Qantas is known for generally being a pretty stylish airline, at least in recent years. The airline just shared their new pilot uniforms on their Facebook page, and they’re… different. Here are a couple of the pictures:
Now, the first thing I noticed is that the people don’t look like most of the pilots I have, especially the twins up front. I know airlines sometimes use models for promotional purposes, but that seems a bit odd for showcasing new pilot uniforms.
I know these are what really old school pilot uniforms looked like, but nowadays they’re more like sailor uniforms.
So, what do you guys think of Qantas’ new pilot uniforms — are they stylish, ridiculous, or a bit of both?
I think they look quite sharp. No more shoulder stripes. Much cleaner look.
Am I missing something? What's the big deal? It's a dark suit with a white hat. How would it be either stylish or ridiculous?
That dude in the center of the second photo - THAT should be the new Qantas uniform, it's even red with the logo!
The new cap badge isn't as professional looking as the old one, it makes them look like promotional models rather than pilots. That's something amplified by the white cap.
The only good thing I think is that you can have a gender specific cut of suit now.
But as others have said, what the pilots are wearing is of little importance to the customers really.
These pilots will be so preoccupied with their new threads they wont notice that loading door has just blown out over the atlantic while all four jets are pissing flue like there's no tomorrow.
Anyway!
It's a long time since Qantas flew a service over the Atlantic.
i think they are ace, about time we went back to some of the old school magic of travel
@ken I don't accept your "angle" because the subject is pilot uniforms, not pilot race. Your comment was not on the subject of the uniforms, only on the race of the pilots (and models) depicted. In other words, off-topic. Talk about "switch(ing) the arguments".
A one-line off-topic post, especially on a social issue, simply smacks of concern-trolling.
Once again, I don't have a problem with Qantas. No other commenter here has a problem with Qantas....
@ken I don't accept your "angle" because the subject is pilot uniforms, not pilot race. Your comment was not on the subject of the uniforms, only on the race of the pilots (and models) depicted. In other words, off-topic. Talk about "switch(ing) the arguments".
A one-line off-topic post, especially on a social issue, simply smacks of concern-trolling.
Once again, I don't have a problem with Qantas. No other commenter here has a problem with Qantas. Noone here is making assumptions or drawing conclusions about Qantas simply based on a PR event posted on Facebook - all the kvetching you've done translates to "all I know is what I see on the internet". Noone owes you a justification for why we don't have any nits to pick with Qantas. If you want their stats or whatever other unrelated info go do your own research. Putting that here only drives the discussion further off-topic.
Now, your concern may be valid, and, as a visible minority and knowing LGBT friends, I'm all for affirmative action and equal-opportunity workplaces. I abhor any form of discrimination (and have been a target of and observed it myself, even in a pluralistic and tolerant country).
Once again, if you have concerns about Qantas (or any other airline) simply let them know. This is not the right place for this discussion. Shi--ing an unrelated discussion thread gets you nowhere.
All the best.
@Phoenix~ Spot on. I hadn't proposed replying to @Ken's latest post as it is so off topic. However, if he has actually visited Australia he hasn't been awfully observant. If he is looking for an argument about inequality and lack of equal opportunity he needs to look no further than every facet of the society in which he lives, which will present him with a rich palate of injustice to be outraged over!
@glenn I am talking about pilots. Not cabin crew as this ad was about pilots. And I am not criticizing Australia for this and I have been to Australia, so please stop making assumptions or pass on easy judgements. That is exactly how discrimination goes and gets ignored. If you don't read it correctly and switch the argument points like this, it's just waste of time. I know many white Australians are actually more aware...
@glenn I am talking about pilots. Not cabin crew as this ad was about pilots. And I am not criticizing Australia for this and I have been to Australia, so please stop making assumptions or pass on easy judgements. That is exactly how discrimination goes and gets ignored. If you don't read it correctly and switch the argument points like this, it's just waste of time. I know many white Australians are actually more aware of this issue than whites in many other countries. Yet still you see so many white pilots in their flag carriers ad. Again this problem has two layers that are very common in many countries but sadly qantas isn't as progressive as I thought.
@phoenix am I not entitled to comment what I observe? We all do just as others are commenting on how cool the pilots are and how odd or cool the ad is. Mine is the same in that regard yet a different angle. But you don't seem to accept that angle, which is fine but being dismissive is not.
uniforms, ok. i,m a bit busy, so catch me if you can, thx craig
Lucky,
Maybe you can hook up with one of the them and wear and model their uniforms on Instagram, the way you did with that employee from Emirates?
i think they're pretty stylish and less ridiculous; but i cant say that they are perfectly normal. but then again its just qantas pioneering again, and venturing where they know they wont get full positive reactions.
@ken I am not the one who's outraged, nor was I the one who brought up the race issue in the thread. I have no problems with Qantas (actually they are fair dinkum!) nor does anyone else here. If you do have a problem with their diversity processes kindly take it up with them directly.
