms is a "wise investment" that will boost morale among employees and increase the airline's bottom line in the long run. __________________ Aerosite ...check it out!

02-05-2004, 12:01 AM	#3
JOHN JOHNSON Mysterious Collector Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 4,196	ABOUT THE TIME! Great news! Tight-*** skirt please! Short skirt enough to enjoy the scentary when she bend down. (Hot damn here the wet dream above your head while your inflight nap.) To put kidding aside. Yes About the time by comparing the foreign airliners and stewards' dress looks much sharpier than our domestic airlines. No question about that.

02-05-2004, 01:03 AM	#4
continental I am come from Texas. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: I might keep suffering all my life Posts: 1,910	Bring on the sexy stews! They coulda saved a sh1tload of cash by hiring me. I'd work for "alternate compensation." __________________ Continental Apply suction to the object of your choice, n00bs.

02-05-2004, 01:11 AM	#5
continental I am come from Texas. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: I might keep suffering all my life Posts: 1,910	Mmmmm... I like Delta. Delta goooood... __________________ Continental Apply suction to the object of your choice, n00bs.

02-05-2004, 02:56 AM	#6
AirDar I'm watching you... Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Land of BBQ & thin chips Posts: 1,787	Now THAT is great BRANDING!!!!! __________________ Dar~ Yours is not to question why, Yours is but to BUY or DIE!

02-05-2004, 08:48 AM	#7
jetabout Senior Collector Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 473	Yes, but wait till you see them on the 60 year old slightly overwight attendants. You'll be screaming MY EYES!!!!!!! MY EYES!!!!!! __________________ Live in colours http://www.freewebs.com/jetabout

02-05-2004, 03:07 PM	#9
AirDar I'm watching you... Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Land of BBQ & thin chips Posts: 1,787	The babes of today are the battleaxes of tomorrow... __________________ Dar~ Yours is not to question why, Yours is but to BUY or DIE!

02-05-2004, 04:07 PM	#10
Bill G Insane Collector Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 1,228	Uniforms of the past. Here is a picture I was in when Ozark intoduced their new uniforms in 1985. At least they weren't blue polyester. Sadly this was the last Ozark uniform before the TWA merger. I'm at the very top of the picture. Bill G __________________ *Ozark Flies Your Way* FEES DON'T FLY AT SOUTHWEST

02-05-2004, 06:41 PM	#11
ZX1100F1 Buford T. Justice Join Date: Sep 1999 Posts: 2,004	My objections with the flight attendants aboard Delta (and most other) have little to do with the uniforms. When are the majors going to insist that the hired help in the back treat the paying passengers as customers? “Customer service” is the first item listed in their job description and let’s face it, if any other employee in the workforce consistently performed their duties with the blatant disregard for customer satisfaction and lackluster performance as most F/A’s they’d be in the unemployment line faster than they could say “Put you tray tables in the full upright position for landing”. I can’t remember the last DAL flight I was on that had an F/A onboard that I would dare want to see in something even “a little sexy”. I was thinking more along the lines of issuing some of these pigs burqas.

02-05-2004, 07:47 PM	#12
Tony Sepanski Master Collector Join Date: May 2000 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 798	Did anyone here ever see the Late Night with David Letterman a few years ago when he had a United flight attendant on as an audience participant? This is back when the "United Rising" campaign was just getting underway. The FA was a younger female, probably 23 or so; attractive. I can't remember what the deal was for Letterman to have a couple of people picked out of the audience, but he would interview each of them in his own unique style. He got to the UAL FA and asked 'what's the United Rising thing all about' and she answered she didn't know and didn't think it made a lot of sense. Then came the best part: He asked if they ever dated passengers. Her response: "I don't know. The passengers are the enemy." Letterman about had a stroke, and he really got mileage out of it the rest of the show. He'd have a pause in the action and bust out laughing, saying "The passengers are the ENEMY!!" and the camera would flash back to the UAL F/A. Not the best day for UAL PR, I think.

