British Airways has updated its uniform guidelines in an interesting way, as flagged by PYOK, and this is proving to be controversial among employees.
In this post:
British Airways updates crew uniform & appearance guidelines
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 frappuccinos, 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.
What do you make of British Airways’ new crew drink restrictions?
BA management thinks their airline is "Premium"? Surprising, but BA execs also insist UK farmers put lipstick on their pigs.
Given that they’re allowed to drink water (access to which being a ratified human right and all) the crew response is obvious and easy: every crew member will just put water in coffee cups and walk through the terminal sipping their water - with an abundance of discretion, of course.
*shrug*
Seems to me they’re trying to get some discipline into employees’ general behaviour, in the hope that it implies an improvement in the airline performance to the general public. It’s a better approach than permitting sloppiness throughout the organisation. Appearances matter a lot.
the union already fired back
Honestly I find this completely ridiculous. Flight crews (and I'm not one) have a hard enough life as it is. Can you imagine being stuck in an airport in a city for hours during, say, a weather related delay, where you don't have access to a flight crew lounge, being told you cannot eat or drink! It's perfectly normal to me to see airline crew at 5:30 in the morning having their coffee while walking...
Honestly I find this completely ridiculous. Flight crews (and I'm not one) have a hard enough life as it is. Can you imagine being stuck in an airport in a city for hours during, say, a weather related delay, where you don't have access to a flight crew lounge, being told you cannot eat or drink! It's perfectly normal to me to see airline crew at 5:30 in the morning having their coffee while walking to their job (AKA - the plane). Just completely ridiculous. And largely unenforceable. As one other person commented, pick your battles BA. Your staff are already largely disgruntled.
I hate flying BA. Avoid it whenever I can. But, on the bright side, this just released.....
"British Airways has also banned employees from farting."
Former TWA Flight Service Manager 747 here. You try this in the States, you'll have a strike of the F/A's so quick you don't know what hit you. Suing for restricting your (entitled) personal freedom. And the cockpit crews will join the cabin crews in solidarity.
Really ! Is that all BA management can focus on, banning crew from drinking coffee in public.
Easier to bash their crew rather than deal with issues confronting BA ! Investment for one.
Their elderly beach fleet of B777 aircraft based @ LGW are decrepit 23, 25, 26 years old and showing it !
Some of their aircraft interiors are definitely in need of a deep clean and spruce up.
No...
Really ! Is that all BA management can focus on, banning crew from drinking coffee in public.
Easier to bash their crew rather than deal with issues confronting BA ! Investment for one.
Their elderly beach fleet of B777 aircraft based @ LGW are decrepit 23, 25, 26 years old and showing it !
Some of their aircraft interiors are definitely in need of a deep clean and spruce up.
No let’s ignore that one and tackle real meaty outstanding management issues !
Crew drinking coffee in public, wonder how many consultant led focus groups @ Waterside came up with gem of an issue to tackle.
Drink your coffee in the briefing. It’s not hard.
Your Captain speaking. Sorry folks, we'll be Delaying our flt 30 minutes while I get my COFFEE!!!
So many commentators have a very low reading comprehension skills. IN PUBLIC VIEW. BA is not banning coffee or other drinks, just not IN UNIFORM IN PUBLIC VIEW. That was the rule when I got hired at my airline.
Honestly I applaud BA for a switch to premium. Have you seen an Asian or Southwest Asian crew walk through the terminal? Heck, even Aeroflot. Wow, stunning. Now look at a senior international Delta crew, they look like slobs compared. Or UA or AA.
Gee whyd BA backtrack on the ban?
Try flying a 100 hr month! Flight Attendants I worked with routinely HAD to fly "hi time" just to make ends meet.Sock eyed bedraggled and always tired.Dragging their wiped out jetlagged self to a Tesco so they could sustain themselves on a day old piece of chicken.American carriers basically had carte blanche with scheduling of FA's due to the National railway labor act.How does a nice Lhr turnaround sound Ladies and Gents
What a load of bullocks
In the US you're lucky to get a friendly flight attendant
British Airways is as pretentious as the elder members of the royal family
With your comment "lucky to get a friendly flight attendant" and "pretentious" The problem isnt the FAs, but you.
So, no drinking coffee in public—but English tea still gets a free pass? And really, how can you even tell if it’s tea or coffee in the cup? I guess that’s where you class-oriented English folks step in—because we non-class Americans wouldn’t know the difference.
