Hospitality in the Sky

Airline hostesses are high-tech professionals. They were trained to make your trips comfortable and enjoyable. They travelled around the world and know the people. After exchanging a few words, they know I am a Korean (not Chinese or Japanese) who lives in the United States. However, they become surprised when I tell them I am a physics professor.

Northwest. These NW ladies were still cheerful after a tiresome trans-Atlantic flight from Amsterdam to Washington's Dulles Airport. This photo was taken on a moving lounge at the Dulles Airport (May 2003).
I took a NW flight when I was coming to the United States from Korea in 1954 right after my high school. Those NW ladies took care of me well. One of them scolded me for my unruly boyish behavior. Indeed, the Northwest has a special meaning to me. I feel quite secure with those NW ladies. At that time, the airline was called the Northwest-Orient Airlines, and was the dominant trans-Pacific carrier.
1. NorthWest Business Class. I was in the NW World Business Class cabin on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit in July of 2008. The cabin was hosted by a first-class purser, consistent with my age and position.
2. From Detroit to Shanghai (July 2011). I was fortunate enough to be in the business-class cabin of another Northwest flight, and I met this senior purser who spent most of her professional years with NW. Because the Northwest was absorbed into the Delta Airlines recently, she was wearing a delta uniform.
  - Another delightful lady on the same flight. It appeared that the pilots and aircraft were also from the Northwest. When I told her why I like NW, she appreciated. She gave me two different business cards. One with the present employer (Delta Airlines), and the other which with the NW trade mark. She told me to keep her NW card as a souvenir, not for business.
  - Two Ladies together. I look happier with two ladies, because God pulled out two ribs from me (from both left and right). I seem to have the same number of ribs on both sides according to my chest x-ray photos.
3. During a flight from Shanghai to Detroit in April of 2013. This lady started working for the Republic Airlines, which became merged to the Northwest in 1986.
  - Two more ladies during the same flight to Detroit (April 2013).
  - April 2014, from Shanghai to Detroit (April 2014). They worked for the Northwest for more than 30 years before the NW became emerged into the Delta.
4. From Beijing to Detroit. I was on a business-class seat again during this flight (August 15, 2011). This Northwest lady was also wearing a Delta uniform because the Nw- Delta merger. She started her profession as a NW flight attendant. She told me about the changes that took place in her profession. There used to be many barriers. They got rid of color and gender barriers many years ago. There used to be also age, height, and weight barriers. They are all gone. She still has to send her children to collages. Her job is not easy, but there are challenges. She likes to use her travel experience to open up a more creative business.
  - She has been going to Seoul since 1991, is familiar with the city. She was very happy to meet a Korean man because most of the people on the plane were Americans and Chinese. She knows how to order items in Korean restaurants. She told me Seoul has gone through changes after changes. When I told her I left Seoul in 1954 and has never been back, she said I am a stupid person.
  - NW used to be the Northwest-Orient Airlines. This lady joined the Northwest when it was the Northwest-Orient Airlines many years ago. This made me very happy because I came to Pittsburgh from Seoul on Northwest-Orient flights (Seoul-Tokyo-Anchorage-Seattle-Milwaukee-Pittsburgh) in 1954. She said it became the Northwest (without Orient) when it was merged with the Republic Airlines in 1986.
  - Here is a lady from the Republic Airlines. She was very happy to meet an old timer (during a flight from Beijing to Detroit, 2011).
  - Two Korean Americans who used to work for the Northwest. They are now wearing Delta uniforms, during a flight from Seattle to Incheon (August 2017). Here is another lady on the same flight. Two more. on a flight from Incheon to Detroit (September 2017).
Pan Am Reunion. Before 1995, I used to be on Pan Am flights very often. This lady used to work for Pan Am, and I met her on one of the PanAm flights. Since then, PanAm became absorbed to Delta Airlines. She is now working for Delta. It was indeed a pleasure to meet her on a Delta flight from Nice to Atlanta on June 17, 2006.
1. In 1990, I was on a PanAm flight 30 to Moscow. At that time, going to Moscow was a very privileged and exciting experience. This PanAm flight 30 is now called Delta 30.
2. The Pan Am terminal at New York's Kennedy Intl Airport used to look like this. This is now one of the Delta terminals. Alas, in 2013, this Delta building is being elimniated.
