Flying seems pretty mysterious if you aren’t sure what goes on behind the scenes. Like, how do flight attendants feed over a hundred people in the sky full dinners without a kitchen? You probably wonder what life is like for a flight attendant and their everyday routine. Well, luckily some flight attendants decided to spill their juiciest secrets about flying.
Airplane Mode
You won’t take down the plane if you forget to put your phone on airplane mode, but there is a reason that you should. The transmitted signal can interfere with frequencies coming from air traffic control, which can make it difficult to take off and land.
Upgrades
When you randomly get an upgrade, it feels like you just won the lottery. You’re more likely to get an upgrade if you look put together and are polite when asking for it. It also depends on the seats and meals available on the flight already.
Diet Coke
Flight attendants get annoyed when you ask for a Diet Coke. When you’re 40,000 feet in the air, it takes a while for the carbonation to settle. Not to mention it takes forever to pour a glass of it because of the foam.
Dating
Most airlines don’t prohibit flight attendants having relationships or flirting with the passengers. Although most of the time it’s the flight attendants fighting off the unwanted attention from passengers.
Mile High Club
If you’ve ever been in an airplane bathroom, you can imagine how difficult and uncomfortable it would be to get it on in there. That doesn’t stop some couples, though. Just remember that if you’re caught, you may be charged with indecent exposure and the flight attendants may walk in on you since the doors can be unlocked from the outside.
Airplane Food
No, airplane food is not healthy. In fact it’s full of salt and sugar and has virtually no nutritional value. So maybe it’s best that the flight attendants don’t provide a nutrition label.
Air Marshals
On certain flights there will be an Air Marshal blending in as a passenger. They are there to keep an eye on any criminal activity or terrorism. You will probably never even notice them, though. They look like everyone else.
Greeting Passengers
It always feels nice to be greeted by a flight attendant while getting on the plane. However, this is more than just a polite gesture. The flight attendants are actually assessing the passengers. They make note of physical abilities, who they are traveling with, behavior, and if they are intoxicated or not.
Safety Checks
Before taking off, there is an intense review of the airplane’s functions. This is to identify any problems before the plane is in the air. However, there are some problems that can go unchecked to avoid delays.
Flight Attendant Salaries
Being a flight attendant may seem like a wonderful job. They jet set around the world and are paid to travel. However, they only get paid once the main door is closed and the flight takes off. So they are just as annoyed as you are when flights are delayed or cancelled.
Brace Yourself
If you are in the unfortunate and scary situation where you have to brace for impact, flight attendants tell you to hunch over and hold on to the chair in front of you. This position protects your organs and most of the energy will be in the chair in front of you when you do land.
Baggage Weight
The weight limits on your baggage can be annoying, especially when you have to pay an extra fee for a heavy bag. However, it’s good to know that your bag will not make the plane go down. Engineers carefully planned and thought about the weight equilibrium needed to get a plane off the ground. Your baggage hardly affects that.
Medical Emergencies
What happens when a medical emergency happens while you’re in the air? Flight attendants are trained to handle these situations as first responders. They will always ask if there is a doctor on board, though. Depending on the severity of the issue, the pilot may choose to land the plane.
Walking Barefoot
A lot of people take their shoes off during a long flight. Nobody wants to feel even more constricted than they already are. However, if you get up to walk around or use the bathroom, remember to put your shoes back on. Planes are not the cleanest place.
Always Be Nice
This should be a given, but you should always be nice to your flight attendants. Sometimes kindness pays off and gets you upgraded to a better seat.
Tap Water
Never ever drink the water from the bathroom sink on a plane. Although when it comes to the tea and coffee, is the water safe to drink? Most flight attendants recommend skipping those beverages and sticking with something in a bottle.
Committed to the Career
A flight attendant’s life is less glamorous than you may think. They spend long hours on their feet, are jet lagged a lot of the time, and don’t get to spend much time with their families. They also have strange and crazy hours.
Pilot’s Power
Pilots are the ultimate authority figure when on a plane. They are in command if anything bad happens. However, they are not allowed to arrest anyone. They can call the authorities though when the plane lands. Another fun fact is that pilots can legally take the will of a dying passenger.
