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At the end of many years observation as Cabin Crew, in my office at 30,000 feet up, some things could still surprise. Forget Hollywood stars and business travelers, the following groups are the ones I found most fascinating. If you find yourself on a long flight look around and you will be guaranteed to see at least some of these traveling types. You may even be one.
These are my top 10 surprising long haul Frequent Flyers.
1. People who ask where the toilets are at the end of a 12 hour sector.
Is this really the first time you have been? Everyone knows on a flight you can never have too much water. Give yourself a decent chance of not feeling like a dried apricot when you land. Recycled aircraft air is bone dry, around 11 % humidity, so moisture is literally sucked out of you. This is not urgent on a SYD-MEL sector, but you are guaranteed a non- alcoholic hangover if you donʼt drink several litres of water between Australia and Europe. Apart from lipstick and a medicinal coffee or two, it is the secret of all hosties* being able to still speak by the end of the flight. And the secret to not wearing a path to the lavs and wearing out your neighbours patience? Add juice or hydration sachets. It doesnʼt go through your system as quickly as plain water.
2. People who go to the loo barefoot.
Are you insane? While I can vouch that the loos are regularly wiped down from the mirror to the floors (the glamour!), it only takes one passenger to miss a spit into the sink to make it seem like someone has gone through a metabolic change there. Just think of it like this: would you go into the MCG loo barefoot at halftime? Well the traffic is about the same only the bathrooms in sporting fixtures donʼt rock and jump from side to side and up and down while you aim. I have seen footprints on the toilet seat, vomit and other human waste up the walls. The mile high clubbers seem benign in comparison. Enough said about bathrooms.
3. People who donʼt believe the crew.
If the hostie says there is no Cranberry juice, you donʼt need to ask 10 other hosties as well. They WILL talk about you. If they ask you to turn off your phone before take off, turn it off. It is not because they donʼt want you to play Words with Friends, it is because they are obliged BY LAWS AND REGULATIONS – if you donʼt turn off, standard operating procedures dictate that the aircraft canʼt take off. If the Captain says to put on your seatbelt there could be turbulence, then put on your seatbelt. I have seen heads go through lockers, and people lose teeth. You and your children are not exempt from the laws of physics. Hell, do you unbuckle your kids on the F3?
4. People who think cola is a good drink choice for their children on a flight.
Iʼm not kidding, people regularly asked me for caffeinated soft drinks for their tiny travel companions. I have been asked several times for Cola in a baby bottle. I was asked once for Cola in a baby bottle with a few spoons of sugar added. If you do ply your little ones with soft drinks after take off, do not be surprised when they drift off to blissful slumber…… 14 hours later on landing into LAX. Sleeping children and baggage carousels do not mix well.
5. People who lose their mind at 30000ft.
Ask yourself: would I say this/do this/behave like this in my local coffee shop? If the answer is no, cease and desist whatever it is you are contemplating. Would you cry or yell, or tell the waiter you hated them because the last lamb roast was ordered? Would you punch an old man in front of you if he moved his chair closer to you? Would you roll your eyes at anyone with small children? Would you change your clothes in the middle of the room? Kiss a complete stranger in a room full of other strangers? No? Well donʼt do it on a plane. If only because you have nowhere to hide your embarrassment for the next 10 hours. It happens.
6. People who are only vegetarians at 30,000ft.
Yes, itʼs usually true that vegetarians get served meals first but every special meal has to be hand delivered by name before anyone else gets to eat, and then you will have your empty tray while everyone else gets served. With crew to passenger ratios just under 1:50 in the Economy cabin during a meal, running up and down delivering trays can add pain to everyone, not just the hostieʼs bunions. I know you are special, but so is everyone else.
7. People who think it will fit in the overhead locker.
If you have to ask yourself, you already know the answer. There is no magical Tardis cupboard on the plane which will fit your carved elephant, precious mirror, chandelier or feather headress. Even the crew have trouble stowing their own bags when the aircraft is empty. Aircraft are so efficiently designed that every galley cupboard is full to the brim of other stuff, like, I donʼt know, food, and life rafts and boxes of juice. Just one meal service in an Economy cabin with around 350 people will go through at least 30 cartons of juice alone.
8. People who ask for the best seat.
There are no best seats. I have been begged for a seat at the bulkhead (no-one reclines onto you), and been cursed on the same flight for being seated there (I canʼt put my feet under the seat in front and the basinet is next to me!). For all the people that want an aisle, just as many want the window. Sadly no-one wants a middle seat. Some seats are near toilets and some are near galleys. I have been asked for a seat “up the front” about 72, 324 times. And, before you ask, there is only one way to get a seat in Business or First – pay for it or use your billion points. For everyone else, check www.seatguru.com for a plan of your plane and get to the airport early to put in a request. Once “your” seat is gone other people canʼt be forced out of it.
9. People who book a connecting flight an hour after their first flight lands.
You will miss your connection, or at the very least curse yourself while you test your hypertension medication running blindly through a foreign land to an unknown place. And try not to be indignant if the plane lands 10 minutes late after traveling 17,000kms. I have dropped my kids to school 10 minutes late, and we live less than a kilometre away. And unless the hosties have flown to Copenhagen on their last slip, they donʼt know the airport well, so donʼt be surprised if they donʼt know where your connecting flight leaves from. Every airport has different procedures, and the crew usually have their own separate ones as well. At some airports they get a bus from the tarmac and donʼt
even go into the terminal when they land. Ground staff truly are the airport experts.
10. People who never take off their headsets.
Offers of “Would you care for coffee or tea?” elicit a broad friendly smile and a nod from Type Number 10. The mime which ensues is sure to entertain everyone around – although pulling away your cup while the coffee starts pouring out will not make you a popular neighbour.
*Please only call them hosties if you are one. Otherwise they are Flight Attendants.
It took Kristen 16 years flying all over the world to realise she didn’t belong in the sky. These days she can be found making little girls fairy birthday party dreams come true and writing.
Have you had any interesting experiences with fellow passengers on a plane?
Comments
363 Comments so far
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I was on a flight last year from Australia to Athens changing at Malaysia airport.
Boarding in Australia everyone walked onto the Aircraft, in Malaysia we were waiting to board second leg and no joke 10 wheelchaired passages came past us being pushed by there cariers, the very same people that were able bodied on the plane for the first leg. It was very funny.
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Oh, the memories of the “shitty trip”!! I even ran into the attendant years later, and she remembered!!
Disabled son, has to travel business, has issues with people being close to him. So you can imagine the death stares from other business passengers at what happened next!
Soiled his trousers which a bout of diarrhoea, and wouldn’t move from leaning on someone else’s seat. Finally got him into the thimble sized toilet, ever tried washing out a pair of heavy cotton trousers, and drying them on paper towels?
Then trying to convince him to put them back on, wet & cold?
Then the same thing happening again, and again???
Did I mention he is 5’9″ tall, and stocky, and a fully grown man? And has no awareness of inappropriate toilet behaviour! Used to drop his trousers, hoik up his shirt and have a wee!
By the time we were ready to reach our destination, I was hysterical, and have never taken him on a plane since!!!
BTW, the trip was to visit his beloved sister who had moved across the continent, and he missed her so much. He still misses her, but years later, I’m not sure I could manage that much excitement!!
