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Crewed Talk: Debunking Crew Bunks

16_CrewBunks

A series of articles (like this one) discussing airline crew bunks have been popular recently. This is great because I wanted to do a piece about crew rest areas for a long time, but I feared it could be considered a security concern. However, there are already more images online than I realized and — best of all — these existing articles let me in on what sort of wrong impressions are floating around along with them.

First of all, I adore the above photo like a quirky vintage advertisement. It really captures the idea of what comes to mind when people — myself included — imagine crew bunkrooms.

It looks so fun, right?! Like a kid’s treehouse, or a cozy clubhouse where no one can bother us unless it’s an emergency. Heaven! I’d loooove to sit on the steps with a nice cup of coffee to discuss the book I’m reading with my colleagues, just like they’re doing in the photo. If I ever actually find time to do that on a flight, I’ll come back and let you know!

This cute scene never happens in reality, which is precisely how I knew that this photo must be one supplied by a manufacturer, and sure enough I followed the links to Boeing. I’m pretty sure that photo is also how management pictures our rest breaks, which would explain their aversion to us having them.

What really happens in crew bunks is more like a sprint to see how fast you can throw your body into a horizontal position and slam those eyes shut (and pray for actual sleep, especially if it’s only 6 p.m.). There’s not a minute to waste. If you want or are assigned the first break, you often have to sacrifice 10 to 15 minutes in order to shove some food in your mouth. It’s that or deciding you’ll be able to sleep through your stomach grumbling. After all, your entire night’s sleep is going to be a maximum of three and a half hours — most commonly, however, it’s more like one hour. No time for book club!

Even if, for some freakish reason, you really felt like spending your precious snooze time on a coffee chat in the crew bunk, I think it would end up on your head. A certain flight attendant is on my mental hit list for how clumsily he comes into the bunkroom. He’s always 20 minutes late, bangs the door shut and carelessly tosses his shoes to the floor [*clomp! clomp!*]. Just imagine how popular you’d be for having a chit-chat.

The other thing these articles don’t usually express is that there is a lot of variety across the accommodations that airlines can provide for crews. Bunks in the ceiling space are the current trend. Cabin-level bunkrooms sacrifice passenger seats and rooms fitted underneath cut into cargo space (passenger seats aren’t the only part of planes that are crammed fuller than they used to be!), but those are still common on older planes. Remember, too, that’s if they have bunks at all.

All 757 and many 767 just get coach seats curtained off, something like this. I’ve spent many a crew “rest” with a parade of bums pressed against my shoulder as passengers wait in line for the restroom on the other side of the curtain. Sometimes I even open my eyes at the sound of snaps being undone, only to see the head of a Curious George passenger poking in to stare at us sleep. Nope, that’s not creepy at all! The bunks you see are a luxury for us, too, and yet another reason why longer flights on bigger planes go more senior.

Fun fact: The 777-300 comes standard with eight flight attendant berths. A certain U.S. airline didn’t want so many, hoping that that crews would be forced to take shorter breaks so everyone would get a turn. However, it costs quite a lot of money to remove bunks, so they accepted the eight. For once I say: “Hoorah for penny-pinching!”

So no, we don’t always get these fancy bunks. When we do, it may not have the Boeing Book Club ambiance, but one thing is consistent: we’re intensely grateful for whatever we do get! Like you, I just hope for flights where I can get a horizontal space, even if just for a bit.

[Photo: Boeing]

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4 Comments
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Guy Betsy September 20, 2014

The only 'certain' US airline that ordered the 777-300 is American Airlines. Pray tell that they're cheap?

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Wayfur September 17, 2014

OMG. Can we talk about the "curtained rest area"? Two seats outside of the GALLEY AND BATHROOMS? And the butt of the passenger waiting for a lav pushing thru the curtain over your seat while you listen to their conversation with the next guy in line? Sooner or later somebody dares somebody to look BEHIND THE CURTAIN. Yeah that. But I love the bunks on the 777 and don't be late or at least don't be noisy. I already had to pull off the emergency card taped over the airflow vent, because the f/a before me hates moving air, and had to switch out the pillow because Stewardess Barbie was in there before me. I NEED my 15 minutes of sleep so I can serve breakfast to folks who don't want to wake up.....

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SSteegar September 17, 2014

Pardon me: I owe a hat tip to AussieOzzie! Thanks, AO!

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ddallas September 17, 2014

Come on, we know you got pictures of the naked pillow fights.