When Ellie Bastar joined Challenger Airlines on July 1. 1948, she was one of the first ten stewardesses hired by a Frontier predecessor airline. 
Prior to that the airline had used only stewards on its DC-3 flights.
Ellie's first flight took her from Denver to Salt Lake City to Billings and back to Denver through Wyoming.
Besides serving beverages and looking `bfter passengers, stewardesses were responsible for making sure the mail was deposited at towns during stopovers. 
If children flying alone for some reason weren't met by an adult at flight termination, the stewardess was expected to take charge of the child until claimed.

Found Job Rewarding
"There were times when something happened to delay or prevent the child's pickup at the airport, 
and many times ended up taking one home with me overnight," recalls Ellie, who thought her job very rewarding and interesting. 
"It was fun being a stew then because you actually were a hostess and had time to visit with your passengers."
Many aspects of aviation have changed since those early days, and the stewardess's job is no exception.
"We thought we were highly paid back then," Ellie clearly remembers, "at $125 a month salary, pIus 20 cents for every hour away and hotel expenses."
Starting salary for today's Frontier stewardesses has nearly quadrupled, compensation for hours away from home has doubled, 
and there are several incentive programs whereby they can make more money, over and above salary and expenses.

Uniforms Have Changed, Too
The first stewardess uniforms were one-piece dresses with battle jackets of navy blue accented by a western-style gold satin tie at the neck, which Ellie didn't much care for.
"The other airline people ignored us because we didn't look like stewardesses." Lucky for Ellie, uniforms changed style often.
The uniform worn by Frontier's 273 stewardesses today was created by Hart, Schaffner & Marx to reflect the jet age. 
Their versatile layered costume can be worn mini, midi or as pants; and the dominant navy btue color can be accented 
with interchangeable blue/green or orange/ yellow striped accessories. 
Navy stretch boots or patent shoes with 11/2 inch heels round out the "now" look of Frontier's 1971 stewardesses.
Ellie Bastar reluctantly retired from stewardess duty because of the mandatory age factor in 1965. 
During her 17 1/2 years as a Frontier stewardess, she flew out of Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Billings 
before moving to the Denver general offices where today she works in Crew Scheduling.
-FRONTIER NEWS, 11/27/1971