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Theres nothing great about self loading freight, requests such as sushi, hamburgers, fries, reading glasses and what ship is on that bit of water down there…it’s the ocean dickhead and god knows what ship it is!
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I was flying UK to Oz once and circumstances meant I hadn’t eaten for what felt like days before the flight, so I was really looking forward to the meals coming out. When we got into our seats I saw the woman next to me pop a pill. Within about 10 minutes she was sound asleep. I mean drooling, head lolling, completely unconscious asleep. When the meals came around the flight attendant asked me if my friend (who could not be roused) wanted a meal. I barely hesitated before saying yes, and then eating her meal as well as my own. She woke up 7 hours later and was none the wiser. It was awesome!!
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On a recent domestic flight, a bucks group of about 20 men (I use that term loosely) caused havoc. One vomited, one did a wee in the aisle and ALL complained loudly about being refused service of alcohol. It annoyed me that these pigs were allowed to board the flight. Australia, vive le bogan.
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Hubby and I flying to honeymoon destination, and was told as one of the meal choices had ran out, and because we didn’t get a choice we could get a few free drinks. In conversation to attendant we mentioned we were headed on our honeymoon so thanks to the kind attendant who gave us a a few more free drinks, I got to Cairns blind rotten drunk!!! Best flight ever!
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Funny and true, but it is what us crew are there for.
Best part of the job is all these quirky funny people, makes my job interesting.
@ carohutchison , It will always be on a plane or in public that your kids turn into devils, Don’t worry about it, and never be sorry, it is what kids do.
I put up with a lot each time i go to work, but majority of passengers are great, fun to meet and speak with, wouldn’t change it for the world.
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thanks
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Couldn’t have put it better myself Qcrew! The sheer variety and range of interesting people you meet on planes is what makes flying an awesome job. I have laughed and cried with passengers on every single flight and some of their amazing stories will stick with me for the rest of my life.
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I’m so glad no one has had a go at people with young children on flights. 2 years ago I flew with my then 18month old twins and I was 5 months pregnant to New Zealand. I thought flying at bed time would be a good idea, put the kids in their sleep suits and they would snooze. I had one on my lap (they were too little for a seat of their own) and the other sat with my mum.
The flight was full and one of the boys thrashed and screamed for an hour and a half. I ended up sitting outside the toilets on the floor in tears trying to calm him down.
It was the hardest flight I’ve ever had to do. I felt terrible for the hosties and the other passengers but nothing worked. If there was any other way to travel to NZ i would have taken it!
Thankfully now the boys have their own seats and we take portable DVD players, so all is good until the battery runs out.
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Gosh the things that some of you are complaining about are certainly first world problems!
There’s a saying that it’s not about the destination but the journey – so perhaps take the time to enjoy it! Flying is one of the only times you can sit and do nothing without feeling you need to be doing something else. Appreciate that!
I love watching the sky change when I’m flying and always take photos of clouds, sunrises and sunsets.
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lol, they are so funny, yet so true. What I love the most is when asking the passengers to turn of there phone or ipods they push the lock button and lock the screen. Umm, you might have been able to get away with that a few years ago when hardly anyone had iphons (or any other smart phone), but we are not stupid, we know u are only locking the screen, we have phones and ipods as well. Theres a reason you are asked to turn it if, so do it. We dont do it for the fun of it, especialy when 50% of the passengers glare at you when asking them to turn it of.
I had a lady death stare at me after the announcment has been made to switch all electronical items off and onlyafter I asked her to switch off her Ipad for about the 4th time did she turned it off. I then sat down in my seat facing the cabin and saw her showing the lady accross from her photos on it. As i said befor, there is a reason we ask you to do thing so please do it.
Also, after you have landed, please keep your seat belf on. We are not deaf we can hear the clicks of the seat belts being undone. You dont see the flight attendants standing up or undoing there seat belts as soon as we land,so dont do it eaither it obviously isnt safe to do so, there is a reason the pilot has not switched the seat belt sign off.
Regarding the gate or terminal that we will be landing/arriving at. Most of the times it changes, we dont always land/arrive at the same one. So if we cant tell you, please dont get angry it is becanse we dont know, and dont want to give you the wrong awnser cause you will just get upset over that as well. And you are going to get to your destination regardless of what gate we arrive at.
Also, if we seem distracted or dont get you something straight away, it might be because there are 200 other passengers that also want something, we will get to you as soon as we can.
Fizzy drinks do help with air sickness, but recomend Ginger ail if they have it.
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Know everyone bags out hostesses, but they should try flying overseas. Especially in the US. As a now proud Aussie who grew up in the states, and who flies 4-5 times a week, our hostess are the friendliest and most easy going in the world. Seriously! Don’t bag them til you’ve travelled overseas on an airline like United or Delta or Ba. Qantas hosties and to a lesser extent Virgin make me proud to now call myself Aussie!! Great staff, not sure about the management though… Seems to me they put up with a lot of crap from customers and their company and still come up smiling. Can’t ask for more than that!
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i’m with u on united, sooooooooo rude, i’d pay the difference and fly qantas next time!
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As a career ” hostie” for some 16 years, we can tell when people are “vego only when they fly”‘ because quite often they’ll be given their ‘vego’ meal first, and then say they didn’t like it and ask for the beef or the chicken or the other regular alternative. And no, it’s not for the vegetables on the side. I’ve even had one premium passenger who ordered a vego meal that he didn’t like, say that the only thing that would stop him complaining to the airline about “staff rudeness”, was a steak from First Class. “medium rare and now” were the words he used! Same with the “flying miracles”, some pax will order a wheelchair so they don’t have to line up at customs and security and get on board first, but then at their arrival destination, where they have to wait ’till all other passengers have left the plane before the wheelchairs are brought, they ‘miraculously’ remove their bags from the overhead locker and stroll off the aircraft. Amazing what a flight can do for one’s physical condition!! Please know that if you’re a real vego (like many hosties!) or really require a wheelchair (like many hostie’s friends and family), we’ll always try and do our best with the limited resources available to us. We really are there to look after you, and (most of us at least) take the responsibility seriously!
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I used to fly a lot for work and even now I still take a few overseas flights a year, including the big Europe-Australia trip at least once annually. I can usually cope with anything on a plane — crying kids, chair kickers, snorers, armrest hoggers, heavy drinkers, busted movie selections (although not having so much as a reading light once was a real test of my patience) and people uncomfortable with flying. I can generally brush it all aside with something like ‘it’s only for another four hours’ or ‘this will all be a distant memory tomorrow’. But I have never forgotten when a passenger in the row ahead of me had a heart attack or something and the cabin crew were attempting to resuscitate him and asking if there was a doctor on board. A man from a few rows back came up and was standing over the crew as they worked on the poor guy on the floor. Then one of the crew asked the man standing and watching if he was travelling with the sick guy or a doctor. Nope, just watching them work on him, like it was part of the in-flight entertainment. That was possibly the only time I’ve seen a flight attendant really crack it at someone, and rightly so. Luckily, the sick guy was OK in the end, but I still shake my head when I think of that idiot who thought it would be cool to come and watch…
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A colleague of mine (who ironically teaches staff CPR as part of her job), was on a flight with her grandmother, who had a cardiac arrest. The cabin staff asked the doctor that was also flying to help with resus, but he refused, so she and the staff were left with it. Luckily her grandmother was ok.
