The Red Eye Crew give their top 7 things that flight attendants wish their passengers knew before boarding the plane.

1. We See Everything… Seriously.

Do you think we aren’t aware of some passengers naughty airline behaviour? Think you’re sneaking alcohol, vaping in the toilet, or quietly arguing with your seatmate? Think again. We’re trained to spot all of it—and we usually do. And one of our flight attendant secrets is that we all talk to each other. If we have to stop someone from consuming any more alcohol then we make sure all the galleys and crew are aware. We are saving you from feeling terrible, or possibly committing a crime by being drunk on board an aircraft! Or doing something crazy like getting naked, peeing on another passenger or trying to open the aircraft door. It’s illegal to consume your own alcohol onboard because we aren’t able to monitor consumption and prevent incidents.

The reason I have so many stories about airline passengers behaving badly is because we see everything! It’s our job to keep the aircraft and it’s people safe so we see all the things you think you’ve gotten away with. Whether we report it to the police or not is down to us! But most of the time, when we see you sneaking into the bathroom together to join the mile high club, we look the other way…

On The Red Eye Podcast, we get more stories about passengers drinking alcohol and mixing it with medication then anything! Take a listen to our episodes Sky High Strip, Don’t You Know Who I Am?, and The San Franciscan Shoe Stealer if you don’t believe us!

2. We Notice—and Appreciate—Polite Passengers

Whenever we are asked for our top air travel advice, the number one thing we say is “be friendly to your crew”! So if you want to know how to be a good passenger, then a smile, a “hello,” or a simple “thank you” goes a long way. Flight attendants are trained professionals responsible for your safety first, service second. A little kindness helps on a long day.

And if you get a really nice rapport going with your crew, we’re usually happy to sneak you extra snacks, extra drinks or maybe even a cheeky leg room seat or row with spare seats! We don’t tend to give the extra treats to those who are rude or ignore us. For those passengers, they get the basic service they paid for…

Heard by The Red Eye Crew: “It feels crazy to say this, but the passengers I remember most are the ones that treat me as a human, saying thank you or having a nice chat really makes my day! And I feel way more inclined to give them the VIP treatment!”

3. Boarding Isn’t the Time to Rearrange Your Entire Suitcase

You know when you get to the gate super early and are hanging around waiting to board - That is your time to organise your stuff!  Keep essentials (passport, charger, headphones) in hand—not buried under a weeks worth of underwear and spare shoes! Delays during boarding often come from people blocking the aisle while digging for socks or snacks. It’s good airplane etiquette to be kind and conscious of your fellow traveller. It actually makes more sense to board the back of the plane first but we know the frequent flyers would not be happy about that…

Flight Attendant tip: Place your bag in the overhead bin wheels-first to maximize space—just like the crew does. But our top boarding tip is to make sure any smaller bags and coats that can fit under your seat go under you seat. That way there’ll be room for everyone’s bags!

4. Your Carry-On Is Probably Too Big (and Too Heavy)

One of the top complaints we hear from cabin crew is that passengers bring on carry-on luggage that is way too heavy, and then they expect the crew to lift it over their heads into the overhead compartments!
Those "cabin-approved" roller bags? Not all are created equal. If you're struggling to lift it, so are we—and we’re not technically allowed to help due to injury risk. In fact, we’ve spoken to multiple flight attendants who have sustained an injury onboard the aircraft when lifting passenger baggage.

If you’re on a long haul flight, you probably have checked baggage anyway, so just go ahead and pack most of your things in that bag. You really don’t need much during the flight, perhaps your electronic devices, your medication, a change of clothes and necessary toiletries.

Flight Attendant Tip - Always pack light and remember: carry-on doesn’t mean "checked bag with wheels." You actually have to be able to carry it!

Heard by The Red Eye Crew: “I’m a healthy woman, I go to the gym, but one time a lady brought on a bag that was so heavy and she couldn’t lift it alone. I tried to help and when the bag was over my head, the passenger let go! That was my last ever flight. I was off injured for over a year and couldn’t return.

5. The Crew Might Be Running on No Sleep Too

The Cabin Crew lifestyle may seem glamourous to some. Long layovers in exotic countries whilst getting paid to stay in fancy hotels sounds like a dream! But in reality, Flight attendants often deal with long hours, delayed layovers, and jet lag just like passengers—only without the ability to fully switch off. There is nothing worse than getting a nice little hour of rest on the plane (we sometimes get a crew rest area with beds to take a nap), and then you’re brutally being woken up and having to serve breakfast within minutes of waking!

Working as a flight attendant isn’t as cushty as it used to be either. Particularly since the pandemic. Many airlines took cost cutting measures to weather the storm of travel restrictions, and they never gave them back. You may notice less crew serving you on your flight, and those crew now only get minimum rest required down route, meaning they are more tired, and over-worked then ever!

So, before you snap at someone over a Diet Coke, remember we're human too!

From The Red Eye Crew: “I once went 28 hours without proper sleep thanks to delays, a diversion and a noisy hotel room. When I was driving home, I kept falling asleep so pulled over a service station and accidentally had an 8 hour nap in the car!”

6. Please don’t argue if we say no…

You know those amazing inflatable cushions/hammocks/footrests that you get conned into buying online? Promising passengers a restful, super comfortable flight... They’re not always allowed, especially if they must be attached to the interior. They’ve not been approved by the airline, rigorously tested for safety and they could cause an issue in an emergency situation, and they could cause damage to the plane meaning lengthy delays for repairs. So, if it’s not specifically approved by the airline, for that specific aircraft, please don’t get mad at the cabin crew for doing their jobs! We just can’t risk you getting injured, and us being to blame for allowing a non-approved item!

7. Don’t put your children on the floor

Firstly, its gross down there. People drop food, put their dirty feet, and vomit on the floor with wanton disregard. With quick turnarounds, the aircraft doesn’t get a deep clean very often, so the floor is basically a hot bed of germs. The second reason is because if they fall asleep there, and move a little in their sleep, maybe stretch their tiny fingers above their head into the aisle, and then the cabin crew come down in the dark with our 200lb drinks cart…. It doesn’t bear thinking about!

We know it’s uncomfortable for your kids, we really do sympathise with you. A lot of us are parents too and know how much easier the flight is when everyone gets some sleep. But we would never forgive ourselves if they got hurt, and I don’t think you would either.

Final Boarding Call: Be the Passenger We All Want on Board

A little preparation, patience, and respect goes a long way. When passengers understand what life is like for flight attendants, and has some compassion for the passengers around them, flights run more smoothly—and we all get to our destinations a little happier!

Want more behind-the-scenes stories from the sky? Subscribe to The Red Eye wherever you get your podcasts—and hear what really happens at 38,000 feet.