Cleanliness
Before passengers board a plane, the crew goes through and does a quick cleaning. However, you should always keep disinfectant wipes with you so you can wash down the tray table and such.
Crew Food
Pilots and copilots are not allowed to eat the same meal in case of food poisoning. You can’t have two sick pilots controlling a plane! A pilot is served a first class meal while his copilot is served a business class meal. However, many choose to bring their own meals.
Trashed Food
Where does your leftover food go when the flight attendant takes your tray away? There is a dump just for the food that people don’t eat.
Passenger Etiquette
Flight attendants are more than just people who serve you drinks and food. They are trained for medical emergencies, evacuations, attempted hijackings, and self-defense.
Safety
The most dangerous parts of flying are taking off and landing. It’s during this time that the pilot has complete control of the plane and any mistake can be drastic. However, flying is safer than driving a vehicle, according to statistics.
Crew Naps
Are flight attendants allowed to sleep during those long international flights? Some Boeing 777 and 787 planes have special quarters for crew members to get some shut eye. These quarters are below the balley.
Drinking on a Flight
There’s nothing better than getting drunk on a plane, especially if the drinks are complimentary. However, you should know your limits because flight attendants can cut you off if they feel you are too drunk.
Baggage Hold
Your checked baggage is kept under the plane. Sometimes there may even be a coffin with a dead body in the plane with your baggage. If a traveler dies while abroad, their remains must be sent back to their home country.
Dimming the Lights Before Landing
The reason the pilot dims the lights during take off and landing is to help your eyes adjust to the darkness just in case there is an emergency during this part of the flight. If the power goes off, you will already be adjusted to the darkness.
Air Quality
Some people always catch a cold when they fly because of the germs that are in the air. For the most part, though, the air quality on airplanes is pretty good and you shouldn’t worry about catching airborne diseases.
Engine Failure
If the engine fails while in the air, the plane can still fly. In fact, passengers probably wouldn’t even notice. If this does happen, the pilot is trained extensively on how to land carefully.
Blankets and Pillows
The blankets and pillows are actually cleaner than your tray table. Although, the pillows and blankets usually aren’t washed between flights. Instead they are just repackaged and used by the next flight.
Pet Passengers
Some people just have to bring their pets on flights with them. What is it like for those pets though? It’s extremely stressful for the animals, but the crew does their best to make them comfortable.
Expensive Tickets
It can be pretty expensive to buy a plane ticket. However, for an airline to make a profit, the flight has to be at least 85% full. Most of their profits come from baggage fees and other costs they add on to the ticket.
Flight Attendant Uniforms
There are some airlines that require their flight attendants to meet certain height, weight and look requirements. However, most airlines are pretty flexible. They just have to look professional and kind.
Oxygen Masks
You’ve seen the demonstration for the oxygen masks that fall down from the ceiling when the air pressure drops in the cabin. This oxygen supply lasts for about 15 minutes. While you’re breathing through the masks, the pilot is working to descend to a height where you can breathe again without the mask.
Relationships Among Crew Members
Personal relationships between crew members are actually pretty common. Having such a difficult job makes the crew members closer and easier to relate to. While it seems pretty cliché, hook ups do happen between pilots and flight attendants!
Secret Code
The crew has a secret code to communicate with each other without passengers knowing. The “ding” you hear after take off is to signal that the most dangerous part of the flight is over and the crew can get up and walk around.
Cheap Tickets
Does taking a budget airline mean your flight is less safe? No! The reason your ticket is so cheap is because of high priced baggage fees, less leg room, and other amenities the airline decided to skip out on.
Safest Seat on a Plane
The safest seats on a plane are in the back. In the event of crashes, the last third of plane has the highest survival rate. However, this all depends on whether you are wearing your seat belt and the circumstances of the crash.
Autopilot
The autopilot function is used for about 90% of your flight. The only time the pilot really takes control is during take off and landing. When using autopilot, the pilot can pay more attention to navigation and communication.
Best Time to Fly
The best time of day to fly is in the early morning. There is less chance of turbulence and bad weather. What better way to pass the time on a flight than to sleep?