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It happens all the time, some people have no idea.
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My family recently flew back home after Xmas holidays and my husband accidentally left his mobile on the plane. We discovered this in the taxi ride back to our house. As I turned on my phone I received a text from my husbands phone – written by the flight attendant, to say he safely had the phone. I called my husbands phone and spoke with the flight attendant who then offered to drop the phone to our house on his way home from work… at 9:30pm! Outstanding customer service and we were beyond grateful for the trouble he had saved us. Singapore Airlines – you rule!!
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Dont hate me but I really do think its inappropriate and rude to travel long haul in business or first class with kids under the age of about 8. People spend a hell of a lot of money to travel in comfort and they deserve that to be respected. I have kids so I dont hate children. I just understand that there are times that they will be difficult especially when they’re under a certain age, their behaviour will be hard to predict and/or control especially when they’re tired and in a confined space for a long time.
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I have travelled with my 4 kids across all classes on long haul flights and often they are better behaved and more flight savvy than a lot of adults. My kids sometimes fly on over 20 flights a year ( most long haul) and if we pay for them to travel first or business class then they have as much right to be there as you do. I can promise you they will not disturb you in a drunken rant,lurch down the aisle to hit on a flight attendant,pee all over the floor in the bathroom or roll their eyes at you when you recline your seat while they are still eating.
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When my sister and I were younger we travelled overseas a lot with our parents- mostly, if not always in business class. We were very young, i was maybe 4 1/2 and my sister 2 1/2. We were pretty good kids, cos our parents kept us under control. The worst incident was when i vomited all in the aisle one time as a kid.
But I see your point, some young children can be very annoying on flights. But the worst is when they’re being poorly behaved and the parents just ignore it.
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We flew all different classes when we were little (airline staff, so we’d go in whatever seats were available – often that was in first or business, but we did plenty of trips in economy too) and we were always well behaved because Mum and Dad put the fear of god into us about behaving properly on planes.
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Kris, me too! Being a ‘staff traveller’ child we have to be extra polite, never, ever wear jeans (the cardinal sin), get to the airport earlier than most..
I used to think getting bumped off flights and living in airports was normal! It also lends somewhat of an adrenaline rush, wondering if you’ll get on or not..
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Oh yeah, you could always pick the staff travellers, always the best dressed!
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Get some perspective Lu! What a ridiculous request!!! This is public transport we are talking about. Not attending some adults only joy ride. Children under the age of 8 are human beings, and if their family want to travel business or first class, they have every right to. Respect that. Of course the parents should do their best to control their childs behaviour – but as you know it is hard on the little ones. I know what I find more inappropriate and rude.
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are u serious? some parents and even kids can afford business class so just because uve saved up an entire life time of savings for ur one flight, others can afford it and deserve to travel in it. maybe u should fly ur own private jet
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Maybe I am the only one here with respect for others! We do fly business when we can now that our kids are older, but when our children were younger (under school age) and unpredictable and loud tantrums were possilbe we chose to fly economy because we didnt think it was fair on someone who had paid $12,000 for their ticket to arrive in London rested and ready to work to have to listen to my noisy preschoolers. We arent slack parents but we are realistic. I’m yet to meet a 3yo who isnt noisy or disruptive when out of their routine. Toddlers can be unreasonable. Being able to afford something doesnt always make it the right thing to do. I’m sure many people could afford to take their kids to Aria for dinner but they dont because its not appropriate or polite to the other diners to have toddlers or a screaming baby at the next table. I think choosing the premium option when travelling public transport should ensure a degree of comfort not available when taking the cheaper option.
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And everyones own idea of how their kids behave in public is often vastly different to the way others view them. We know a family who travel first or business regularly who tell us they think their kids are pretty well behaved. They are actually whingey whiney brats and each time they travel I feel sorry for the people around them.
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Plenty of first and business class travellers are whingy whiney brats too, though, Lu!
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I guess you’re right there Kris
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Im going to have to disagree with you here. As others have said its public transport and it’s called first class etc, not adults only class. I don’t think that it’s fair of parents to buy first/business class seats for themselves and sit their kids in economy eithe and that does happenr. A stranger is then stuck with your child, who might be an angel, but it’s still unfair to both parties.
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Lu, Malaysian airlines first class is for you. Children banned. Leave me and my children to the other airlines with one less set of judgemental eyes on me. Business class or economy class, I spend up to 14 hours per flight, usually multiple flights, doing everything I can to make sure my 3 children do not disturb the other passengers.
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Quite frankly, I would put up with all of these complaints if I could just afford a holiday and air fare….
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I have a (now fading due to some very hard work) phobia of flying, and I loathe it. I take anti anxiety or sleeping tablets, and much to my horror while on Stillnox on flights between Perth and Hong Kong I was the horror passenger.
Flying from Perth to HK I took my pills prior to boarding and asleep within 20 minutes. Or so I thought. Apparently I sat bolt up right during the meal service, reached over to my husbands meal and starting eating said meal with my hands – while smearing it across my face – loudly exclaiming how delicious the food was. I have absolutely no memory of this and would swear up and down I slept soundly for the duration of the flight.
And because I clearly have no capacity for learning, I took the same pills on the return flight from Hong Kong to Perth, during which I sat with a blanket over my head for the duration of the flight, happily shouting to myself while my husband tried to pat me to sleep. At one point, with the blanket on my head, I was shouting at the ‘Woo! Best frat party ever! Cmon, get down with it!’ while waving my hands at the other passengers.
I cringe – CRINGE – when I think about what a giant douchebag I was. The Stillnox went straight in the bin back in Perth.
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HILARIOUS!
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This is a fantastic story; brought tears to my eyes. Your husband must be a saint with a great sense of humour! You’re sure he wasn’t winding you up? (or were there fb photos or witnesses to back it up?) Anyway, a great laugh at the end of a frustrating day, so thanks!
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Well, I remember the flight back very clearly, being most upset that the ‘uncool people won’t party.’
As for rubbing food on my face, according to my GP Stillnox is notorious for side effects including sleep eating, so, yeee-ah – I believe it.
A colleague of mine took Stillnox between Perth and NYC, had a reaction and ended up roaming the aisles, deluded that she was a ninja, while her husband and the flight crew tried to restrain her.
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Oh Blondie Gal – I’m sorry for your cringe-worthy moment but I have not laughed so hard in ages! I’ve interrupted my typing due to laughter. Thanks!!
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Bwahahaha, luvvit!!
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That story is GOLD. But I can sympathise completely. I took stilnox Melb-Hawaii and halucinated…husband was the same so god knows what the both of us looked like.
A few days later, at 3.00am in the morning, I was found wandering, in my knickers, in the lobby of the hotel. But Im not sure I can blame that on the lingering effects of the stilnox or too many mai tais….
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Still giggling from the Ninja story … but seriously, should there be a warning about this drug? Or is it only on planes that you get these grievous hallucinations?
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It bugs me so much that most people are in such a rush to jump up and get their bags, coats etc immediately as soon as the plane hits the ground …and then they all stand crowded and impatient in the aisles waiting to get off for sometimes another 10-15 minutes !
I get some weird looks when I stay in my seat and keep reading my book etc until they’re all past my seat & I’m usually only a few meters behind them when we all meet up again to wait to collect our luggage.
