Flight attendants often have to deal with more than a 100 passengers on each flight and sadly, not every traveller is a model guest.
Former flight attendant and consumer expert, Jane Hawkes, has shared her top tips for passengers who want to make life easier for the cabin crew.
Jane said that passengers can make meal service easier for flight attendants if they avoid going to the toilet at an inconvenient time.
She told Express.co.uk : “Try to avoid going to the loo when the catering trolleys are making their way through the cabin unless there are free aisle seats you can pop in and out of.”
If you’ve ever tried going to the loo and got stuck behind the catering trolley, you can probably imagine how annoying it is for the crew to be caught by a passenger.
On a larger plane, passengers may be able to wait in the toilet area until the cart has passed if they can’t wait.
Reclining seats
To recline or not to recline is an age-old debate for plane passengers. While some travellers feel a reclined seat is essential to sleep, other guests think everyone should stay upright.
Jane said: “Politely ask passengers sat behind if it’s okay to recline the seat to avoid any disputes requiring cabin crew intervention to resolve.”
Passengers should never recline their seat during the meal service or while the plane is taking off or landing.
Storing luggage
Jane said: “Store luggage as directed – place bags under the seat in front of you (except by emergency exits) or in overhead lockers.
“It takes less time then for the cabin crew to perform their all important pre-departure and pre-landing checks. For larger bags, if you can’t carry it or lift it, don’t bring it.”
Cabin crew aren’t able to help passengers lift their bags into the overhead lockers so travellers will need to be able to carry their luggage themselves.
Take biscuits and chocolate for the crew
Jane recommends bringing a sweet treat for the crew as they may have worked multiple flights during the day.
It’s a great way to show your appreciation for the flight attendants and help to make their day a little easier.