4 Things This Flight Attendant Wants You to Know About Flying
- 300kz
- Jul 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 3
With hundreds of flights under your belt, you start to notice patterns. You begin to notice what creates a pleasant flight experience, as well as the obstacles to that collective pleasantness. Together, both you and your flight crew want the same thing: to get you on your way as quickly and as safely as possible. It is that simple. But getting on that way has many moving parts. To help, I have compiled this list... 5 Things This Flight Attendant Wants you to Know About Flying.
Them's the Rules.
The regulations that create the norms of commercial air travel are determined by The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), The Department of Transportation (DOT), and The Transportation Security Administration (TSA). These regulations are the basis of a Flight Attendant's duties. If a flight attendant is asking your compliance, it is not an arbitrary request; it is not a personal assault on your comfort. We are literally the mouthpiece of all federal regulations inside the aircraft. And these regulations ready the cabin for the critical phases of the flight. It's for safety. It's a"just in case" twice on every flight: take-off and landing.
It's also important to note that each individual aircraft has a unique certification from the FAA. So the requirements for securing the cabin can vary a bit depending on what aircraft you are on. For example, the aircraft I mostly fly is not certified to take any full sized wheeled suitcases as carry-ons. Though many planes look and feel alike, some have their own rules. Again any request made of you creates the safe operating requirement of the specific aircraft you have boarded.
Know Your Role
So what is your role? Simply to listen and comply. Starting with the information given to you by the Gate Agents prior to boarding, then to the several announcements made by your Flight Attendant while boarding. If we are saying it, chances are we cannot leave the gate until the condition is met. The less times your flight attendant needs to reiterate these requests, the quicker we can let the Flight Deck know that we are secure for take off. We want you delivered safe and on-time; that requires a bit of attention and compliance.
Know Our Role
Aviation jobs are very compartmentalized. Though it can be frustrating, it is important to understand that Flight Attendants' responsibilities span from boarding to deplaning of a flight. What happens before and after you walk down that jet bridge, is mostly out of our hands. The agents at the gate and the customer service associates have their own systems and procedures. And we have no knowledge them. We cannot call the gate and hold connecting flights. We can't process seat upgrades. We cannot lessen operational delays. In fact, the delays you experience impact our entire day's schedule.
As described in No. 1 above, our role relates mostly to safety, even when it is unclear to you. We train for all kinds of emergency situations--all born of the history of air travel. Something bad happens, new regulations and requirements are created to proactively diminish the likelihood of reoccurrence. We are flying around in the sky! Please take a moment to appreciate that and keep it in perspective. It would be highly irresponsible for a Flight Attendant to make exemptions or exceptions to safety requirements. Inattention from the Flight Attendant, either careless or deliberate, in short, increases safety risks on the airplane--even though it may help you remain your comfort level.
Surrender to the Unknown
Take it from me, rarely is there a day where my schedule is not impacted by weather or maintenance delays. It often feels like these setbacks are more the norm. There is so much out of my control, your control, our control when we fly. Please make the journey there just as much of a adventure by surrendering to this unknown. Though there are many frustrations related to commercial air travel, it is also a time to practice perseverance, gratitude, awe and openness to the possibility that this little random slice of humanity on your flight can offer some magic while it soars at 32,000 feet. I just love overhearing the happenstance connections being made onboard as we share our most valuable asset: Time. And I love when I see a passenger settle in for slumber after the Safety Drill and not wake until landing. I love to see the excited children board the plane, not yet taking for granted this tremendous priviledge we all have: To fly in the sky. So surrender to the magic. I hope to see within it.
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