15 “Thoughtful” Things Passengers Do That Flight Attendants Secretly Hate
Flight attendants love polite and considerate passengers, but sometimes good intentions turn into less-than-ideal behaviors. When an attempt to help makes a flight attendant’s job harder, you’ve left the realm of politeness and entered the landscape of rudeness.
If you want to be seen as an all-star passenger, make sure you avoid these in-flight habits.
1: Dirty Diaper Hand-Off
If you have to change a baby in the airplane lavatory, you might think it’s polite to remove the dirty diaper from the facility. After all, leaving it there to stink things up would be rude to other passengers. Still, handing it to the flight attendant is a sure way to make them dislike you.
2: Rule Enforcement
Surely, the flight attendants would appreciate it if you helped them enforce the rules, right? Think again. Calling out other passengers isn’t your job, and doing so could lead to conflicts, which makes the flight attendant’s job even harder.
3: Overhead Bin Organization
Maybe you’re trying to help, or maybe the sight of a disorganized space makes you cringe. Whatever the reason, trying to organize the overhead bins isn’t as polite as you think. It’s one thing for a flight attendant to move someone else’s luggage around, but it’s a whole different matter when you do it as a passenger.
4: Flirting
Flirt with other passengers all you want as long as they’re receptive to it, but don’t flirt with flight attendants. What you may perceive as special attention is probably just professionalism.
5: Window Shade Conundrum
Whether the window shade should be up or down can be a point of contention. If the flight attendants ask passengers to keep the shades drawn for any reason, you have to follow their instructions (it’s the law).
Otherwise, it’s not up to you to tell your neighbor to close the shade, nor should you flag a flight attendant down to complain about it.
6: Touching or Tugging
You can get a flight attendant’s attention using the overhead call button or by making eye contact as they walk the aisles. You should never resort to tugging their sleeves or grabbing their arms as they walk past. There’s nothing polite about unwanted physical contact.
7: The Reusable Water Bottle
Good on you for limiting your environmental footprint and switching to a reusable water bottle. There are typically airport filling stations for your convenience. That said, asking a flight attendant to fill a 24-ounce bottle when they’re only supposed to offer a couple of ounces per passenger comes off as entitled.
8: Serving Yourself
Perhaps you think you’re saving the flight attendant some work by grabbing that can of Coke for yourself. In actuality, serving yourself from the drink cart isn’t just rude; it’s potentially unsanitary. No one else on the plane wants your dirty fingers all over their drinks.
9: Careful Storage
Your carry-on may very well hold precious and fragile cargo, and you may think finding the perfect spot to stow it in the overhead bins is the best way to help yourself and the flight attendants. However, taking too long to find the perfect spot holds up the line, delaying boarding and potentially delaying the entire flight.
10: Chatty Customers
It’s polite to make conversation when you meet someone, but stopping the flight attendants for a quick chat is anything but considerate. Flight attendants have a job to do, and as much as they may enjoy hearing about your travel plans, they also have other passengers to take care of.
11: Silent Suffering
From flight anxiety to motion sickness, the flight attendants have seen it and know how to deal with it. Rather than suffering in silence, it’s best to communicate your problems. Flight attendants would rather help early on than clean up a mess later.
12: Trash Collection
It may seem helpful to collect the trash in your row for the flight attendant, but grabbing your neighbor’s trash can lead to issues. Sometimes, what you perceive as ready for disposal is actually still in use, and unsanctioned trash collection can lead to conflicts.
13: Terms of Endearment
When addressing a flight attendant, using professional terms like “sir” or “ma’am” is expected. You might think it’s nicer to use more familiar greetings, like “dear” or even “sweetie,” but these come across as condescending or demeaning.
14: Thanking the Pilot
There’s nothing wrong with thanking the pilot after a flight, but they shouldn’t be the only people you thank. Flight attendants work hard to make the flight smooth and keep passengers safe, and it’s rude not to thank them, too.
15: Folding the Motion Sickness Bags
Sometimes, people think the motion sickness bags look better with their tops folded over, and while that may be true, they’re also less effective this way. The idea of a motion sickness bag is that it’s ready to use, and no one wants to reopen a closed one.
Flight Attendants Don’t Have It Easy
We implore you to be considerate of your flight attendant, given how hard their job is. Flight attendants have to wear multiple hats, acting as customer service reps, safety personnel, and food handlers all at once. Plus, their job puts them at greater risk for certain cancers and severe circadian rhythm disruption.
Good Flight Etiquette
If you want to be a star passenger, there are a few things you can do. Following good flight etiquette makes the flight crew’s job much easier, and your fellow passengers will likely appreciate it, too.
Friendly Smiles
In an interview with Reader’s Digest, five flight attendants revealed that one of the first things they look for is a warm greeting as passengers board the plane. If you say hello or offer a friendly smile, you instantly make a good impression.
Organized Carry-Ons
Using an open bag or torn-up backpack for a carry-on is a surefire way to make flight attendants wary. If possible, use an organized carry-on that’s in good repair so that it’s easy to stow overhead or under the seat without spilling its contents.
Not Intoxicated
It’s easy to go too far at the airport bar, but doing so is a big risk. Flight attendants are legally allowed to remove visibly intoxicated passengers from the plane before takeoff if they choose to. Having a drink pre-flight is fine, but know your limits and don’t go beyond them.
Pet Carriers
If you’re flying with a pet, be ready to talk to the flight attendant. They’ll want to ensure you know the rules and that the pet can stay in its carrier for the entirety of the flight.
No Stinky Food
For the sake of the cabin crew and your fellow passengers, leave the stinky leftovers at home. Unless you’re trying to annoy everyone on the plane, avoid hardboiled eggs, tuna, and anything else that leaves an odor.
Control Your Kids
Flying with kids can be a challenge, and flight attendants will do their best to help parents. However, flight attendants and other passengers don’t want to discipline your children. Make sure they don’t feel the need to.
Consider Your Seatmate
Sitting in an enclosed space for several hours with a bunch of strangers means now’s the time to practice being extra considerate. Don’t try to talk to your seatmates if they clearly don’t want a conversation, keep headphones in when you’re listening to music, and if you’re not in the middle seat, don’t use both armrests.
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