3. The PanAm Building, and the Chrysler Building seen from the observation floor of the Empire State Building. The building is still there, and its name is "Met Life Building."
4. This Northwest (now Delta) lady worked as a ticket agent when she was attending her college in Florida.
5. Two more Delta ladies who used to work for PanAm. I met them at New York's JFK Airport in June of 2013. They were going home after their duties. They live in northern Virginia, and we were on the same flight to Washington. While we were talking about those good-old PanAm days, the Delta pilot in the middle could not understand why we were so excited about PanAm. He is a younger person who joind the Delta person directly, and does not know much about PanAm.
Delta Airlines. After a pleasant flight from Cincinnati to Washington's Reagan National Airport (May 2004).
1. From New York to Athens (2010). Delta ladies seem to have various uniforms. This lady wears a red uniform with a hat (October 2010).
2. A Warm-hearted Delta Lady on the same Athens flight from New York (2010).
  After taking this photo, we became close enough to produce another photo like this.
3. Professionalism at Work on a Delta flight from Dusseldorf to Atlanta (November 2010). Since she is going to Germany frequently, she speaks German fluently. She gave me her copy of a German magazine containing interesting articles and photos as a souvenir.
4. Willing to help. This lady was very helpful when I had difficulties in using a touch-screen computer at New York's JFK Airport. Since she was so positive in helping others, I asked her whether she was working for an airline. She said she was working for Delta. I asked her whether she is an Italian. She said she was born in the United States, but her parents came from Italy. A very cheerful lady, and she is an asset to the Delta Airlines.
5. Paris to Cincinnati (January 2012).
6. Another Paris-Cincinnati Flight (April 2012).
7. at the Cincinnati Terminal before flight to Washington (January 2012). This team of three has been working together for sometime. The lady on my right has been with Delta for 34 years. She likes her job.
8. From Shanghai to Atlanta (April 2013). Another set of Ladies in the same flight.
9. Two Delta Ladies during a flight from London to New York (2012). The flight No. was 1. I assume this prestigious number was inherited from PanAm, which used to be the captain of the trans-Atlantic flight. They look happier with their male colleague. I also look happier with their gentleman.
10. A shy Delta lady on a flight from Shanghai to Tokyo (April 2014).
11. A stylish Delta lady on a flight from Incheon to Washington (2017) Two more ladies on the same flight.
New Color for Delta uniforms. The color for airline uniforms as been navy-blue, light-blue (like KL), green (like Alitalia), or red. The Delta changed its color to dark purple. Creative move. I noticed this new color during the Delta flight from Amsterdam to New York (May 2018).
1. This lady has been with Delta from the beginning, unlike those from PanAm of NorthWest. She was very happy with the new color of her uniform.
2. This younger lady joined us.
3. The captain joined the photo party. With this lady, we look better.
AirFrance Office in New York. AirFrance used to maintain its sales office on New York's 5th Ave. It was a stylish place. Because of internet and financial squeeze, airlines, including AirFrance, cannot maintain sales offices even in New York. This photo was taken in 1975, and is of historical significance.
1. This AirFrance lady was in charge of the business-class section during the flight from Paris to Washington (July 2000). Due to the Airline's overbooking policy, I had the pleasure of being moved to the business-class cabin.
  This French lady was also forced to the business class. We of course enjoyed all the benefits of this special class. She comes to the United States often to visit her friends. This photo was taken while we were on a transport bus at the Dulles Airport.
2. Two Years Later (2002), the AirFrance uniform became simplified, oriented toward comfort and convenience. This photo was also taken in the business-class cabin. Again, I was lucky enough to get kicked up to the business class.
3. Chinese Lady working for AirFrance at the Orly Airport in Paris (July 2002).
4. AirFrance sets the style for all other airlines. Here is
  another AF lady. These two photos were taken during the Washington-Paris flight on April 30 (2005). It was a very pleasant experience.
5. AirFrance (2001.11.5). You would expect a taste of France when you board an AirFrance plane, and it depends largely on the way you are treated by the flight attendants. You can see why I take AF flights most frequently whenever I make trans-Atlantic flights.
6. Three Years Later (2004.11.18). AirFrance dress code became liberlized. They seem to follow the American trend. AirFrance ladies in the past used to look like dolls, but they are now dressed like passengers. This lady travels with her husband. Every trip is their honeymoon trip.
