The work of a flight attendant is one of the most rewarding careers in the world. It is a career that allows you to travel to new and different places, meet new people, and experience new cultures.
Every year, thousands of people around the globe start their journey to becoming flight attendants. It is a career that offers many opportunities for those who are willing to work hard and dedicate themselves to the job.
But, unfortunately, it’s not for everyone – especially if you’re covered in a lot of tattoos. Airlines are known to be pretty strict when it comes to their employee’s appearance, and tattoos are usually a big no-no.
Frontier Airlines is one of the most popular low-cost carriers in the United States, and they are known for its strict policies when it comes to employee appearance. So, if you’re thinking of joining the ranks of FA flight attendants, you might want to learn about their regulations.
In this article, we will explore the current Frontier tattoo policy to make sure you’re not wasting your time applying for the job.
Frontier Airlines Tattoo Policy
Despite the ever-evolving world and the decreasing discrimination against tattoos in the workplace, most carriers, including Frontier Airlines, maintain a strict policy when it comes to visible tattoos.
According to their guidelines, “tattoos must not be visible while wearing the uniform shirt, and they may not extend below the elbow or above the neckline.”
According to the carrier, the policy was put in place to maintain a professional and uniform appearance among the airline’s employees. So, if you’re thinking of applying for a job as a flight attendant with Frontier, it’s best to make sure your tattoos are either possible to hide during the flight or removed before you start the application process.
As an example of how strong Frontier Airlines’ stance can be on this, one Reddit user reported that during one of the carrier’s events, her colleague-to-be had a finger tattoo covered with a band-aid. When asked by one of the FA staff whether it was covering a cut or a tattoo, she admitted the latter. Unfortunately, the girl’s dream of becoming a flight attendant with the airline was over as she was subsequently sent home.
What’s worrying, the airline does not currently have any plans to change this policy in the near future, so it’s best to be aware of the guidelines before you begin the application process.
The complete guidelines on the tattoo policy can be found on this page, scrolling down and clicking on the green “What You’ll Need” banner.
I Have a Visible Tattoo, What Now? Alternatives
Fortunately, not all American airlines are as strict on the subject of tattoos as Frontier Airlines. Providing you meet the required conditions, you still have a chance of scoring a job as a flight attendant elsewhere.
At the time of writing, there are 3 US-based carriers with a more lenient approach to inked flight attendants:
- Alaska Airlines – the airline allows you to have a visible tattoo as long as it adheres to the so-called “badge rule”, meaning that it can’t be bigger than your Alaska Airlines badge. In other words, that means your visible ink can’t be bigger than the size of a credit card. With that said, the rule excludes tattoos on the face, neck, hands or chest (the visible part). The acceptable body parts are arms and legs. Each arm and leg can have one badge-sized tattoo, meaning 4 in total.
- SkyWest – according to their official dress code guidelines, visible tattoos are permissible, subject to size and location restrictions. Tattoos that do not follow these rules must be concealed by the uniform or tattoo makeup that matches the skin tone. The airline is not crystal clear on the subject and you’d probably need to ask about the requirements in person. However, they allow a VISIBLE tattoo, which is an improvement on Frontier.
- United Airlines – the carrier used to be one of the strictest on the matter but it has lately (from September 2021) changed its tune. Nowadays, akin to Alaska Airlines, they allow for badge-sized tattoos as long as they’re not offensive in any way. No more than 1 per arm.
More About Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Denver, Colorado. The airline was founded in 1994 and has since grown to become one of the largest low-cost carriers in the United States.
The airline currently flies to over 100 destinations across the country, as well as a handful of international destinations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
Frontier is known for its low fares and has been ranked as one of the “Top 10 Low-Cost Carriers in the World” by Air Transport World.
