People fly for all sorts of reasons, which means that their moods, expectations and even their baggage will be very different. So is understanding their role, their specific responsibilities, and the expectations of flight attendants. They are experts in every aspect of air travel and know how to handle a variety of situations and passengers. For example, a passenger in health distress, a passenger "properly perfumed", a passenger fit enough to sit in an emergency seat, a passenger who needs special help, etc. But passengers often expect them to do things that are not their responsibility at all. Treating them with respect and acknowledging their limitations makes everyone's journey more pleasant. 13 Things Flight Attendants Shouldn't Do for You:
They are not flying porters:
While flight attendants can offer directions and locating available storage space, lifting and stuffing large suitcases into overhead storage compartments or retrieving them may pose a safety risk and is not part of their job. Asking the flight crew to transport bags and luggage for you is not a good start. And not only is lifting passenger baggage not the responsibility of flight attendants, they are also instructed by airlines not to do so. Some airlines do not insure flight attendants from injuries to carrying passenger luggage.
They don't have microwaves!
They don't need to microwave things for you, not because it's hard for them and not because they enjoy watching you eat your bagel cold. Please note that there is no microwave on boards. There are ovens. And that means you can't heat your baby's milk bottle either.
Babysitting is not part of their job description:
They'll be happy to hand out activity kits to kids and maybe even answer questions from curious little ones, but they're neither babysitters nor caregivers, and shouldn't be expected to be magically expected in case of tantrums. Parents, as always, are ultimately responsible for their children's behavior on the flight. So avoid falling asleep or ignoring it, because there is no babysitter among the flight attendants.
They are not anyone's emotional therapists:
Listening to passengers' frustrations, anxieties or personal problems is not part of their job description. They will often offer empathy and support, but they have not been trained to deal with deep emotional problems. And they're not your friends either. There is no point in trying to develop an emotionally frank conversation with flight attendants. You're on the same flight, not in a mental health support clinic.
They have no control over the weather:
In preparation for landing, the captain announced obviously unwelcoming weather conditions? The flight attendants are not to blame. They have a direct line to the cockpit, but not to Mother Nature. They have no ability to bring back spring. So there is no point in asking to cancel the thunderstorms, hail, snow, torrential rain, etc. And that's true for turbulence while cruising. Put on nice belts, don't disturb the flight attendants who are also supposed to be seated and buckled up at the same time, and wait for it to pass. Keep in mind, weather conditions and turbulence are managed by pilots, who make decisions based on safety protocols and real-time weather information.
There are no cleaning services on their behalf:
Passengers are responsible for keeping their areas tidy and disposing of their garbage.
They are supposed to collect trash using bags from all passengers, serve paper or wipes if you spill coffee on the tray, etc., but not vacuum or clean the plane. There are ground crews whose job it is. That's why the plane is clean on your return flight.
They are not technological wizards:
They will answer basic operational questions and offer basic guidance on onboard entertainment systems, but will not elaborate on them in depth. They don't necessarily know more about them than passengers. They will also not solve problems with personal electronic devices and will not solve problems with Wi-Fi. In the event of a complex malfunction, technical support is not their area of expertise. They do not handle technical problems and do not perform maintenance tasks.
They are not medical staff:
While flight attendants receive basic training in first aid and the operation of oxygen cylinders on board, they are not qualified to make medical diagnoses. Is that why you may have heard the recurring proclamation you may have heard live: "There's a doctor on the plane"? And usually, to the relief there is, especially if the plane is large and the flight is full. A matter of statistics. In-flight medical emergencies will be handled by ground medical professionals, which sometimes requires an unplanned landing to save valuable time.
Issuance of refunds or compensation:
Did you make a mistake in your VAT refund? Were you promised financial compensation on your next flight for some reason? Have you been sprayed with a Zero hanger from a bottle shaken before opening and you think you deserve a dry cleaning refund? Flight attendants are not the address for compensation and reimbursement. Nor are they supposed to commit or promise anything in this regard. At most, they will give you the customer service phone number.
They are not part of the lost and found department:
Don't expect more than an expression of understanding and sharing your grief if you choose to share a past trauma due to losing a suitcase. It happens all the time and it may happen to you again. Flight attendants hope as much as you do that your suitcase will rest in the luggage compartment of the same plane and it will make its way safely to your destination, where you will reunite for a dream vacation. They cannot guarantee that the suitcase was not left at the airport or making its way to Tehran. They are not responsible for locating lost baggage.
They don't have what they don't:
Running out of pillows and blankets. There are no more newspapers and magazines to divide. Running out of tomato juice too. Here's the situation. Flight attendants don't have a secret stock. One of them explained the point to you, so why do you ask everyone else on the team?
Boarding procedures:
Board boarding is managed by ground crews. And that means that seating matters, gate, boarding time, announcements, overweight, waiting list, yes hand bag, not hand bag – all these are their responsibility. The flight crews will happily welcome you at the door of the plane, but they really don't know why you were seated over the wing, or why you didn't have room left to sit on the bus that took you to the plane.
Providing in-depth tourist information:
Travelers may expect flight attendants to act as tour guides and provide detailed information about the destination. They may have been there before you and maybe even a few times, but they don't necessarily know how to answer what interests you specifically about your destination. Don't expect hot tips or interesting anecdotes.
Bonus tip: A simple "thank you" goes a long way in appreciating their hard work and dedication!
The writer did use ChatGPT to prepare the article, but she's also a former flight attendant.
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