7. Another AF lady dressed in the new convenience/comfort-oriented dress code.
8. In New York (2005). There are many French citizens of Moroccan origin, and some of them work for AirFrance. This photo was taken at the Novotel Hotel New York. The Novotel chain is owned and operated by a French company, and AF crews stay at this hotel when they come to New York.
9. Two more AF ladies, during a flight from Paris to Washington (2004.11.25)
10. AF flight from Washington to Paris (July 2008).
11. AF flight from Paris to Washington. Flight attendants at rest (July 2009).
12. AirFrance A380 in the first-class cabin on the second floor, during the flight from Washington to Paris (June 2014).
13. AF officers at the Paris CDG Airport (July 2009).
  - I decided to join them. We took turns to shoot the camera resulting in
  - another photo.
14. Sheraton Stockholm (June 1010) ready to fly back to Paris.
  - They look better without me.
  - with one of the pilots.
15. AirFrance check-in officer at the CDG Airport near Paris (April 2012).
KLM. KLM is one of the largest airlines in the world, and used to cooperate with the Northwest. It is now cooperating with the Delta. This carrier cooperates also with the AirFrance. This photo was taken at the Copenhagen Airport in June of 2006.
1. KLM Flight Attendants in New York, in front of the Radisson Martinique Hotel at Broadway and the 32nd Street. They are ready to go back to Amsterdam (2007).
2. A senior KLM flight attendant after a flight from Amsterdam to Budapest (2013).
3. KLM officer at the Crown Lounge at the Amsterdam Airport.
4. Another officer at the same lounge.
Lufthansa. This German lady was exceptionally kind to me at Washington's Dulles International Airport (May 2002). The flight was overbooked, and I offered my cooperation, and she offered the maximum benifit available to me. Great!
1. Lufthansa. This German lady exceptionally cheerful during the flight from Frankfurt from Minsk (May 2002).
2. Lufthansa Flight. This German lady was interested in adding her originality to her airline uniform. I like "original" people. This photo was taken during a flight from Frankfurt to Copenhagen (May 2002).
3. English Lady working for Lusfthansa (2003).
4. Lufthansa Ladies at Washington's Dulless International Airport (May 2004).
5. Another Ms. Lufthansa, photo taken during a trans-Atlantic flight from Frankfurt to Washington (2004) She was born in Eriteria.
  - She looks happier with her Lufthanser colleagues during the same trans-Atlantic flight.
6. Korean Lady. A Korean lady working for the Lufthansa German Airlines. A very charming lady indeed! This photo was taken during a trans-Atlantic flight from Frankfurt to Washington's Dulles International Airport (June 2004).
7. Vilnius to Frankfurt. After a pleasant flight from Vilnius to Frankfurt (September 2008).
8. Frankfurt to Warsaw (June 2010). She was with her colleague. She looks better with him.
9. Three off-duty Lufthansa Ladies. on the same flight from Frankfurt to Warsaw (June 2010). They are happy and relaxed.
10. Lufthansa Ladies with their captain, at Washington's historic Mayflower Hotel (October 2011).
11. Lufthansa Lady with her captain in the lobby of the Starhotels Excelsior in Bologna (Italy 2014).
This gentle lady from Kuwait is working for private jets. I do not know how the private jet system works, but it is clear that she is working for super-rich people. I met her at a ticket line at the Frankfurt main railway station (July 2016). We promised to meet again.
BMI. British Midland International flight from London to Berlin (February 2010). BMI is affiliated with Lufthansa.
1. My photo with the gentleman first.
2. My photo with the lady. I like ladies taller than I am.
Tam Brazilian Airlines from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeito In May of 2011, I was on four Tam flights, namely the round trip from Sao Paulo to Iguassu Falls, from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, and from Rio to Buenos Aires.
1. Tam Check-in Officer at the Iguassu Falls airport.
2. Another Check-in Agent at the Iguassu Falls airport.
3. Tam Maintenance People at the Sao Paulo airport.
4. Tam Pilots at the Sao Paulo airport.
5. Before the Flight from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. Without me, they look happier.
6. Tam Flight from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires (May 2011).
Continental Airlines. from Houston to Sao Paulo (April 2011).
1. With her colleague, she looks happier.
2. Continental Flight from Buenos Aires to Houston (May 2011).
3. Another set of the Continental People on the same flight.
4. Two Ladies. They were very happy to hear that their photos will be on my webpage, because their Continential Uniforms will be changed to new United Air uniforms due to the merge of the two airlines. Here is one more photo with them.
