Cabin Crew Chit Chat

That One Time I Flipped Out on a Fellow Crewmember

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We’re paid to be nice, but sometimes even the best of us can have a moment

“He just completely turned on me on the flight home. I saw a completely different side.”

“Oh there’s a few of those around lately I’ve found!”

Workplaces often necessitate the need to bite your tongue, hold your breath and work together like happy little children. Cabin crew are known for their people and interpersonal skills, and being able to get along with everyone, including a diverse range of cultural backgrounds is essential for success in the job.

As crew, our relationships and our reputation with our colleagues are all we have. Working with so many different people, being away from home, and all working in close contact and proximity means you need to form bonds quickly. But with so many different personalities, opinions, and some of them quite strong ones, it’s inevitable that clashes occur. Most of the time it’s not an issue, but now and then people flip. Turn. Snap. Whatever you want to call it, when it happens it’s not pretty.

Quite often I work with people that may not be my cup of tea – and its almost always completely no issue, but there was this one time where I completely lost my shit, and regretted it pretty much immediately after. Let this be a lesson in what NOT to do.

An Oral History of the Flight Attendant Interphone

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flight attendant britney

Cabin Interphone Alert: BING BONG

“Hello Gemma at Left 2”

“Hey babes, its Jess, just wondering if you’ve got any cheese plates left up the front? I’m so peckish!

It’s hard to imagine that once upon a time, there were planes flying through our skies without the now almost iconic flight attendant inter phone systems. If crew wanted to communicate with each other in another part of the plane, they’d have to physically relocate themselves to whoever they wanted to speak with. With sassy stews popularising the inter phone in their jump seat selfies, and TV and film depictions of mid air emergencies always featuring the PA and inter-phone, it’s hard to imagine flying without the phone. Of course who could forget the iconic Britney using the phone in such a luscious way. Also, Cabin Crew love to chat – it’s the very essence of this site – and we’ll use whatever tools to wag our tongues that we can! All hail the interphone!

How the Pandemic Will Change The Job of Cabin Crew

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“I don’t even know if the job is worth going back to… It’s not going to be the same as it was…it might be time to take the package.”

You don’t even need to read the news to know there’s very little flying happening at the moment. Some airlines are even collapsing and their employees are the collateral. Their futures, and the companies they work for are extremely uncertain. Across the spectrum, airline workers were undoubtedly some of the first and hardest hit when the reality of the new coronavirus began to hit home in March. That’s not to say that there’s no one flying. Some flight attendants are still working through the pandemic,and they would have already noticed how much their jobs have changed compared to just 6 months ago.

The Case For Long Haul: Why International Crew Get The Best Perks

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Long haul cabin crew really get the chance to travel the world for free

“I’ve never looked back. Better work conditions, more flexibility at long haul and more days off. I work more hours than I did at domestic, but I’m financially better off and feel I actually have more of a routine”

Trying to decide between applying for a position as a long haul or a short haul crew member? Maybe you’re already a regional or domestic flightie and you’re looking to make the move over to the ‘dark side,’ but you’re not sure if it’s really the better option. We’ve previously put for the case for short haul being the best of both worlds but as someone who has worked both, here’s why I feel like a ‘real’ flight attendant working long haul routes, why the job challenges me so much more than short haul, and why international is “first class baby!”

Quick Flights Are Good Flights: The Case For Being Short Haul Crew

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“I heard she hates long haul and regrets going over to the dark side, she cries every time she has to leave her boyfriend behind, and she said the long flights are proving to be a nightmare”

Its an age old debate between cabin crew: is it better to be long haul or short haul crew?

What Happens When Crew Get Sick Away From Home Base?

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“She was talking about how she didn’t have enough spending money for her holiday and then she went sick upline. Let’s just say I bet that extra allowance came in handy.”

With busy schedules, jet lag, fatigue, and the airline cabin resembling what is essentially a giant petri dish of germs, it’s no wonder that flight attendants can get run down more than others. Most of the time, flighties know they are getting sick before they sign on for their duty, and ‘pull the pin’ before they start their trip. However, it’s not uncommon for a crewmember to fall sick half way through a trip, which logistically can have a few impacts on their fellow crew and also the crew member themselves.

How Seniority Creates A Pecking Order Among Cabin Crew

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“Honey, just to let you know, it’s polite to let those more senior check into the hotel before you do. It doesn’t matter to me, but its just a respect thing!”

It’s no secret that among pilots, there’s a definite hierarchy and an established chain of command. Second officers defer to first officers, and first officers take direction from the captain. Every one on the plane is under the command of the captain.

But what about flight attendants? Apart from the purser/cabin manager being the leader of all the crew, every other flight attendant is equal right? Depending on the airline, the answer is complex. In some ways all crew are completely equal, but in others ways we are far from it.

What Does It Mean When Flight Attendants Talk About Bidding?

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“Oh no I didn’t put in my bids and now I’m probably going to get the worst roster!”

Many passengers have probably heard the word ‘bidding’ being thrown around when eavesdropping on flight attendants chatting in the back galley. Such snippets of bidding banter include:

“What did you bid for?”

“Have you done your bids yet?

“I bid for day trips, and Tuesdays off.” – and so on.

Why There Should NEVER be a Tipping Culture Among Flight Attendants

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tipping culture flight attendant

If you’ve had a flight attendant go that extra mile to make your flight a great one, it might seem like the best way to show your appreciation is to offer them a tip. Something that goes directly to them. After all that’s what you do in the service industry right? Especially when the service is exceptional.

Except service is only part of the job of a flight attendant, and while cabin crew are there to serve, they are far from servants. Thinking they will chase your dollars and provide you better service because of the inducement of a potential tip is severely misplaced. Not all crew may agree, but for many there’s something cheap about being offered a tip from a wealthy person, as if we don’t make enough money as it is, and we need your charity. At the moment, most flight attendants receive a respectable wage, but the advent of tipping as the norm could throw that all into doubt.

Which Aircraft Do Cabin Crew Most Like To Work On?

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“Did you see we’re flying on the old configuration aircraft today.”

“Great… I can’t wait till people start going skitz about not having direct aisle access in business class”

As any passenger would attest, not all aircraft are a joy to fly on, and many of the things that passengers prefer when it comes to their particular aircraft are the same things that cabin crew are praying for when they sign on and board their aircraft for the day.

Fortunately if you get a bit of a lemon, you’ll only be stuck with it for that flight, or maybe a couple of flights. That said, a bad aircraft can make for a bad day at the office. If you are crew, you’ll know the following factors make a good plane, and goes a long way to keeping everyone happy.

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