@glenn t thank you for the cogent response.
love boat?
@Ken plainly has not visited Australia. The photos are unexceptional and quite representative in my opinion. Cabin crew are more diverse, with lots of females, persons of Asian heritage, gays of both genders, and so on. To say that Qantas has a problem with diversity is ridiculous; it is an equal opportunity employer, and if you have the requisite qualifications for whichever position, you will be seriously considered.
@phoenix are you talking about one lady on their Facebook page? Sure that will double count for diversity. How convenient. But I used the "mostly" instead of all if you actually can read. Plus I didn't mean any outrage, just an observation but your response sounds like an outrage lol if you want to take seriously please give us the stats for the fraction of nonwhite male pilots at qantas and how many of these...
@phoenix are you talking about one lady on their Facebook page? Sure that will double count for diversity. How convenient. But I used the "mostly" instead of all if you actually can read. Plus I didn't mean any outrage, just an observation but your response sounds like an outrage lol if you want to take seriously please give us the stats for the fraction of nonwhite male pilots at qantas and how many of these 60 models are actually nonwhite. I am pretty sure both are disproportional to the population diversity. There are two layers of problems here. One is the actual diversity at qantas and the second one is their choice of models here. The second one is actually pretty common for the advertisement industry because they just like to follow the common trend of what is perceived as beautiful by majority. Of course our sense of beauty is brainwashed by Hollywood's white men perception of beauty.
Ben you only had to scroll slightly down on the FB page to see a video of their pilots being coached for their catwalk debut.
They look nice.
Robreido- Thanks!
@Mike - I agree!! Get it up and back down safely and they can wear pyjamas for all I care!!
@ Travis:
They're a Second officer - only qualified to operate during cruise. Not endorsed to take off or land
They look like Scientology Sea org (dangerous cult)
Why does the pilot on the bottom right only have two stripes? I know many airlines the F/A has two stripes, but these are pilots.
The chick in the middle is Jesinta Campbell (an Aussie model), but the rest of them are actual pilots. They fly anything from a Dash to a 380.
I like them but the cut of the suite makes me think it will only look good on tall, slender people.
The Love Boat boarding now!
FYI, the real pilots are completely underwhelmed by the new uniforms.
Ben, the 60 pilots that were featured in the show are all Qantas pilots, the only "models" used are two of the female cabin crew who are part of the Qantas promotional team and feature in Qantas ads and the old safety video. Me Joyce speaks about how proud he is to have their pilots show of the uniform. I guess you've underestimated how good looking us Aussies are
TT, love to know about the silly stuff
The twins are models, Zac and Jordan Stenmark.
The 3 people front and centre of the group photo are well-known Australian models: Jordan and Zac Stenmark (twins) and Jesinta Campbell.
@Todd watch out for that DiCaprio cat too. He's usually up to no good ;)
@ken if you click through to the Facebook page, you'll find some Pacific Islanders, but I'm betting you're too lazy to do even that. Faking an outrage is much easier.
@Lucky I like the unis as a whole. But I would think the cabin crew unis would be more your focus, not to mention much more controversial....
I like them! Look pretty sharp I reckon with a nice retro twist. I'd love to see them getting around in Retro Roo and a Retro Roo II....
They look like they're graduating high school in Scandinavia...but nothing wrong with that. I guess the real question is what do the Qantas pilots think of them?
I don't understand what's even potentially ridiculous about these.
I don't see Travolta anywhere.
Good.
One of my friends posted pictures on Facebook today of her friend who is a female pilot for QANTAS and was modelling the new uniforms. So definitely some real pilots in there. Did mention that there was models as well though.
Looks like a standard suit with a few stripes thrown on the sleeves. As
The above "Catch me if you can" & Pan Am pilot comments are dead on.
They look normal to me. My first commercial flight was probably on Eastern airlines.
Looks pretty good to me. Models aside they look a lot like everyday Qantas pilots to me.
@Lucky you've not done a post on the new Qantas safety video. It's pretty well done and a great advert for Australia.
I read an article about this earlier today and one of the main changes is to accommodate a pilot uniform trimmed specifically for females as well as males (apparently right now the same cut is used for both genders.) If I'm a female Qantas pilot, I'd be super excited for sure!
"Who cares, just fly the plane!"
The whole getup isn't that surprising. Australians love silly stuff. But, where are the epaulets?
I love them! Especially the white caps. Ben, you should watch Catch Me If You Can--Leo looks great in his Pan Am uniform, white cap and all ;)
BTW I assume pilots wearing white caps date back to flying boat days, when they basically were sailors
Mostly white male, either their pilots or choice of models. Maybe that's how Qantas is...
@Donna - A-men.
I like them. The white caps are a little Navy-ish perhaps. The models are gorgeous.
I guess you're too young to remember what the pilot's uniform at Pan Am looked like. It is virtually identical.