20+ Things Flight Attendants Hate but Hide Behind Their Smiles

We at Alternatech became really interested in what hides behind the smiles of flight attendants and what passenger habits really annoy them. Spoiler alert: many of us have done a lot of the things flight attendants hate. And at the end of the article, there’s a very cute bonus.

Stop believing stereotypes.

Flight attendants are not relaxing and they don’t travel because they want to. This is hard work and it’s dangerous. And flights are often round trips, so they don’t get enough time to walk.
Also, you shouldn’t think that flight attendants are like servers on planes. They do more than just smile and bring you drinks. Service is not the only thing they do — there are many more functions they’re responsible for.

Flight attendants have a lot of things to do. Don’t distract them unless it’s something important.

There’s nothing funny about jokes like, “Where are the parachutes?” All this talk only makes it harder for them to work.
It’s really unbearable when I’m very busy and passengers stop me and ask something like, “Where are we flying now?” And they can see that I’m busy but still want to ask something.
By the way, don’t touch flight attendants. When someone touches my uniform and yells, “Miss!!!” I get really annoyed. You can use my name. The tag is on my chest.
When I ask a passenger which juice they want and give them 3 options, they say that they want an option I don’t have. Why? The same works for food. Passengers start asking about what we have instead of just taking a menu that they can read and save us lots of time.
It’s really frustrating when people ask for water after you’ve already closed the bottle. It’s also annoying when passengers ask for water by pressing the button right after the service was finished.

Safety rules on a plane are no joke.

People who stand up right after the plane lands drive me crazy. The plane is not even fully stopped and people are already starting to take down their baggage. It’s just not safe: if a plane has to stop abruptly, you might injure yourself and other passengers.
Passengers that put their carry-on luggage on their laps are very problematic. I can even delay the flight because of this. This is a problem because in case of an emergency, bags can slow down the evacuation process.
People smoking in the bathroom are violating serious safety regulations. Aside from the possibility of starting a fire, cigarette smoke can hide the smell of burning if something suddenly breaks down on the plane.
Headphones and cell phones that passengers are distracted by during take-off and landing — these are critical moments of any flight and you have to be very focused in order to hear the commands from the crew in case of an emergency.
I hate it when people walk around the cabin when they have to be in their seats, wearing seatbelts.
Very often, passengers try to take a life vest with them “for their children for the pool.” This is not cool nor is it fun. You can’t take anything from a plane, especially something that can save someone’s life.

Flight attendants don’t deserve disrespect.

This is really painful for me. You show them exits, masks, vests, and they just look at you ironically and try to joke or film a video.
It’s sad when passengers don’t say “hello” at the entrance. They don’t even look at you and pretend you’re not even there.
You want me to dislike you? Put your bag in the overhead compartment so that I can’t close it properly and wait for me to solve this problem.
If you’re traveling with a child, make sure they’re not playing with the button that calls flight attendants.
People who don’t flush toilets are maddening. Don’t try to leave the bathroom pretending it wasn’t you. I still know it was you because I can hear it. Flushing down diapers too is a serious issue that needs to be stopped.
Walking around the cabin during service makes it really hard to move the cart around to let someone pass. So if it’s not something urgent, stay in your seat.

Some passengers forget that they’re not the only ones on the plane.

It’s surprising when people take off their shoes and walk around in socks and even go to the bathroom. Don’t do this. Another dirty spot on planes is the table. They’re cleaned about once a day and they can be used for very different purposes from putting legs on them to changing diapers.
Passengers traveling with pets and letting them drink from regular cups or wrapping them in blankets is rude.
Flight attendants are also annoyed by people placing their legs on other passengers’ seats. This causes a lot of discomfort for other people and can lead to conflict.
People changing diapers on the table! Most toilets have special tables for this. Use them.
Couples trying to go to the bathroom together. The toilet on the plane is not the cleanest place and other passengers might need it more than you do.

Some other annoying things…

Why do people clap? The crew really doesn’t understand this and pilots can’t even hear it.
If a flight attendant is looking at you attentively, this is probably because of what you’re wearing. Not everyone can choose the best clothes for a flight. I don’t understand why you need high heels if you’re going to spend hours in a metal pipe in the air.
Some people take other seats when planes are not full. The thing is, the way people are seated can impact how much fuel the plane needs. By changing a seat you can change the whole system.
People who ask to put their baggage on the shelf — this is not a flight attendant’s job and they can’t help you if the shelf above your seat is already taken. Also, when there’s a lot of carry-on luggage, it’s a bad thing for safety reasons.
In winter, people coming back from hot countries may be surprised by the cold. But nobody will call over a gate instead of a bus just because you’re wearing shorts.