This is my review of the Burton Flight Attendant snowboard.
I’ve been snowboarding for decades and have worked the last ten years as a certified instructor. I have experience with many different brands and models of boards and know how to judge their performance accurately.
The Flight Attendant is a fun board to ride that skirts the line between all-mountain and freeride styles. It’s a competent option that will work well in various situations but lacks an outstanding characteristic in any particular direction.
In this post, I’ll take an in-depth look at the characteristics and construction of the board, alongside a few additional features to show you the upside and downside to this Burton model.
Let’s get after it.
Contents
Burton Flight Attendant Overview
The Flight Attendant is another relatively popular model in the Burton lineup. It’s a decent option for beginner to intermediate riders looking for an all-mountain board with high-quality freeride characteristics.
A medium-stiff flex makes it just beyond the realm of an easy-to-handle beginner board but helps it excel in more technical situations where more power and control are necessary. This board can work for beginners with some experience who want to push their limits.
The Flight Attendant rides well in powder and steeper conditions, thanks to a directional twin shape that gives you a lot of control without compromising stability. It doesn’t quite have true twin capabilities, so it doesn’t excel in the terrain park at all.
Directional camber also caters to freeriding and technical terrain. This profile design utilizes rocker under the nose to keep the board floaty and fun in deeper snow with camber underfoot to give you good stability and power.
Overall, it’s a balanced board that does a decent job at being an all-mountain board. You get solid versatility in terms of roaming from the front side to the backside of the mountain. You can cruise groomers, steeps, and deep powder all on the same day.
I don’t like the Flight Attendant because it doesn’t really stand out in any particular way. It’s a generalist board that hits a specific target market that most snowboarders look to get out of quickly.
The board is capable; I just wouldn’t go so far as recommending it to a more advanced rider who wants a top-of-the-line option. It’s relatively affordable compared to some similar alternatives from Burton, and that is a definite plus.
If you are an intermediate-level rider looking for an entry-level freeride board, this just might be your ticket. For other purposes, the Flight Attendant misses the mark by not focusing on a particular terrain or performance.
It’s not a bad snowboard, by any means. I just don’t think it’s a great one, either. It does make for a good value, and you can expect quality construction and customer service with any offering from Burton.
Detailed Review
The Burton Flight Attendant is a generalist intermediate-level board that bridges the gap between all-mountain and freeride styles. It’s not quite beginner-friendly and falls short of offering advanced-level performance.
Performance
Offered as an all-mountain snowboard with the ability to handle more challenging freeride terrain, the Flight Attendant is competent in many areas of the mountain. It will get you by in a variety of situations. It just might not help you excel in any of them.
I like how the board performs in powder and steeper terrain which is a little less than ideal. These are characteristics that you want out of any freeride board, and the blend of camber and rocker in the profile helps make this happen.
The directional twin shape is also nice and helps add versatility, alongside a bit of freestyle flow that allows you to ride switch if you want to. I don’t think the board handles very well in the park because of how stiff it is, but you can easily launch cliffs and other natural features.
It turns quickly and effectively while giving you enough power to cut and carve through cruddy snow. The board stays pretty stable at higher speeds, and you’ll only experience a little bit of chatter if you turn on the afterburners and hit high speed.
So far, this performance review steers towards the positives of the board and what it can do. It can give you a little bit of everything, which is ideal for an intermediate rider who is still perfecting certain aspects of their skillset.
It can’t get you over the hump from intermediate to advanced level riding. The board just doesn’t offer enough focus on any single performance aspect. It’s ok at just about everything. It’s not great at any one factor.
Construction
As with nearly every Burton board, the Flight Attendant features solid construction that you can rely on. You can expect the board to hold up well under heavy use, and it features some outstanding design elements intended to help you on the mountain.
I already mentioned the directional camber profile, but I want to touch on this again because it adds versatility and performance across the board. Rocker in the nose helps the board float and camber under your feet generates power and pop.
