What Flight Attendants Want You to Know

Oh boy, another list. But I’m glad I can finally share this

The first real job that helped my bank account big time at 21 years old was being a cabin crew, or flight attendant, of a Middle Eastern airline for more than 6 years. Six years and four months to be exact.

I flew for an international airline that flew to more than 100 destinations worldwide where a typical working day included spending time with hundreds of passengers breathing recycled cabin air in a giant metal tube at 40,000 feet high.

This year is definitely not the best time to book a ticket to your dream destination nor is it suggested to spend some bucks to spend the Christmas holidays somewhere else. But if you REALLY need to get into that metal tube and spend long hours cruising at an altitude of 40,000 feet, then here are some personal tips that are worth remembering. And sharing.

Water is the secret to feeling and looking alive from take-off to landing

Not only when you’re flying, but water is paramount to your very existence. It cannot be stressed enough that this simple colorless, tasteless, odorless liquid is necessary to keep you and your skin hydrated.

When you fly, the air up there is very dry. It causes thirst, dry skin, and sometimes you even feel your throat get extra dry. A lot of passengers commit the mistake of drinking coffee, tea, sugary drinks, or an alcoholic beverage. These choices are not the best ones if you want to feel good when you land. Instead of hydrating yourself, they do the exact opposite.

Besides, the tube where hot water for your tea and coffee is taken from is not the best source. Let’s just say if your hygienic standards are as high as Burj Khalifa, then I strongly suggest you drink plain ol’ water.

Mobile phones and other portable devices

There had been numerous times where passengers sarcastically asked me if the plane was going to crash if they wouldn’t switch off their mobile phones or laptops every time I told them to do so. My smiling cabin crew answer was always: the interference produced by the devices cuts the smooth communication between the flight deck and the control tower.

Have you tried placing your mobile phone close to the radio when sending a message or when you’re about to receive one? It makes interference sounds. I’ve often heard this sound during take-off and landing before when I used to sit close to the flight deck. It was really distracting.

After take-off and before landing, it was our duty to mentally prepare ourselves for any unprepared in-flight emergency, and hearing these noises was distracting. How much more for the pilots? Just switch them off.

Anyway, you won’t have a network signal at cruising altitude. Yes, sometimes an aircraft has Wi-Fi, but still — safety first people.

The aircraft holds millions of passengers per year who step on its floor

Going barefoot around the cabin is not cool especially going to the lavatory.

Most importantly, do not leave your baby crawling and sprawling on the floor. PLEASE. Millions of shoes who have stepped on all kinds of undesirable body excretions have passed through that floor. Yes, it is thoroughly cleaned before every flight. But don’t let your guard down — unless you really don’t care.

Also, deciding to remove your shoes inside the cabin might release an unwanted aroma in the air. You know what I mean.

Nice to know: Aircraft lavatories are one of the last places on earth where you’d like to have fun with your partner. The next time you think about joining the mile-high club, ask yourself: ‘Do I really want to get naked and touch my buttocks with those parts where millions of undesirable body excretions have been before?’. Having fun is good, but not if you get sick from it.

Queues during boarding and disembarking

Please allow me to express a strong opinion on this because there’s a lot of hope that passengers will realize. You, as future passengers, will take this into account the next time you take a flight.

Why do passengers hurry up to queue once the boarding announcement has been made? I want to reassure all passengers that your boarding pass is a surefire way to know that you are getting on that flight. Unless you are far from the boarding gate 30 minutes before the boarding time, then there’s no need to panic.

The ground staff makes sure all passengers are accounted for before closing aircraft doors. The aircraft will not take-off without you in it once you have that boarding pass and when you are literally in front of the boarding gate.

It is important to remember that once the aircraft lands, standing up immediately is not the quickest way for you to get out of that tube. It could even harm you if you are standing (even when the seatbelt sign is on) because the pilot could make a sudden, hard stop and if you’re there standing trying to open the overhead bin, you’ll just hurt yourself and possibly, the passenger below you. Remember, bags moved around before landing so please be careful when opening the overhead bin.

Nice to know: If for some reason the flight is delayed and it jeopardizes your connecting flight, you can kindly approach any crew, or the purser (head cabin crew) of the flight and explain your flight situation to them. They will nicely allow you to disembark first. People often forget that kindness goes a long way.

Windows have to be open during take-off and landing

My dear passengers, this is for safety reasons and not to disturb your sleep. Aircraft windows are the only places where flight attendants have proper visuals to check outside safety in case of emergency.

Flight attendants seated close to the aircraft wing must be able to see the wings immediately to know whether it is safe to open the aircraft door by the wing or not. If there were no windows, they wouldn’t know whether the wings caught fire or not. What do you think will happen if the emergency door close to the aircraft wing is opened while the wings are on fire? Not cool.

Life vests under the seats are NOT souvenirs

Sadly, some passengers still take them. They are under your seat for easy access in case of ditching (a.k.a. water landing) and not for passengers to take home.

If you really want a souvenir, there’s no harm in kindly asking the flight attendant. Who knows? They could even ask the pilot to sign something for your kid’s first flight. I’ve asked the pilot many times to sign for a kid’s first flight book during my flying years, and they were more than happy to do it.

