Flight Attendant’s Top 5 Annoyances

September 3, 2011

in Flying Hell Commentary

My Top 5 Annoyances as a Flight Attendant…

Firstly, I want to say that I love being a FA (flight attendant for short) and that if you happen to be a passenger on one of my flights, more often than not you are going to have a nice flight. That being said, I would like to list my top 5 (and I’m sure most FA’s) pet peeves when it comes to dealing with passengers.

1. THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN IS ON! After takeoff at roughly 10,000 feet the captain will usually give two chimes. This is the FA’s permission to leave their seats and begin setting up for service. This is not an indicator for passengers! If a passenger does get up they may hear the flight attendant say, “Just have to tell you, the seatbelt sign is on.” This is not to scold but essentially to cover our butts if turbulence hits and said passenger suffers a concussion and wants to sue. You are an adult and are free to make your own decisions, but we want to be able to say, well, we told you so!

2. RANDOMLY HANDING TRASH TO FA’S. If I don’t have a trash bag in my hand or if I am not pushing a trash cart, I’m not ready for your trash! If I collect your trash then others around will try to give me theirs as well and I simply do not have enough hands. What’s more, I could be answering a call button as I head down the aisle that was pressed by a passenger with a medical emergency who requires much more important assistance.

3. INTERRUPTING FA’S DURING THE SAFETY DEMO. Folks, this is the most important thing we do during the flight whether you choose to pay attention or not. Asking if your checked bag made it on board (something we have NO WAY of confirming) is not an excuse for interrupting me as I point out the emergency exits.

4. GETTING HUFFY ABOUT HAVING TO USE AFT LAV(S) WHEN WE BLOCK OFF FRONT LAV(S) WHEN OPENING COCKPIT DOOR. Two Words: September Eleventh

5. ASKING ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION! Whatever we say, whether truth or lie, you are only going to hear what you want to hear! Truth be told, we know very little about what goes on outside the airplane. There is no such thing as “Flight Attendant Ground Control” where we can call or log in and check on your flight. The pilots have access to this information but as I have told passengers many-a-time, “I think it best that we not bother them with all that and let them FLY THE AIRPLANE!”

{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }

paul September 6, 2011 at 11:45 am

Well said……….

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Jody September 6, 2011 at 12:21 pm

Very well said indeed. I'm not an FA, but I'ld like to add one to your list — Don't use electronic devices until the flight crew says it's safe to do so. Shut down the phone when you're told to, you're not so important that you need to make that call.

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Kathleen September 8, 2011 at 10:33 am

All true. And then there is always the person that needs to go to the loo straight after take-off.

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Alan October 9, 2011 at 2:48 pm

I always wondered what the two chimes meant. With difference to Kathleen, my wife has cancer, and the medicine gives her uncontrollable diaherria. You can ask her if she's fine 10 minutes before boarding the flight, "Yes," and then it will hit her. Can tell you how many times she hasn't made it to the bathroom at home in time.

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Rob August 25, 2012 at 5:22 pm

First off, if you are a US domestic air carrier FA then you deserve every bit of whatever inconveniences you encounter. You are truly the worst in your field! Take a page from an international carriers playbook, all truly attractive women, and none over age 32. All ready to be on their hands and knees to serve. As a traveler I feel the right to use my electronic device whenever I want, the whole "its bad for the plane" is BS. I am an A&P and I know exactly how an airplane works…its my job. You should take my trash or whatever else I ned to give you right now. Other than that I really try to avoid the FAs as they are just an annoyance to me.

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Jen Beaverhousen January 17, 2013 at 9:52 pm

What a douche bag. I hope you get chronic diareaha.

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Rob January 17, 2013 at 10:55 pm

Doing a great job living up to my expectations. Typical very typical, try spelling correctly at least.

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Dr. Sex Potato February 11, 2013 at 1:10 am

Try punctuating correctly.

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Dr. Sex Potato February 11, 2013 at 1:09 am

You suck.

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Jack February 4, 2014 at 12:32 pm

Rob if you truly in the airline business then you would know the laws regarding hiring. If domestic carriers tried to use your method for hiring FAs, 'all attractive women under 32', the carriers would soon find themselves the subject of federal and state discrimination lawsuits.

