Flight Attendants

Anytime we set foot on an airplane, we are always greeted by flight attendants. They are pleasant, smile, say hello and friendly as we board the plane. All too often I think we under appreciate them. Most of the time, I feel that people think they are on airplanes to wait on the customers every needs. While yes, they serve us drinks and sometimes offer us snacks or meals, their main job isn’t to keep us happy, it is to keep us safe.

How many times have you walked onto an airplane and heard the flight attendant being mistreated? Well, I happened to witness this, this afternoon.

I was on a Southwest flight from Salt Lake City to Phoenix, and a man and his wife walked onto the airplane and headed to the back of the plane where you could still find some scattered open seats. I would bet money that the couple had been fighting; maybe they were even late to get to the gate. Whatever had happened, they were in awful moods. They had packed the largest “carry on” bags I had ever seen, and were mad when they did not fit into the overhead bins. They were told they had to be checked. When the man was asked where his final destination was he did not know. He had to ask his wife who said Anaheim. Well, Southwest doesn’t exactly fly into Anaheim.  They happen to fly into five airports in the general area. The flight attendant asked for clarification and the man got snippy and started yelling at his wife who was a few rows in front of him. Finally they agreed on which airport they were flying into. The flight attendant said, alright, we will check your bags to Orange County; the man got rude with the flight attendant and told her he had said Southern California about 4 times. As she shrugged it off and went to walk away, he started bad mouthing her. She turned right around, lowered her voice and said “Sir, we fly into many airports in Southern California and I’m just trying to make sure your bags arrive at the same airport as you. I would appreciate it if you didn’t use that tone of voice and talk to me in that manner when I’m just trying to help you out,” then walked away.

I’m happy to report the man apologized to her about 5 minutes later.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that these people are just doing their jobs. They work in an environment where a lot of people are out of their comfort zones. Often security lines were long and seemed disorganized (see our previous blog for more info on TSA) and then had to rush to their gate to make their flights. They might feel ripped off at the price of airport parking/food/drink and other airline fees that are now being imposed on the customer (i.e.: baggage). Some customers even get apprehensive or have a fear of flying. Maybe someone just had a fight with a loved one before they got to the airport. Maybe your previous flight was oversold and you got bumped to another flight. Whatever the reason for their foul moods, it’s usually not the flight attendants fault.

If they tell you that your bag has to be checked once you are on the airplane, they aren’t messing with you or being jerks. There is no room in the overhead bins. If you are the last people on the airplane, and insist on sitting next to each other, (if you are on a carrier that does not assign seats); they cannot force people to move seats just because you are a pair. It’s also not the flight attendants fault if your flight is delayed.

Remember, flight attendants have to deal with hundreds of passengers a day. Some fly all over the world. They too have to deal with security measures, different climates, are subjected to sick people who insist on traveling, and often have to work on holidays and spend many days at a time away from their families, and are on their feet for many hours every day. Keep in mind, they have restrictions on how tall they can be, how much they weigh, how they do their hair and makeup and have to take better care of their skin than you do since they spend so much time in high altitudes.

They also have to deal with ever increasing security measures, and it is their number one job to keep passengers safe. All the rules about the masks that drop down and being required to get a verbal yes from you if you are sitting in an emergency exit row are important in making sure you are safe during your travels.

If you are thinking, well hey, they get benefits for traveling, you are only somewhat right. Airlines have been cutting flights left and right since the fuel increases to remain more profitable. So it is harder and harder for a flight attendant to be able to get on an airplane for personal reasons without also having to buy a ticket. They might get a better rate than you on a cruise or hotel, but if they are on a personal trip, it’s not that much better than your cost.

So the next time you are on a flight, smile as you get on the airplane, turn off your electronic devices the first time they ask you too, and say please and thank you to your flight attendant when they take care of your drink order. You will be amazed at how much more enjoyable your flight is when you are kind to the people who are waiting on you.