Home / Lifestyle / 66-Year Flight Attendant Flies into Retirement
66-Year Flight Attendant Flies into Retirement
3 Jun
Summary
- A flight attendant retires after an impressive 66-year career.
- She worked for Delta Air Lines since 2008, starting in 1959.
- Early airline policies required flight attendants to be unmarried and retire by age 32.
Joan Prince Crandall, believed to be the longest-serving flight attendant in the industry, is concluding her remarkable 66-year career.
Crandall began her aviation journey in 1959 with Pacific Airlines, flying on a Douglas DC-3. Over the decades, she worked for various carriers, including Air West, Hughes Airwest, Republic Airways, NorthWest, and eventually Delta Air Lines, where she has been employed since 2008.
Reflecting on her career, Crandall noted the dramatic evolution of airline policies. She recalled that in the 1950s, stewardesses were required to be unmarried and retire by age 32, a stark contrast to today's standards. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 significantly altered these discriminatory practices, profoundly impacting the roles and lives of flight attendants.
Inspired by her father, a pilot for Northwest Airlines, Crandall found a lifelong passion for flying. Despite the industry's transformations, she feels fortunate to have remained physically healthy and continued to enjoy her work until her retirement.
