At the end of 2012, FASCO helped about 1,200 Chinese nationals find flight attendant jobs around the world, according to director Ji Yang Xiong. In 1996, when the company first began recruitment services, just "a few hundred" candidates applied.

While airplane safety, meal service and customer hospitality are taught, physical fitness is also emphasized.

"Aerobics classes are held in both aviation schools and in training centers in order to keep the aspiring flight attendants in shape, to refine their figure and posture and to strengthen their body," says Xiong.

Some candidates even learn kung-fu and yoga "so that they are ready to face stressful situations."

Training and attitude might well go farther than a mere attractive image in explaining the success earned by Asian flight attendants.

"American service standards generally have dropped vastly below Asian service standards in many industries, and most particularly in hotel and leisure and travel communities," says aviation law expert and frequent traveler Quinn.

This may seem self evident to certain frequent fliers, says Quinn, but for those flying on an Asian carrier for the first time, the difference can be a surprise.

"What tends to be lost in the debate over this is that it's not a crime to insist upon high standards of service and courtesy and professionalism in flight crews," says Quinn. "For the U.S. businessperson who spends a lot of time in Asia -- I'm just back from Tokyo this week -- the contrast between U.S. service standards and Asian carrier service standards could not be more stark.

"It's a quantum leap in service standards as soon as you hit Tokyo and go beyond, whether you're on a Japanese carrier or Singapore Airlines or an airline from Hong Kong or Thailand. They're all vastly superior in the service level.

"U.S. carriers are trying to catch up, but they've got a long way to go."