Mesa Employees Unprofessional Appearance

[OldpropGuy]

A reliable source was browsing over on the Mesa page at Yahoo Groups and found a suprising post.

It seems that some of the Mesa employees are concerned about their company's overall unprofessional, mismatch, wear what you want, appearance. One asked Ornstein when was he going to do something about it. It appears JO could care less. His response was "It would appear to me that the folks who should be caring are the one's wearing the inappropriate uniforms."

It appears that this attitude is acceptable to US Airways. Lets give them some more flying and maybe sell them a piece of the company! It's no wonder we can't survive!

 

[2shrtdks]

I'll never understand why some pilots want to look like skycabs or doormen. The times change as well as what we wear. Management went casuall and they make more than ever. If you want to wear a full uniform, great. Don't ask me to look just like you just so you feel better. I promise I'll still look professional.

 

[Light Years]

Anyone who went through US Airways Flight Attendant training in the late 90s/early 2000s (who are now gone) sure gets a shock while non-revving these days. We were the generation of "World Class Carrier of Choice" and "Impressions of Excellence". Appearance was deemed very important and you werent even hired if you couldnt maintain it. Period. We wore that uniform, boring as it is, with pride that we worked for US Airways. We even had supervisors that would not only chase you through the concourse but surprise a crew before a flight for an appearance check. I saw one poor malingerer get written up for wearing the long sleeve shirt without the blazer. Another troublemaker had the audacity to have a black lunch bag attatched to her luggage and was written up. It seemed silly, but you know what? We looked good. US Airways looked good. We carried ourselves with pride and professionalism.

Now we get to see our cheaper "replacements" from the "replacement jets." I swear these airlines must be hiring everyone who applies. I've seen, all Express:

* a pilot wearing a New Jersey Devils hat- in uniform, in the terminal, about to work a flight.

* a flight attendant wearing combat boots with rainbow laces, uniform pants tucked in to them, and a backpack with graffiti on it, plus buttons with sexually explicit jokes on them. In the terminal.

* a flight attendant with a massive light brown purse slung over her shoulder that was mesh with shells on it.

* numerous pilots and FAs in any old coat/jacket but the uniform ones.

* a F/A wearing blue (not navy) pants with an elastic waist (she was a bigger girl.)

* pilots wearing Old Navy Tech Vests over thier uniform shirt

* a F/A wearing sunglasses atop his head and no tie throughout the flight

* several F/As not in uniform at all. Just a white shirt and pants.

* a F/A wearing an America West (I think) tie on a US Express fight

* a pilot wearing wrap around, U2 style sunglasses, clearly to protect his eyes from the brightness of the PHL Jet Rock bar where he was smoking.

* a F/A sitting in a restarant/bar during a weather delay, laughing it up with passengers from her flight who are drinking beer at the same table.

* a hatless pilot rolling himself around on a wheelchair in customer view while he talks/laughs loudly into his cellphone

* a pilot greeting a peer with "Motherf#$%^! Where have you been hiding?" and a playful punch, in passenger view in one of the concourses of the E Terminal in PIT, which if you havent been there, makes Sadaams hiding place look spacious.


It would be really funny if it were another airline, but this is supposedly "US." Even as a former employee, I question what ELSE is being overlooked if you cant shave, dress yourself fully and in the right clothes, and pull your hair into an appropriare hairstyle. I question the managements of these outfits- clearly they dont enfornce simple appearance rules, what else dont they enforce?

Any yes, 2shirkdirk or whatever, we are asking you to look like us. If you are a US Airways Express employee part of your job is to mislead the public into thinking you're a US Airways employee. If you want to look hip go work at Tower Records. :angry:

At least with US Airways employees, you know its your company and your career and how you present tourself affects that. These employees dont care. Today they happen to be Airways, later today they might be Delta Connection, or America West Express, whatever. These flight attendants could care less how thier present US Airways, what on earth does it have to do with them?

 

[Furloughedagain]

Personally, I agreed 100% with Impressions of Excellence.

The traveling public has absolutely NO WAY to determine whether or not a crewmember is professional other then their first impression.

A crisp, military appearance sends a message to them. It says "I care."

In the eyes of your unknowing customers if you care about your appearance, then you place the same attention to detail in your job.

If the employees representing the company look sharp, then -- to them -- the aircraft must be well maintained and the flight crews well trained.

But even during the height of "Impressions of Excellence" we had flight attendants sitting on the jumpseat after completing the worlds fastest beverage service, with a newspaper spread wide across their laps -- or worse yet, sitting in first class (with revenue passengers sitting right next to them!!!)

