In Praise Of The (Well-Behaved) Passenger And The Perks Of My Job

I get a bit impatient with the sheer volume of blogs, books, and viral articles devoted to the idea that flight attendants’ lives are miserable. Especially topics like, “15 Ways To Get Your Flight Attendant To Hate You Less,” “How To Not Be A Bad Passenger,” and the like. Don’t get me wrong – some of the flying public is truly atrocious. I could spend my time complaining about the people on flights that bother me, but that’s not giving credit to the 90% of passengers per flight who do have manners and common decency. To give the impression that every day at work for me is similar to that of a prison guard at a maximum facility prison would be grossly inaccurate, as well as unfair to the people who have been absolutely wonderful. Sure, I feel a bit dehumanized when I’m at the aircraft door saying “hello” to people who look me in the eye, yet don’t respond or even smile at me…but if that’s the worst thing I have to deal with at my job, I’d say I easily have it much better than most.

So to counter all the negativity out there regarding cabin crew life, here are some reasons why it’s a pretty incredible gig.

(And before anyone assumes my positive outlook is due to being new at the job, I’ve been flying for fourteen years.)

Anytime I tell people what my occupation is, their reaction is, “I could never do what you do. People are so rude!” And, yes, some are. But when you have one person who decides to unleash their rage on you because you forgot to give them sugar for their tea, the flight is five minutes delayed or they just had a bad day at work and you happen to be there to take it, you’ll have all the people seated within earshot making it up to you by being extra kind, reassuring you that you’ve done a great job, or, best of all, they’ll make fun of the person for you. It’s one of the few jobs that provides you with a cheering section.

Some of my flights are straight out of my weirdest dreams. I’ve been kissed by rappers, swapped recipes with movie stars, got advice from authors, and received hugs and a letter of encouragement from a celebrity I’d admired since adolescence. Of course I won’t divulge the names of people I’ve flown over the years, but heads of state, actors, scientists, tabloid mainstays, bands I’ve loved, bands I’ve hated, supermodels, fashion designers, reality show train wrecks…you name it, they’ve all called me by my first name at some point. It’s not an “if” you’ll meet a celebrity – it’s a “when”. For better and for worse. Usually better, though.

Flying standby is stressful. We keep our fingers crossed that empty seats stay empty, which of course is at odds with what the airlines want – and full airplanes do happen to keep us employed. But while it’s likely that any leftover seat we will get is the middle between two large people who both seem to be allergic to deodorant, it’s also just as likely that get that upgraded window seat no one wanted to pay extra for…or sometimes even first class! When the gate agent calls my name with a boarding pass in hand, I immediately hear the Price Is Right theme song in my head and run over accordingly, flailing my arms and screaming with furious joy (at least just internally). Pop that champagne, because here I come!

After service is complete on longer flights, there isn’t a whole lot to do. It’s not unusual, then, to find ourselves in conversations with our passengers. And some of those people I’ve met and talks I’ve had ended up changing my life. One frequent passenger on a route I used to fly has become a wonderful friend to me over the years, as has his wife. I’ve gotten advice and kind words when I’ve needed them most from complete strangers I’ve served that have stuck with me for many years. So what if the passenger in 13C had an attitude with me because I asked him twice to bring up his seat? That guy is out of my mind by the time I’m in my slippers having a glass of wine, if not sooner. The cool people I meet every day stick with me for life.

Sometimes my worst days at work take a few days to wash off. But that’s only the most awful days, which are few and far between. For the most part, that slippers & wine scenario is the absolute truth – that’s when it’s all completely forgotten.

For example, I was looking through some old papers years ago, and found a report I’d filled out as a new hire after a particularly bad flight. It involved some uptight woman and her little pet dog, which she kept taking out of its carrier when my back was turned. The lady seated next to her would get unintentionally scratched by the dog each time it was removed from the carrier, and her complaints to the owner were met with eye-rolls. The dog then climbed into the neighbor’s lap and urinated on her, and when she reacted as anyone would have, the owner grabbed a pen and paper, wrote down the name and number of her therapist, and handed it over along with a Xanax and told her to chill out and get the mental help she supposedly needed.

A terrible day for the books, right? Wrong. I don’t recall any of this. And it was definitely written in my handwriting.

So, while we all have our days, and we can never begin to explain why and how some of the flying public manage to do the bizarre things they do, it’s worth putting it all into perspective. I don’t have to figure people out – I just have to serve them and keep them safe. And if a hundredth person asks me to list absolutely everything we have to drink, it pales in comparison to the work struggles of the 9-5 set. So here’s to you, the majority of the  flying public that smile, say hello, don’t trash the plane, and follow the rules. It’s high time you were recognized.