5. Continental letter sheets and envelopes. This blue-shirted lady gave me these valuable items which will not be seen in the future. She asked me to post them in my website. She also gave me these Continental buttons.
6. Continental Ladies at the George Bush Airport (2012).
Sheraton Rio: An off-duty United Airlines purser in front of the Hotel Sheraton Rio (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000). I was holding a Rio licence plate carrying Feynman's name. This bogus plate was made by the Brazilian gentleman in the photo. Later, we were on the same flight coming back to the States. I was assigned to a business-class seat even though I had an economy-class ticket, while she was working for the economy-class passengers. I must have appeared to her like a rich Japanese businessman, but she was very smart. She knew I was a professor of Korean origin and spoke some Korean words to me. A very pleasant experience. Be careful. Those airline ladies know about you. Here are more photos from Rio de Janeiro.
1. United Business Class. I was assigned to a business-class seat during a trans-Atlantic flight (Paris to Washington) in November 2003. It was a very pleasant flight, and I met some interesting people, including this UAL lady.
2. From Washington to Brussels (2015). I had a photo with this cheerful lady. She appeared to be very young, but she claimed she worked for more than 25 years for the airlines. She has been all over the world. We were the business-class cabin.
  - Two more ladies. One is taller and and the other is shorter than I am. A perfect combination. I look happier with two ladies. Why?
  - Three all together. Very healthy American ladies!
3. Chinese lady from Hong Kong working for the business-class cabin during the United flight from Washington to London, and her younger colleague. Both of them live in London (2018).
  Their uniforms were different from the usual United uniform seen in the United States. I asked them why. Their answer was that their plane is owned by a British company based in London, and is operating under the UAL management. The management of the airlines appears to be much more sofisticated than I could imagine.
4. United Flight from Brussels to Washington (September 2008). She looks happier with her colleagues.
5. I look better with this charming gentleman.
Her father was a distinguished
physicist. His name was
Wesley Britain.
AirTran Airways. This young college graduate joined the AirTran one week before this photo was taken at the a Marriott Hotel breakfast room in Vienna, Virginia (2011). She studied psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle. She was talking about her exciting career ahead of her. A very intelligent lady!
U.S.Airways in New York (2011). They were leaving the Hotel Pennsylvania at the 32nd St. and the 7th Ave., for their flight to California from New York's JFK airport. Their pilots are in this photo. The captain was a very kind person.
1. with a U.S.Airways lady I met while waiting for a metro train at Washington's Reagan National Airport (2013). I asked her when she is going to wear a new uniform due to the merger with the American Airlines. She said "perhaps the end of the year." I asked wether she wants to have a photo with her USAir uniform. She said Yes.
2. U.S.Airways information officers at Munich's Frank Joseph-Strauss Airport (June 2013). On my right is an Italian lady. On my left is a British lady from England.
3. U.S.Airways business-class cabin on a flight from Munich to Philadelphia (2016). In 2015, the U.S.Airways became merged into the American Airlines. The ticket title and the airplane outside paintings say "American Airlines," but everything else was still the U.S.Airways.
American Airlines, during a flight from Durham (NC, USA) to London (February 2010). This lady became very happy when I told her I am a physicist, and I know about her father, Wesley Britain.
1. American Airlines, during a flight from Miami (Florida, USA) to Cancun (Mexico, July 2004).
2. Business Class. Experienced ladies serving in the business class cabin during an AA flight from Frankfurt to Chicago (January 2005).
3. These ladies look happier with one of their colleagues.
4. American Airlines from Paris to Washington (February 2010). She looks better with her colleague during the same flight.
5. AAL Ladies at Rome's Fiumicino Airport (2012). The plain-clothed lady on my left used to work for the American Airlines. She is now retired and is very happy to be in this photo with younger colleagues.
6. American Airlines from New Orleans to Washington DC. (2017). This photo was taken during a stop-ver period at the Charlotte, NC Airport.
Mexicana during a flight from Cancun to Mexico City (August 2004).
1. Another Mexicana Photo during the same flight (from Cancun to Mexico City, 2004).
2. AeroMexico. This lady once worked for the AeroMexico airlines as a flight attendant and travelled around the world. She knows the world and knows how to deal with people. We had a lunch together before the concert she was going to attend. We talked about music (Puebla, Mexico, 2003).