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Me too! Where’s the fire people!
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We had the most wonderful flying experience over the Christmas hols when we flew Adl/Syd/Adl to see family. All three of our kids were so well behaved that I though they might have been swapped with other peoples kids at some point, the Virgin flight attendants were lovely, there were no seat recliners, and no tarmac delays either. I dare not fly again as I fear we have used up all our good flying fortune on that one trip!
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Reading some of these comments I don’t know why so many people are complaining about children there seems to be more asshole adult passengers out there who treat the flight attendants and other passengers worse than any child could act!
And like any customer service positions you are going to get the rude and very unhelpful flight attendant just like your going to get the most helpful and very polite flight attendant. I have experienced both types and you certainly do meet the ones that should not be in the job as their manner is shocking, but you come across that in all industries.
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I can really understand why people complain about children on flights, some children are lovely yes but there is nothing more frustrating than a 14 hour flight with some child in front of you being placated by their parents, playing their nintendo while everyone is sleeping with the volume turned up all the way up and then screaming at the flight attendants to take away their rubbish.
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The worst thing in the world is sitting near poorly behaved children on long-haul flights. The last flight I was on was from Abu Dhabi to Sydney a child screamed at the flight attendant to take away his rubbish, yelled at his parents for not charging the laptop and then our row woke up because he was playing his nintendo in the middle of the night with the volume all the way up. Please parents discipline your kids!
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I find babies/toddlers are worse than children as they tend to cry and cry and cry, usually because of their sore ears ..and I’m saying this as a mother! I remember hearing one toddler cry continuously on a five hour flight. I began the flight thinking ‘poor baby’, moved onto ‘poor parents’ and by the end of the flight I was more ‘poor, poor me!’ It was torturous
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Once upon a time, the bane of my flying existence was the fellow traveller who didn’t get the hint when I opened my 700 page fantasy novel under their nose and continued to reel off the life story … from NZ to London.
Thank God for individual movie screens and noise reduction headphones. Peace! .
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I’ve flown (unexpectedly) three times over the past year or so. Without fail, EVERY SINGLE TIME, the people in my row (all the way across), don’t switc h off their phones.
The first time, a lady was texting and then when she noticed my bf and I giving her dirty looks, pretended to switch it off, hide it in her bag, AND CONTINUE TEXTING!
The next time, my boyfriend asked a middle-aged man to switch it off as the plane was now taxiing (sp?) down the runway. He huffed and puffed, mumbled to his wife, said “YES IT WILL BE TURNED OFF!” and then once again, it was hid inside his bag (still on) for the rest of the flight!!!!!!
Seriously people…is it really life/death situation that you aren’t texting/facebooking right up until the plane hits the sky?
It irritates me to no end! I’m such a nervous flyer to begin with so when I see these people BLATENTLY breaking the rules, I get even more nervous. I have visions of some technical glitch happening and the plane just spiralling downwards.
I know it must be hard on everyone flying (passengers AND flight attendants) but really, maybe there needs to be a system in place that ensures that all phones (in flight mode) are actually switched off? Not sure what the system could be but if it’s an issue of safety, I think something really needs to be done.
Also, on a flight from Syd-Mel recently, we had no-where to put our backpacks. Just normal, everyday-sized backpacks that we used as our carry-on for the weekend trip. I know that Jetstar has the “one small bag such as a handbag or camera bag and then one larger piece) rule but seriously, who uses a country-road canvas bag as a handbag in their everyday life? Either pay to check some luggage in or fly a non-budget airline! OR JUST PACK LESS!!
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Sorry for the spelling errors everyone!
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We flew Virgin domestic recently and my kids had to check their country road duffle bags in as luggage.
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Sorry, I don’t think I was very clear…I meant that some people have the country-road bag (for example) and try and pass it off as a handbag and then have a little suitcase as well.
I’m not doing very well on here tonight at all, time to go to bed I think!
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I got what you were talking about, I was agreeing with you! We had to check ours in, so should they!!
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Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I read that in the wrong tone! DEFINITELY time for bed.
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If phones could take down planes, they would not let anybody onto the plane with one. Stop being paranoid.
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I didn’t say the phones would take down the planes or that I think they will.
“Stop being paranoid”? Wow…thanks. I didn’t know my (silent) fear of flying could be so irritating to some people.
It’s responses like this that make me regret posting in the first place and one of the reasons why I come on this site less and less.
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Totally agree. I recently flew in the US and wasn’t asked to turn off my phone. In fact they have in-flight wifi.
As if you would be allowed to board a plane with anything that could interfere with navigation equipment. Ridiculous.
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I just thought that if they make a point of telling us to do it, they probably know what they’re talking about and we should probably just go with it.
Walking away from the computer now…not feeling so great about this post anymore.
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JulieBee you are right, they make the rule for a reason but there are always people who think the rules don’t apply to them. Mobile phones can cause electronic interference to planes and I really don’t think its worth taking the risk and I certainly don’t want mine or my families life in danger because a few STUPID people can’t follow the rules. I don’t think they say it just to inconvience people, also agree about the bitchy comments on here at times and sometimes feel all some people want to do is disagree for the sake of it.
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They’re the same people who think they can drive and text, speed, etc etc.
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Juliebee, don’t let commenters who disagree with you make you feel bad. It is okay to feel the way you feel about phones being turned on on flights. People will always disagree, some politely, some rudely.
Don’t let this get you upset, it isnt worth it!
Hugs x
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I agree, if they tell you to do it, just do it.
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You can board an aircraft with MANY things that can cause interference. That is why it is FEDERAL LAW not to operate certain ‘dangerous’ goods in certain phases of the flight. It is against legislation for certain sized lithium batteries to be stowed in the hold due to the fact that they have the potential to combust and cause fire which in turn could send an aircraft spiralling to the ground… So yes items of a dangerous nature are carried EVERYDAY on your ordinary passenger aircraft.
As for items that interfere with navigational equipment, it does happen, you just don’t hear about it. As for the wifi component, certain aircraft are fitted with devices which prevent transmissions outside a certain area so SOME aircraft it may be safe for you to operate your electronic devices on. However if you’re told to switch it off, do so. regardless of what you may think you know, it is the law and if caught by officials not following cabin crew instruction you will get a whopping fine, that’s if the cabin crew don’t kick you off the aircraft first.
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Might be the case that a phone can interfere with equipment in small aircraft, but in a commercial plane the cockpit is in a faraday cage – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage – which stops any possibility of electronic devices interfering with the equipment – they make you switch it off because they don’t want you distracted in an emergency.
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Surely that’s a good enough reason?
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Not true. I have been operating flights over the Pacific Ocean and pilots have asked me to come to Flight Deck. When up there , there are some instruments (associated with auto-pilot) playing up and doing things they shouldnt. They have asked crew to be alert in cabin for anyone using their cell. Sure enough we find them. The avionics bay is often underneath the front of the passeneger cabin, so it makes no difference if the cockpit has a “faraday cage” – the avionics bay often only has a carpet covering over it.
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My partner is an fighter pilot in the RAAF and his dad is a Qantas pilot. Partner never turns his phone off, says it does nothing.
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Who cares about the spelling errors? I wish I could like this post a thousand times. Please turn your phone off means please turn your phone off.
