Search from various English teachers...
Olga_L
Flight attendant Flight attendant, air-hostess, flight-hostess, stewardess - which term is more commonly used now for a person working for an air company? Is there any difference in meanings between the words above? Are any of them out-dated?
Oct 24, 2010 1:29 PM
Answers · 5
2
In the US we use flight attendant. Stewardess, hostess, etc. are out-of-date terms. A lot of the -ess forms have been dropped in favor of gender-neutral forms. server, business person, chairperson, postal carrier, police officer, even "actor" for both male and female actors, but you still hear actress a lot.
October 24, 2010
2
All of them are fine for a female. It used to be that stewardess was most commonly used. Now I think flight attendant is used more because there are more male attendants, and it is not gender specific. I have not heard air-hostess or flight-hostess so much. It does not mean there is anything wrong in using it, but it is not so common. To me "host" or "hostess" has more of the connotation of someone in charge of a private party or gathering. "Steward" or "stewardess" is more in line with an impersonal, professional capacity.
October 24, 2010
1
"Flight attendant" is the neutral expression, the other three clearly indicate that it is a woman who is serving on the flight. The older expressions which divide a profession into genders (eg. actor/actress, waiter/watress, host/hostess, steward/stewardess) are going out of fashion quickly in English, so now you will regularly hear a neutral word to accommodate both males and females... such as flight attendant. "Actor" and "waiter" are also becoming gender-neutral, and barman/barmaid is now "bar attendant" or "bar staff".
October 24, 2010
flight attendants will never be outdated! :P
October 26, 2010
Flight attendant is used for males and females.
October 24, 2010
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!