Iceland Airlines, during a flight from Baltimore to Reykjavik (May 2005). These airline ladies were wearing their old-fashioned caps. Eleven years later, in July of 2016, during the Icelandair flight from Reykjavik to Washington, I showed this photo to their colleagues, who became very happy and told me they are still working hard for the compnay.
1. Iceland Airlines, during a flight from Frankfurt to Reykjavik Reykjavik (July 2016).
2. Iceland Airlines, during a flight from Reykjavik to Washington, DC.
3. Gift shop at the Reykjavik airport. Iceland is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It provides an excellent resting place for trans-Atlantic travelers.
4. See this map. For those who do not wish to sit on their airline seats for more than six hours, the Reykjavik airport is an ideal place for rest.
  During my flight from Baltimore to Stockholm in 2005, I had about two hours for rest. Great. However, during my flight from Frankfurt to Washington in 2016, the airlines gave me only 40 minutes. I did not have enough time to go through the passport control (to exit EU) and go to a different terminal. I had to run and it was not a good experience. The Iceland Air could give passengers enough time for rest.
Japan Airlines, at the Charles De Gaul Airport in Paris (November 2004). It is always a pleasure to talk with Japanese ladies in Japanese. They were waiting for their return flight to Japan after spending a night in Paris. They also go to New York often. I asked them where they stay in New York. They said the Helmsley Hotel. There are several Helmsleys Hotels in Manhattan, but I forgot to ask which one. All of them are expensive. Japan is a rich country! In spite of what mass media say about Japan and Korea, these two countries share the same cultural origin. When I talk with Japanese ladies, they sound like my sisters.
1. In 2018, in Wurzburg (Germany), I met four of the JAL ladies at the palace museum. and had this photo with three of them. One of them should operate the camera.
2. We then took this photo to include the lady who took the first photo.
3. About four hours later, I met a larger group the JAL ladies at the town center of Wurzburg, including those four I met before. They were with a a senior-looking lady. I asked them whether she is the "Oyaboon" (boss). The Oyaboon in Japanese means the head of a gangster group, but this word is also used as a friendly word.
4. I then had a photo with this Oyaboon.
All Nippon Airways in front of the Crown Plaza Hotel in Vienna, Virginia (August 2009). After one night's rest, they were ready to go to a nearby shopping center. This photo was taken by their colleague who also deserved a photo. with me.
1. Another ANA lady.
2. Another group of ANA ladies at the Crown Plaza Hotel. It was a pleasure to have a photo with a large number of Japanese ladies (2015).
  It was a pleasure to exchange pleasant words with them in Japanese. The only agony for me was I am a very senior person to these young ladies. These young ladies came to the Dulles Int'l Airport (serving the Washington area) from Tokyo and stay at this hotel for two nights before returning to Japan.
Bangladesh Ladies in New York (June 2002).
Sri Lanka Airline ladies from Sri Lanka (New York 2003).
Aeroflot. I met this off-duty airline lady working for the Aeroflot Russian Airlines at a bistro in Saint Petersburg (Russia). From the way she was dressed, I was able to guess she was an airline lady. She is a Russian but lives in Geneva and speaks French fluently (2003).
1. Aeroflot Russian Airlines (flight from Venice to Moscow on June 25, 2014). Here is another photo.
  The Aeroflot used be the Aeroflight Soviet Airlines. The young ladies working for this airlines will have no recollection of those cold-war days. Presumably, to entertain those who remember those days or to entertain themselved, their uniforms still in Soviet style with Soviet marks. Those in non-communist countries had a great admiration for the Aeroflot ladies because they could not reach them. I had my first Aeroflot flight in 1990 when I was flying from Helsinki to Moscow, but I did not have a camera with me at that time. The Aeroflight lady as eceoptionally kind to me at that time.
2. Another Aeroflot lady during a flight from Saint Petersburg to Moscow (July 2016). A very courteous and cheerful Russian lady.
Korean Airlines Flight Attendants in New York (July 2001).
1. KAL Pilots and flight attendants on their shuttle bus from a New York hotel to New York's JFK Airport.
2. KAL Alumnae. Former Korean Airlines flight attendants (2002).
3. Korean Airlines (2004). When they come to New York, these Korean Airlines ladies stay in the Holiday Inn located in New York's prosperous Korean town around Broadway and the 32nd Street. This photo was taken on December 24, 2004. These ladies had to spend the Christmas day away from home.
