We live in an age of constant communication, where travel has become a fundamental component of the growing global community. Whether business takes you abroad for work, or simply traveling for leisure on holiday, an important aspect of getting to your destination lies in the airline carrier you choose to travel with. Today’s ever-cluttered market of transatlantic airlines makes it hard to decipher and select which aviation brand best fits your needs.
Still, for many, price and customer loyalty come down to be the root cause of decisions made by consumers. Among the elite international business travelers of today, aspects of brand loyalty and inflight service are what keep airlines working harder than ever to improve and expand their reach to newer and younger travelers throughout emerging markets.
The airline industry has undergone a massive transition in its approach towards employing best practice principles, while upholding an underlining mantra of exuding allure, poised with exceptional hospitality in the air. While many North American carriers have forgone using gender, age, race and appearance in their hiring processes due to anti-discrimination practice, many of the world’s leading airlines continue to pay meticulous attention to preselecting and training their cabin crews to fit the customized brand they hope to evoke overseas.
In no particular order, here is a list of the world’s best looking airline cabin crews, which understand the needs of the new global and elite consumers, while striving to perfect the inflight experience for all.
Singapore Airlines (Singapore, Singapore)
As one of the most iconic and recognized brands within the aviation sector, this Southeast Asian carrier has transformed the meaning of working in aviation. The ‘Singaporean Girl’ has been the trademark of the Singapore Airlines campaign for over fifty years, which exemplifies the airline’s mission towards bringing world-class hospitality, style and passion for travel to every international customer.
Today, Singaporean Airlines has built its reputation on having the most rigorous industry hiring standards for their air stewardesses and its recognizable inflight Sarong Kebeya uniforms. The airline’s commitment to showcasing its air stewardess as distinctively Singaporean, while also having exemplary hospitality practices, has won the Singapore Airlines consecutive industry standard awards for service.
Emirates Airlines (Dubai, UAE)
This luxury, Gulf-based carrier has become one of the premier favored airlines among both international business and leisure travelers. Owned and operated by the government of Dubai, and strongly backed by the royal family, the unique elegance and exotic appeal of its cabin crew and Middle Eastern-inspired cap veil uniforms set the Emirates Airline brand apart from the rest.
Its multinational cabin crew spans 120 diverse nations, while being able to speak over 80 different languages. Industry institutions continually rank its airline attendants as the best looking in the skies, and the airline won the prestigious Airline of the Year Award in 2013 by Skytrax.
Air France (Paris, France)
Not surprising that Air France has been paying attention to its image in the skies for several decades, as its home base of Charles Du Gualle airport in Paris is the world’s premier fashion destination. Not to long ago, the airline commissioned a famed French fashion house to revamp its uniforms and modernize the appeal of its brand for close to 23 million dollars.
Though the airline still operates several older and outdated airplane fleets, the appeal and sophistication of its French-speaking cabin crew keeps the airline relevant with younger chic travelers.
Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Etihad, which derives from the Arabic word for union, is the flagship carrier of the tiny Gulf and oil rich nation of the United Arab Emirates. Having already won a wide array of industry awards and praise since its inception in 2003, Etihad Airways has become the fastest growing airline in the history of commercial international aviation.
The airline has gained the reputation among world travelers as being the most opulent and extravagant carrier in the skies, while paying specific attention to its attractive cabin crew. Similar to many of its global competitors, the airline undergoes a strict hiring process, paying attention to employing a highly multinational and multilingual cabin crew. The brand and appeal of the airline’s passion for elegance in travel, along with its appealing, polished and sleek uniforms, make this an airline to keep an eye out for.
Virgin Atlantic (London, UK)
Thanks to the direction of owner Sir Richard Branson, as well as the company’s progressive and efficient approach to conducting cutting edge business, Virgin Atlantic has a vibrant and dynamic grouping of inflight stewardesses. Its iconic tailored red uniforms are always noted when passing in airports, and the global appeal of the Virgin brand allures many younger consumers to pledge company loyalty. A survey conducted by the Business Travel and Meeting Show in London polled 1,000 British air passengers, and its findings concluded that Virgin Atlantic’s cabin crew is the most attractive in the skies.
Cathy Pacific Airways (Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
Hong Kong-based Cathy Pacific boasts an array of industry awards and accolades. Notorious for employing young and good-looking flight attendees, the airline also has a diverse composition of multinational employees. As the airline has modernized overtime, it has turned to various designers including Hermes, Nina Ricci and Eddie Lau to revamp its overall appearance over the years. The airline’s focus on customer satisfaction and hospitality is an overarching theme in its approach towards remaining a leader in Asian and global aviation.
Mexicana Airlines (Mexico City, Mexico)
Compañía Mexicana de Aviación, commonly known as Mexicana Airlines, was one of the oldest branded airlines in the world after Qantas of Australia; however, in 2012, the airline filed for bankruptcy. Currently, several private firms are trying to invest money into reviving the airline. The airline’s flight attendants gained popularity in 2010, when a selection of employees published and distributed an alluring stewardess calendar throughout the nation and Latin America, depicting the appeal and attraction of its air stewardesses. Many viewed the airlines cabin crew as among one of the best looking in all of Central and South America, and they patiently await its return to the skies.
Qatar Airways (Doha, Qatar)
Qatar Airways is the third carrier on this list to be based out of the oil-rich Persian Gulf, with its flagship headquarters in the capital city of Doha. State-run and operated, the government of this small nation holds 50 percent stake in the airline. The airline was voted airline of the year in 2011 and 2012 at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, and it employs over 120 nationalities in its growing fleet. Loyal customers of the Qatar Airways brand and airline appreciate the airline’s fine attention to details, charming and multilingual flight attendants, and sleek stewardess uniforms.
Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
In 1971, Malaysia Singapore Airline Limited separated all combined efforts, creating the newly formed sole entity of Malaysia Airlines. Similar to its neighbor’s national carrier, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines introduced the iconic Sarong Kebaya uniform in 1986 for all female cabin crew. The native Malaysian design of batik material makes many view the airline as an exotic and hospitable entity in the skies.
Qantas (Sydney, Australia)
Though tucked down under, far away from many of the larger airport hubs in Europe and North America, Australia’s flagship carrier, Qantas, is the oldest continually operating airline in the world. The carrier requires its flight stewardesses to have excellent levels of health and fitness, be natural, genuine, engaging and confident in their personalities. In 2013, the airline commissioned an overhaul of its previous uniforms, in exchange for what the airline CEO called, an effort of bringing Australian style to a worldwide audience.
