Delta's Longest-Serving Flight Attendant Retires After 66-Year Skyward Career

Joan Prince Crandall, who began as a stewardess in 1959 and has flown for Delta since 2008, is retiring after more than 66 years in the air—the industry’s longest-serving flight attendant—reflecting vast changes from glamour uniforms and prop planes to jet travel and safety leadership. Her career spans the shift from two-piece fashion to the Civil Rights Act's impact on women in the industry, and from Martin 404s to today’s large jets, with Crandall now serving as a lead purser. She plans to write a book and travel after retirement, passing the torch to new Delta recruits like Alise Broussard.