When I started flying at Delta in 1989 we were weighed in every month, had strict hair and no beard policy, and Barry Nogle, head of HR at the time, asked me directly if I had a girlfriend to make sure I was straight before hiring. A ban on drinking coffee in public is a new one though.
about time they looked professional in public
And now for Ben’s daily “I see both sides” comment.
As an ex-BA staff member, this was the case when I joined. It was relaxed to some degree after T5 opened. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a recent incident that has resulted in this being tightened again.
World standards of behaviour are dropping everywhere.
World standards of courtesy towards our fellow human beings are dropping everywhere.
World standards of dress and expression are dropping everywhere.
The race to the gutter has been spearheaded by a certain country which lies to the left of the pond, the citizens of that country have nothing to be at all proud about presently.
Coming from someone who has no class. Smh what an ignorant comment. A country who effectively doesn't have free speech has no place talk.
At least we haven’t criminalized prayer. When we outlaw silent prayer, please feel free to call us uncivilized.
Thank you Jieschmke, for providing the necessary evidence as proof of the observations in my post. The words of ignorance exemplified …. :-) Xxxx
I have never flown BA but this might make me never want to fly with them. They wonder why there is always a disconnect between management and front line employees, doesn’t matter what company you’re talking about. You have people dictating what to do that have never even done that job or if they have then they’ve completely forgotten what it’s like. Honestly it’s so petty on BA. There job is hard enough to begin...
I have never flown BA but this might make me never want to fly with them. They wonder why there is always a disconnect between management and front line employees, doesn’t matter what company you’re talking about. You have people dictating what to do that have never even done that job or if they have then they’ve completely forgotten what it’s like. Honestly it’s so petty on BA. There job is hard enough to begin with now they’ll have to skulk around trying to have a coffee. Hey BA get over yourself and quit trying to micromanage your employees and treating them like children.
To be fair to British Airways (BA), one of the reasons I've not favored them is the way their flight attendants conspicuously consume coffee and other beverages in public. Not to mention the fraternization!
I know I'm much better served by BA when they really drill down on micromanaging the small off the clock behaviors of their crew, rather than say, providing clotted cream with tea on afternoon Club Europe flights
My hunch is this less about appearance and standards, and more about making the employment experience so unbearable that people choose to leave on their own.
As a retired pilot from a major U.S. airline, I remember crew members jokingly referring to their careers as “living the dream”. It now seems that more and more management geniuses are turning the dream into a nightmare.
The coffee story brings back memory of an international flight on a US airline last year. Peak of summer, all passengers by the gate with no AC sweating, flight was delayed by almost 2 hours because crew was stuck in traffic. Could the crew have planned better and left their hotel a but earlier as heavy traffic was expected? After a long delay, crew starts to arrive by the gate. 90% of the FAs carrying...
The coffee story brings back memory of an international flight on a US airline last year. Peak of summer, all passengers by the gate with no AC sweating, flight was delayed by almost 2 hours because crew was stuck in traffic. Could the crew have planned better and left their hotel a but earlier as heavy traffic was expected? After a long delay, crew starts to arrive by the gate. 90% of the FAs carrying their freshly brewed Starbucks coffee that they just waited in line to buy inside the terminal. Many of them were also carrying duty free shopping bags that they had just purchased. WTF! So they were late for the flight but still had time to buy coffee and do some shopping? Passengers were pissed, some started screaming and the contracted people managing the flight at the gate were in disbelief. One of them came to some passengers and said they were also furious to see that the crew arrived super late but were carrying fresh coffee and shopping bags. She said she took pictures of the crew and was going to report them to the airline. Oh well!!!
BA is a carrier with AA style service, SQ style prices and LH style hard product that clearly wants to look like EK. Good luck.
WOW! This brings back memories of my career with a US Airline in the 1970's. We could not drink, eat or chew gum in view of public/passengers. Smoking was done only in the terminal while seated, not while walking. Conversations with passengers inflight was not to involve religion or politics.
Reminds me of a (possibly mythic) prohibition of female flight attendants eating/consuming an ice cream cone/hot dog in public !
Can one infer that no conversation involving religion or politics was allowed but, sex, as a topic was permitted ?
... lol
As an ex-British Airways cabin crew member, I’d like to say that while I understand the reasoning behind the new no-hot-drinks policy, it’s worth considering the effect on crew morale. Cabin crew and pilots often work very long and anti-social hours, and a simple cup of tea or coffee can be a small but meaningful refreshment. Taking that away might just make hardworking crew feel less appreciated. Just something to think about.
