Here’s a radical idea for Willie Walsh, chief executive of embattled British Airways: sell your stewardesses’ uniforms to collectors in Japan.

There is, apparently, a robust and vigorous market for hosties’ uniforms, prompting Japan Airlines to fit its cabin crews’ kit with tracking tags in a bid to halt the trade.

Prices for uniforms that have previously been worn are significantly higher. According to The Times, London, a Japan Airlines uniform that was stolen from an advertising shoot was later sold for R123 000. Yes, it had more than likely been worn.

No, I don’t get it either, but there you go.

Bleeding money as it struggles to cope with its biggest crisis ever, BA is now faced with a massive walkout by cabin crew which will hammer the airline and cause travel chaos for thousands of people over Easter.

A last-minute deal between the airline and cabin crew union, Unite, seems unlikely with the airline refusing to back down on its plans to reduce the number of cabin crew on long haul flights, one of the biggest sticking points in the dispute.

Should things go completely pear-shaped for BA, there will be thousands of uniforms available. Of course, swamping the market with kit – all of it not used much lately – will only drive prices down and ruin the trade.

Perhaps future airlines will save money by, literally, cutting back on hemlines or even reducing the size of the uniform altogether. Southwest Airlines, the original budget airline, did this in the 70s already (photo below) although saving money was possibly not the aim here.

Meanwhile, if you’re a fan of aviation haute couture then Cliff Muskiet’s Stewardess Uniform Collection will certainly appeal.

Related posts:

1. Japan Airlines’ bankruptcy is a clear sign that global financial troubles are not over
2. World’s airlines may lose $5.6 billion in 2010: No green shoots of recovery at 35 000 feet, then
3. The looming British Airways strike is a scary numbers game
4. Olympic Airlines says goodbye to Joburg
5. Airlines could learn a lot from bus companies. Just not South African ones.