Early Couriers 1927
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TWA was not the first airline to hire women as air hostesses. United first introduced stewardesses in 1930. Early cabin attendants had been male couriers.
Their job description included picking up the passengers in town, the hot meals from Harvey House, and loading and unloading all of the luggage and necessary supplies for the flight.
Their careers ended abruptly in 1929 due to the crash of the stock market. The Courier responsibilities fell to the cockpit, more specifically the co-pilot. Clearly the co-pilot’s responsibilities were overextended as he was attempting to work two jobs. In the event of an emergency the co-pilot was needed in the cockpit, leaving the passengers to fend for themselves.
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It was obvious TWA was going to need to add a third crew member to the operation, male or female. Jack Frye, Vice President of Operations and First President of Transcontinental and Western Air, 1934-1947, believed passengers were going to the competition primarily because of the “pretty girls”.
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New Hires
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The need for a hostess was clear. It was determined that the cost to set up training and establish service was going to cost approximately $11,000.00. This included the monthly salaries for the 55 hostesses of $100-$125. The term “hostess” was decided on because the women would welcome passengers as one would welcome a guest into their homes. The idea of treating passengers like guests was still emphasized in the 1970’s training classes. TWA hostesses were always required to call First Class passengers by their last names. Industry standards also required hostesses to be registered nurses. Nurses were well educated, independent, and their skills would transfer well to this new vocation.
Thelma Jean Hiatt was the first woman to approach TWA. She suggested that a woman help establish the guidelines for this newly emerging career.
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Stringent conditions for employment were determined. Hostesses must be charming, a registered nurse between the ages of 21 and 26, between 5 feet and 5 feet 4 inches tall, and 100-110 pounds. TWA received more than 2,000 applications. Sixty were hired and the first constituency of 30 set off for training in Kansas City. All potential hostesses were required to take a flight to test their airworthiness.
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First TWA Trainees
in their apartment
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The first class arrived in Kansas City on October 23, 1935. The first training classes lasted three weeks. Potential hostesses were responsible for finding a place to live. $2.50 per day was allocated for personal expenses and apartments. Training was at the Gobel hangar, across the airfield from the terminal at Kansas City Municipal Airport. The first two weeks consisted of studying theory of flight, meteorology, hostess duties aloft and on the ground, ticket handling and passenger manifests, how to work the heating system of the DC-2, and points of scenic interest along the different routes.
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Safety instruction included fastening seatbelts and ensuring that seats were in an upright position for landing and take-off. Safety training was less than two and a half hours which included one page of written instruction. Service training was equally as limited. Meal service consisted of serving a cold box lunch in flight accompanied by vacuum jugs of coffee and orange juice.
Jack Frye and a group of TWA management interviewed all of the women on their last day of training. All but one were accepted and the first TWA air hostess class graduated on December 6, 1935.
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DC-3 Sleeper Berth
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Competition for the skies was on and TWA had no intention of being left behind. June 2, 1937, TWA instituted sleeping accommodations. In August, 1937, TWA’s DC-3 soon became known as TWA’s Transcontinental Sky Sleepers featuring eight berths forward and nine reclining lounge chairs in the aft section.
Berths were converted to daytime use and a complete meal service was provided. Separate dressing rooms for men and women were provided. Round-trip service between Newark and Los Angeles was increased to three flights per week.
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Busy hostesses were now required to clean and inspect the lavatories as well as make sure passengers didn’t open the cockpit door by mistake. They also emptied ashtrays, swept the floor, and dusted the window sills before every flight. Hostesses also controlled the temperature on the plane. The key to the hostess’s role was to present the company at its best. The impression the hostess made was the most important of any crew member because she determined how passengers would remember TWA.
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Welcome Aboard
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The new hostesses brought charm, ability to adapt to their new career and interact with passengers, realizing that each and every flight brought new adventure. They were all ready for the unexpected. It was soon apparent to Jack Frye and TWA management that the decision to hire women was the right one.
110 hours per month maximum flying time was required, no perfume while in uniform, regulation make-up, conservative fingernail polish, and absolutely no gratuities. They would earn a two week paid vacation and after one or more years of continuous service they would receive round-trip passes and their first uniform without cost. |
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As air travel increased, senior hostesses received a salary increase to $135.00 per month but were now required to pay for their uniforms at a rate of $10.00 per month.