Drinking coffee? Are these bots or people? Because if they latter they get hungry, thirsty, tired and need to go to the lav from time to time. A crew member grabbing a coffee, or water or bite of food inflight is perfectly acceptable between duties. I guess management wants people that can go 12 hours plus without the need for food, liquids or "bathroom" movements.
The banning of posted "selfies" while on duty makes...
Drinking coffee? Are these bots or people? Because if they latter they get hungry, thirsty, tired and need to go to the lav from time to time. A crew member grabbing a coffee, or water or bite of food inflight is perfectly acceptable between duties. I guess management wants people that can go 12 hours plus without the need for food, liquids or "bathroom" movements.
The banning of posted "selfies" while on duty makes sense. You're there to do a job, which includes layovers, not tout yourself on a Youtube channel.
Indeed, there is the complimentary BA restriction to this policy limiting uriniation/defecation while proudly wearing the BA uniform ! ... That applies in public view or the privacy of a stall ...
... lol
Photos from layover hotels should indeed be banned. It is a security issue.
How this is not obvious is beyond me. I wonder when will this ridiculous narcissism end.
So much for a 'security issue' ... Do these crews change into civilian clothes before leaving the airport & are admitted to the layover hotel through the back door ?
Even a moron can figure out where an airline crew is laying over ...
US crew are there primarily for our safety? What a joke. 99.999% of their work involves serving food and drinks or picking up trash, but that 0.001% of the work is their primary job? That's ridiculous on its face, nevermind the fact that some 60 year old lady who can't lift help with luggage for fear of injuring herself is going to do anything but get in the way in an emergency.
I used to...
US crew are there primarily for our safety? What a joke. 99.999% of their work involves serving food and drinks or picking up trash, but that 0.001% of the work is their primary job? That's ridiculous on its face, nevermind the fact that some 60 year old lady who can't lift help with luggage for fear of injuring herself is going to do anything but get in the way in an emergency.
I used to work as an engineer in a manufacturing plant. We had to do occasional safety training every few years. Actually I thought I was an engineer at the time, but I guess my primary job was actually safety!
The primary reason they are there is government mandate, that is all.
Agree with you on most points except that it’s not 99.999 percent, it’s 100 percent. During an incident these women care about their lives first! Period! It’s human nature!
Wow. Just because they do other things doesn't mean that's their primary job. Firefighters do very little firefighting during a typical day but I'm sure you are happy to know that they are there for the "other" .001% of their work. And frankly, despite the fact that you have a very ignorant view of the physical capabilities of a 60-year old woman (and they, like 20-year old FA's refuse to lift your bag because of...
Wow. Just because they do other things doesn't mean that's their primary job. Firefighters do very little firefighting during a typical day but I'm sure you are happy to know that they are there for the "other" .001% of their work. And frankly, despite the fact that you have a very ignorant view of the physical capabilities of a 60-year old woman (and they, like 20-year old FA's refuse to lift your bag because of work injury issues typically mandated by the airline itself), I would rather have a plane full of experienced 60-year old FA's in times of emergency that have seen it all rather than a bunch of young new hires that panic in the face of any chaos and have little experience in dealing with in-flight emergencies of any type. The FA is responsible for opening emergency exits, maintaining order, and getting people to safety during accidents. This does not include doing a fireman's lift of passengers down the aisle and tossing them off the onto the slide.
Lisa, maybe that’s what those women are “supposed “ to do, but in reality just like the op said, they are a bunch of out of shape 60 plus year olds who in the time of a real emergency just freak out and value their lives over ours. Sorry, but it’s just a fact.
Name one incident where the flight attendants bailed before passengers or otherwise put themselves before passengers. It doesn't happen.
Just because you know *you'd* bail and put yourself before everyone else even if you said you wouldn't doesn't mean everyone's so fickle...
Your entirely vapid comments concerning safety and security are without a doubt moronic. It was flight Attendants who reported the events on 9/11and prepared to protect their passengers. The live calls concerning seat numbers, descriptions of the perpetrators and the ensuing chaos as they hurtled to their deaths. You have absolutely no clue as to what initial training and yearly mandated emergency training involves and what is required. No one is there to stow your...
