Things that flight attendants are not permitted or required to do

Flight attendants are on hand to attend to the needs of passengers. However, this does not imply that they must comply with every request made by a passenger. Here are twenty things that flight attendants are neither permitted nor required to do. It may provide comfort to the passenger, but it may pose a safety or security risk to the flight. Flight attendants must also maintain a certain level of professionalism.

Things flight attendants are not obligated to do or even not allowed to do.

1. They will not allow you to consume the alcohol you brought on board. Even if you bought the bottle at a duty-free shop in the airport, you can’t just open it on board and drink until it’s gone. They are there to ensure that you do not get drunk on board, which may upset other passengers.
2. If they realize you’ve had enough, they will stop serving you alcohol. Flight attendants prioritize safety and security, and allowing you to get drunk may pose a security and safety risk. Yes, they will serve you alcoholic beverages, but only up to a certain point, even if you are willing to pay more. When flight attendants realize you’ve had enough, they’ll stop.
3. Flight attendants will not join you for a drink. In fact, flight attendants must abstain from alcohol at least 12 hours before any flight and for the duration of their duty because their job entails ensuring your safety and security, especially in an emergency. Their alertness must be at its maximum.
4. They are discouraged from bringing their outside interests to the table. There could be exceptions. It is not permitted for a flight attendant to initiate marketing of their outside business to a passenger. Though some passengers may ask in the middle of a conversation, “so do you do other things besides being a cabin crew?” This is where a cabin crew may discuss his or her outside business in a nutshell but not extensively, more for conversation purposes only, and nothing more. They are also not permitted to make any outside deals while on duty.
5. During long-haul flights, they are not permitted to sleep at any time. During long-haul flights, there are usually two cabin crew seats that rotate after a few hours. Their rest in the crew rest must be coordinated with the purser and lead crew to ensure that there are always enough cabin crew to care for and attend to passengers.
6. They simply do not accept tips. Though some airlines have no set rules regarding tips, cabin crew members typically do not accept tips from passengers, even if they have performed exceptionally well. Some airlines discourage their flight attendants from accepting tips. So, what should you do if you really want to give your cabin crew something? A compliment sent to their management will go a long way.
7. They are not permitted to wear their uniforms outside unless there is a special assignment or event organized by the airline. Flight attendants are not permitted to wear their uniforms in public. They either change or, in the case of some, wear a large black trench coat on top to cover it.
8. They are not permitted to use their airline privileges for any purpose. Yes, flight attendants do get free flights, but usually only to their immediate family members and no one else. Some airlines also limit the number of free flights available to flight attendants. For example, they are not permitted to use the flight to send items requested by your tito or tita.
9. Flight attendants are not permitted to skip security. Despite being on the flight crew, they are all subjected to an x-ray machine and a manual check by airport police.
10. They can’t bring whatever they want on board. They are still subject to airport and airline regulations such as carrying large bottles of liquid and anything deemed illegal by airport police.
11. Flight attendants are not permitted to use the entire medical equipment on board. While they are permitted to operate some, there are some pieces of equipment that may require a physician to operate if one is on board.
12. Flight attendants will not give you an upgrade simply because you are pleasant to them. It is not within their authority to upgrade your seat at any time.
13. They are not permitted to barge into the flight deck at any time. A cabin crew member who wishes to enter the cockpit usually alerts the pilots first via a “doorbell” or a button. Typically, only one cabin crew member is assigned to serve the pilots.
14. Flight attendants are not permitted to change a passenger’s seat at any time. They usually only do so when a passenger seated in the emergency exit row is unable to open the exit door in an emergency. They usually assign that seat to a passenger who is capable of doing so. This is also for the sake of security and the aircraft’s balance.
15. They are unable to provide a free seat for your toddler. This is entirely dependent on your ticketing office and the ticket you purchased. Just don’t expect flight attendants to help you get your toddler a free seat and reimburse you for what you already paid for.
16. When purchasing duty-free items, checks are not accepted. Cash or credit/debit cards are accepted. Please do not chastise your flight attendant if they do not accept the check you are using to buy something.
17. They won’t let you stay long or hang out in the galley. The galley requires all available space and is usually off-limits to passengers. Important aircraft equipment are also stored there.
18. They are not permitted to share any of their personal information with you. Yes, they will check your information on the manifest or boarding pass, but they will treat it with complete confidentiality and will never use it for their own amusement. As a result, please do not bargain with them to provide you with their personal information simply because they checked your immigration card and saw your information. They are simply carrying out their duties.
19. The cabin crew is not required to store your luggage in the overhead compartments. They can only help you if you are a PWD or have a physical disability that prevents you from storing them yourself.
20. Flight attendants will not tolerate disobeying or disregarding any of their safety instructions. In fact, if you do not wear your seatbelts while the seatbelt sign is on, if you keep your window shades down during takeoff, if you keep your seat reclined despite them reminding you, or even if you scream at them for doing their job of reminding you of the safety procedures, they may have you offloaded and have the airport police take you out.

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Mond Ortiz

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!