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Marriage Material
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By October 1937, TWA had 67 hostesses, 28 based in Kansas City, 16 in Newark, 5 in Chicago, 10 in Los Angeles, 7 in San Francisco and 1 in Pittsburgh.
In 1937, TWA expanded service to San Francisco. A San Francisco base was established consisting of nine hostesses. TWA was having a difficult time keeping their new fly girls in the air. It took very little time for the male passengers to discover that TWA air hostesses were perfect marriage material. In the beginning, TWA had allowed hostesses who married to remain employed. In little more than a year, 18 out of 40 women in the first two classes now had husbands to think about. This was soon to change.
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Early Job Responsibilities and Life-Styles
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| 1. The three domicile bases were Kansas City, Newark and Burbank. While away from their domiciles, hostess’s per diem was $4.00 per day to cover the expense of meals, gratuities and taxi fare.
2. Hostesses were committed to gracious hospitality and were required to address passengers by their last name to establish a friendly atmosphere. Because the airline industry was still so young, air hostesses of the 1930’s were considered to be extremely glamorous.
3. Hostesses were required to check in one hour before scheduled departure, examining the plane’s interior for cleanliness and proper provisioning, including complimentary cigarettes and Chiclets gum. They were then present at the passenger station fifteen minutes before departure, coordinating with the passenger agent. They ensured that the proper number of lunches were onboard and determined the correct passenger count. Once passengers were boarded, they would complete the seating chart and then personally secure each passenger’s seat belt.
4. In-flight, hostesses offered newspapers and magazines and encouraged participation in card and checker games. They often took care of babies, feeding them and allowing the mother to relax.
5. The average hostess worked five days a week, 22 days a month, and flew between 2,000 and 3,000 miles a week. They were also subject to unannounced, periodic performance evaluations. Not all hostesses received A-1 ratings.
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Oops!
Notification of Violation of Company Policies
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| In July 1937, a merit and demerit system was created. Six demerits within a six month period resulted in automatic dismissal, while two merits cancelled one demerit. If after six months an air hostess accumulated five demerits or less, the slate was wiped clean and the system repeated. |
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Here is a report from April 14, 1938:
1. Concerning your sitting on the desk in the radio room at Albuquerque and talking to the employees there.
2. The way you wear your uniform cap. It was about an inch and a half higher than the prescribed regulations.
3. You went into the pilots’ compartment and stayed longer than the allotted time, which you explained was due to the water heater not functioning properly.
4. The lavatory of the plane was in disorder with paper towels on the floor and hand lotion was spilled over the wash basin.
5. There was considerable rattling of the water and coffee containers which was quite annoying to passengers.
6. After deplaning in Kansas City, you went into the terminal building and were standing by the door leading to the TWA lounge. You were chewing gum and talking to another hostess. Please DO NOT chew gum while in uniform any place.
7. There was a camera and an overcoat left on the plane at Albuquerque through error by passengers who were trained to Amarillo. What did you do with these when you found they had been left on the plane? In the future be sure to ask passengers if they have all of their belongings.
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Beyond the Call of Duty
1938
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According to a 1938 article in Airlanes Magazine, as a TWA flight approached Chicago about 9 p.m., a passenger frantically rang for the hostess. He had forgotten to pay his life insurance premium. If not mailed by midnight, his policy would no longer be in force and he would have to pay a penalty to have it reinstated. The passenger signed a blank check and gave it to the hostess who was leaving the plane in Chicago. She called long distance to the man’s wife, who hunted up the notice and got the amount of the premium. She then filled in the check, took a cab to the post office, and mailed the letter with an hour to spare. As if that weren’t enough, she then wired TWA employees at Newark to report to the passenger that everything had gone just fine.
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That same “beyond the call of duty” attitude still existed with modern TWA Flight Attendants. It was not unusual for passengers enroute to some exotic vacation spot to realize they had forgotten to mail the bills before they left the United States. In the tradition of TWA, worried passengers were soon put at ease and the bills were properly mailed at a U.S. post office. It would not have been uncommon for a Flight Attendant to add a stamp or two. And always with a smile.
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By 1939, it was obvious the world was rapidly changing and TWA was emerging as a major carrier. Much of TWA’s success was attributed to their concern for passenger comfort and service. Soon service would take a back seat to necessity - industrialist Howard Hughes was about to shape the future of TWA. His interest in flying and flying technology would not only help shape TWA but would also have an impact on the United States government and military.
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