The more people I meet, the more I realize how misconstrued the general opinion of flight attendants is. As someone who has been in both positions, it’s easy for me to understand why. The misconceptions people have about flight attendants can often set foundations that result in negative interactions between flight attendants and passengers. In order to make future experiences smoother for all of us, I’ve written this article to inform you all about the truth beneath the most common misconceptions I’ve witnessed during my career as a flight attendant. If you’ve ever wondered about what it’s really like for us, or had a bad experience with a flight attendant, I implore you to take a moment to read this, with hope that the next time you board an airplane, you will carry what you’ve learned with you.
We are not responsible for putting your bags in the overhead bins.
Flight attendant working hours don’t technically start until the cabin door is closed. Therefore, anything that happens to them in the process of boarding (including injuries that are caused by lifting a bag) will not be covered by their companies. There is almost always an able bodied person available to help you with these tasks, please ask them for help before putting unfair pressure on your flight attendants.
We have little to no control over your delays.
Flight attendants have no impact on mechanical issues and weather that cause delays. Delays cause stress for everyone, including the flight attendants. Just as you have to make it somewhere to meet a connection, we do as well, and we have to be there far before you to get the plane in order.
There is one question I hear far too often from passengers when flights are delayed, and if you’ve asked this, I’m sure you’ve gotten a sassy answer.
“Are you able to call the gate where my next flight is waiting and ask them to wait for me?”
Absolutely not. If you have ever observed operations in an airport, you would notice how gate agents rotate from gate to gate depending on their assignments. There is no imaginary system between us and them that allows us to see who they are and how to contact them, so can we please squash this idea all together?
We are always willing to help in letting you know whether there is a gate change, how long you will have to get to your gate, or how you can access resources that can answer the questions we can’t, but NEVER that.
Flight attendants and Gate Agents may work together, but our duties are not the same.
This is one of the most frustrating misconceptions that happens much too often. For example, flight attendants are not responsible for changing your seating arrangement, it is something you should ask and organize beforehand. Your seating arrangement is dependent on two things: the way YOU choose to book, and your interaction with the gate agent.
Your flight attendant’s main responsibility during boarding time is to get you seated with your luggage stowed away safely. If you find a flight attendant getting hostile with you while asking to change your seat, it’s probably because his/her main focus is on their own job duties, which is getting you situated safely so that the boarding door can be closed. If the boarding door isn’t closed on time, your flight will likely catch a delay, and you can miss your connection; who wins then?
Flight Attendants enforcing FAA regulations are only doing their jobs, don’t take it personally.
Passengers often get frustrated or interrogative when being asked to do things that seem tedious or pointless to them. One of the most common issues I’ve experienced with passengers were people getting upset about having to put their bags up while being seated in the bulkhead rows (rows with no space for their bags in front of their seats.)
Many people don’t understand that the lack of a stable area to place your belongings is a safety hazard. These kinds of safety hazards can cost thousands of dollars in fines if they are not carried out. Some people want to hold their belongings closer to them because of reasons like prescription medicine, and this is understandable. My advice to those people is to check beforehand whether or not they have been placed in a bulkhead row, and to prepare accordingly.
We have a lover in every city.
Just because we literally sleep around doesn’t mean we figuratively do too. I can’t speak for every other flight attendant, but I can speak for myself. Though I have witnessed enough to see where stereotypes like this may stem from, I can guarantee that in my personal experience I have seen far more of the latter.
Hearing questions like, “I’m sure you have a boyfriend in every city,” isn’t humorous or appreciated. Neither is handing a flight attendant your business card when you haven’t even asked them about any potential business endeavors they may have.
While we’re on this note, I should clarify that we don’t just sleep with the pilots either. Even if I was single, most pilots I work with are old enough to be my dad.
We’re only there to pour you a coke.
If every person the world took a chunk out of their lives for flight attendant training, or even the extremely competitive hiring process, they would definitely gain some new respect. If you’re in danger or your health is compromised in the air, who will be there to save you? Your flight attendants are trained to safety professionals first and foremost for YOU. Being hospitable and making sure your flight runs smoothly will always come second to this.
The qualifications to become a flight attendant alone require extensive training in aircraft arming/disarming, self defense, CPR, AED administration, oxygen administration and firefighting. The next time you fly, remember not to treat your flight attendants like servers that are there to please you at your beck and call, our responsibilities span far beyond just pouring you a drink, and acknowledging this will surely make your flight attendant feel appreciated.
We aren’t all mean, and we definitely don’t hate you.
When you come across a flight attendant that isn’t in the best form, I implore you to never take it personally. Understand that our jobs require so much social interaction that it can compromise our energy to carry on through each day with the most positive attitudes. Sometimes we are just drained.
If you ever feel attacked or offended by something your flight attendant does, keep in mind that it typically has more to do with how their own day is going rather than your own. Just as I tell myself when I come across disrespectful passengers, they’re not upset with me, they’re upset with themselves or something in their life. In aviation, things will always be hectic and high strung. Be mindful of this, and remember that no matter what side of the plane you’re on, you should carry the same empathy for others that you’d want for yourself.