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But rules dont apply to some people!
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Better the squishy CR bags than that massive solid roller luggage people try and shove up into the luggage bins.
When I go away on an overnight trip for a function or whatever, all I take is a handbag, a suitbag for a dress, and a CR bag with toiletries, shoes and a change of clothes. Squishy and definitely eminitely more fittable into the bins than what most people carry.
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Hi JulieBee, I actually use a country road bag for carry on! Hehe… But not an everyday handbag no way. I use it as carry on (don’t stuff it absolutely full) and put some extras in there, with my small handbag. It wasn’t me.
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I am a bit of a flight snob and will only fly Emirates on international flights. The service is fantastic and the crew are always do helpful. I always book the tickets myself and choose my own seats online. Last year on a trip to the UK we chose last row seats. There was the four of us so we took up the whole row but it meant we could recline our seats without worrying about the people behind us. Great idea!!!
I also chose the kids meals online when I booked my tickets. They came out first and were perfect for kids…Spag Bol and jelly and heaps of snacks aswell as coloring books and pencils.
I looove flying!
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Elena, maybe I did not express myself properly. Rude flight attendants are never OK. Service IS part of the job and flight attendants should not be rude to passengers at all. As a senior I did see rude crew and would pull them up on it and report them to their managers. However a lot of passengers do not realize the background and importance of safety. I beg to differ that 98% never see an emergency. A lot of things happen that the passengers are never aware of. Sometimes the passengers never know how close to catastrophe the flight was. Just because you did not see it does not mean it did not happen. I have experienced many aborted landings and a plane turned onto our runway in front of us as we were landing and had to abort. Most of the passengers did not even notice even though we had forward flying cameras on board. If you speak to enough crew you will hear many many stories, landing gears not deploying, severe turbulence that injured passengers and crew, also fires onboard and medical emergencies. I know of crew on a flight where the plane stalled after take off and was about to crash. Somehow the captain managed to sort it out and when that same scenario was practiced time and time again on the simulator none of the captains managed to get it to work and the plane crashed( in the simulator). The funny thing is the crew understood something was terribly wrong at the time and the passengers kept reading their newspaper unaware how close they were to be doomed. Maybe something has even happened on one of your flights but in another cabin or crew did not want to panic a whole load of passengers. Also with regard to maybe not smiling as much as we all should have. Remember how jet lagged you are after travelling a long haul flight. The crew are constantly in a state of jet lag and I have been on a flight soo long and not allowed to sleep (company policy)and I could barely keep my eyes open to offer tea and coffee on a 12 hour flight leaving at 3 am local (yep that is not safe either) just want everyone to understand there is a lot more than meets the eye. I had a lady onboard with 5 children travelling alone. One of those was a baby. Other passengers were upset and they had a right to be due to the kids behavior but also think about the poor woman. We do not know her circumstances and it is hard enough travelling with one child let alone five. Regardless, the crew should be polite and helpful. If we all try to be more patient with one another and try to just at least enjoy the next few hours together we could all have a good flight. Even though I do not fly anymore I do miss those days.
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You have highlighted a good point. I suppose people should show a little more tolerance regarding people travelling with babies and toddlers. I doubt many people would choose to travel long haul alone with several children including a baby or toddler unless they had no choice. Often people may be travelling for an emergency or something tragic rather than a holiday. A little kindness to parents isnt too hard, you get off and go about your life and get a good nights sleep. The parent still has to deal with the screaming baby and wrestless toddler.
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I know things can be annoying on a flight and I’ve had some bad experiences as a passenger, but flights DON’T go on forever. I think it’s worth keeping some perspective on these things and focussing on life’s amazing experiences instead…
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So true, but this forum is asking for stories..
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I know things can be annoying on a flight and I,ve had some bad experiences as a passenger, but flights DON’T go on forever. I think it’s worth keeping some perspective on these things and focussing on life’s amazing experiences instead…
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Very on topic for me – we’ve just flown back to Europe from our Christmas visit – with a just under 5 year old and ridiculous delays – we got home over 30 hours later than planned. Luckily the airline was awesome with hotels etc.
I really don’t understand how parents can let kids run around. Take the time to explain to your kids what’s going to be happening – How many flights, what you expect from them, explain that it’s going to be a ‘sit down day’ and that there will be time for ‘letting off energy’ in transit (my husband had the hand luggage on a trolley and I was ‘chasing’ our child on the travellators – hint: go to the loo next to the gate as soon as you exit – let the rest of the plane-load run off and then you have the whole corridor to yourself almost – and the FAs were playing with us – our daughter had to stop and say ‘excuse me’ when she wanted to get passed them on the travelator – so they were making her stop all the time – she loved the interaction, I loved the lesson in manners, and all was right with the world…)
One bag of our hand luggage was stuff to keep her occupied (hint: pack ‘bubbles’ in with your liquids – every kid enjoys popping bubbles and I’ve found it actually puts a smile on other people’s faces too. Also – a few balloons you can blow up and use as a ball…)
On our flight to Australia, there were 3 kids running up and down and one poured a whole glass of water and ice into the aisle (for those walking barefoot or in socks – beware)….until a gentleman sitting in front of me, happened to stick his foot out ever so slightly into the aisle and one of the kids sprawled into the wet patch in the aisle he’d just left….The guy was alseep so it wasn’t on purpose, but still…awesome:) they quietened down after that.
HINT to people travelling to Europe and wanting to know about terminals.
Do some homework: If you’re landing in a country within the Schengen zone and you’re travelling on to another country within the Schengen zone you will NOT have to change terminals, but if you land in a NON-Schengen zome and are travelling to a Schengen zone, or vice versa, you will DEFINITELY have to change terminals.
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One more thing, with regard to knowing which terminal or gate we are arriving at that changes often and the Captain gets this information after landing during taxiing from the tower. Not to mention hundreds of different destinations each day. It is impossible to know. Maybe in a few years crew will be able to have that information on hand however currently as I know it they can at least tell you which ariport you are landing at ; )
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To be honest, while I agree that some customers are just rude no matter what, I think the attitude of SOME (not all) flight attendants rubs people up the wrong way. It’s almost like seem to forget that part of their job is serving drinks and meeting other requests of passengers (within reason). A flight attendant pointed out below that most of their training is not about serving drinks but about safety in the event of emergency. Fair enough, but come on… I don’t know the actual statistic but 98% of flights do not encounter an emergency. I think it’s reasonable to say that a large part of a flight attendants role is customer service, and frankly if I owned Virgin or Jetstar I would be trying a lot harder to employ people who had a better understanding of this
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I used to work as a flight attendant and would like to comment on some of the following. The laws (yes they are laws) regarding a passenger sitting at the exit seat requires that the person is fit and able to move and above 13 years of age (maybe it is 15 can’t remember for certain now). If the father had knee surgery he should not be sitting by the exit for take off and landing. I had a very capable blind man on a flight sitting by the exit and I moved him for take off and landing and let him return during the flight. As someone mentioned it is so the doors can be opened fast and passengers exit fast. One slow person can mean life or death to a whole load of people in case of emergency. These laws came into practice after a passenger plane was on fire and a young boy sitting at the exit did not know how to open the door or was in shock and a lot of people perished.