There’s no harm in asking. Kindness works like a boomerang, you throw it away and it comes back to you. The world needs more of it, really.

Emergency exit seats are important: You get extra legroom but with it comes responsibility

Emergency exit seats, or exit row seats, are the ones in the first row and those next to an emergency exit (an emergency door or emergency window). How can you tell? There’s extra legroom.

Some low-cost airlines sell these seats at an additional cost but for the big airlines, there’s no additional cost. The ground staff is trained to assign able-bodied passengers here, and flight attendants are trained to ensure able-bodied passengers are there. Able-bodied means you are a physically able adult with at least 18 years of age, able to open the emergency exit in case the cabin crew is incapacitated, not pregnant, and not a senior citizen.

If you happen to be assigned to one of these seats, flight attendants normally give you a briefing of your responsibility in case of emergency.

Passengers assigned to exit row seats are obligated to place all their belongings (including small handbags) in the overhead bins during take-off and landing. They are required to wear their shoes during those times too. Why? Because take-off and landing are the most crucial periods of a flight, these areas must be clear for any emergency evacuation. If this happens, you need your shoes right? Don’t waste time putting them on when there’s already a high possibility of on-set panic that causes you to forget to put them on and if you happen to evacuate the aircraft — you need those shoes to protect your feet wherever you end up.

I’ve had experiences where exit row passengers wanted to debate with their laptops and small bags. We were clearly instructed during our 2-month cabin crew training to keep this area free from any debris that can slow down the emergency evacuation.

Nice to know: We need to evacuate passengers within 90 seconds. That’s tight if you have 300 passengers on-board. No stalling. Never go back take your belongings. Keep in mind that your life is more valuable.

Safety videos/demonstrations are for the passengers, not a part of a show

Okay, we understand you’re too excited to arrive at your destination, you find us boring, or you are a frequent flyer with over 1000 miles flown yearly and you know it all.

But for every flight, are you prepared in case of emergency? Are you aware of the nearest exits? Where’s your life vest and how do you put it on? Should you inflate it inside the aircraft if ever we land on water? Do you know when to put on your drop-down oxygen mask and how to activate it? If you really do know it all, then you have my heart.

For those who prefer to read instructions instead, please spare a moment to look at the safety cards in front of you. Knowledge and awareness can help save lives and that life could be yours.

Respect the seatbelt sign

Have you seen the short clip of Key and Peele? Have a laugh at this YouTube video.

It’s hilarious, but not far from reality. I’ve experienced strong turbulence during my flying years to the point where I’ve received bruises on my body and flew close to the ceiling.

Why didn’t I take my seat when the captain switched on the seatbelt sign? Because when the flight is at cruising stage (this is the time when you’re up there, but not after taking off nor before landing) and the seatbelt sign is switched on, it is our duty to make sure all passengers are seated, no babies inside the baby bassinets, no passengers sleeping on the floor (yes, some of them do this), and no one is inside the lavatory. As a passenger, it is your duty to respect the sign. You like to fly, yes, but you don’t want to fly towards the ceiling, don’t you?

Cabin Crew / Flight Attendants are there for your safety; food & beverage service is just icing on the cake

We’ve been called glorified waiters/waitresses, trolley-dollies, jet setters, or any other term you know of associated with the profession. But beneath those made-up titles, flight attendants are initially trained for safety reasons.

They have spent at least a month focusing on safety protocols, evacuation drills, proper usage and storage of aircraft equipment, and are certified first aiders. There are some trainees who do not make it to wings day (graduation) because of the mental and physical stress.

In case of emergency, who will open the door and tell you where the unblocked exits are? In case of in-flight fire, who knows where the fire extinguishers are and which extinguisher to use to put that fire out? Who will instruct you on what to do in case of cabin smoke? In the case of decompression, who will tell you what to do? If you have a medical emergency situation, and there’s no doctor on-board, who will do their best to make sure you stay alive? Flight Attendants.

The service training comes just before graduation because that is secondary. It’s part of the airline brand and included in your airline fare. But there are a lot of passengers out there who think that flight attendants are there just to serve them food and beverage. Do you know that during the flight, when there’s no meal service, flight attendants pass through the cabin with trays of water to keep you hydrated in case you forgot to drink, and to make sure that everyone is breathing?

The next time you get upset because you did not receive your in-flight snacks, press the call bell, and ask for it nicely. Please don’t be upset. In case something goes wrong, that flight attendant will save your a**.

You see, these are just some of the many tips out there to help make your next flight comfortable and memorable. When I was still flying for the airline, we were highly encouraged not to let the whole universe know we wore their uniform. In fact, we weren’t allowed to mention the airline’s name in public profiles nor take our photo with our uniform on. But I don’t fly with them anymore and I yearned to share these tips with you.

You could be planning for 2021 trips already taking safety measures into account. The next time you see a cabin crew/flight attendant, try to have a chat with them if you’re bored. You’ll discover they’re more than just food and beverage servers, and there’s a brave person under the uniform.

I may be an ex-cabin crew, but since it was my first-ever real job, I hold the profession deep in my heart because it molded me into the person I am now, and it helped me appreciate what a lot of passengers fail to see.

So for your next trip, remember these points, and have a safe flight!