Flying is an experience that is not always pleasing to everyone. Now, imagine if you have to go through stressful experiences often.
This is sometimes what can happen to flight attendants. Although always trained to serve passengers in the best possible way, some situations can take these professionals seriously.
O UOL talked to six male and female flight attendants to find out what bothers them during a flight.
Here is a list of the most stressful attitudes for flight attendants:
Disrupt the boarding of other passengers
Walking down the aisle while other passengers are getting on the plane, leaving luggage in the aisle, taking selfies at the door, among other attitudes, hinder boarding.
This can generate delays that cause penalties to companies and delay a connection from someone else, for example.
lack of education
Being educated is good in every situation. Flight attendants are on planes working, not traveling. Even if they were out of work, nothing justifies rudeness.
Therefore, it is even more worth respecting and being polite with these professionals
Feeling obliged to carry passengers’ luggage
Courtesy and politeness are hallmarks of the category, but it’s not worth abusing them. Eventually, flight attendants end up helping people who have a mobility problem or are injured, but that’s not their job.
Placing bags in the overhead bins above the seats is everyone’s responsibility. On TikTok, flight attendant Cierra Mist still reminds us that flight attendants are only paid once the plane has its doors closed and the brakes are released.
So again, no abuse!
Think that the crew are only available to them
Stewardesses have to deal with a large number of situations involving flight safety and in-flight service, among other issues. Thinking they are there to be stewards of your personal needs doesn’t usually work.
This also applies to when the passenger tries to monopolize care for his family or group.
Order the in-flight service in “parcels”
Preparing the in-flight service of hundreds of passengers on board requires complicated logistics in the short time available. To prevent someone from getting hungry and to optimize the delivery of food and drinks, planning is essential.
For this reason, placing the chopped order interferes with the organization of the flight attendants, who will have to adapt the way of fulfilling the service to each part of the order or to each change made, delaying the service of all passengers.
As space is short, it is necessary to act in the most organized way possible. Imagine all the glasses of drink being served and, just as meals are being prepared, someone orders a drink out of the moment: The crew will have to find space and reorganize to get that demand at the right time.
Questioning or not complying with security procedures
Safety instructions are worldwide rules and must be followed. Failure to comply can even lead to imprisonment.
Stewards are agents responsible for on-board security, not mere waiters. The on-board service is something complementary, and it is not even mandatory that it happens most of the time.
So while the safety instructions are being presented, pay attention or at least keep quiet so you don’t disturb this moment.
Changing baby diapers out of place
Mothers and fathers who change their children’s diapers in the seats end up spreading the smell of children’s poop through the air. The ideal is to change in the bathroom on the plane.
To make matters worse, there are people who still call the commissioners to deliver the dirty diaper for them to take to the trash.
Occupy an entire luggage compartment alone
The luggage space above the seats is to be shared with all passengers, and not just for the luggage of those who decide to carry several suitcases alone. As space is short, you need to know how to divide and organize what you take on board.
To make matters worse, the overhead bins do not hold a standard suitcase per passenger on some airplane models. An example is the Boeing 737 Max 8, which can carry up to 210 passengers, but a maximum of 178 bags within the standard limit of 55 cm high, 35 cm wide and 25 cm deep.
Insisting on changing seats or for an upgrade
If you’ve chosen the seat you’re in, don’t try to take advantage of it and insist on changing after boarding. Not an upgrade or going to the emergency area seats where legroom is often more.
If you want more benefits, they must be contracted with the company, preferably before the flight. In 2015, presenter Danilo Gentili lost a lawsuit in which he asked for compensation for moral damages against the then Tam (now Latam) for having changed to a seat with more legroom without having paid the additional amount for the service.
In the disagreement, which had occurred in 2012, a company employee told Gentili to get out of the seat, which was in the emergency exit. With the defeat, the presenter was ordered to pay R$ 2,500 at the time to the airline.
Require priority on disembarkation
Almost everyone has a schedule, and it’s not always possible to prioritize someone. Even with the individual passenger need, whether for a connection or an appointment, there are several passengers who also need to disembark, and each one will leave the plane at the appropriate time.
Calling ‘sh*t’, snapping your fingers…
Education, again, should be the rule. Also, many planes have a button above the seats to call the flight attendant, who should attend to you as soon as possible.
Leave a mountain of rubbish behind
During the flight and when you disembark, know where to leave your garbage. Sometimes you can find dirty diapers left behind and even bottles with urine.
Refusing to wear a mask
Wearing a mask on some flights is still mandatory
Image: FabrikaCr/ iStock
Wearing a mask is still mandatory on flights in several locations, so if the crew guides the use of it, you must obey. Going without the mask can guarantee a compulsory removal of the undisciplined passenger from the aircraft.
During 2021, 5,981 cases of unruly passengers were reported in the United States, 4,920 of which were people who refused to wear masks on flights.
Ignore (on purpose) when flight attendants offer something
Although many people think flight attendants are waiters, they are actually flight security officers. The in-flight service is a complementary activity. Ignoring these professionals on purpose is one of the reasons that bother them the most, in addition to being a great lack of education.
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This is an excerpt from the perception of some of the professionals, and does not seek to be a consensus on the entire category. Is there something that bothers you the most on a flight? Send it to us, write in the comments.
