Ron Akana The oldest flight attendant Date of Birth: 01.01.1929

1. The Oldest Flight Attendant
2. Escape from Hawaii
3. Hiatus and Return
4. Memorable Encounters and Family Bonds
5. Final Flight
6. Retirement and Accolades
7. Retirement Plans and Accolades

The Oldest Flight Attendant

In 1949, at the suggestion of friends, Ron Akana, a Hawaiian native, applied for a flight attendant position with United Airlines. Upon being hired, he became one of the first male flight attendants. When Akana retired in August 2012 at the age of 83, he officially became the oldest flight attendant in aviation history. His record was recognized in the October 2012 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

Escape from Hawaii

Akana, a 63-year veteran of United Airlines, the largest airline in the world, has stated that his youthful desire to escape the somewhat monotonous atmosphere of his native Hawaii, where "there wasn't much to do," was his primary motivation for applying as a flight attendant. "We didn't even know what a flight attendant was. But in those days, it meant seeing the mainland, and that was a big deal," recounted the American pensioner, who has lived in Colorado since 2002 to be closer to his grandchildren.

Hiatus and Return

Two years after joining United, Akana was drafted to serve in the Korean War. He returned to his flight attendant duties in 1953. That year proved memorable for Akana, as he had the privilege of serving several celebrities on a flight, including Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, and Burt Lancaster from the movie "From Here to Eternity." Akana recalled that Lancaster consumed approximately 13 martinis during the flight to Hawaii. Other notable personalities Akana encountered while flying included former U.S. President Bill Clinton and American comedian Red Skelton. Akana humorously recounted that the comedic actor mimicked his safety instructions during a flight, naturally attracting far more attention than Akana's mandatory performance. "The whole plane was laughing, and nobody was looking at me," remarked the flight attendant.

Memorable Encounters and Family Bonds

Akana's extraordinary career was marked by countless memorable moments, including meeting his wife, Elizabeth, on a flight. They married soon after in 1962. Elizabeth, who was also a flight attendant, was forced to resign due to the company's rules against employing family members (however, their daughter Jean followed in her parents' footsteps and became a flight attendant with United Airlines). Akana witnessed significant changes in both aviation and passenger behavior over his 63-year career. Passengers began dining more lavishly, underwent more thorough airport security checks, and approached flights with a more mundane attitude (e.g., decades ago, passengers dressed formally in suits and dresses, and casual attire was seldom seen). Moreover, planes became faster, in-flight movies were introduced, and smoking was prohibited. It seemed that throughout all these transformations, Ron Akana remained the one constant at United Airlines.

Final Flight

Akana's last flight as a senior flight attendant was on August 26, 2012, from Denver, Colorado, to Kauai, Hawaii (although it was initially reported that he would fly to Honolulu). He was joined by his family on the flight. Upon returning, the 83-year-old traveled as a passenger. Prior to his final flight, the veteran flight attendant expressed his profound affection for his profession.

Retirement and Accolades

Various media outlets initially reported that Akana's decision to retire was health-related. "You get to the point where your joints and bones are telling you to take it easy," he once told reporters. For an octogenarian, such reasons are certainly understandable, as many would avoid flying as tourists; yet, Akana worked on flights alongside much younger colleagues. However, in a later interview with the Associated Press, the newly retired flight attendant remarked that United Airlines offered him a generous retirement package. Akana hesitated to accept, as United was scheduled to acquire the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" in October 2012, and he had longed to serve aboard the aircraft. "But I'll have to watch it from the sidelines now," Akana remarked.

Nevertheless, the pensioner had no need to worry excessively: he would soon have the opportunity to travel on the new Boeing aircraft as a passenger. Akana had accrued an astounding 200 million miles through his frequent flyer program. This translates to roughly 40 return trips to the moon. To illustrate the immensity of this accomplishment, the Associated Press provided a vivid example: if he desired, Akana could offer first-class round-trip tickets from Chicago to Honolulu to the entire population of a small town with 1,138 inhabitants and repeat this act monthly for 12 years. Even after this, he would still have enough accrued miles for additional trips with his wife, Elizabeth.

Retirement Plans and Accolades

This is precisely what Ron Akana intends to do next, although during his numerous vacations, he has already visited New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, and several European countries. He is currently finalizing thank-you notes to well-wishers before planning his upcoming travels. His first destination remains uncertain. "We have a lot of catching up to do!" he exclaimed to reporters.

Ron Akana has unquestionably earned his retirement, as well as the distinction of being the oldest flight attendant in aviation history. The Guinness Book of World Records has already presented him with an official certificate recognizing his achievement. The Guinness World Records edition featuring Ron Akana, the flight attendant with 63 years of experience, will be released in October 2012, coinciding with United Airlines' receipt of its first Dreamliner.