Reasons Why Flight Attendants Ask for Your Boarding Pass

When boarding an aircraft, notice that the flight attendant will ask you to present your boarding pass for checking. If you are seated in an emergency exit row, your flight attendant will brief you on how to operate the emergency doors, even if you fly almost weekly. There are important reasons why flight attendants ask for your boarding pass and why you must always be briefed about the emergency exit door.

Safety in the airline industry is paramount. Purchasing a plane ticket grants you the right and privilege to travel safely from point A to point B. However, it does not entitle you to do and demand whatever you want. Policies and instructions for passengers are in place for safety reasons, and this requires a two-way cooperation. Passenger compliance is essential for ensuring safety on board.

Reasons why the cabin crew asks you to present your boarding pass:

1. Ensure that you are on the right aircraft, flying on the correct flight, and traveling on the right date. There have been plenty of cases where passengers ended up boarding the wrong aircraft or flying on the wrong date, and this occurs not just in the Philippines but worldwide. Sometimes, we might confidently say, ‘Yes, I know I am on the right aircraft,’ only to find out later that we boarded the wrong one.
2. To guide you to your seat more quickly, flight attendants avoid asking questions like, ‘Is this your first time flying?’ or ‘Do you know where your seat is?’ Such inquiries could consume too much time and potentially lengthen the boarding process. Instead, flight attendants quickly check your seat assignment and directly guide you to the correct side and area of the aircraft. It’s important to remember that not everyone is a frequent flyer; some may be flying for the first time.
3. Final security check to confirm you are part of that flight. This is self-explanatory – it’s the reason why the ground crew and airport security check your boarding pass.

Reasons why the cabin crew briefs you on the emergency exit doors when seated in an emergency exit row:

1. With great legroom comes great responsibility. We might receive briefings numerous times when we fly, but in the event of an actual emergency, the crucial question is whether we will remember these instructions, especially when panic strikes. During a real emergency, the lives of hundreds of other people depend on how quickly and appropriately you open those doors.
2. The likelihood of passengers forgetting how to open the emergency exit doors during an emergency is high if they are briefed only once or twice. Therefore, it’s crucial that they are briefed every time they fly.
3. Not all passengers are regular flyers; some may be flying for the first time. Therefore, flight attendants must brief everyone seated in emergency exit rows without making assumptions about their familiarity with the procedures. Additionally, it is part of international safety standards that flight attendants brief passengers on how to open emergency exit doors. Airlines are required to follow these standards, and flight attendants must execute these briefings effectively.
4. Paying attention to safety instructions won’t take an hour from our precious time.

Please never scold your flight attendants for carrying out these very important procedures

Safety instructions are crucial on every flight. Please avoid being confrontational with your cabin crew when they ask for your boarding pass; there’s a good reason for it. Also, don’t prevent your flight attendant from briefing you about the emergency exit doors. These procedures are carried out for important safety reasons.

For your information, as passengers board, flight attendants are already profiling them. Part of this involves assessing whether you pose a security or safety risk, based on your behavior.

Let’s all comply with our cabin crew’s instructions, as these measures are in place for our personal safety – something we essentially pay for when purchasing a ticket. Flight attendants are trained to ensure our safety and comfort on board, but cooperation is a two-way street.

Ultimately, everyone’s goal is a safe and comfortable flight.

Another piece of information: Passenger aircraft are gradually being equipped with sensors and cameras throughout the cabin to monitor and record passengers’ activities. While the primary goal is to provide more personalized service, it also helps the airline monitor behavior, especially in the case of unruly passengers.