Catch 'em young: Air India.

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. No one knows this better than the battered Maharaja. Air India is hiring younger cabin crew to attract more passengers in a bitter battle for airspace that has seen rivals forging ahead. But will pretty faces be enough to woo back passengers?

"No," says Subhash Goyal, chairman of STIC Travel Group. "If youth and good looks mattered so much, Kingfisher would be ahead of the race instead of running into losses." Similarly, Indigo without any overt glamour, is doing very well, says Keyur Joshi, COO of MakeMyTrip.com, a travel portal.

Could efficiency then be the one thing that really matters? International airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa and American Airlines have middle-aged cabin crew who are efficient , says an ex-CMD of Indian Airlines who didn't want to be identified. "Younger cabin crew cannot be a panacea for an airline's problems. But, yes, Air India does need more cabin crew."

More important than a pretty face is a well-turned-out , efficient stewardesses with a natural smile and demeanor, says Prabha Rani, a veteran air hostess who retired in 2007. "Even a grouch will be put to ease by her.

Unfortunately, Indian men prefer younger cabin crew. So why don't they change their wives every five years?" she asks indignantly.

But the fact remains that an air hostess is the face of the airline. The committed cabin crew of the '60s have all retired, says Jitender Bhargava, former executive director of Air India. "They would notice simple things - the speck on the glass, the scrap of paper on the carpet...They were genuinely attuned to the needs of the hospitality sector. Today, for most, it's just a well-paying job."

That shows in the attitude , attests a senior AI commander. "The body language of some air hostesses is all wrong - no energy, no punctuality, no adherence to procedures... Some even say to me, 'Sir, today the flight is full.' Instead of complaining about the additional work, shouldn't that be a matter of joy?" he says, aggrieved. "Let them try this in private airlines ..." Service also means the little things, such as carrying sachets of Sugar Free, says D Sudhakara Reddy, president of the Air Passengers Association of India.

As for being fit, that's strictly for the birds. With no stringent weight checks in Air India , some air hostesses have ballooned. In a competitive environment, that's troubling. In an emergency, where agility is needed, it's suicidal. One commander after being served tasteless coffee by an overweight airhostess is said to have remarked in disgust, "She serves no purpose except changing the CG (centre of gravity) of the plane." Harsh words, no doubt, but then, this is the hospitality sector But, the two most important factors for an airline are on-time performance and pricing. Directorate General of Civil Aviation figures show Air India lagging behind others (see 'Matter of Stat' ). There's been an improvement in passenger revenue, though, this August as compared to the same period last year - it increased from Rs 889 crore to Rs 998 crore. From the time a passenger books a flight, there are many chinks - weather, technical issues, baggage, crew - and if even one malfunctions, it has a snowballing effect, says the ex-CMD . "And the passenger remembers that one chink and forgets the good things." The real mantra of an airline, says Joshi, is reliability and consistency. "No one expects a foot or a shoulder massage.

But they do expect the plane to leave on time, be told about delays... " Figures for June show Air India has the second highest cancellations after SpiceJet. Check-in is another important cog in this wheel. Though it has younger people after it was outsourced in some places, service has suffered. Many can't speak proper English, are befuddled by the systems and can't handle complaints . Last but not the least, is interference from Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan (aviation ministry ). The government should only set policy and get equity for the airline, say aviation watchers. "They should not get involved in the dayto-day running of the airline . If a CMD has been appointed , let him do his job," says the ex-CMD . Even the management, among the smartest in the industry, isn't allowed to function as it wants, adds Joshi. "While profitable routes which have been given away to competitors cannot be taken back, other routes can be found. Delhi-Melbourne , for example, is among the most profitable as it connects Europe to Australia. Also, let Air India be run professionally like the ONGC," he says.

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