"Flight attendants"...please

Now that Flight 93 is being discussed in a lot of blogs, I have to read the word "stewardess" over and over, rather than just seeing and hearing it every once in a while. The word is considered offensive, and here is why:

1. It implies that people hired to coordinate safety, efficiency, and comfort on flights have been hired to coordinate comfort only.

2. It is insulting to male flight attendants because it excludes them.

3. Any female derivative word is offensive on its face and is indeed intended to cheapen the original word (think "waiter" and "waitress").

4. Flight attendants asked us to stop using the word several decades ago, which is the reason that should trump all reasons.