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Singapore Airlines has a close equivalent of the "Harvey Girls." They're called the "Singapore Girls."[0] Like the "Harvey Girls," the brand has received its sh
by jasonjei 10y ago
Singapore Airlines has a close equivalent of the "Harvey Girls." They're called the "Singapore Girls."[0] Like the "Harvey Girls," the brand has received its share of sexism allegations. SIA also has a list of required applicant qualities that probably wouldn't fly in the US, such as requiring candidates to have natural eyebrows and have black or brown hair.
In line with the above poster's observation, Singapore Airlines has profited from this "taste-based discrimination." They're constantly one of the highest-rated airlines. Yet despite taste-based discrimination employed by Asian airlines such as EVA, SIA, and ANA, I would much rather fly on an Asian carrier than on American-based airline for the same money. Interestingly enough, EVA via Evergreen and ANA via Intercontinental also collaborate in hospitality programs.
[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Girl https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Girl
- gwern 10y agoYou are misunderstanding what I mean by taste-based discrimination. SA is doing the same thing that old American airlines used to do, and the same thing that many other airlines do. National or heavily regulated airlines have a hard time competing on cost, so they instead compete on amenities, like stewardesses who are easy on the eyes, or fancy meals. So such 'discrimination' is no more surprising, nor taste-based discrimination, than actresses being pretty. After deregulation of American airlines, the stereotype of stewardesses as being attractive disappeared quickly... The question is, can another Singaporean airline compete and make money, under the same circumstances, by hiring the perfectly-competent-but-not-so-attractive women that SA refuses to hire? I'm guessing no.