12 Flight Attendant Secrets to Know Before Your Next Flight

Flying can often feel like a mix of excitement and stress, but a few insider tricks can make it a whole lot easier. Flight attendants, with their wealth of experience, know all the best ways to make your journey more comfortable and enjoyable. These hacks can help you save money, navigate tricky travel situations, and even enjoy a few unexpected perks along the way. Sit back and enjoy these tried-and-true strategies from the pros of the skies.

1.

“Sometimes delays are caused by flight attendants not showing up and the airline scrambling to get a back-up scheduled. Like a flight attendant was partying too hard last night and decided to call off 2 hours before that $1500 cross-ocean flight you just popped on.” tz100 / Reddit

2.

“We do not ask you to put your seats in an upright position during takeoffs and landings for no reason. It’s because we have ninety seconds to evacuate the plane in case of emergency, and your reclined seat may impede the person in the row behind you from getting out.” dallenhill / Reddit

3.

“Don’t change your baby’s diaper on the tray table. It’s unsanitary and people use the tray table to eat, put their personal things on, etc.” seeyou_never / Reddit

4.

“I was cabin crew for five years, and whilst we’ve all passed the exams and tests and have a refresher every year, you never really know how anyone will react in any kind of emergency. So definitely pay a bit of attention for the three minutes of the safety demo and figure out where the nearest exit and its alternative are because you never know, you might end up having to help yourself.” HadHerses / Reddit

5.

“We can often be working 6 days in a row on minimum rest, treat us nicely, please. And we can ask the captain to remove you from the flight if you’re being impolite. They will say yes.” ICameHereToDrinkMilk / Reddit

6.

“Clearly, the passengers don’t know that joke they’ve just thought of we’ve heard about 5 million times, and the smile and laugh are fake all the way through. Also, the little jokes the personnel will tell you are more like standup than improv. We see the exact same situations thousands of times and all have our little jokes that are usually tried and proven by the end of the first 2 weeks of work.”
Unknown author / Reddit

7.

“It was fairly common for people to leave phones, tablets, wallets, etc., in seat pockets which we would then find during security checks on turnaround. We can’t take them back to the base airport due to security, so they get handed over to a dispatcher with paperwork. We’ve just got to hope the dispatcher doesn’t pocket them.” BowieBlueEye / Reddit

8.

“Lots of passengers panic when the flight is delayed for technical reasons or when they see the maintenance guys board the aircraft. There’s really no need to be worried! That just means that we’re aware of a problem and won’t budge until it has been resolved.

Much better to be aware of a problem on the ground than at 36000 feet! The pilots do thorough pre-flight checks to make sure that everything is ok, and the engineers check the aircraft at the end of the day. Flying is safer now than it ever has been, no need to worry!” Munkyspyder / Reddit

9.

“If you pay for ’extra legroom’ then be aware that some of these seats are by uncrewed emergency exits. If you have a disability or require a seat belt extension, then we will have to move you for safety purposes.” BowieBlueEye / Reddit

10.

“Many passengers see us as glorified waitresses and waiters, and to be honest, we are for 70% of the trip. But we are also highly trained professionals who are able to deal with any situation on board.” Munkyspyder / Reddit

11.

“Sometimes there is too much baggage on full flights. Instead of removing baggage and delaying flights, the handler in charge will often just lie about how much weight is stowed within the baggage area. And a bag marked fragile will get thrown just as hard as every other bag being quickly packed into the bin.” Unknown author / Reddit

12.

Want to be moved to an empty business class seat for free? There’s a clear way to get it! All you have to do is check in early and politely ask the gate agent if there are any available upgrades. If the flight is not fully booked, they might be able to offer you a seat in business class for a discounted rate—or even for free, depending on availability.

What happens behind the scenes of beauty salons might not always match the polished experience customers expect. Just like flight attendants have insider tips about travel, salon professionals have their own secrets to share. From avoiding common mistakes to making the most of your visit, these expert tips will help ensure you leave the salon looking and feeling fabulous every time.