Even if you were the number one or valedictorian during your cabin crew training, we can’t expect everything to be perfect when you start flying. There will be some errors and blunders that you will make. There are also those embarrassing moments that you just want to laugh about, and I’ve listed a few that many cabin crew members have experienced. These, on the other hand, make ‘crewlife’ more interesting and memorable. Here are some awkward moments that some flight attendants have experienced while on the job.
When you address a “sir” as “ma’am” or the other way around.
This happens especially when passengers are boarding quickly and there are 6 to 7 “sirs” and then a “ma’am” steps in but you still address her as “sir.” “Ay sorry, ma’am po,” most people would say. There are also instances when a passenger from the LGBT community is a transgender person. Then you make the mistake of addressing him as “her” or vice versa. The LGBT passenger then politely corrects you with a “sorry, sir” in his natural voice. Some, however, simply laugh it off with the remark, “Lalake talaga ako, pero natutuwa ako tinawag mo ako ma’am at mukha akong babae.” This is true, according to a cabin crew member.
When you get star struck upon seeing your biggest celebrity crush as your passenger.
Celebrities fly frequently as well, but many prefer not to purchase their own private jet and instead opt for commercial flights. A celebrity on board is nothing new for the more senior cabin crew, but it is for the new ones! You see him or her, look straight into their eyes, but instead of greeting them with your biggest smile, your jaw drops with the words “grabe ang pogi” or “ang ganda nya,” and you don’t know what to do. Your celebrity crush then simply smiles at you. Yes, this has occurred!
When you mispronounce words while serving your celebrity crush passenger.
“Would you like chicken or bef, sir?” Yes, this does happen, especially among juniors. That’s fine; you can always repeat your sentence using proper diction. Celebrities can tell whether you were star-struck by their presence or not, so it’s meaningless to them. Simply laugh it off. Nothing beats a cheerful, contagious cabin crew.
When you are pranked by a more senior crew during safety demos.
Even though this is illegal, some people manage to get away with it. Some people would put lipstick on the rims of oxygen masks, while others would put coffee stirrers inside life jackets. During the safety demonstration, the unwitting cabin crew victim “wears” the mask. Then he or she removes the mask, leaving a red mark around his or her mouth and nose, and wonders why the passengers are giggling. Alternatively, some would put on the life vest, causing all of the coffee stirrers to fall. This has also occurred! On the plus side, you got the passengers paying attention to the safety demonstration, suspecting that there might be other pranks.
When you get too nervous during heavy turbulence.
Yes, if you are a new cabin crew member, this is normal. Then you wonder why your more senior cabin crew appears unconcerned, as if nothing is happening. You then sit stiffly as your more senior crew laughs at how nervous you appear. Don’t worry, as you get older, you get used to turbulence, and you’ll look back and laugh at how silly you looked when you were a junior.
Have any awkward moments that you or your colleague flight attendants have experienced? Share your thoughts!
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
