Flight Attendant Tips: Do’s and Don’ts of Air Travel

I’ve been cabin crew for a major airline for more than 6 years now and I’m always getting asked for flight attendant tips! Especially tips that pertain to air travel. As a frequent flier dealing with hundreds of passengers a day, I’ve seen and heard it all. I’ve compiled a quick list of “do’s” and “don’ts” for the average traveler to keep in mind for their next airplane flight, both for their comfort and the comfort of those around you.

---

This site may contain affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you

---

Do: Be kind/polite/nice to your flight attendants

We’ve all heard of it: The Golden Rule. Treat others like you would want to be treated. Do unto others, yadda yadda yadda. Take that into the air with you. This should be a given, but drawing on my own experience as a flight attendant I feel compelled to list it as my first DO. Be kind to us. Flight attendant schedules are TOUGH and you might be the 300^th person to ask us for something today, on hour twelve of working, in our third time zone of the day. Just show us a little kindness and I promise you that it will come back do you ten fold. We do have the ability to give free drinks after all. Even better, bring your crew a little present (chocolate does wonders) or give your flight attendant tips ($$$) and you will be treated like royalty the whole flight.

Don’t: Ring your call light excessively

Technically, flight attendant call lights are for emergencies only. There are often only a few of us and hundreds of passengers, so we could potentially be running our butts up and down the aisle all flight if everyone rang their call lights. We’ll take much more kindly if you just go to the galley and ask us for what you want. However, we understand if you’re at the window and the aisle and middle are asleep and you’re trapped. I beg of you, please ask for everything you want all at once. I once had someone ask me for ice. Then Bloody Mary mix. Then vodka. Then a lemon. Then I went and turned off their in-seat movie. Just kidding…maybe…

Do: Bring everything you need to make your flight comfortable for yourself (and your kids)

This is one of my best and most important flight attendant tips! Assume there will be nothing on the airplane that you might want. I’m serious. You never know when you’ll get on a plane and there’s no food on board, or your movie screen doesn’t work, or we run out of headphones to give you…(insert your complaint here). If you have special dietary requirements, bring your own food. If you have kids, bring them entertainment and food. I’ve had more than one mother become upset when I didn’t have milk for her baby. “What am I supposed to feed my baby then??” They ask, crossly. Well, I have a Biscoff cookie…

If you get cold easily, bring a jacket. If you want to watch a movie, bring headphones. If you want to play games on your phone, bring an external battery. We are flying through the air six miles above the ground at 500 miles per hour…we have a limited amount of resources. If you think you’ll need it, bring it yourself.

Don’t: Bring stinky food

Bring food for yourself for the flight…but do us all a favor and do the smell test first. If you open it and someone can tell what you’re eating from the other room, it’s too stinky. Common courtesy suggests bringing something neutral to the nose such as a salad or sandwich. Your neighbors and flight attendants will thank you (by not noticing your food at all).

Do: Drink LOTS of water!

This might be the flight attendant tip that I give most often! Humidity on an airplane is at a low 10%, which is drier than a desert. This means that you will dehydrate QUICKLY, especially if you’ve been drinking alcohol. I highly recommend bringing your own water bottle onto the plane, whether it’s a refillable one from home (fill it in the airport, PLEASE) or one you bought in the airport. According to the Aerospace Medical Association (yes that’s a thing), you should drink about eight ounces of water for every hour of flying, or a liter for every 4 hours. Your skin and your body will really thank you, and staying hydrated also helps with jet lag. So drink up!

Don’t: Be a galley yogi

With how many people airlines are cramming onto planes these days, there are very few places for flight attendants to escape the hundreds of passengers we see on any given day. The galley is like our own little safe space. I guarantee you will annoy any flight attendants you encounter if you head to the galley and start stretching like you’re starting a yoga class. It invades our space and we really don’t want your butt in our faces. We get that you’ve been sitting for a long time, but just try to keep your limbs to yourself.

Do: Be prepared to have your carry-on checked at the gate

With airlines charging more and more for checked bags, everyone is trying to bring as much with them on the plane as they can. The problem is, the overhead bins can’t hold a suitcase for every passenger. The gate agents (bless them, I would never do their job) have to keep a rough estimate of how many bags go on the plane and how much space that particular plane has for bags. Once they estimate the overhead bins are full, they often will have to check your carry-on. People get super pissed about this, but being over bag capacity on board interrupts the space-time continuum and screws with getting the flight out on time (and you making your connection).

People take it personally, but trying to coordinate so many people that bring so much crap is already a nightmare. Consider yourself lucky if you grab one of the coveted overhead bin spots on a plane. But just in case you don’t, make it easy on yourself and all us airline employees; fully expect to check your suitcase at the gate. Take everything you need to have with you (keys, medication, travel documents, electronics chargers) and put them in your purse/backpack/personal item (this is the backpack I use). These flight attendant tips will help us help you (not be late for your connection).

Don’t: Assume that flight attendants know anything except for what’s happening in-flight

Seriously. For all intents and purposes. I’m just a passenger who can do CPR and can evacuate a plane in 90 seconds (what do you think all the training is for? Pouring Coke?? pssshhhttt) But for real, I have generally have no more information than you have. I can give you some flight attendant tips about where the lavatory is, what time we’re landing, and other in-flight info, but that’s about it.

People ask me all kinds of things; if their dog made it into cargo, what state we’re flying over, if they’ll make their connection, etc etc. Ok…so I MAY be able to find out what gate your connection will be out of. But then they’ll change the gate and you’ll be mad at me. I will try my damnedest to find out the answers for you, but usually I’m just as (sometimes even LESS) informed as you, so please don’t get angry when we say we don’t know. It’s usually the truth.

Do: Allow your flight attendants to do their jobs

For the love of God, please don’t get up and stand in the aisle during service with the cart. It’s so, so difficult to do the few things we need to do on a flight when people are clogging the arteries of the plane. Also, the beverage cart literally weighs several hundred pounds, and it’s HARD to move. It’s laden with dozens of cans of soda and bottles of water, so please don’t stand behind me breathing on my neck while I’m slinging Diet Coke.

Don’t stand in the galley and stretch. Don’t stand in the aisle all flight long (we are required to walk through the cabin every so often, and I really don’t want to keep rubbing body parts with you as I try to slide by). So this DO is really just a list of DON’Ts. DO please just stay out of our ways as much as possible.

Don’t: Go barefoot or only with socks into the lavatory

That’s not water on the floor. ‘Nuff said.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about Flight Attendant Life, check out this playlist on my YouTube channel!

 

Like this post, don’t forget to PIN IT!

Our Photo Gear