4. Korean Airlines office worker on a train the Vienna International Airport to the city center (2013). She was familiar with Vienna's transportation system and I was not. She was was very courtenous toward this old man. She was a true Korean lady.
Flybe Airlines from Manchester to Ediburgh (June 2013).
We were on a propeller-driven airplane.
Czech Airlines ladies in an elevator at the Hotel Pennsylvania (New York, December 2007).
Egyptian Airlines, in front of Radisson Martinique Hotel in New York (March 2009).
1. Two More in the Hotel Lobby. There are many Egyptians working for this hotel. They are of course very cheerful people.
2. Another Photo. They seem to be happier without me.
3. Another Set of Eyptians (November 2009).
China Eastern Airlines. Flight from Shanghai to Hongking (August 2, 2011). This photo was taken by this shy lady, but she should be included in this album.
1. Traditional Chinese Dress on another Chinaeastern flight from Hong Kong to Xian (August 5, 2011).
  - with her Colleagues in convenience dresses. I am with them.
2. ChinaEastern ladies to at Shanghai Airport (April 15, 2014).
3. ChinaEastern from Wuhan to Chongking (April 18, 2014). This Chinese lady was able to speak Korean.
China Southern Airlines. From Xian to Shenyng (August 8, 2011).
1. From Guangjhou to Beijing (April 23, 2014).
2. From Dalian to Shanghai (April 29, 2013).
3. From Dandong to Shanghai (April 27, 2014).
AirChina, I met this delightful Chinese lady at the Caesar Park Hotel at the Sao Paulo airport (2011). She works with this charming gentleman. He received his training in the United States.
Air India ladies and their pilot at New York's Hotel Pennsylvania (2001).
1. Air India at London's Heathraw Airport (July 2009).
Air-Berlin Ladies at the Dorint Hotel in Dresden (Germany 2004).
1. Air-Berlin Ladies in their new uniforms at the Tegel Airport (Berlin 2015).
2. The Air-Berlin now flies from Berlin to New York and San Francisco (2015).
Air Mongolia. I met these Mongolian ladies at the lobby of the Maritim Proart Hotel in Berlin on January 2, 2016. I become very happy whenever I meet Mongolians. Koreans share the same ethnic origin (different from Chinese) with Mongolians. These ladies were happy to meet one of their Korean brothers.
ScanAir from London to Copenhagen (January 2012). Another photo.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines from Gdansk to Amsterdam (July 2015). This photo was taken at the Amsterdam Airport.
1. Another photo.
2. With their friend.
Air-Baltic ladies at Radison Blu Hotel in Riga (June 2010).
1. I had photo with them.
2. During an Air-Baltic flight from Moscow to Berlin (2016).
S7 Siberian Airlines from Moscow to Kazan (November 2010).
With them, how do I look?
Alitalia Italian Airlines. Italian ladies are open-hearted. We became close enough to produce this photo as soon as I said "Chiao" to her in front of the Hotel Bristol in Genoa (November 2003).
With her Pilots, she looks better.
1. Alitalia Gentleman and Lady on a flight from Rome to Moscow (October 2010).
2. I am in the photo.
3. With the Captain and everybody else. The captain is thinking. This photo was taken at Moscow's Sheremetevo Airport.
4. Alitalia in Boston. I met these beautiful people at the Royal Sonesta Hotel near the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts in June of 2011.
Qatar Airways lady at the Vienna airport (January 2007). She is likely to be an Austrian lady. Moslem ladies from Qatar are not likely to work for airlines.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most conservative Moslem countries in the world. Saudi women do not work for their airlines. Thus, the Saudi airline companies hire Algerian, Egyptian, and Moroccan ladies. These airline ladies were kind enough to pose with me at the Marriott Hotel in Vienna (Virginia, USA, 2002).
The Saudi Airlines then changed their hotel to the Sheraton Premier, not far from the Marriott. I was able to meet those multi-national ladies at their new hotel.
1. Lebanese Lady working for the Saudi Airlines (2009).
2. One lady and two pilots.
3. Two ladies and one pilot. They are all cheerful people.
4. With one lady, I had this photo (2013).
United Arab Emirates Airlines. These Austrian ladies work for the UAE Airlines (at the Vienna Airport 2011).
