As spring approaches, many people are starting to plan trips, and if you are going to travel far away, it is important to pay attention to airplane etiquette.
Many people spend hours in a cramped cabin together, so it’s important to show consideration for each other. A flight attendant gives passengers advice on 5 things they should never do on a plane.
According to flight attendant Aiden (last name not disclosed for privacy reasons), touching flight attendants is never appropriate.
“Absolutely do not touch flight attendants,” he said. “When we are moving around the cabin – whether serving meals, preparing drinks, or collecting trash – we can still hear you! A simple ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ will get our attention.”
After boarding, do you need to use the restroom immediately? This behavior could cause flight delays. The moment of boarding is also the worst time to leave your seat.
“Why don’t you use the restroom at the airport terminal?” Aiden asked. “During boarding, the flight crew has different tasks to handle, both visible to you (passengers) and more importantly, tasks you can’t see. Such as monitoring overhead bin space, identifying passengers we can rely on in emergencies, and communicating with the flight deck and ground personnel.”
Aiden admits that the airplane environment is uncomfortable, and passengers may want to stretch their limbs a bit.
“Sometimes you need to stretch, but when we try to move through the cabin – whether for service or just to check around – having to wake up everyone blocking the aisle can be frustrating,” he said. “Having said that, please be polite, if we ask you to move aside, please do so.”
Of course, you may be eager to deplane, but so is everyone else.
“After the plane lands and reaches the gate, please do not stand up and rush to the front of the plane,” Aiden said. “This is very impolite to other passengers, frankly, it’s inconsiderate.”
Aiden warns that questioning or refusing to follow instructions from the flight crew is a bad idea.
“If we ask you to do something, we have our reasons,” he said. “Please do not question us. Flight attendants go through five to eight weeks of rigorous training before they can board a real plane. Many flight attendants, including myself, liken their initial training to completing a semester of university courses in less than two months.”
What passengers may not know is that flight attendants’ training goes far beyond serving drinks. They learn how to open various types of airplane doors, perform CPR and use AED (automated external defibrillator), deliver babies, and even put out fires.
“Yes, we know how to pour Diet Coke, but our job is so much more than that,” Aiden said. “We are the first responders in the airline industry, so please treat us like first responders.”
(This article is adapted from an article on the quality of life website Real Simple)