A lot of us have been air travellers and many of us are frequent ones too. Managing some travellers, especially the more difficult ones, would be the least desirable thing ever, don't you think? Yet, the cabin crew does exactly the same with a smile on their face, flight after long flight.
From lack of personal hygiene, to rude and arrogant passengers, to even the ones who keep calling the air hostess repeatedly for fun, the cabin crew tolerates it all.
But have you ever wondered what goes through a flight attendant's head through this semi-ordeal?
A former flight attendant named Belinda in a recent interview to an international website outlined an advisory of what she wishes the passengers kept in mind and never did again on flights.
The seven unwritten rules go as follows. Keep them in mind before boarding your next flight?
DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT TURBULENCE
We understand that turbulence due to atmospheric disturbance while you are flying mid-air does not excatly sound the most desirable of scenarios to be caught in, but your flight attendant is not a clairvoyant either. Nor can he or she do anything about it. So stop complaining. You're all in it together.
Belinda said in her interview, "As much as I wish I could summon the powers of the earth, I cannot predict nor change the inclement weather happening in the atmosphere around us. We don't know how long turbulence will last."
BE PREPARED, SO YOU CAN GET OUT QUICKLY IN AN EMERGENCY
Belinda shared her own experience dealing with an aviation emergency, "What you might not know is that flight attendants themselves have to repeatedly run through safety drills and scenarios to be ready in the unlikely event of emergency."
"The better prepared you are with this information at the forefront of your mind, the faster you can get out. Help us help you," she added.
DON'T COMPLAIN IF YOUR FOOD CHOICE ISN'T AVAILABLE
For passengers who are too cool to accept the food that the airline is offering you, take a cue from India's Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha. In November 2018, Sinha was on an AirAsia flight when he was refused a snack of his choice. Why? He had pre-booked a South Indian meal. The minister accepted the food offered to him with a smile on his face, and won the hearts of a lot of people two months ago.
Ex air hostess Belinda might have loved a flyer like Sinha on board. She said, "It might be annoying not getting your first choice, but remember, we're doing our best to make 300 people fed and happy. When we run out of chicken, we run out of chicken."
Helping those who are keen to learn, she further shared a trick to be in the good books of your flight attendant and avail some exceptional benefits, saying, "While you might not get your first preference, if you chuck us a smile, we might even throw you something from our secret stash for being so understanding."