Leather jackets vs. Dress jacket

[atpcliff]

Hi!

SWA pilots wear leather jackets.

Does that make them unprofessional?

Does that make them look unprofessional?

If so, we'd all better follow suit, because they're about the only ones making money.

At my airline, the co. will pay for your leather jacket. The suit-jacket is not even available, unless you bought your own. It is not a uniform item.

You can wear your shirt, shirt and sweater, or shirt/leather jacket, or shirt/sweater/leather jacket.

Cliff
GRB

 

[Hovernut]

I see no one has addressed the practicality of the subject yet. It's all based on "looks." Well, I had enough of the "looks" aspect in the Navy when I was expected to have a set of "dress" dungarees....the bluejean work outfit. Not practical!

Oh, the leather jacket makes me look this, or him look that. Oh, it looks sooo unprofessional, especially on a "regional airine pilot!" Get over it Well, not having a fancy jetway to cruise down into a pre-heated aircraft and having to do the walk-around twice as many times in a duty day as my major couterpart, I appreciate the fact that I can wear something PRACTICAL that actually keeps me warm without having to do the APU exhaust rotisserie half way through the inspection!

 

[mullet]

SWA pilots wear leather jackets...
Does that make them look unprofessional?
...because they're about the only ones making money.

a. We know!!!
b. A wee bit. Your F/A's in shorts definately do!
c. SWA I'm sure would still make money if they converted to an all blazer fleet. I think?

 

[Hovernut]

Will the Hooters Girls be wearing leather? Ooh, I hope so!!!

 

[ILS JNKY]

leather

Yes leather for leather.

that way when you get off all you need is a whip and it is off to party time.

As for the hooters FA , i hope to see jump suits that would be a nice touch.

 

[AceCrackshot]

Airways has a full length wool coat...its excellent. Looks good with the uniform, warm enough to stand a YYZ overnight in Jan. or a BGR preflight. Only problems are its weight, expense, and when the F/A would wear it standing in the airstair door, her hair would get all over it.
Nothing like starting two days off fighting with the wife as pulls long blond hairs off the coat. Might as well smudged lipstick on my collars.

Ah, the glamour of aviation.

 

[CF34-3B1]

Something to think about: At JetBlue, the company gives you the leather jacket, at 3yrs. In other words, it's a reward, a symbol of seniority and accomplishment.

SWA, jB, FedEx. The 3 places I'd most like to work (I'd bet a lot of posters here feel the same) ALL wear leather.

If you have a problem with it, I'm sure none of them would mind your not applying.

 

[mullet]

SWA, jB, FedEx. ALL wear leather. If you have a problem with it, I'm sure none of them would mind your not applying.

Your right, all are great airlines to work for. But it's not a question of comfort it's about looking PROFESSIONAL. The leather jacket feels great but looks lame.
To all the non-believers at SWA/Jetblue etc..., DID YOU WEAR THE LEATHER COAT DURING YOUR INTERVIEW?? I'm guessing not it would'nt of looked very professional.

 

[Anaconda]

i'll have to disagree about the leather jacket being better on those cold days preflighting...i go for the overcoat and suit jacket and i'll wager i'm much warmer on those cold blustery mornings then with just the leather jacket and my legs unprotected. i've never found mobility to be a problem for me...

besides, all these guys i see with the leather jacket and then have ill-fitting pants or a huge butt have no idea how silly they look.

as someone mentioned, it's all about uniformity. if the leather jacket was the standard, that would be fine, let's all do it. however, it's not and that's why you see the hodgepodge of uniforms in concourse c. of course comair is too cheap to pay for the leather jackets so that's what we ended up with...

 

[Jeepman]

Leather Jacket looks unprofessional? That's a matter of opinion. Uniformity? How is it not uniform if you have black pants, a black tie, black hat & a black leather jacket with PROFESSIONAL looking eppauletes & your name on it with wings. "You look like your going to bomb Berlin".....uh o.k you do if you have the brown leather sheepskin jacket with patches all over it.

Hey if you guys don't think that it's professional enough, fine. I'm sure you'll fell great about yourself preflighting an aircraft in Fargo when it's -20 degrees and your on the verge of frostbite in your 1/8 inch "professional suit jacket"

 

[captjim]

For me it's a matter of functionality. I wear it when I fly in the north or its cold as heck, or wear the blazer when its warm. Thats it all depends on the wx for me. I say thank God for the leather jacket, it beats the heck out of packing an extra jacket on the overnight or wearing the flasher coat to bars an resturants.

 

[captjim]

Your right, all are great airlines to work for. But it's not a question of comfort it's about looking PROFESSIONAL. The leather jacket feels great but looks lame.
To all the non-believers at SWA/Jetblue etc..., DID YOU WEAR THE LEATHER COAT DURING YOUR INTERVIEW?? I'm guessing not it would'nt of looked very professional.

Did you wear an airline uniform during your interview?

 

[metrodriver]

I like my leather jacket. Our company gave the choice : leather jacket , no hat or blazer and hat. Only 2 or 3 people went for the blazer and in the winter they all complain about the cold and having to carry an extra jacket for off-duty (which means an extra bag and weight). Leather jacket: take off the decorations and you're good to go. I think it looks pretty good,especially when you see some of the uniforms from some companies that haven't been updated since the 60's, and what really looks stupid are "uniforms" at companies where pilots have to buy their own pants, you see all the different shades of blue, and to make it worse if you have the companie provided blazer with wal-mart pants in different shades.

 

[cl-65link]

Leather, all the way, especially in MSP in Jan. The only thing an overcoat does better is cover the lower extremities

 

[Hovernut]

Anaconda: i'll have to disagree about the leather jacket being better on those cold days preflighting...i go for the overcoat and suit jacket and i'll wager i'm much warmer on those cold blustery mornings then with just the leather jacket and my legs unprotected.

That's why in winter I wear 100% wool pants. Yeah, it sucks having to dry clean them, but they do keep me warmer than the JC Penney Towncrafts.