20 Secrets From Flight Attendants That Airlines Probably Don’t Want Us To Know

Flight attendants may give you service with a smile, but it can be a very different story once they’re out of sight of passengers. Perhaps it’s because the cabin crew knows many things we don’t – like just how filthy the seats are, for example. That’s just one shocking secret, but insiders have spilled many more. And by the time you read what they have to say, you may want to take your next trip on a Greyhound...

20. Flight attendants judge what you’re wearing

Don’t put on your go-to travel T-shirt and sweatpants – even if you’re on a long-haul journey. Why? Well, this kind of relaxed attire may cost you when it comes to customer service. Yep, one flight attendant claims that the way you’re treated on a plane may depend on how good you look. Judgmental, much?

First impressions

In her book The Do’s and Don’ts of Flying: A Flight Attendant’s Guide to Airline Travel Secrets, Steffanie Rivers wrote, “I first notice how passengers are dressed. Some people dress as if they made an effort to put forth a positive impression. Others look as if they grabbed clothes off the floor and ran out of the house.” And she goes on to admit that the crew are more likely to be nice to the smarter people. That makes sense, but it doesn’t seem very fair...

19. The call bell can be their nemesis

That call bell? Pretty handy when you’re up in the air! But spare a thought for your flight attendant before you order that fourth whisky and club soda. At the very least, don’t press the bell repeatedly. It’s this sense of entitlement that can enrage the poor staff member tasked with catering for flyers’ every whim.

So needy

Rivers wrote in her book, “My biggest pet peeve is when people are too needy. The ones who act as if they need their own chartered plane, because everything is all about them. They want instantaneous service despite the fact that there are 100 other people on board the aircraft.”