What Flight Attendants Wish Passengers Would Stop Doing

Although traveling to a new place may seem exciting, traveling via airplane can also bring out the worst in people. Complaints, pricey products, confined spaces, and fear of flying may trigger angst while flying. Flight attendants have absolutely seen it all in the air and are trained to deal with various situations. There are, however, annoyances that occur each flight that flight attendants simply wish customers would stop doing.

Touching, Poking, Grabbing

Every airplane has a call button that alarms a flight attendant that a passenger is calling them. Flight Attendants are also required to walk through the cabin every so often. So why do people think it’s okay to poke, grab, pull, pat, or touch a flight attendant? There are enough germs on an aircraft so please use your words!

Aisle Space

It must be exciting to sit in an aisle seat because you can now stretch your feet out or sleep with your head in the middle of the aisle. However, flight attendants regularly must walk up and down the aisle and push carts through the aisle. This is done the entire flight and even in the dark. We don’t enjoy being tripped or accidently hitting you with a beverage cart so keep your children, hands, feet, and heads in the seat.

Overhead Bin Space

When you purchase a ticket to fly, you are simply reserving a seat on an airplane that will get you to your final destination. The overhead bin space is for smaller suitcases and is a shared space. No, bin space directly above your seat is not for your computer or little purse.

“What Do You have?”

Flight attendants make an announcement directing you to the menu located in front of you yet every flight several customers ask the dreaded “What do you have” question. We have over 100 beverages and now you want me to verbally list them? Do you also ask a restaurant server what they have on their menu?

Toilet Troubles

It’s evident that flight attendants are not getting paid while the aircraft door is open. Even worse, we are not allowed to close the door and begin compliance checks until everyone is in their seat. So when a passenger decides that “the time is now” after boarding is complete, flight attendants are not getting paid for your smelly bathroom break and must wait. As the cherry on top, most jump seats are conveniently located next to the lavatories, so flight attendants are less than ecstatic that a customer decided a confined space on a plane was a better choice than a restroom in the airport. Yes, now we all sadly know what you did in the lavatory.

Walking Barefoot

Swollen feet is a common problems while flying longer distances, but choosing to walk barefoot in a wet lavatory is just simply unsanitary and frankly nauseating. No, that is not water on the lavatory floor.

Water For a Pill

According to FAA, airlines are prohibited from serving items while on the surface, taking off, and landing. In an emergency situation, service items may become hazardous while evacuating. So when a passenger boards the plane asking, “Water for a pill?”, we wonder what you were doing for the past 3 hours in the airport with no beverages.