Being a flight attendant isn’t just about serving drinks and demonstrating life jackets—it’s a front-row seat to some of the most bizarre, frustrating, and at times shocking behaviour.
From dealing with medical emergencies to breaking up mid-air fights and responding to ridiculous passenger requests, cabin crew have seen it all.
Breakfast over CPR?
One Qantas flight attendant shared a jaw-dropping moment that left her speechless.
"I had a friend giving CPR to a passenger a few years ago,” she recalled. "While she was performing CPR, someone tapped her on the shoulder and asked when they would be getting breakfast".
While emergencies are part of the job, so are the more mundane—but equally frustrating situations, like running out of ham-and-cheese sandwiches.
“It’s quite an interesting moment when someone calls you an idiot because you don’t have any toasties left,” a Virgin crew member said. “Most of us just laugh it off, but it does get grating.”
Passengers behaving badly
Some flight routes come with more challenges than others. Certain holiday destinations see a surge in rowdy behaviour, with passengers sneaking in duty-free alcohol, vaping in the toilets, or pressing the call bell endlessly.
“When someone asks for a beer before take-off, that’s usually a warning sign,” said one attendant. “Or when they order multiple drinks - like ‘Three rum-and-cokes, and what are you having love?’”
Since the pandemic, some attendants have noticed a rise in entitled behaviour.
“People have less patience and less resilience,” one said. “They get angry and push back, thinking they can browbeat us into ignoring safety rules, like making sure their child wears a seat belt.”
Some passengers take things to extremes. A British Airways crew member recalled an incident where a man attempted to light a cigarette mid-flight.
“He was completely unfazed when we told him smoking on planes had been banned for decades,” she said. “He just shrugged and asked for an ashtray.”
A flight attendant working for Emirates described an unusual request from a first-class passenger.
“He demanded that we warm his socks in the oven before he put them on,” she said. “Apparently, room-temperature socks just weren’t good enough.”
And then there are the lovebirds. A Delta Airlines crew member once had to break up a couple who decided to join the infamous “mile-high club” in the middle of a crowded flight.
“They weren’t even subtle about it,” she said. “A passenger complained about noises coming from the lavatory, and sure enough, we had to knock on the door and tell them to get out.”
The harsh reality of life in the air
Beyond the rudeness, there’s the physical toll of the job. Flight attendants work long shifts in a pressurised cabin full of hundreds of people, increasing their exposure to illness.
“I was sick all the time in my first 18 months of flying,” said a Qantas crew member.
Sleep deprivation is another major challenge. Flight schedules often mean waking up at midnight for a 2:45am departure or landing in a new country when most people are just heading to bed. There’s a lot more loss of sleep than people realise.
And while passengers might think the crew get breaks, the reality is far less relaxing.
“You can’t truly get away,” the Qantas attendant explained. “On some aircraft, we have a curtained-off area in economy to sit for 20 minutes, but it’s not exactly restful.”
More than just serving drinks
Despite the challenges, flight attendants take pride in their role—especially when it comes to safety.
From emergency evacuations to handling aggressive passengers, their training goes far beyond serving meals.
“We do training on de-escalation, physical restraint, and defending the flight deck,” said one attendant. “Twice a year, we go through full emergency procedures.”
So next time you fly, remember: the person pouring your coffee is also trained to save your life—and, occasionally, fend off complaints about breakfast while performing CPR.
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