9 Effective Ways to Frustrate a Flight Attendant

Discover the nine effective ways to frustrate a Flight Attendant

“I have been working for a well-known Asian airline for several years. On a good day, we stay in a five-star hotel in Shanghai, do shopping in Paris or play roulette in Las Vegas. On a bad day, we have emergency landings, 12-hour delays and an endless stream of obnoxious passengers.”

Also Read: Discover 30 Annoying Passenger Habits According to Flight Attendants

Don’t be fooled by our slim figures, perfectly fitted uniforms, and perfect smiles. You don’t want to get into a conflict with the person who serves you food, brings you drinks and takes care of your safety when you’re stuck in a metal can at 35,000 feet.

I’ve made a list of nine things that really get on our nerves.

1. Adopting the attitude “I paid for my ticket, so I can complain about anything I want”.

“My seat is too tight.”

“The flight is delayed.”

“The coffee is too hot.”

“The tea is too cold.”

“The tea tastes weird.”

“The plane is ugly.”

Calm down! I’m sorry your butt is too big and doesn’t fit in the seat. Next time buy a first-class ticket.

And you know what? The plane is delayed because your buddy couldn’t decide which bottle of whiskey to buy at the duty-free shop, so he showed up at the gate 30 minutes late.

Keep complaining, and your next drink will be gin and tonic mixed with a heel.

2. Abusing the Cabin Crew call button.

Using the call button for the cabin crew excessively can be a nuisance. According to international regulations, each flight attendant is responsible for 50 passengers. This means that in a worst-case scenario, the cabin crew may be occupied providing first aid or dealing with an emergency while you or your overgrown child keep pressing the call button.

A better way to handle this situation is to simply stand up and go to the nearest buffet and ask for what you need. Stretching your legs, standing up, and walking around the cabin will not harm you and may even be beneficial.

3. Pretending you are in a restaurant

“Today we have beef steak with lemon grass and barbecue pork with Japanese rice. What would you prefer, sir?” asks the beautiful flight attendant.
The man turns to her and says, “I’ll have fish. Do you have fish? I want fish. I can’t eat anything else but fish.”

It’s important to remember that the airplane buffet is not a restaurant. We don’t cook. If you want a specific meal, make a request when you book your flight.

4. Avoid asking unintelligent questions

When you see a glass filled with dark liquid with bubbles and ice, do you think to yourself, “What could this be?” Of course, it’s a cola. And what if it’s a clear liquid? Yes, it’s water.

Imagine if the entire crew asked the same questions, even if passengers were sitting next to each other. After hearing these questions from about 50 people, I become so disheartened that I simply stop responding.

5. Laughing and whispering

Gossiping about someone behind their back is very impolite. It’s even worse when you look at someone and laugh in their face, then whisper and giggle with the person next to you, in your own language. The last time this happened, I accidentally blocked the aisle with my beverage cart and trapped that amusing man inside the bathroom.

6. Speak on your phone after the plane has left the gate

Not turning off your phone can easily frustrate the flight crew. I’ll admit, enforcing the rule by asking passengers to turn off their phones brings me a certain level of satisfaction. I put on a serious expression and point to the phone, saying “Please turn it off now.”

It’s important to note that communication with the control tower is already a difficult task. Pilots are not there for leisure, they’re not discussing the weather or fashion. They’re trying to take off without collisions with other planes that may be landing seconds later – all while your phone could potentially interfere with communication.

Also Read: Discover 30 Annoying Passenger Habits According to Flight Attendants

7. Be a neglectful parent

A young mother once asked me to put cream in her child’s coffee bottle.

Some parents assume that stewards and stewardesses will happily take care of their children while they attend to other matters, such as watching a movie.

This is not my responsibility. Not every steward or stewardess is comfortable taking care of children. Taking care of our passengers is already a challenging task.

8. Complain that your bags are too heavy

You’ve traveled the entire journey from home, lugged your bags up the stairs to the door, placed them in the trunk of your car, driven all the way to the airport, dragged them through security and all the way to your seat.

Suddenly, the bags are too heavy for you to put them in the overhead compartment by yourself.

Passengers don’t realise that stewards and stewardesses are not compensated for any injuries incurred from lifting heavy luggage.

The bottom line is, you brought the suitcase, put it away by yourself or we’ll throw it out the door and under the plane.

9. Ignore the “fasten seatbelt” sign

“When the fasten seatbelt sign is on, please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt.”

Pretty straightforward, right?

Not for everyone. On every flight, there are passengers who stand up to use the restroom when the sign is on. It’s somewhat understandable – if you’re about to wet yourself or worse.

Then there are passengers who want to roam and talk to others.

When the sign is on during takeoff, landing, or turbulence, roaming around the cabin is extremely dangerous. You could potentially hit your face on a sink or another passenger’s head.”