Your entirely vapid comments concerning safety and security are without a doubt moronic. It was flight Attendants who reported the events on 9/11and prepared to protect their passengers. The live calls concerning seat numbers, descriptions of the perpetrators and the ensuing chaos as they hurtled to their deaths. You have absolutely no clue as to what initial training and yearly mandated emergency training involves and what is required. No one is there to stow your luggage. They are there to ensure that your bag does not become a flying battering ram. That a burning aircraft can be evacuated in 90 seconds. Engineer?! I wouldn’t let you hang a painting.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from decades in management and managing people it’s this; “pick your battles”. And frankly this isn’t a battle worth picking. None of this will do anything to increase the “glamorization” of British Airways. It will only piss off the employees who frankly aren’t all that happy to begin with.
Nailed it.
Unless their intent all along is to create a culture that makes people want to quit.
Probably has to do with the fact of these ridiculously sized coffee cups. Everyone and their mother has a Stanley or some massive metal vessel. Super sus.
Treat them like robots, that's what BA will get. They're human, and need to drink.
BA is a crap airline. Fix the issues with the company first.
And banning staff from drinking water in public is probably illegal, banning them from drinking coffee is just management being morons.
BA is acknowledged as being in the top 15 of world airlines. By comparison only one U.S. airline just scrapped into the top 50! Call BA all you like frrp, however, the real airline passengers of this planet who have been surveyed by CNT, Forbes, NY Times, SkyTrax, etc, etc, know far more about the facts than you obviously do frrp.
Put some time in on various airlines flights, furthermore, learn something about EU...
BA is acknowledged as being in the top 15 of world airlines. By comparison only one U.S. airline just scrapped into the top 50! Call BA all you like frrp, however, the real airline passengers of this planet who have been surveyed by CNT, Forbes, NY Times, SkyTrax, etc, etc, know far more about the facts than you obviously do frrp.
Put some time in on various airlines flights, furthermore, learn something about EU and UK Health and Safety Regulations, before bumping your gums like a deranged school kid.
There are good views and there are bad views.
Many years ago I was in FCO departing on Lufthansa. Their airport was a chaos, but it was not clear why, and as we were waiting for the delayed boarding the pilot came walking by with a large order of coffee for the crew. As you are standing there waiting to board, hoping to catch your connection in Frankfurt, while likelihood is rapidly dwindling, seeing the...
There are good views and there are bad views.
Many years ago I was in FCO departing on Lufthansa. Their airport was a chaos, but it was not clear why, and as we were waiting for the delayed boarding the pilot came walking by with a large order of coffee for the crew. As you are standing there waiting to board, hoping to catch your connection in Frankfurt, while likelihood is rapidly dwindling, seeing the captain shopping for crew coffee is probably not what you want to see.
As it turned out, Wizz Air had decided to have their landing gear collapse on the runway in FCO on a diversion from CIA due to a landing gear warning. So there was plenty of time to get crew coffee, but with no passenger information it was not a pretty sight.
As a long retired pilot I always did everything I could to keep passengers informed of reasons for delays, before and after boarding.. I saw it as a common courtesy at the very least.
It’s about professionalism and also safety. There was an incident where a Swiss passenger slipped on coffee spilled on the floor in I believe terminal 5, causing life changing injuries. BA lost a case, even though it was not even at the gate as it was considered as “ during boarding”. US crews already look unprofessional with drinks, food and phones as well as being badly dressed. They want you to be seated when drinking.
Sit where and drink a coffee in LHR T5? Terminal A has enough seats for less than 20% of passengers at any one time.
I use t5 frequently and never had any issue finding a seat at various times of day, often near the Pret A Manger.
I don't care at all if the crew drinks coffee or not. If you want to be professional then make sure the crew is not boxed into the forward galley all of the time avoiding to work - which this is doing the opposite of as they would be allowed to drink coffee in there if they close the curtain. Thanks a lot BA..
Not covered by their contract?
You forgot to mention your customary WOW in the title. Please don’t try and compare this to US airlines as they don’t really have standards that resemble rules. I appreciate that BA is trying, but they may have overshot the mark
Yup, very silly idea. Everyone in the UK walks around at work with a coffee cup/flask or water bottle all day long. Hardly affects the image of an FA.
I was about to post some dumb quip about it only being proper to reject coffee for tea as a british business, but this is just dystopian and I surely hope this clowns version of totalitarianism is against UK labour laws and promptly abolished.
Took the words right out of my mouth. This is completely nonsensical.