JL regarding lifting bags. Our company told us NOT to lift any passenger bags as we were not covered by insurance should we become injured due to lifting passenger bags. Some bags look small and weigh more than a baby elephant. Yes if you can’t put it up no matter how ‘light’ it should be in cargo.
I have some wonder ful memories and some that are not. I have seen passengers come together and sing on a 9 hour flight with one man playing the guitar. I had a mother place her babies dirty nappy on the food trolley during the meal service for me to dispose for her. I have had two grown men start a fist fight because one reclined his seat. Yes it was Christmas and I was wearing a Santa hat trying to spread joy to the world when that happened. I had terror warnings. Engine failure mid flight and CNN said my flight was a possible hijacking. I had a passenger bag with raw chicken dripping down from the hat rack onto other passengers.
I had a passenger physically push me. I have been offered teddy bears, money perfume, gold pens as a thank you for my service (which I declined). I was not by any means the best flight attendant around. I also accidentally smashed the knee of a passenger during turbulence trying to get my cart back to the galley. I spilt red wine all over a Muslim passenger wearing a white dish dash I then tried to clean him up with soda water and it was just smearing all over the place and when I started writing out the dry cleaning form for him, my pen leaked and I got ink all over him and myself. I met interesting people from all over the world and had good and bad flights. Nice passengers and difficult passengers. Travelling is stressful and I had 305 economy passengers once with 265 vegetarian meals on an hour and a half flight time. Sorry if I did not smile enough whilst trying to make sure everyone had their meal before landing and once half the business class passengers did not have their meal on a very short flight. I had to deal with heart attacks and fainting passengers all whilst other passengers were screaming for their whisky. I know this is a long reply, but remember the flight attendants are there for your safety first, service second. However as humans let us all just try to be more patient and get along with one another on each flight we are on.
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Wow, after reading these comments, I never realised that so many people on flights were thinking such hateful thoughts all the time. What a shame that people are so quick to judge others harshly without knowing their full story.
How about you get on a flight with less expectations?
Why hate people because they are short and get isle seats? There are a million reasons to sit in isle seats other then you are tall. They should have made the plane seats to accommodate larger legs in economy.
So what if people prefer vegetarian on a plane? Maybe they are scared of food poisoning, or want to avoid certain meats? Are you really that starving?!
Some people accidentally knock the seat in front of them because their legs are tall, and their knees knock it when they move around.
So what if people go to the toilet as soon as soon the seatbelt light goes off?! When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go.
Give a thought to toddlers who have energy unlike an adult. Sitting still for 10 hours isn’t the same for them. They need some time to walk around – with a parent. They don’t understand and think rationally like an adult yet.
How about we just get on a plane knowing it’s not going to be like sitting on our couch at home with our best friends and choicest food, try and be considerate to others, and think about how awesome an experience it is to be able to fly to another state or country, and what you’re going to do when you get there?
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I second that! Brilliant comment. People seem to morph the second they get on a flight. It must be the thought of being so long on a flight (well to Europe anyhow) that turns them into assholes.
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Yep, my small children can’t sit still for long enough for dinner to finish at home. Let alone behave impeccably on a flight.
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beautifully put anonymous…just beautiful
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We flew from one side of the US to the other last year and even though the lady (who was lovely) on the ground could see we were a family with young kids, she gave us seats all seperately. The poor cabin crew were stuck trying to sort it out. When someone complained they weren’t getting their seat I asked if they’d like to sit next to my 7 year old. Interestingly got no reply.
I noticed also that everyone ignored the turn phones off announcement and continued texting.
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I recently went on a short interstate flight to see a surgeon (post op) and we missed the flight there, when we rebooked the flight we got exit row seats and I had to lie and say I was willing and able to assist other passengers if necessary. I was certainly willing, but able? I doubt it. I still feel guilty today.
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I hate people who kick the seat in front of them. I was on a flight to Paris and we were arriving at 6am, so I was naturally trying to sleep on the plane to help my body clock adjust. The person behind me was obviously using the back of my seat as leverage as they shifted into more comfortable positions so every 20mins or so I was getting jostled. I wanted to turn around and tell them to quit it, but the people either side of me seemed to be sleeping soundly so I sucked it up so as not to wake them by causing a scene.
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Maybe they were taller than average and your seat was reclined right back onto them and they couldnt move without bumping it. Sometimes the kicking isnt on purpose
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Nah, I saw her when we got on the plane. Legs shorter than mine! I would have forgiven it otherwise
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On one part of a long-haul flight last year, my husband and I were seated in front of a woman with terrible body odour. Every time she moved her arms – which was a lot; I think she was trying to sleep with her arms behind her head – we got a whiff.
The plane was absolutely packed and we couldn’t move. Longest seven hours of our lives. If I’d had a can of deodorant I would’ve turned around and offered it to her.
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OK this is all well and good but I have a few grievances about flying and flight attendants.
1. Flight attendants should make it a point to know which terminal the aircraft is landing at. It is not an unreasonable question; in fact, it should be mandatory to know it. I have seen hosties roll their eyes and snap “how the hell would I know?” to passengers asking this. Because it’s your bloody job.
2. Drying is dehydrating? No shit sherlock. Well why not make more effort to hydrate passengers, rather than ignore repeated requests for more water. I am always desperately thirsty on flights and those teeny little cups they begrudgingly bring me barely make a dent.
3. It is one thing to run out of lamb roast towards the back of the craft; it is another to run out by row 4. Here’s a revelation: people on flights will overwhelmingly gravitate towards red meat or chicken. No one wants fish. No one wants rice and lentils. When that is the option when all the beef stirfrys have run out – midway down the plane – please expect people to be grumpy. Possibly because lentils make them flatulent and they will then have to suffer the deathstares of their neighbours for the next 6 hours. In any case, with the average international flight costing over $1000, it is not unreasonable to expect – and get – a half-decent meal, if not a choice.
4. There might not be a lot of space in overhead lockers -but pray, where can one hang their coat? What has happened to coat lockers? Why are we now told to roll up our coats and shove them in whatever little space can be found overhead? When first and business classes are empty (because no one can afford them anymore) why not allow coats from economy passengers to be hung in the coat closets up the front?
5. Being lied to about delays. If you believed cabin crew announcements, there is permanent fog in Brisbane.
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As a non fish eater I do agree with you on that one! I dont make a pain of myself by requesting special meals but it is annoying when fish is the only meal left. I know loads of people who dont eat it either so I do find it strange that caterers think its ok to serve fish to a few hundred people.
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I see your point, but if you’re flying to/from a country where fish is eaten often then it’s only reasonable that they’d stock it in equal proportion to chicken and red meat.
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You sir are the typical Aussie asshole.
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I’m confused. Why is a comment like this allowed? Moderation, MM team? Respectful dinner-party conversation? I think not.
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I think that’s a little uncalled for! I think all my grievances are valid after too many flights suffering the most shocking service. I appreciate you’re doing your job and don’t deserve to be treated badly – no one does, at work or out of it – but customers also deserve respect. Not derision, eye rolling, patronising or dismissive treatment when they make valid requests.
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ok, so i work in the industry and you’d be surprised to see how much we flak we cop from passengers through no fault of our own, but by simply being the “face” of the airline and due to the fact we’re in direct contact with passengers the longest.