This airline has a direct connection from the Washington Dulles Airport to Dubai. Since it takes 15 hours of flight, there are two pilots taking turns. There are also extra flght attendants. They stay at one of the Marriott hotels near the Dulles Airport. I sometimes stay there for weekend retreat. I was lucky enough to meet them and have photos with them. I took the following photos on one Sunday, October of 2013.
1. Moroccan lady working for the airline. I met her in the breakfast room. She was with her Moroccan colleages enjoing the breakfast. They said they feel so free when not wearing the uniforms.
2. This Romanian lady was somewhat isolated from her Moroccan colleagues. She became very happy when I started talking to her.
3. Lady from Ghana in uniform.
4. Three more ladies. They came from different countries.
5. Pilots and ladies before their departure at the hotel lobby.
I spent another night in the same hotel on Sunday, September 10, 2014. I took the following photos.
1. One lady pilot and one lady.
2. Lonely lady. She was sitting alone. I sat down next to her and had this photo.
3. English and Australian ladies with their male colleague.
4. Egyptian lady working for the UAE airlines.
5. Moldovian lady. She told me she came from Moldovian. I then asked her whether she is a Romanian. She said she speaks Romanian, but Moldovia is an independent country.
6. Ukrainian lady from Kharkov (2016). She asked me whether I know where Kharkov is. She was surprised when I told her I went there twice. I said further that Kharkov was developed as science-engineering city during the Soviet era, and I went there to attend conferences on nuclear physics. She became impressed.
The UAE Airlines does not hire Moslem ladies from its own country. Thus, the company has to recruites young ladies from different countries. This is why this airlines acts as the United Nations of the airline ladies.
Thai Airlines, at the Copenhagen Airport in Denmark (June 2006).
British Airways, from London Heathrow to New York JFK (January 2007).
1. Britsh Airways with the Captain (4 stripes) after a flight from London to Kiev (May 2010).
2. Britsh Airways during a flight from Baltimore to London (2012). They were having their own meals after serving the passengers. I waited until their meals, and had a photo with one of them.
3. Britsh Airways during the a trans-Atlantic flight from London to Baltimore (October 2014).
4. Three British Airways ladies at the breakfast cafe at the Crown Plaza Hotel near Washington, DC. The lady next to me is from Hong Kong. She now lives Brighton (south of London). The other two ladies are from France. One from Paris, and the other from Nice. The British Airways is a truly international organization. This photo was taken in April of 2014.
5. British Airways Captain. I met her at London's Heathrow Airport in September of 2014. She is very happy to be captain and seems to enjoy being respected.
6. British ladies and gentlemen ready for their return flight to London. They stayed at the Crown Plaza Hotel (August 2015).
Virgin Atlantic Business Class during a flight from London to Washington (March 2004).
1. Virgin Atlantic Lady on a flight from London to Washington (October 2006).
2. In New York, I met these cheerful Virgin Atlantic ladies on Broadway at 32nd Street (March 2007).
3. Check-in ladies at the Edinburgh Airport in Scotland (June 2013). Here is another photo. Beautiful and cheerful Scottish ladies.
Airlingus Irish Airlines in the lobby of the Helmsley Hotel near the Grand Central Station in New York (2011).
with IraqAir officer at the Istanbul Airport (January 2007).
Turkish Air. A flight attendant with a Turkish-American citizen, during a flight from New York to Istanbul (January 2005). Where am I? They look better without me.
Singapore. Ladies working for the Singapore Airlines on the Rhein River in Germany (June 2002). They are enjoying their plain-clothed off-duty hours. They said they are happy to be liberated from tight uniforms and heavy make-ups during their flight duties.
LOT Polish Airlines at Warsaw's Frederick Chopin Airport (November 2003). Polish ladies are warm-hearted.
1. Without Me, they look better.
2. Warsaw 2009, after a LOT flight from London to Warsaw.
3. From Karakow to Warsaw (2009), on a small plane.
4. Are you from Poland? In June of 2005, I met this lady at the Stockholm Airport. She was working for SAS Scandinavian Airlines, and she checked me in for a flight to Kaliningrad (Russia). I asked her whether she is from Poland. She said her parents are from Poland and become happy whenever she meets someone who regards her as a Polish lady. She asked me how I knew it. I simply said "I know" and took this photo. She was very busy in her job.
