Aviation India: Careers

The flip side of life as a flight attendant is being at the beck and call of passengers, many of whom are prone to being incorrigible or just plain rude. TOI spoke to cabin crew members to find out the worst of the lot.
Be warned, you may find yourself guilty of the following offences.
The Herculean bag passenger
There’s a reason why airlines have a size limit set for cabin baggage. That that most of us tend to ignore this rule adds to the flight attendant’s woes. What really gets a cabin crew member’s goat is when she is asked to lift and then hoist a 10 to 12 kg bag into the luggage bin. What most passengers don’t realize is that overhead bins vary from one aircraft to another.
The Name-Dropper
The fact that you may know the person who runs the carrier or even the hottest Bollywood star currently doing the rounds on Page 3 has little bearing on a flight attendant’s life. So, a conversation peppered with the names of bigwigs from the government or the airline concerned is not appreciated or welcome. It normally begins with ‘I know Mr X who is a dear friend of mine’, or ‘Mr Y who is a great golf pal’. This innocent name dropping is followed up with requests for an upgrade or a glass or two of champagne on the house.
The Aisle Blocker
According to harried flight attendants, aisle blockers come in different shapes and sizes, each with their own modus operandi. The most irritating of the lot are those who simply can’t resist getting up from the seat and rummaging through their bags in the overhead bin, all this while passengers are still boarding the aircraft.
The Last Minute Vegetarian
This breed is especially common on flights leaving India. At the time of booking the ticket and choosing the meal preference, many tick the non-vegetarian option. But on board, the demand changes to a ‘Hindu vegetarian meal’. This usually happens on fasting days like a Saturday or Thursday.
The Turbulence Tamer
Nothing fazes the turbulence tamer, not even the ‘fasten your seat belt sign’. After flight attendants have stopped food and drink services and return to their seats, this passenger invariably decides to stretch his legs or go to the bathroom.
The Graceless Flyer
Indians hardly use the words ‘thank-you’ and ‘please’ when addressing cabin crew members. Some don’t even bother to make eye contact. And majority are addicted to their cellphones.
04/01/10 Manju V /Times of India