IT seems like one of the best jobs in the world. You get to travel the globe visiting some of the great cities, and, what's more, you get paid to do it.
But the more I travel the more I realise that the occupation in question - flight attendant - is a difficult job. I wouldn’t swap being a passenger to become a flight attendant for thousands of frequent flyer points.
So, the next time you’re studiously ignoring that pre-flight safety demo spare a thought for the cabin crew. They have a tough job, being part-waiter, part-safety-warden, part-diplomat. We’ve all suffered bad cabin crews on flights but on the whole they do a sterling job under difficult circumstances.
Many are working longer hours for less remuneration as airlines seek to reduce the cabin crew/passenger ratio to lower costs. Here, then, based on interviews with Qantas flight attendants (who, for obvious reasons have asked not to be identified) rate as their pet passenger peeves that make their high-flying jobs just that little bit more challenging.
Overshooting the runway
Dirty aircraft toilets are a big turn-off for passengers but imagine what it’s like for the flight attendants who have to clean them. But, as one flight attendant says, there’s a limit to how much cleaning a crew can do since ultimately they are food-handlers, something at odds with keeping loos ship-shape.
So, clean up after yourself, including the sink, and do point straight, otherwise the cabin crew may have to “lock and seal off” the toilet while awaiting the real cleaners at the destination.
Switching seats
Tsk, tsk, tsk... It’s something that most passengers (including me) tend not to know or just forget, but each aircraft, no matter the size, is carefully balanced in terms of weight.
As one flight attendant says when passengers switch seats – from their allocated one - before take-off it can disturb this system, which the cabin crew are meant to police.
Once you’ve switched seats, and not returned to your original position once airborne, it can also be difficult for the crew to locate you if you’ve ordered a special meal.
The same goes for loos.
Australia may well be a classless society but all that changes in the air. One passenger trait that makes the flight attendants job difficult is different classes of passengers using the toilets of their upper-class counterparts.
The worst offenders, evidently, are premium economy passengers who assume they can use the business class loos. Wrong. They have to use the economy ones.
As for first-class passengers, one flight attendant said they don’t complain much at all since they do, after all, have pretty much everything they need!
Grogging on
Unsurprisingly, one of the most difficult tasks that flight attendants face is dealing with drunken passengers.
“Alcohol is a big problem,” says one flight attendant.
“Some passengers think it will never run out. But it’s a big call to tell a passenger than they’re drunk.”
Crew are trained not to accuse a passenger of being inebriated or on their way to be drunk, and tend to use more subtle entreaties.
“We’re trained not to say ‘no’ to passengers,” says another crew member.
Passengers can also develop “a victim mentality” when the crew run out of a meal choice. But it’s impossible to predict whether the beef or chicken dish will be more popular on one day than the next.
Safety first
As hard as I try I do find it difficult, like most passengers, to pay attention to the pre-flight safety demo. But, out of respect to the cabin crew, I don’t ignore it completely either.
This does offend some flight attendants, so expect the evil eye if you’re caught thumbing the airline mag during the demo.
No thanks
One flight attendant told me a simple, sincere thank you from a passenger can go a very long way.
I was on a hastily rescheduled Qantas flight from London to Singapore on the day of the unfortunate A380 engine explosion.
The carrier’s A380s were withdrawn from service with British Airways coming to the rescue with a chartered flight and crew, at what was clearly late notice. As I was leaving the flight I said to one of the crew members: “Thanks for saving the day.”
Based on her own gratitude and reaction I got the distinct feeling that no one had bothered to thank the crew.
As one flight attendant told me, like any job “pats on the back can really lift your spirits.”
Prepare for landing
Well, I’ve listed the main pet passenger peeves of flight attendants but others include passengers: leaving heavy take-on bags (“full of dozens of jars of Vegemite for the aunty in England”), in the middle of the aisle and sitting down for the flight attendant to stow.
Standing up when the plane lands before the seat-belt sign is extinguished (“you’re not going to get off any sooner”) is also another pet hate, as well as ordering duty-free items when the service has been closed for landing.
“I just try and be as understanding as I can,” says one flight attendant. If only more passengers could say the same.
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