As for FAs telling passengers they can't use electronic devices at certain times the FAs are following company orders.

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jilliankat August 25, 2012 at 7:29 pm

Wow Rob, bitter much? I found what she wrote to be helpful, not hateful as your response was. I guess the only way for you to get the young and pretty girls to talk to you is when they are being paid to do so…how sad for you. Oh, and the whole "I will use my cell when I want" is a federal offense. The flight attendants are just doing their job, I doubt they woke up that morning and decided to make a rule up about cell phones…take that up with the FAA.

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Rob August 25, 2012 at 7:45 pm

I am absolutely bitter. Ever go on an international carrier's flight? You would hate our level service just as much given the chance to compare. If you're going to bash, then be right about it. The only federal offense is not obeying the flight crew. Using your phone is not. It was believed many years ago that they could interfere with the aircrafts avionics, but this was not a an issue, and has been a misconception ever since. My real problem is with the level of service of that compared with non US carriers. They don't allow scary looking middle aged women or gay men to work for them…it's a delight! I fly over 75,000 miles a year and I HATE our domestic airlines as well as their FAs.

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Jen Beaverhousen January 17, 2013 at 9:53 pm

Then don’t ever fly again. We hate you too.

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Rob August 25, 2012 at 7:48 pm

To another's credit you can see its not just me:

Frequent Flier’s Flight Attendant Observations
JULY 6, 2012
in FLYING HELL COMMENTARY
For many years I traveled frequently from my home base in Colorado to the Orient. I flew United Airlines (UAL) in order to grow my Mileage Plus account. I occasionally flew other non US flag carriers. I was always in international first class. Here are my observations:

UAL flight attendants on trans-Pacific routes were nearly uniformly:
• old
• grumpy
• insulted when asked to do anything beyond the bare minimum
• spending an inordinate amount of time complaining to each other about UAL, their schedules, the cockpit crew

Non-US flag carrier flight attendants on trans-Pacific flights were:
• young
• uniformly pleasant and sweet
• energetically willing to do anything to make the passenger happy
• never heard complaining about their employer or anything else

I rate Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific at the top of the list for flight attendant overall rating. Unfortunately, UAL is at the bottom of my list along with the French carrier UTA.

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jilliankat August 25, 2012 at 7:56 pm

I will concede that you are correct about the rules obeying the flight crew. For the record, I'm a 44 year old flight attendant, should I quit now and sign into the old folks home? I love my job and give it my best everyday. You comments about middle aged woman and gays is just offensive. I assume you are a hot 22 year old GQ model? All that being said….safe travels.

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@LROD319 November 8, 2012 at 3:36 pm

Oh just ignore him. He's suffering from severe chronic self importance issues.

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Rob August 25, 2012 at 8:06 pm

No, you should not quit now at all, I'm only saying that the international carrier's have our act beat, and that you…and all of your peers can learn something by modeling how they conduct business. You have a right to work, just as gay men do. I am sure I will travel safe…that's my line of work, and we do it right.

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Iloveflying February 19, 2016 at 6:52 am

Not every flight attendant is a turd!(don't know why I chose that word!) All the fa I've known have been nice and doing THEIR job! If you want a nice flight stick to the rules of the flight crew!

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StoriesFromTheAir January 22, 2013 at 12:13 pm

My pet peeve is when the load is full. Can't you guys leave at least 20% of the cabin empty. I am not lazy and I would give good service but when it is full, I feel claustrophobic and sick.

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Iloveflying February 19, 2016 at 6:53 am

No they can't

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talashea February 5, 2014 at 5:53 pm

Well put, ten thousand thumbs up to you:)

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patsytp February 25, 2016 at 4:12 am

what's an "A&P"? excuse my ignorance (said of course, sincerely….ummm) but not sure what this acronym is apart from Arse and Pain?

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patsytp February 25, 2016 at 4:14 am

Oh… "A&P"… now I get it. LAME. (As in Licenced Aircraft Mech Engineer) as opposed to Rob just being Lame.

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