Cabin Crew tattoos- the good, the bad and the ugly

Want to work for British Airways but have a tattoo?

As from the 12th September 2016 their tattoo policy changed, you can now have a tattoo as long as these are not on the hands, front of the neck and the face.
If you have other tattoos elsewhere, this complies within the uniform standard and would need to be covered by stage make up whilst on duty or can be under our uniform long sleeved shirt.
When you apply for the role of cabin crew the airlines have very strict criteria they set before considering you for an interview e.g. certain height restrictions, qualifications etc. and one of them commonly seen is “No visible tattoos whilst in uniform”.

Can you hide it?

As so many people do have tattoos, this causes plenty of debate- can you hide a tattoo? Everything depends on where the tattoo is (if it’s never going to see daylight then you don’t need to worry!) and how big it is. A small piece of body art on the inside of the wrist for instance could potentially be covered with a plaster. A large tattoo on the hand, neck, leg for instance may cause a lot more problems.

Do airline rules differ?

We have been in touch with some of the airlines and they clearly state that no tattoo must be visible if in a short sleeved shirt or in a skirt (whilst wearing tights) or anywhere around the neck and face, including trying to cover up. A few airlines are a little less strict and are OK about covering up the tattoo i.e. plaster or make up. However, in general, there are no grey areas around this topic you simply will NOT be accepted by the airline, even if you have the most outstanding qualifications and skills you can offer them!
Currently we know that tattoos are quite fashionable but the airlines do have a dilemma if they state ‘only small tattoos’ allowed (how small is small)? What you might think as small, I may think as big, so their policy keeps things simple; ‘NO visible tattoos’.

Can you lie about it?

Some people have lied on their application forms and have been turned away at the start of their assessment day or worse still they have been accepted by the airline and started their training course only to be discovered that they have a tattoo and then they are instantly dismissed.

Why does it matter?

The reason for this is simple, you represent the airline and its core values and beliefs and you need to look the part and follow company procedures to a very high standard. This covers looking the part in uniform, having the right look in your hair and make-up, and not having anything that makes you stand out as different or at odds with the (usually pretty conservative) company brand.

Different perspectives

Now you may love your tattoo but some people (passengers) may not! Imagine this scenario, you are serving royalty in First class and you have a tattoo on your hand which they disapprove of for whatever reason. The passenger will see it every time you serve them and it might annoy them or cause them to make assumptions about you and the airline. It may be that the tattoo image may be offence to some people, especially considering the diverse cultures cabin crew are exposed to in their everyday life.

Next steps

Many people who attend our courses often get onto the subject of tattoos and are eager to find out what the rules and regulations are regarding having a tattoo and applying to the airlines.
A few of the UK airlines, like Titan, Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet are fairly happy for a visible tattoo whilst in uniform to be covered up i.e. make up or a plaster, providing they are small. However a lot of the other airlines will not accept this method and you will simply not be accepted. If this is really your dream job then looking at potential ways of removing these could be an option. Some people opt for laser removal whilst others have tried theatrical cover up make up. The problem with the latter is if the airline discovers you have a visible tattoo i.e. the make-up wears off, you may lose your job. Recently a successful applicant did not declare her tattoo to an airline and it was not until after 6 weeks on a gruelling training course, when they discovered the truth that she was sadly dismissed!

One of our course attendees, Paul, kindly shared his experience on pursuing his dream job by booking 6 intensive and somewhat painful laser removal sessions. The tattoo removal on his arm is estimated at approximately a year for the treatment to work. He did comment that it does depend on the size of the tattoo as to how long the treatment takes.