It’s Going to Be a Long Flight
Flying is stressful for everyone, especially our poor flight attendants. From dealing with screaming children to being given creepy nicknames, here are 20 annoying behaviors to leave outside the plane.
1. Flirting With Them
Flight attendants don’t need lewd comments. It might seem innocent on the surface, but there’s an immediate power imbalance between passengers and the cabin crew—it’s their job to keep their cool, so it’s your responsibility to treat them with respect.
2. Leaving a Mess
Just because someone else will clean your mess doesn’t mean you should leave one. Flight attendants shouldn’t have to wipe up spills or throw out every abandoned wrapper. Hand them any trash when it’s time instead of just leaving it on the seat.
3. Arguing About Rules
Flight attendants are just doing their job—they don’t have a say on where your bag should go. If they ask you to stow your purse under the seat, just listen! Arguing with them not only makes the flight tense, but it also won’t change protocol.
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4. Trying to Move During Refreshments
Hey, we get it. Sometimes you gotta go. However, it’s best to wait until the aisle is clear (if you can). You’ve seen how cumbersome that snack cart is, so trying to barrel your way through won’t make it easy on either one of you.
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5. Organizing the Overhead
This seems polite in theory, but organizing the overhead bin eats up time, clogs the aisle, and leaves a bigger mess for flight attendants. The best thing you can do is stow your luggage and leave the rest to the pros.
6. Invading Personal Space
A simple “excuse me” flags a flight attendant—passengers don’t need to touch them. You don’t need to whistle or snap your fingers either. If they can’t get to you right away, that’s what the call button is for.
7. Call Them for Everything
Flight attendants are there to help, not do everything for you; overusing the call button is the fastest way to sour any pleasantries. Need another bottle of water? No problem. Hoping for someone to chat with? Problem.
8. Making Small Talk
Speaking of which, flight attendants can’t have an hour-long chat with passengers. Not only do aisles need to remain clear, but employees are way busier than we think behind the scenes. Only call them over when you need something!
9. Leaving Your Bags to Them
We’re not talking about older passengers or those with injuries—we’re talking about people who dump their purse on the floor and expect flight attendants to deal with it. If you’re able to, stow your own luggage and keep the line moving.
10. Pretending Your Seat Belt is On
The odds of an emergency are pretty low, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore protocol. Fasten your seat belt and remain seated. Though it doesn’t look like it, planes move faster than you think and you’re only putting yourself at risk.
11. Creepy Nicknames
Much like flirting, flight attendants don’t appreciate inappropriate nicknames either. Stuff like “honey,” “sweetheart,” or “toots” gets on their nerves pretty quickly, so it’s best to leave them at home.
12. Reinforcing the Rules
It might seem helpful to police passengers, but that can actually escalate to larger problems. If you see something, use the call button to alert flight attendants. They don’t need you getting involved or exacerbating any tension.
13. Asking to Change Seats
Once you’re on the plane, it’s too late to switch. Seating issues should be dealt with beforehand or during booking. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, but don’t expect flight attendants to wave a magic wand and bump you to a window seat. 
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14. Ignoring the Safety Announcement
You’ve either heard it a thousand times or just don’t care—regardless, you need to listen to the safety announcement! It’s there for your benefit, after all. They’re so important, in fact, that airlines often use drastic measures to retain your attention.
15. Handing Off Diapers
It doesn’t matter if there’s a line to the bathroom. It also doesn’t matter how soiled the diaper is. Don’t hand dirty diapers to your flight attendant! Passengers should toss any hazardous trash in the bathroom.
16. Lack of Manners
Whatever happened to please and thank you? If anyone deserves basic manners, it’s flight attendants! Common courtesy goes a long way in customer service, so be sure to treat people with respect.
17. Helping Yourself to Refreshments
Some passengers think they’re helping out. Others just can’t wait. Either way, don’t help yourself to the snack cart. It messes with protocol, it’s a health hazard, and can also cause tension with passengers who may wonder why you got served before them.
18. Going Barefoot
For most passengers, this one’s a no-brainer. Yet, every day someone treats a flight like their personal living room. Keep your shoes, and especially socks, on at all times! Flight attendants will only tell you the same thing.
19. Piling Things on Your Tray
It seems helpful to stack dishes for flight attendants, but it can actually disrupt their flow. Those little dishes usually stack, so leaving them allows the cabin crew to filter them back into their allotted towers.
20. Ignoring Them
Though most passengers thank the pilot, many don’t thank their flight attendants. You should! It’s always nice to thank them for all their hard work, especially after running up and down the aisles for several hours.
