Flight attendants are trained to pay attention. It’s their job! From the minute you step foot on a plane to the minute you land, they are constantly eyeing up their passengers. You might be surprised by some of the things that they notice. For example, if you are intoxicated — there is simply no hiding it from them. They are always judging you. Really, it’s best explained in their own words.
Here are some of the top things flight attendants pay attention to when you first board an airplane:
1. Expectant Mothers
“I’m searching women to see if they are hiding baby bumps with loose clothing. After a certain point in a pregnancy, women need a doctor’s certificate to travel, and after a set period they are no longer allowed to fly,” says Jay Robert of Fly Guy.
If you are pregnant, there is no doubt that the flight attendants will notice. It is part of their job description to look out for their passengers, and pregnant women actually represent two passengers in one!
2. Eye Contact
“[I notice] who makes eye contact with me and who doesn’t. More often than not, the ones who don’t make eye contact make me investigate… Are they scared of flying? Are they feeling okay? Are they dealing with a personal issue? These are things people don’t tell you outright, and a facet of my job is making sure everyone is having a comfortable flying experience,” Southwest Airlines flight attendant Stephanie Mikel told HuffPost.
You can learn a lot about someone by whether they make eye contact with you. We’ve all heard the saying before that the eyes don’t lie. There is definitely a lot of truth to that.
3. Abled Bodied Persons
“I’m looking for able bodied persons who can assist with security problems inflight, as well as someone who appears willing and able to assist in an emergency evacuation. Typically, this is someone who is traveling alone and in street clothes, looks like they are in above average physical shape or is known emergency service personnel,” flight attendant Zac Ford told HuffPost.
Have you ever wondered why the flight attendants pay special attention to who is sitting in the emergency exit rows? Well, this is why. They want to make sure that you are capable of assisting them and the other passengers if something goes wrong mid-flight.
4. Nervousness
“I ask passengers if everything is alright if I have the feeling something isn’t perfect. Passengers with fear of flying get my special attention: I love to care for them and to make them feel comfortable,” explains Claudia Sieweck of TUI fly.
It’s best to identify potential problems before they occur. Not everyone can handle traveling at 30,000 feet in the air. It’s understandable that some people are going to be more comfortable with it than others.
5. Friendliness
“When I say hello and a passenger responds back, I notice and think, ‘wow, that person is really nice.’ If I ever needed help with something, I’ll probably ask the nice passenger. [And] if a passenger ever needs help from me, I’ll probably go above and beyond the call of duty for a nice passenger,” says American Airlines agent Heather Poole.
If you are jovial and talkative, the flight attendants will really appreciate it. Dealing with happy passengers is much easier than dealing with angry ones! If you are nice, you might even get some special treatment such as an extra pillow or an additional bag of pretzels.
6. Drunk Passengers
“Intoxication and aggressive passengers are prime suspects we try to identify at the doors. We are trained in basic Taekwondo techniques to handle acts of aggression in the sky, but stopping them before they get up there is our main goal,” says Jay Robert of Fly Guy.
Many people don’t realize it, but if a passenger gets rambunctious on the plane, it’s likely the flight attendants who will have to deal with it. Luckily, they do know some basic defensive techniques. They are trained in how to de-escalate a bad situation.
7. Health
“It’s important to check if my passengers are fit to fly. Once all doors are closed and we’re airborne, it can get very challenging to handle medical emergencies. During boarding is the perfect time to take a look at who will be on my flight,” says TUI flight attendant Claudia Sieweck.
If something goes wrong thousands of feet in the air, there is not a lot that can be done. Doctors and medical assistance could be hours away. For that reason, flight attendants often need to have a general idea of whether their passengers are healthy and ready to travel. This includes watching out for passengers that are sick and those that could potentially infect other passengers. It’s something that is now more important than ever.
It turns out, there is a lot going behind the scenes that air travel passengers often aren’t aware of. On every trip, the flight attendants are constantly doing their best to address any problems before they occur. In that way, they are able to ensure a safe and enjoyable flight for everyone on board.
8. Overweight Baggage
“If you carry on luggage is oversized or overweight. You might think you are hiding it, but we can see just by the way you either carry it or pull it, if it’s a trolley bag,” writes flight attendant Heather Johnson.
For more secrets revealed by flight attendants watch below!
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