The directional twin shape utilizes a tapered tip and tail, limiting the thickness in the front and rear of the board, which keeps the weight down and allows the board to be handled with ease. In short, this reduces weight.
The board comes with a Super Fly II Core. This weighs around 700 grams to keep the heart of the Flight Attendant lightweight but super strong. You get plenty of flex to allow for speed and maneuverability but enough strength to stay stable and in control.
Surrounding the core are two laminate layers that offer plenty of flex and response while also tying in strength across the board. A layer of Triax fiberglass gives you a quick response, while a Carbon I-Beam backbone limits weight and makes the board pop.
Additional Features
The Flight Attendant has a handful of additional features that add to its durability and performance. Burton is well-known for offering the latest tech and innovation in its designs.
A sintered WFO base is super durable and gives you a solid and reliable point of contact against the snow. It comes with a unique wax blend out of the factory that flows into every nook and cranny of the sintered construction for slide and glide.
Another nice feature is Infinite Ride technology, a standard offering on most higher-end Burton boards. This tech aims to increase the board’s durability in the long run and help it not warp or wear out. I think it’s a practical and worthwhile feature.
The board also comes equipped with the Channel mounting binding system, which allows you to quickly and effectively adjust your bindings. This system is excellent if you like to make minor or major tweaks to accommodate conditions and terrain.
Burton also incorporates Super Sap epoxy into the construction of the Flight Attendant and many of their models. The result is a plant-based material that holds the board together and is far more eco-friendly than regular oil-based epoxies.
Value
One of the most significant upsides to the Flight Attendant is its value. You’ll get a board that will deliver all-around performance at an affordable price. It’s not a budget board, but it’s far from the most expensive. That middle ground has its place.
If you are looking for precisely what this board has to offer – an intermediate-level performance that gives you both all-mountain and freestyle characteristics, the value increases even further. That is the target market for the Flight Attendant.
It’s not a top performer in any one area, and though I think that’s an obvious downside in terms of performance, it doesn’t result in the same negative result when looking at value. You get what you pay for, and this board is in the middle of the road all around.
While I don’t like the Flight Attendant as much as other Burton boards that cater to advanced riders, those costs significantly more. If you want an affordable all-mountain board that is decent and well-constructed, the value is apparent.
The Alternatives
If the Flight Attendant doesn’t quite seem like the board for you, or you want an option that is more focused on beginners or advanced riders, check out these recommended options.
The Flying V is one of the top all-mountain boards from Burton. This is a popular model with more experienced riders because it delivers high performance and effective control in various situations.
It’s on the aggressive side when it comes to power and flex, so you’ll want to make sure you have the skill level to handle it. But with a twin shape and responsive profile, you’ll be able to handle everything from deep powder to the park.
This one also has the Channel mounting system, so you can switch out bindings easily from another Burton board if you have it.
==> Read our detailed review of Burton Custom Flying V to learn more.
The Salomon Assassin is a good all-mountain option for beginners. It has a softer flex and more forgiving design that will allow you to explore new areas of the mountain without being too much board to handle.
You get the benefit of a directional twin shape, the same as the Flight Attendant, and a Rock Out Camber profile that helps generate power but still allows you to stay on top of deeper snow. This is like a diet-freeride board that I recommend if you want to explore the style.
==> Read our detailed Salomon Assassin review for more.
For a women’s specific all-mountain board that gives you high-end performance and versatility, check out the Lib Tech Dynamiss. This is another one of my favorite boards, and it’s a good option for riders who like to do a little bit of everything.
It comes with a directional shape that will keep you good company in deep powder and let you carve quickly on groomers. A C3 camber profile utilizes a slight rocker underfoot with tip and tail camber to give you extra power and pop.
My Verdict
The Burton Flight Attendant is a good snowboard. It’s just not a great one. I wouldn’t recommend the board unless you are an intermediate rider who wants an all-mountain board that can help you improve your freeride abilities.
It’s a well-constructed board and a good value, but it’s not one of my favorite Burton models because it doesn’t have a solid performance focus.
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