1 – travel agents and online booking sites and also ground staff would be the person/people most likely to know which terminal you will be arriving at. Most cabin crew barely know what country they’re in, let alone which terminal, or where such and such gate is.
2 – bring an empty water bottle to refill throughout the flight! we aren’t allowed to provide each passenger with a water bottle but we don’t mind refilling your own. better yet, some aircrafts do have a drinking water dispenser usually near the bathroom area.
3 – meal choices running out is my biggest bugbear but there’s nothing we can do because this is due to the loads and percentage supplied by the catering dept. and trust me, I dont feel any better not being able to give people their choices and no, I’m not being a meanie secretly stashing all the beef/chicken in the galley to stuff my own face with, when we run out, we really are apologetic but sorry, we can’t whip up a stirfry in the back galley either! and yes, for the price you’re paying to travel, its not unreasonable to expect to get decent food, in fact, the catering dept have a lot to answer for but Murphys Law seems to prevail a lot at 30 thou+ feet when you have lots of chicken, everyone wants beef, and when there is lots of beef, everyone wants chicken
4- economy passengers coats will usually be hung up front if there is space, but try shoving in 100+ coats from economy into a space that can barely fit the coats from the people “up front”
5- delays are universally hated by cabin crew too. most of the time we have no idea what its caused by, but if we have been briefed on possible fog, thats the excuse we will use
dont mean to reply specifically to you, but thought that it might clear up some of your questions, and yes, i love my job and would do anything to make it enjoyable for the passengers, but sometimes being treated like I’m personally responsible for all that goes wrong up there is just not fair!
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Thank you quintrix for your nice reply. Everything you say is very logical and sensible; unfortunately not all hostesses I’ve met are as measured as you. The last time I flew, they forgot to serve my husband a meal; the time before that they ran out of food in the row in front of me – I was in row 4. I’ve never been permitted to take even an empty water bottle on a flight – I am of Middle Eastern appearance, mind you. And surely pilots have information as to the terminal that they can make available?
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My personal favourite it when the seatbelt sign it switched off at the end of a flight, people making a mad dash to try and get out first.
We all want to get out.
In general, people exit the aircraft in order from the front of the plane to the back. It’s not my fault you’re seated behind me.
But you’ll most certainly exiting after me.
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I’m going on a 14 hour flight next year to LA and this article has been so helpful of what .. not to do. also, has anyone got any tips? I’m terrified of getting off the plane after 14 hours and then being sick for my whole holiday because of the air.. does water help?
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I think water does help, and I also always use a moisturising nasal spray. I think the theory is that your mucous membranes dry out in the plane air, which stops them from being able to expel germs in the usual way.
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Thanks! I have a spray that’s just salt water used to clean out your nose, would that work?
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It could well work, but I try to find one that specifically says it contains added moisturiser. Fess is the brand that I’ve found to have the best range – they make one called “Frequent Flyer” specifically for this purpose. You should be able to find it easily by Googling. Hope that helps, have a great trip!
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The best way to avoid illness on a plane is to wash and dry your hands after going to the toilet. Or avoid the toilets if possible (not easy on a 14 hr flight)
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Don’t avoid the toilets unless you want to end up with a nasty urinary tract infection as I did!
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Thanks so much!
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I recommend Clarins beauty flash balm, natural sleeping tablets and a small cushion for you back.
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I travel interstate at least once a week for work and what bugs me the most about sitting in the middle seat is people on both sides steal the arm rests, and without fail it’s always a man in a suit, it’s so infuriating.
I’ve also noticed lately that men are starting to put their legs in my leg room space, seriously your gonads are not that big that you need to practically do the splits to accommodate them grrrrr
Oh and I do feel sorry for people travelling with children especially babies (landing must hurt the poor things ears) but if they do run around, kick seats and behave like terrors I will react the exact same way I would react on the ground- telling the parents to pull their heads in. I have two small children and it’s not that bloody hard to keep them entertained, it’s not like I’m flat out cooking dinner.
Can’t you tell I’m over flying for work…. give me a packed train anyday
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the worst flight experience I have had was sitting next to a young loved up couple who literally kissed every 30 seconds. At the end of the flight I swear if I heard the sound of a kiss again I was ready to clop them one for being so selfish!!! The actual sound of kisses repeatedly is really annoying.
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OMG that would have been so annoying!
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I know this will sound bad and I cringe even hear myself saying it but I hate sitting next to morbidly obese passengers as I found myself last November over to Perth from Sydney. I know he couldnt help it but he took up at least 1/3 (thats being kind) of my seat and his arm was touching mine for the whole flight. Im not talking just overweight – that I could handle- but biggest loser big 150kg plus, and as the plane was full I had no-where to move to, and everytime the trolley would go up or down the aisle he would move over even more and squash me so he didnt get hit in the arm. I honestly felt like asking him to pay for a third of my fare it was that bad, but I kept my manners in check and put up with it. Ugggh but hopefully never again…..
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we are paying for our own space so should not have to share the tiny seat with other people, it sounds selfish but really it is just not right.
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I totally agree, unfortunately airlines cannot make a morbidly obese person purchase an extra seat as it’s classified as discrimination. sadly legislation doesn’t seem to care if you only got half a seat… try having a polite quiet word with the cabin crew if it happens and they may be able to help you out.
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That’s happened to me before. I didn’t do anything about it even though I was being squashed against the wall of the plane and feeling claustrophobic. It just seemed like such as embarrassing situation for both of us that I didn’t want to make it any more uncomfortable that it already was. Even now I’m not sure what to do other than put up with it.
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It’s not bad to say that.
A few years ago we boarded a plane from Melbourne to London and my seat was next a morbidly obese woman. She also took up almost half my seat. I literally could not sit in my seat. I could on perch my bum on the end.
Thank god the flight wasn’t full and they could move my husband and I. I felt really embarrassed because I knew the woman would know what I asked to be moved. But seriously, it was a safety risk for me to be next to her as I couldn’t even be belted in properly. And she should know that she requires more space than one airplane seat.
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This makes me really sad. I’m sure that obese people are aware that they are obese and that they take up more room and are probably self-conscious about it. Not nice.
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they’re self conscious about it, but it’s a fact. (I’m self conscious about my terrible acne, but it’s also a fact and people talk about it…)otherwise it’s just the elephant in the room…doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it. not fair to expect someone to perch on the edge of their seat for 12+ hours! I was flying London-Singapore and sat next to a man who would have been 160kgs plus. I was squashed next to the window and I couldn’t move my arms away from him…uncomfortable for both of us!12 HOURS. gahhhh. I felt so sorry for him, but I felt sorry for myself as well!
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I don’t really get #6. It may be mildly inconvenient for the flight attendants if people order vegetarian but the airline has made that option available to passengers. What difference does it make if a person is vegetarian in the ‘real world’? The option to order a vegetarian meal is available to everyone when booking so it can hardly be classed as bad behaviour by the passenger. Of course it is annoying for the flight attendants but it does seem like part of the job to me, not equivalent to the more ridiculous demands placed on flight attendants by passengers.
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I think she means people who arent actually vegetarian and havent requested a vegetarian meal, but who upon seeing the chicken or fish and dont like the look of them, decide to be vegetarian.
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Oh. I didn’t catch that when I read the article. I still don’t see it.
