Hello and welcome to my Burton Flight Attendant review.
In this review I will take a look at the Flight Attendant as a Freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Flight Attendant a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Burton Family Tree Flight Attendant
Price: $579
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 89.0/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 32 men’s freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Flight Attendant’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Flight Attendant’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $579 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 35mm |
Base: | Sintered WFO |
Weight: | Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
152 | 250 | 120-180 | 54-82 |
156 | 254 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
159 | 256 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
162 | 258 | 180-260 | 82-118 |
168 | 265 | 180-260 | 82-118 |
156W | 262 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
159W | 264 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
162W | 266 | 180-260 | 82-118 |
* note that the 156W is new as of the 2022 model. Also note that all sizes now have a wider waist than prior to the 2022 model.
Who is the Flight Attendant Most Suited To?
The Flight Attendant is great for those that like to carve up groomers and also like it steep and deep - but want something that's not ultra stiff - still some amount of forgiveness there.
Also great for those that like to get a little freestyle from time to time (not for learning freestyle for sure, but for advanced riders).
Not a beginner board by any means - too stiff and too much camber to be beginner friendly.
The Flight Attendant in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Flight Attendant is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Burton Flight Attendant 2020, 156cm (248mm waist width)
Date: April 14, 2019
Conditions:
Great vis first thing but started closing in and then snowing 10:30. Then on and off throughout the day. But vis was never terrible – in patches good and in patches OK.
Groomers were quite smooth and fast, especially compared to the day before, which was nice.
Nothing crazy in terms of fresh snow, but 1cm (0.5") overnight and few more than that in the days leading up - some fresh patches still to be found.
Relatively cold with a little wind, but not much - wind not as strong and not quite as cold as the day before. -4 with wind. Still pretty cold for April 14th!
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Stance Setback: Setback 35mm
Width at Inserts: 258mm (10.16") at front insert and 257mm (10.12") at back insert
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 185lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Powder
From the little bit of fresh I had, it felt like the FA would float really well in powder. And that's not surprising, given the taper, setback, the generous amount of rocker in the nose - and the longer nose.
Carving & Turning
Carving: This board carves like a dream. It's got plenty of camber and spring - and is stiff enough without being oppressively stiff.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: I was riding the 156, where I would ideally be on the 159, so maybe more agile at slower speeds because of that (though I have ridden the 159 in the past), but it was relatively agile at slow speeds, more so than I would expect from this level of stiffness. I think part of that comes down to a relatively narrow waist. But overall prefers speed over going slow.
Skidded Turns: Pretty unforgiving of skidded turns. Feels much better when you're up on edge. That said, I've ridden boards that are harder to skid turns on too.
Speed
Even on the 156 it feels super stable and smooth at speed. The 159 would be even better. That, and based on riding the 159 in the 2017 model, this board rips at speed.
Uneven Terrain
Goes pretty well when things get bumpy or cruddy. Nimble enough for weaving and damp enough going over - and with enough forgiveness. Very consistent over a variety of terrain.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Overall a good board for jumping for this category. I always prefer something a little softer and more two-ended, but the FA does a pretty good job here.
Pop: It's got great pop. Some of that pop is fairly easily accessible - but if you load it up, there's more that can be accessed.
Approach: Really stable and whilst not the most agile board you'll ever ride, it's agile enough.
Landing: Really solid/stable with just a hint of forgiveness.
Side-hits: Not the worst for sidehits and not the best either.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Definitely more of a big jump kind of board. Certainly medium jumps fine but L to XL is it's forte. More for straight air than spins.
Switch
It's doable for riding switch. But definitely not ideal. It's tapered, the camber is directional (as in rocker in the nose but not in the tail) and it's setback quite a bit.
Spins
Not ideal for spinning. Felt like it took some effort to get the spin around. Relatively stiff torsionally. And landing and taking off switch not great. It's doable but average for spins, IMO.
Butters
Not that buttery. There is a little bit of flex tip and tail, but not that much. Takes quite a bit of effort to butter on.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.5 | 18/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.0/100 |
Overall, The Flight Attendant is a great Freeride option - especially for those that want something stiffer than medium, but not ultra-stiff.
It's quite versatile and isn't just a bomb, carve, float board - but those are the areas where it excels the most.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Flight Attendant or want to research current prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freeride options or see how the FA compares to other freeride decks check out the next link.
Hello and welcome to my Burton Flight Attendant review.
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