This particular ad for United focuses on the grace of their stewardesses, as airline ads often used to do. The airline claims to have turned a clumsy, but intelligent, friendly, and attractive woman into a great stewardess. Beauty used to be one of the defining factors of being a stewardess, and this ad reinforces that idea. The first line, “Two months ago Sheri Woodruff couldn’t even balance a cup of coffee,” depicts a woman with “butterfingers” but also potential. Amazingly, after just 5 weeks of stewardess school, Sheri learned everything she needed to be a great stewardess, and even how to apply her makeup. Interesting how back in ’67, it was all about the features of the stewardess and nothing about the features of the travel experience or the destinations awaiting you. Thankfully, things have changed for the better.
United was the first airline to hire female flight attendants, a.k.a. stewardesses. The very first stewardesses to fly were actually registered nurses. And their responsibilities included knocking down gates to enable planes brought down in bad weather to take off again. (Source: BoardingArea.com)