“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.

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.

“Our flight got cancelled. Looks like we are here for an extra 24 hours.”

 “Are you serious? Woo-hoooo, lets get onnnn it!”

One thing you can be certain, as cabin crew: expect the unexpected. Working with so many variables in aviation, things can change at the last minute and as crewmembers you’ll need to be flexible. Sometimes these changes are a pleasant surprise, but more often than not there’ll be some kind of drawback. Often there might be both, an impact but also a silver lining.

“My room was right near the lift for the second time in two weeks and the bed was only a king single! Its just ridiculous. Aren’t we entitled to a queen bed at the minimum? Who do we report this to?”

It’s no secret that crew complain. Sometimes its tongue in cheek, sometimes its to decompress after a hectic flight with feral passengers, and sometimes it’s about the most ridiculous things and said with a straight face.

“Omg did you hear that he got a New Zealand overnight as well as a Singapore. That’s the second month in a row he’s had all these senior trips.”

“And I just got one Perth and the rest Sydney returns! Woopeeee.. I wanna know who he’s sleeping with in crewing to get a roster like that”

Crew plan their lives in relation to their roster. The day when rosters are released are a big part of knowing what you’re going to be doing for the next month – or in the case of some flight attendants – the next two months. Also it’s often a case of how much work you are going to be getting. For crew on some contracts, the amount of work you’ll be given can vary roster to roster, and how much you’ll ultimately be paid. Roster release day can therefor be pleasant surprise or a massive disappointment.