I too see the Express pilots wearing black sneakers, or carrying their hat in their hand so as not to damage their "American Idol" hair. I see the pilots smoking in a BAR before their flights, or playing in the wheelchairs.

It is definately a different world. But, that being said, I guess Dave has put a price on professionalism. That price is the difference bwteen what I was paid as a DC9 F/O and what these "gentlemen" are paid as regional jet F/Os.... I figure around $60/hr.

So to Dave, an unprofessional appearance is excusable...as long as he can save $60 an hour or so.

I feel bad for US Airways' customers. If I still worked there the emberassment would be unbearable.

 

[Light Years]

My thoughts exactly furloughedagain. I miss crews like us.

 

[2shrtdks]

I love that you think I look bad because I may not look just like you. Do I also need to go bald so you feel comfortable? I actually take great care in how I look, act, and prepare for my professional life. Most my uniform is tailor made. I don’t work for US air or a commuter. 60 per hour for a regional FO, you are out of touch. Keep an open mind. Change can be good.

 

[Light Years]

2sh-

He was saying $60 an hour LESS. And age has nothing to do with it, I'd say for F/As, more than half of the furlougheds are quite young (there were even 19 year olds) and were still very professional. You dont have to bald to look like you care? You say you dress professionally, so what are you defending? If you dont work for US Airways or US Airways Express, what is your point in this post? :blink:

 

[BoredToDeath]

Light Years and Furloughed,

I'd like to make a couple of points.

First, I'm a smoker, and I fully enjoy it. As I tell people when they ask if I'm going to quit, I tell them, "I would, but I'm no quiter!" Ha Ha

Anyway, I am one of those that smoke in the JetRock and anywhere else I can. I usually do it in the back so as not to attract too much attention to myself but sometimes its upfront. And I say thats too bad if others don't like it. Most times I have very little time between flights and I'm not the kind of person that can seriously go four hours and no smoke. With that being the case there is absolutely no time in the world between flights to go outside and hide and then come back through security. That would be ridiculous. And mind you that while I'm enjoying my smoke 9 out of 10 times my uniform looks better than my mainline counterparts. Sometimes I wonder how most of them can even get half of their stomachs into a shirt that might have fit them 10 years ago.

So the conclusion to the whole smoking thing would be that if Airways has a problem with me smoking in public than they need to have facilitys set up for the Thousands of us that do.

Now onto the uniform thing. As I made mention of before, or at least led you to belive that I wear my uniform proudly and properly, aside from one thing. You quessed it, the Hat. I hate the hat. When I was a kid I thought it was the coolest thing, but now that I'm forced to wear it I can't stand the d@mm thing.

I actually have a nice head of hair, not overly styled, just nice. But once you put the hat on it throws it all to garbage with "hat head" for the rest of the day, then you have too wear it or look just as stupid. So either way you lose. Don't wear it, and look good but be out of uniform or wear it and look like a retard with it on or off.

Sometimes I'll wear it and sometimes I won't, but I guarntee you that if Airways made the Hat optional, Nobody would wear it. Its old, outdated, and needs to be put in a museum. Or we can bring back the FA "pill box" hat to even the playing field.

Now those FA hats actually looked "UUUMMMM GOOD" on some stews! Sorry getting carried away.

Take Care

 

[2shrtdks]

The hat is where I lose my professionalism as well. Sure you can weigh 300 pounds or act like a moron, but as long as you have that hat on your professional. I look so strange in the hat I’ve had friends fall down laughing. The quality of materials and is also a problem in the uniform but at least you can substitute. Want to stay “old school,â€￾ lets bring back the nails and weigh in for the flight attendants. Hell why not pilots as well. And if you get married forget it, you’re fired.

 

[Light Years]

When I worked at US was a smoker- I was "that" F/A that ran off the transcon flight and has huffed two smokes before the rest of the crew even got to the van. I befriended folks in every station to find a smoking place- they are everywhere, from stairwells to breakrooms to bag rooms. Though tempted, I never ducked into a bar. This was considered a huge no-no at mainline. As a former smoker, I agree that there should be publicly available (and not have to buy a drink) smoking places in airports. This is one of the biggest reasons people miss flights, get frustrated etc.