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I think she means people who aren’t vego but say they are on flights so they get their meal before everyone else- she said vego/special meals usually get sent out first, and the attendants have to deliver them to the specific person while everyone else waits. Its saying you require something special, when you don’t- you just want to get served first.
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I wondered if she meant that too. But it wasn’t very clear.
I don’t think she did mean that though because, as I understand it, there are only enough vegetarian meals on the plane for the people who pre-arranged that. So, if someone else ‘pretends to be a vego during a flight’, it’s just bad luck. No special meal for them.
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I don’t know…it’s acting a bit high maintenance isn’t it? You are just making extra work for someone unnecessarily.
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People of the world please commit #3 to heart! The crew are there to make your trip pleasant but please believe me when I say 90% of our training is not about how to serve coffee and stow bags its ALL about how to save YOU in an emergency and let me tell you there are a million things that can go wrong at 30000ft and you will want the crew to know what they are doing. So please when we ask you to do something just do it. No quesitons. Period. If I had a dollar for everytime someone gets all ansy when we ask them to raise their shade and want to argue about it – well I’d be on my way to owning Qantas! We’re asking you to raise your shade not because I enjoy the piercing sun interrupting your slumber its because if there is a fire in the engines on landing the aircraft then we can see it and report it to the flight deck. Remember pilots don’t have rear view mirrors in the cockpit, they rely on the eyes of the crew for alot. Also parents PLEASE keep your children’s seatbelts on at all times. I know its difficult. I am also a parent of 3 boys and I know your pain but while you think its cute for your kids to run up and down the aisle to entertain themselves or visit us in the galley all I am seeing is unexpected turbulence or a sudden decompression in the cabin and your child potentially being rendered unconscious after slamming their head into the overhead lockers. It happens and the consequences can be permanent.
Its simple – treat the crew with respect and we’ll return it in spades.
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I always wondered why we need to raise the shades! Thanks!
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I always thought it was because if the plane crashed on landing/during takeoff it was easier for rescuers to see what was going on inside (e.g. where passengers are, fires are, etc.) and plan their rescue accordingly.
That’s probably because when I was on my first flight at 12, all I could think about was us crashing and burning
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I was not happy to have to raise my shade just as I was finally managing to drift off to sleep & we were still about 4 hrs out from London – there went my only chance of sleep on the flight. Thanks for the explanation – at least I know there was a good reason for it
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I laughed at these. But I don’t agree with your No. 6.
It’s not the passengers fault about the staff/passenger ratio.
Not is it their fault about the special meals having to be delivered first.
I think that this complaint should be to the airlines.
I’m vegetarian when I fly. Because:
a: I don’t eat red meat so it’s easier to cut out all meat
b: airline food is generally foul and you have a slightly better chance of something edible if it’s vegetarian
c: I’m paying a fortune to fly long-haul and I need to be fed. It’s not going to occur (or bother me, sorry flight attendants) whether my meal causes your bunions to hurt more.
It’s not people with dietary requirements who ‘think they are special’. It’s the airline policy and procedure that dictates the order in which meals are served.
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I think she just meant that some people claim to be vegetarian, even though they aren’t, just to get their meal first. I don’t think she was meaning to have a go at people who have genuine dietary needs.
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I don’t think she did. You have to pre-order vegetarian and other special meals when you book your flight.
If someone decides mid-air they are vegetarian, it’s just bad luck. Flight attendants aren’t going to go scurrying around trying to find a vegetarian meal that doesn’t exist. They can tell the passenger right there at their seat that there isn’t a special meal for them. Their bunions are not going to suffer by advising a passenger that they needed to pre-order a vego meal. No walking required for that.
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LellaK – thank god there is someone out there that thinks like me…being a frequent traveller I am constantly amazed and annoyed at peoples behaviour around carousells. Lets introduce that 5 metre rule….
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Sorry if people have commented on this already… but the one things that give me this biggest shits when travelling is baggage carousel time. People who race and jostle forward to stand so damn close to it they might as well be standing on it. Then once you have pushed passed people to get to your bag you cant get it off becuase everyone is surrounding you!
Is it that hard to stand 5 metres back and move forward one you see your bag? means everyone can see the carousel!
and dont get me started on people who come and stand directly in front of you while you are waiting….
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And people who let their children stand right there next to the carousel! Is your 7 year old going to grab your suitcase? No, so get him out of everyone’s way.
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a well-timed fart can help in this situation…
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LOL! that made my day!
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I flew Adelaide to Darwin once, on a daytime flight. It was a three-across seating configuration, and the two other people on the chairs were full on rooting. FULL ON. I was 19 and didn’t want to make a fuss, so I just leant out in the aisle as far as I could to try and get away. Eventually it all got too much for me and I started to cry, they didn’t even stop then. It was HORRIBLE. The smells, the noises, the movement…. Ugh. They were probably around 40 years old, so they should have known better. Get a damn room, you two!
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That is gross. Isn’t it funny how at 19 you didn’t want to make a fuss, but now that you’ve matured you certainly would?
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Now? I would fuss to high heaven. Loudly, and embarrassingly, and continually, until they stopped. Age has its recompenses (and I’m not yet 30
)
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I would have vomited
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Isn’t f*cking in a public place a crime? I saw someone giving her partner (well, hopefully her partner) head on the train once. At the time I thought it was funny but now that I’m older and grumpier I’d be horrified.
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Holy shit that is disgusting beyond belief! Why didn’t the attendants say something??
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That’s just nasty. How did the flight attendants not notice this and do something about it??
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So entertaining
! Loved the tardis bit.,, think we can all commiserate! And there’s the type who fly long haul in a separate seat to their kids 
. Now I have a 2 Yo & baby I’m not going anywhere near a plane for years!! Ps I’m a real vegetarian, on earth as well. Another tip is not to take stilnox in the airport lounge as a delay might ensue…I could barely walk to board the plane. Apparently I snapped to attention when my (vegetarian) meal arrived though !
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I cant believe what some people consider carry on luggage. Especially in Asia, its ridiculous. I do get a little peeved when we are travelling as a large family and have restricted our luggage to comply well within the weight and size limits and then you see people drag on huge bags and take up all the ovehead locker.
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I understand that flight attendants have to put up with a lot of very rude people and I know it definitely would not be an easy job, but after spending the last 2 years travelling and too many plane flights to count, I have to admit that I have come across quite a few rude flight attendants! Some are lovely and polite and do all they can to help, but I have encountered a few that obviously don’t enjoy their job at all and don’t really know how they keep their jobs. I think it’s fair to say that I am polite and respectful on flights, as I aim to be any other time, and think it is totally unnecesary to be rude. I was innocently drinking a water and it was snatched off me by a flight attendant who claimed she saw me pour something in it??? Um water and vodka? 3 of them sniffed it and all finally agreed that it didn’t smell like alcohol but I received no apology, I know they are doing their job but I found it quite offensive to be accused of that! On another flight, I was in a row close to their cabin and myself and other passengers in the rows around me could clearly hear one of the flight attendants making nasty comments about passengers on the flight, so unprofessional! (I know everyone does that in their jobs but not when the customers can hear!)
I’m not trying to attack the writer and I have worked in customer service jobs before so I know people can be atrociously rude but I’m just pointing out that not all flight attendants are pleasant either!