Quantas Australian Airlines. Australians become very happy in London. This photo was produced the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum (June 2009).
1. I had a photo with them.
2. Here is another photo.
Iberian Airlines. This Spanish lady works for the Iberian Spanish Airlines. She came to Pisa (Italy) for vacation with her parents and sister (November 2004). Here is her beautiful family photo.
Two ladies working for the Royal Moroccan Airlines (July 2019). They are Moslems and were careful not to touch me. They speak English and French fluently in addition to their own Arabic language. They are working with this tall lady from Sengal, who is a Moslem but was not afraid of embracing me.
Vueling Airlines during a flight from Paris to Rome (2012).
1. Vueling Airlines lady was very kind when I got lost at London's Heathrow Airport. Heathrow was a strange place also to her, but she could handle airport geographies more skilfully.
Austrian Airlines, on a flight from Minsk to Vienna (September 2011).
1. Danube River seen from the plane.
2. Austrian Airlines at the Dulles International Airport serving the Washington DC area (September 2008).
3. Without me, they look better.
4. Another Group of the Austrian ladies (New York, November 2009).
AirEuropa Spanish Airlines, in the lobby of the Hotel Hyatt Grand in New York (2011). Very cheeful people.
Swiss Int'l Airlines ladies in New York (November 2009). In the middle. I was invited to stand between them.
Malev Hungarian Airlines, during a flight from Milan to Budapest (July 13, 2002). This is a major route between the Western world and Eastern European and Former Soviet territories. I go to Hungary often on Malev flights.
1. Malev Hungarian Airlines. I had a photo with this airline lady during a flight from Budapest to Paris in July of 2002.
2. One year later, I met her again on a Malev flight from Amsterdam to Budpest in August of 2003.
Pakistan International Airlines in New York. Moslem ladies working for the Pakistani International Airlines (February 2001). This photo was taken in the lobby of the Hotel Pennsylvania at the 8th Ave. and 32nd St. This hotel was called "Statler Hilton" in the 1950s, and used to host annual APS meetings for physicists. These days, this hotel hosts airline crews from many different countries, and serves as a heaven for girl watchers. The hotel managers know this, and there are no sofas in the lobby. Sorry! You have to stand up.
1. Another Set of Pakistan Ladies in different costumes. This photo was taken again at the at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York (2003). I meet them frequently when I go to New York. In spite of their Moslem tradition, they become very happy whenever I propose photo with them (April 2003). This of course encourage me to fly on their airlines.
  Wihtout me, they are more relaxed.
2. Another Group (April 2004). They just arrived from Pakistan and are tired, but they were still cheerful. They also came to the Hotel Pennsylvania.
  - with an Individual Member.
  - Another Member in the same group.
  - Their pilots. They came with their handsome pilots.
Lady Pilot. I met this senior citizen at the Westinghouse fountain in Pittsburgh (U.S.A., 2003). She was a pilot when she was very young, and spent her later years as a professor of aviation at Ohio University. Women pilots are still rare. Indeed, she was one of the pioneers in her profession. She has an excellent understanding of three-dimensional geometry. In this photo, I am thinking about my past. The Westinghouse fountain is very meaningful to me because I used to go there for rest and relaxation when I was an undergraduate student at Carnegie-Mellon University (1954-58). Like to hear more about this fountain? Click here.
1. Comair Captain relaxing while waiting for a flight as a passenger at the Cincinnati Airport (May 2004). The ComAir provides local connections to Delta. She said she was going home after the work.
2. Jordanian Lady Pilot for Royal Jordanian Airlines. I met her in front of the Hotel Radisson Martinique on W.32nd Street in New York (2006).
3. United Express Captain at Boston's Logan Airport (July 2011). A very cheerful lady. We need more people like her in airlines industry.
4. KLM Captain, in Budapest after a flight from Amsterdam (2013). On my left is a senior hostess of KLM with her light-blue uniform. Here is a photo of the pilot showing her four stripes.
5. Delta Captain, at the Baltimore-Washington Airport after a flight from New York (2013). She took the posture to show her four stripes (highest rank).
6. United Arab Emirates Airlines, at the Marriott Hotel Tyson's Corner (Vriginia, USA, 2014). Together with her colleagues, she was getting ready to fly to Dubai.
7. British Airways Captain. I met her at London's Heathrow Airport in September of 2014. She is very happy to be captain and seems to enjoy being respected.