AviatorTx said:This debate shows what is nice about the XJT hat policy.
If you don't like the hat. Don't wear it.
If you like the hat, STFU and wear the darn thing, but stop telling everyone else how much more professional you think you look.
I think just the opposite. This thread shows what's wrong with this policy. Xpress jet shouldn't be wishy washy on the issue. They should go all or nothing. No "half the crew wears the hat, the other crewmember doesn't." It's not called a uniform for nothing. Depending on your point of view, half the crew looks professional, the other half looks like a dork. Take your pick, it works for both points of view. I have to tell an ironic story on this exact issue. I was flying with a Capt. that was a "hat carrier" not a "hat wearer". He hated the hat. Always had it, but never wore it. On this one particular leg, there was a passenger "disagreement" while loading. The Capt headed back so he could get the situation resolved so we could get out on time. He grabbed his hat on the way out of the cockpit. On the way back into the cockpit after resolving the dispute, he took off his hat and I had to ask "so, why did you take your hat?" His answer "because passengers hearing tends to be a bit better when I have it on, if you know what I mean." That ironically sums up the issue as to why some argue the pro hat issue. First impressions mean alot. The hat does stick out like a sore thumb. People will see the hat first, you second. There have been many behavioral studies on these issues. People do tend to react much differently when approached by a uniformed person as opposed to that same person out of uniform. Does the hat make the uniform, does the hat matter, or does it just add more recognition to the legitimacy of the uniform? Who knows. All I know is that when the whole international aircarrier(can't remember the name) flight attendant crew that flies out of MCO who wears the red uniforms and the red hats strolls through the concourse together, the amount of attention and comments they get is astounding. As one lady I heard the other day say, "Oh my, they look so professional! Why doesn't Southwest's stewardess' dress like that?" I had to laugh. I love the look of that crew (as do most the pilots that drool over them). I know this threads about pilot hats, but I love those flight attendant red hats.