The airport can be a stressful place – frazzled travellers rushing to their gates with families in tow, people bidding emotional farewells, irate customers demanding to know why their fight has been delayed or cancelled. Airport lounges, operated by airlines, shield passengers from the chaos and calamity, providing a temporary respite where the flat whites are free and the finger foods flow, where one can sit in plush armchairs while waiting for their final boarding call.
Airport lounges are also spaces where workplace gender inequality is evident – not through the staff working there per se, but rather through its bevy of suit-clad patrons.
Recently, I found myself in an airport lounge on the back of a free pass I had received as a result of my getting upgraded to a higher membership level. Ordinarily, I would have entered as my husband’s ‘guest’, as a result of his frequent travel trips and own membership status.
Airport lounges are also spaces where workplace gender inequality is evident – not through the staff working there per se, but rather through its bevy of suit-clad patrons.
While I sat in one of the plush armchairs (with aforementioned flat white and finger foods), it became apparent that there was a blatant disparity between the number of men and women in the room.
It could have been the time, it could have been the day; however, upon reflection, I would argue that my observation on this day was indicative of my other past experiences in airport lounges, even if the gender discrepancy was not as rampant as on this particular morning.
Still, given our evenly gendered workforce , would it not be reasonable to expect that the gender ratio be more balanced?
It is no stretch of the imagination to recognise that airport lounges reward the wealthy, drawing up lines of demarcation built upon on the monetary value that is spent with the airline. Indeed, the words attached to lounge memberships – ‘platinum, ‘gold’, ‘executive’, ‘status points’ – all create the perception of privilege and exclusivity, a level of power to aspire to, much like climbing up the proverbial corporate ladder.
More often than not, it is the well-paid, frequent-flying businesspeople and executives who are able to take advantage of these airline perks.
A man travelling for days or weeks on a business trip is a far more common and socially accepted scenario than a woman being away from her family.
Yet, far from there only being an economic divide dictating those who are allowed to enter the lustrous world of glossy airport lounges, there is also a gender gap in force here – the same one being played out in companies and offices all around Australia, and indeed the world.
It is no secret that women face myriad challenges when it comes to the workplace: struggling to be heard and respected by colleagues, balancing work and family, fighting for equal pay and opportunities – the list goes on. ‘Can I really have it all?’ is a question that weighs on many women’s minds, with proponents passionately affirming ‘YES’, while real life may paint another sobering picture.
Travelling on a frequent basis for work is not feasible for all women, particularly those who do not have sufficient resources and networks in place. Combine this stark reality with the unshakeable perception that a man travelling for days or weeks on a business trip is a far more common and socially accepted scenario than a woman being away from her family.
But what is most evident from the gender disparity in airport lounges is the lack of representation of women in senior roles and the persistent gender gap that has kept women out of the boardroom, and perhaps out of first-class and business-class seats (which will surely fast-track your invitation into a lounge).
According to data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, women make up only 38.4 per cent of all managers in Australia, even though they constitute 50 per cent of the workforce. This figure diminishes dramatically the higher up the corporate chain you climb, with female representation on boards at 24.9 per cent and a mere 16.5 per cent of women acting as CEOs. Men also make a handsome $26,527 a year more than women on average. Another telling statistic is the gender breakdown in full-time and part-time roles, with 40.2 per cent of women and 67.9 per cent of men in full-time roles, and 32.9 per cent of women and 10.7 per cent of men in part-time roles.
The airline industry itself remains gender-imbalanced in its more senior positions, with Qantas employing just over 5per cent of female pilots across all of its airlines, although this still beats the global average of female pilots at 3per cent . While some maintain that this male-dominated profession is a consequence of irregular flying schedules, thereby making it an unsuitable career choice for women with family commitments, 68per cent of flight attendants are women and are on the same rostering schedule. Furthermore, even though Qantas has hit its target to have 35 per cent of its senior management team made up of women, there is no reason why this figure should not be closer to 50 per cent, as a true representation of the national workforce.
It is interesting to note how workplace gender statistics, which are skewed in favour of men in every aspect, mirror the demographics of a typical airport lounge. Even though there is necessary action being taken to combat the gender gap, we must also be aware of how this inequality can manifest in other, sometimes unexpected, places, and expunge the potential for discrimination against women.
Because what is an airport lounge, but an extension of the male-dominated boardroom?
Camha Pham is a freelance writer. You can follow her on twitter at @CamhaPham
