Is this the world's oldest flight attendant?

[NM]

From news.com.au

A FLIGHT attendant is landing in the Guinness Book of World Records after his 63 years of moving about the cabin ended in his home state of Hawaii.

AFF members may not be surprised to learn which airline he worked for

 

[smit0847]

I hope I'm not still working when I'm 83.

 

[yohy?!]

without reading I'll hazard a guess at AA or a US carrier

that being said I think the most notable FA would have to be the aeroflot one who survived a fall from 40k feet in a jumpseat! they carried on working for the airline afterwards!

 

[MelUser]

I would guess United Airlines (the old pre continental merger United). Having flown with them across the Pacific once I am not certain that some flight attendants could assist in any way in an emergency evacuation of the aircraft.

 

[markis10]

without reading I'll hazard a guess at AA or a US carrier

Hmm, being Hawaii based probably made it a hard guess.

 

[fjc]

Many years ago, I used to party with some of the United crew in Sydney. One was 60+ and the others said that she would be one that they would have to help out the door, down the slide etc rather than her help with the evacuation. They indicated that she had no special abilities - just kept working.

 

[smit0847]

I used to party with some of the United crew in Sydney. One was 60+ and the others said that she would be one that they would have to help out the door, down the slide etc rather than her help with the evacuation

Did she like to get loose?

 

[Maca44]

I would guess United Airlines (the old pre continental merger United). Having flown with them across the Pacific once I am not certain that some flight attendants could assist in any way in an emergency evacuation of the aircraft.

Having flown United many times and noted the age of their international FA's, UA could have the sales pitch with "We have a thousand years of experience on every flight".

 

[yohy?!]

Hmm, being Hawaii based probably made it a hard guess.

Would have been had I read the article...still haavent

 

[Robert Qld]

Oddly enough in my limited experience with UA (only Dom US) I've always seem to get a youngish (30-40 something) cabin crew.

 

[markis10]

Would have been had I read the article...still haavent

LOL, its mentioned in the first post quote of the article.

 

[NM]

LOL, its mentioned in the first post quote of the article.

It actually mentions that Hawaii is his "home state" (in US-speak that often means the state in which one was born) and mentions he returned to his home in Colorado. But bot certain indicate its a USA-based carrier.

 

[NM]

Oddly enough in my limited experience with UA (only Dom US) I've always seem to get a youngish (30-40 something) cabin crew.

With the union-enforced seniority systems most USA-based carrier use, those with the longest years of service (most senior) get the first choice of routes. So its often found that the routes that are most popular/desirable with the flight attendants are the ones where the average age is highest, and the younger staff get the less desirable routes. UA's trans-Pacific routes seemed to be popular with many of their staff with significant seniority.

 

[simongr]

Technically as he has now retired and is no longer a flight attendant he isnt the world's oldest flight attendant.

 

[markis10]

He is still a flight attendant, just a retired flight attendant, given the certifications would not have lapsed.

 

[Robert Qld]

With the union-enforced seniority systems most USA-based carrier use, those with the longest years of service (most senior) get the first choice of routes. So its often found that the routes that are most popular/desirable with the flight attendants are the ones where the average age is highest, and the younger staff get the less desirable routes. UA's trans-Pacific routes seemed to be popular with many of their staff with significant seniority.

Sounds about right. Having done the Vegas route a few times with both AA and UA, they both are pretty youngish (well not Jurassic anyway). I cannot imagine in and world or reality Vegas would be a desired route by anybody with half a brain cell!

 

[ferdeline]

Has to be United Airlines - I too flew aboard one of their dated 747s from Sydney to Los Angeles and it wasn't an experience I care to replicate.

 

[Maca44]

In 2001 I was lucky enough to dump 200k Ansett points, and flew UA in F return SYD-SFO. I would describe the cabin staff in F as being very mature FA's, but I could not fault the service. They were great, and did walk around the cabin like they were on the cat walk to impress like some other carriers.

 

[AVC]

Plans to spent his retirement traveling. Maybe planning on some payback time.

 

[Flashback]

If there wasn't the US reference, the first airline that would have come to mind for me was QF :mrgreen: