Yes, flight attendants serve a variety of functions on board, but it is time to acknowledge what they are not performing and the limitations of their job. Some things are beyond their control, or they have been instructed not to carry on for safety and health reasons.
We must remember that every job in the service industry has limitations, and we must refrain from being abusive to those who work in the service industry, such as cabin crew members.
Cargo Handler
Your cabin crew is under no obligation to lift or stow your hand carry luggage into the overhead bins. They may offer assistance if the passenger requires it, such as a person with a disability, the elderly, a pregnant woman, an injured person, or anyone who has difficulty lifting their own luggage. BUT, if you are a physically able passenger, please stow your luggage by yourself. There are numerous reasons why airlines do not require their cabin crew to stow your luggage. If you want to know why, simply click here. As a passenger, you are responsible for your carry-on luggage.
Air Traffic Controller
Your cabin crew is not in charge of air traffic. Yes, I understand that some of you have connecting flights, but it is the air traffic controller who tells the pilots to go into a holding position, not the cabin crew. Please do not chastise your cabin crew if you are unable to land immediately. They are powerless to intervene.
Chefs and Cooks
Your in-flight meals are prepared in advance by the airline kitchen on the ground and loaded into the aircraft. The same is true for the special meals that some passengers request when they book their tickets. Please do not request anything that is not on the flight attendant’s or business class menu. The galley also lacks stoves, salt, pepper, pans, and soy sauce. There are no burners, only heaters that heat the food before it is served. If the flight attendant asks if you want pork, chicken, or fish, please say no to lamb chops. Also, please do not request that the cabin crew cook your beef to your specifications. They are unable to prepare your food according to your specified requirements.
Maintenance
Please do not lambast your cabin crew if a flight is delayed due to technical issues and it takes a long time to start the aircraft. They have nothing to do with aircraft maintenance or engineering. Please do not demand an explanation for why the aircraft cannot start and take off right away. They, too, are anticipating advisories.
The Flash
Please do not expect a cabin crew member to attend to you during meal service in a split second unless there is an emergency that requires immediate attention. If only they could play The Flash during meal service, but alas, that is not the case. They are also serving other passengers, and the trolleys are roughly the size of the entire aisle, so passing would be difficult. Please do not expect the cabin crew to appear in an instant after pressing the call button. There’s no need to keep pressing it if a flight attendant doesn’t come to you right away unless it’s a medical emergency.
Cabin crew members sometimes misinterpret the repeated pressing of the call button as an emergency, so please, unless it’s an emergency, only press it once and be patient.
Mannequins
When you go to a clothing store, there are mannequins all over the place that you would normally ignore. Cabin crew members will greet you and thank you for choosing to fly with them. It wouldn’t hurt if we learned to return their greetings. It’s not required of you as a passenger, and cabin crew members are used to being snubbed when they greet, but acknowledging their presence by greeting back is also a good gesture. They will not hold it against you if you do not return their greeting, but as part of proper manners, let us learn to return others’ greetings as well.
Souvenir Item Kiosk
Please remember to return any ballpens borrowed from your cabin crew to sign the immigration cards. Regardless of price, these ballpens are a cabin crew personal item. They are not souvenirs that you can take with you at any time. Yes, it’s just a ballpen, but if you can be trusted to return something as small as a ballpen, imagine what you can do with larger items.
Fortune Tellers
Unfortunately, your cabin crew will not be able to directly answer your question about whether you will make it to your connecting flight. They have no way of knowing. They will be able to provide you with an estimated arrival time. That does not include the time it will take to disembark. Please keep the word ESTIMATED in mind once more. As a result, it could be earlier or later. Will you make it to your connecting flight? Sorry, but that is something that a cabin crew cannot anticipate or answer.
Personal Servants
Even if a cabin crew is present to make your flight comfortable and memorable, this does not imply that we can ask them to do whatever we want, such as stowing your luggage in the overhead bins, even if you are an able passenger. They still have a primary responsibility to ensure your safety and security aboard. As a result, there is no such thing as “the customer is always right” when it comes to safety. They will not serve you food during the landing because it jeopardizes your and other passengers’ safety and security. At the end of the day, it’s a give and take situation.
Yes, they will ensure that your flight is smooth, comfortable, and memorable, but please listen to your cabin crew and recognize their authority on board as well, as this is also for your own safety.
There are limitations in all jobs, and we have to accept that fact. Let’s avoid subjecting those who work for the service industry to abuse. They are there to assist us, and not do each and everything for us. Basically, all these are just some of the things and roles what flight attendants are not.
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!