02-05-2004, 08:13 PM	#13
NYCAAer Senior Collector Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: New York Posts: 296	I remember the UA F/A on Letterman. I heard later on she ended up getting fired for that remark, and the union couldn't save her job because it was on national TV. __________________ *+ROUTE OF THE ASTROJETS+* Kevin

02-05-2004, 09:30 PM	#15
jetabout Senior Collector Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 473	JohnJohnson: Perhaps I should've been clearer. My jab is not aimed at the "60yr old slightly overweight attendants". It's at the people who imagine all cabin attendants should be dressed in skimpy outfits like the one(s) in the photos. Just a dose of reality shot. Me, I pesonally don't think male flight attendants walking down the aisle in posted bikini would look attractive either, no matter how good he looks. And the same people who wanted those pretty female FAs in bikinis would still be screaming MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!! ..... and frankly, so would I __________________ Live in colours http://www.freewebs.com/jetabout Last edited by jetabout; 02-05-2004 at 09:32 PM.

02-06-2004, 08:56 AM	#16
Eddy Two Speedbird 31 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Hong Kong 20th-24th April Age: 25 Posts: 1,154	Ah hush with the nay-sayers. British Airways is in the same situation right now - as of April 1st, new uniforms will be rolled out to the airline's 30,000+ employees. The uniform design itself cost perhaps a few thousand £££s -but certainly nothing major. The largest cost associated with getting new uniforms is the actual manufacture of the uniforms. HOWEVER the airlines have a choice : 1) Make new uniforms following the older design to replace uniform items that may be old and suffering from the effects of wear-and-tear. 2) Make brand new uniforms, using the money that would otherwise be spent on just replacing the existing one with the same items again. So you see, the only real difference in the cost of the uniforms is the few thousand bucks it costs to design the new one. No biggy. __________________ Edward J. Tumath II "Captain Haggis" "The Tooth" If it ain't Arby's, I ain't eating it..... Tony Sepanski Day - Held each year on 28 Feb !!! Check out my photos on JetPhotos.net !!! Click here right NOW!

02-06-2004, 09:50 AM	#17
continental I am come from Texas. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: I might keep suffering all my life Posts: 1,910	OK. If no one likes the idea - however ludicrous - of smokin' hot F/As, then let me propose the following: __________________ Continental Apply suction to the object of your choice, n00bs.

02-06-2004, 06:08 PM	#18
DirtyBird Master Collector Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Atlanta GA, USA Posts: 898	I dont think dressing up some of those old Delta battleaxes is going to cut it, if you've been on a Delta flight lately you would know what I am talking about. I dont wanna see granma sporting a mini skirt and a holter top if you catch my drift. By the way anybody got a picture of that beautiful blue eyed blonde they have making an appearance at the end of their safety video, she's absolutely stunning! __________________ Turkish Airlines DC-10-30 from Gemini Jets!

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02-07-2004, 02:28 AM	#19
dylan Village Drunkard Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert... Age: 31 Posts: 1,958	Alot of these honeys are now "battle axe's" for USAirways True, some of the high-seniority babes dont look that good in hotpants anymore......they are usually the best at taking care of non-rev's. If Im stuck in coach, most the time its the old hag that still gets me a cocktail or headset for free....while the younger, hotter FA's seem miffed at the request. I dont know....anyone else who flies alot feel the same way?? __________________ mmmmm, beer.

02-07-2004, 11:24 AM	#20
Bill G Insane Collector Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 1,228	Ouch Dylan Man, sorry to hear about the way you've been treated by some of the flight attendants. I certainly don't like reading that. I usually try flying the senior position and if I have available seats in first class I always invite the non-rev's up front. You have to look after your own if you know what I mean. If not I make sure the f/a's working coach get the manifest so they can know where the non-rev's are seated. If not I usually bring back head sets if it's a movie flight and give them out. , just because some of the f/a's are younger sure doesn't mean they're hotter. I'm sure you've seen what I mean. Hope your next flight is better. Bill G __________________ *Ozark Flies Your Way* FEES DON'T FLY AT SOUTHWEST

02-07-2004, 03:02 PM	#21
FLYFRONTIER Freight Puppy Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: City by the Bay Posts: 493	You can't frost a turd and call it a cake __________________ - Please don't confuse me with that other guy