British Airways has just updated its crew uniform guidelines, adding in some drastic changes for pilots and cabin crew. The airline will no longer allow crewmembers to drink in public while in uniform, and we aren’t talking about alcohol.
British Airways Crews Can No Longer Drink Coffee in Uniform
As flagged by Paddle Your Own Kanoo, British Airways has just updated its crew uniform and appearance guidelines with some very strict changes. While many of these changes, which include things like proper lipstick color and hairstyles, have already frustrated crews, one stands out above the rest.
British Airways crews are now prohibited from drinking anything in public while in uniform. This applies to all beverages, including things like coffee. Water is reportedly allowed but crews are asked to drink that discreetly.
In addition to the beverage ban, British Airways has also banned employees from commuting to work in uniform. Many of the carrier’s crewmembers are based at London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW) and commute in from elsewhere in the country for work.
While commuting into base is a common occurrence on almost every airline, British Airways employees will now have to commute in regular clothes before changing into uniform at their destination, adding another step to the process.
My Thoughts
Every airline has their own standards that crewmembers are supposed to abide by. I say supposed because we regularly see uniform violations here in the United States. While Spirit crews won’t be held to the same appearance standards as Emirates crews, for an airline like British Airways, this seems excessive.
I travel frequently for business which often entails lots of early flights on Monday morning. The Starbucks line always seems to be a healthy mix of flight crews and passengers and I routinely see them sipping coffee while walking through the terminal. Personally, I’m not a morning person so I like seeing the person flying my plane has a cup of coffee to keep them going.
While this is something you’d never see from an Emirates crew (if you’ve seen them move through an airport you know what I’m talking about), I don’t believe British Airways is on their level. Emirates offers decent Business Class product but their attention to detail is unmatched. British Airways is making an effort to become more premium but I’d focus on the airline itself before worring about the crew’s morning coffee.
What are your thoughts on this? Does it bother you when you see crewmembers eating and drinking before a flight?
Summary
British Airways has updated its crew uniform and appearance guidelines with some controversial changes. In addition to effectively banning crewmembers from drinking anything while in uniform, commuters are no longer allowed to travel to/from their base in uniform when not on duty.