As for the hats, they do look funny on some people. It seems to depend on the vendor, which I understand there are many. Pilots are permitted to buy one from wherever and stick the flag on. Like the uniforms, if they actually measured peoples body parts to fit the uniform to them all would look better. This is why mainline FAs uniforms look better- they were fitted for them, where as I understand it at Express carriers you just guess and order. The new vendor, Uniforms R Us, or Uniform For Me or whatever its called is also responsible as thier sizing is bizarre, particularly for men. I do think the hats look good though. I know we now live in a culture where people wear shorts to midnight mass and jeans to the office, but I'd like for crewmembers to remain crisp, authoritive, and militaristic.

I actually wouldnt mind wearing a F/A hat, but I digress....

 

[BMIBABYgirl737]

Passengers do not know the difference between mainline/whollyowned employees and contracted help!!! I have seen Mesa F/A's in the tall black knee boots with the coat dress on in PHL, and I have seen a heavy set girl in CLT in black cotton elastic waist banded pants with a dirty white, wrinkled short sleeve button up, with US wings on it!!! All mainline F/A's know that this is a big no no!!I asked her what carrier she flew for and she said MESA!!!! I also non-reved once from PHL to CRW on Mesa and the F/A could not hardly remember her announcements!! Do you call this professional???? Smoking in the Jet Rock is not a bad thing, just don't smoke with a table full of people that are drinking beer or stand at the bar and smoke. Passengers will think, "oh God those US Airways F/A's and Pilots are drinking, hope they are not on our flight!" Please bring back "Impressions of Excellence" and make the contracted help follow it!!!

 

[flynomore]

I saw in the paper the VP of Operations for another major carrier. He was wearing a company golf shirt along with what looked to be khakis.

When US dropped the NR code, I still wore a tie in case I needed the jumpseat, my co-workers always asked, "why"?

When I bought my house, I had just come off the plane. In case of upgrade, I always wear a blazer and tie. The real estate agent said, "you look like some stuffy easterner, we don't wear that out here".

Lightyear-you are fighting a losing cultural battle. I'm glad you have standards, and I am right with you.

 

[Furloughedagain]

So Bored,

Let me get this straight.

You smoke in a BAR in uniform???

During the three short years that I wore the US Airways uniform I did so with pride. I closely adhered to Impressions of Excellence and dressed and groomed in accordance with the guidelines that the company set forth. Every time I put on that uniform I felt that I was representing not only myself, but my company.

MY company. I was an envoy for what I believed to be the finest airline in the industry. You would not have found a newhire pilot in 1999 who felt more proud to wear the uniform... hat and all.

Well, my friend, I dont get to wear the hat anymore. Seeing you walk through the terminal with your hat in your hand is extremely disheartening to me. Not only do you do my job for significantly less compensation, but you can't even be bothered to follow a simple dress code.

US Airways made a decision to go with a cheap counterfeit product -- deceiving the traveling public into believing that US Airways employees staff their flights. They do not.

The majority of furloughed US Airways employees -- at least 1,149 that I can think of off the top of my head -- would be PROUD to wear the hat that you are so cavalier about.

Don't mess up your hair.

-FurloughedAgain

 

[flyin2low]

"at least 1,149 that I can think of "

I thought there were 1879, did they recall that many already?

 

[BoredToDeath]

Sooo Furloughed,

You must have been a "pleasure" for people to fly with. The geek in you truly came out in that last post.

Here, if you wanna get technical about it, the JetRock is a RESTURANT that has a big bar that I AM NO WHERE NEAR.

As I politely pointed out earlier, I wear the uniform following the very standards set forth in your glorious Impresions of Excellance handbook, which from the sounds of it, you more than likely read every day just to make sure you were doing a good job. Would you like a "that a boy"?

I personally think you are a little out of touch with some of the people you've flown with at Airways. I've had many conversations with a good portion of the J4J people here and I have yet to find one that likes the hat.

I'm sorry that seeing me walk around on occassion without my hat is disheartening to you. But I can assure you DAD that the rest of my uniform and look is well withing the "Impressions of Excellence" guidelines.

But get one thing straight. I don't do you job for less. I fly an RJ not an Airbus or a Boeing. You people need to get that through you thick skulls. Just think if you had'nt had those thick skulls and allowed Mgt to whipsaw us you just might still be here. But because you and yours dropped the ball, your gonna act like a five year old and cry about a hat?

And lastly, you can take your "cheap counterfeit product" coment and shove it where the sun don't shine. I am the PROUDEST D@MM WHOLLY-OWNED EMPLOYEE that there is and just so you don't get confussed about anything else, THE WHOLLY-OWNED ARE STAFFED WITH US AIRWAYS GROUP EMPLOYEES. So no the public is not being decieved.

Have a nice life.

P.S. I'll try not to. Do you have any left?