Flight attendants of reddit, what are some disturbing secrets that passengers should know?

1. As said before in the last thread, there is a large list of things that can be broken but the aircraft can still fly. Often there will be a dead body in the cargo hold. There is a crash axe just laying around in the cabin. It'll spilt open your skull (not tested) but it won't actually get through the aircraft skin or windows (tested). Lavatory doors can be opened from the outside by lifting the metal plate saying "lavatory" and pulling the pin under it. Both pilots may not eat the same meal, but they might be eating at the same time while the plane flies itself.
   — unimproved


2. Newly hired flight attendants are placed on strict probation for their first six months. I know one new hire who lost her job for wearing her uniform sweater tied around her waist. Another newbie got canned for pretending to be a full-fledged attendant so she could fly home for free. (Travel benefits don’t kick in until we’re off probation.) But the most surprising violation is flying while ill: If we call in sick, we aren’t allowed to fly, even as a passenger on another airline. It’s grounds for immediate dismissal.
   — WorldNewsRadio2


3. I'm a long haul flight attendant, coming up to six years. I've worked short, long and now ultra long haul flying. From economy to first class and everything inbetween. Obligatory, my opinions are my own and not reflective of my employer and I can only speak for the airlines I have worked on. To me, alot of it is basic common knowledge. - Everyone asks about the water and whether it's safe to drink... To clarify, the tanks ARE cleaned out but it depends on what you define as regularly. Ours go a maximum of a week before being scrubbed out. It's basic Health and Safety. Also our boilers have filters inbuilt before pouring tea or coffee. I've seen people not want to drink the water because it appears cloudy. This is nothing to do with the water and is due to the air pressure. If you tap the side of your bottle/cup, the bubbles will dissapate quickly. - Please do not ever walk into a toilet with bare feet. I promise you, 9 times out of 10, that is not water on the floor. Also please don't try and have sex in them, you are so obvious and it is filthy. The toilets are often absolutely disgusting and get deep cleaned only at the end of a route... For us this could be from one side of the world to the other... imagine how lovely they are at the end of a 12 hour flight with 200 people using them. - There are many dangerous tools on board including, as someone mentioned, a crash axe. Most of the equipment is for survival but will be used if the circumstances called for it. - For long haul, there are basic kits that certified doctors can use onboard. These include stents, catheters, viagra, adrenaline, IV kits and devices that will literally be shoved down your throat if you're not breathing. Long haul flying can mean you could be hours away from diverting to a hospital. - If you're flying short haul, definitely bring antibac wipes or sanitiser. A lot of airlines will have the crew 'turnaround' the plane meaning they pick up your rubbish, fold your seatbelt over, file your magazines in the seat pocket and then welcome new passengers on board. I have lost count of the amount of times I have had to tell people how disgusting it is to change their baby on the tray table or in a seat. - I ALWAYS recommend you never, ever, ever, EVER use or put anything in the seat pocket. They are cleared of rubbish but are never 'cleaned'. I have pulled out and seen all sorts been pulled out from there. Dirty tissues, sick bags, knickers, socks, peoples feet, gum, half sucked sweets, apple cores... and then next flight you go and put your phone/laptop/iPad in there. - My particular airline provides uniforms which are, to a certain extent, fire resistant. - As other people have said, take off and landing is the most dangerous time of flight. Try and sit as close to the door as possible. It's pretty obvious but they've done studies where your chance of survival dramatically decreases with every row you're away from the door. - You can, and probably will, be arrested for disobeying crew instructions. Yes, the seatbelt sign is on and we have had a PA indicating turbulence. No, it is not bumpy right now but that doesn't mean you can get up and use the toilet, you are a grown adult and can hold on for five minutes. Yes, I have seen a passenger crack a vertabrae for disobeying our instructions to remain seated before hitting clear air turbulence. - On that note, there has been a huge shift recently to pursue and seek the highest amount of damages if you assault or abuse crew. We don't care who you are, your safety is all we care about. The only thing that tops your safety? Our safety. - We are trained in self-defense and to defend the flight deck at all costs. We are extensively trained on how to deal with threats - verbal and physical, bomb threats, suspicious articles, dangerous goods, hijackers and other terroristic acts. We have handcuffs on board and will use them if you need to be restrained. - In the event of an emergency, the pilots priority is not your safety as a passenger. It's to get the aircraft on the ground as safely and quickly as possible. Aviate, navigate, communicate is their motto. - Most other people have said it but yes, there is more often than not a lot of horrific things in the cargo. Air travel is the quickest way to transport something from A to B. Usually the only people who know are the flight deck (pilots) and the Manager/Senior Crew member. Dead bodies, organs, blood are obvious ones but we also carry everything right up to Formula One car parts, exotic animals, marble tables, oversized televisions... everything. EDIT: Thanks for the gold :D People are curious about the feet thing... thank baby jesus, I've never found a severed foot but people seem to curl up into a fetal position by putting their feet in the seat pocket. Also finger and toe nails. Just... I don't know why. I'm not a doctor and have never seen the viagra used on board before, but the general consensus is hypertension, altitude sickness & wanting to join the mile high club.
   — HausOfDarling






4. wife is cabin crew - Do not eat food dropped on a tray table - they are never cleaned and the number of people who change nappies on them is crazy!
   — huse789


5. Not a flight attendant, but I'm quoting a fact: > When a plane lands at night, cabin crews will dim the interior lights. Why? In the unlikely event that the plane landing goes badly and passengers need to evacuate, their eyes will already be adjusted to the darkness.
   — flyingrum


6. Not a flight attendant but one day my dad, who is an engineer, was on a plane when the cabin filled with smoke right after takeoff. He knew instantly from the smell that it was burning hydraulic fluid, the fluid that is used to raise and lower the landing gear. The plane was quickly turned around and grounded but instead of telling the passengers what really happened, they told them that the smoke was from leftover cleaning fluid that turned into steam after takeoff.
   — Boltwizard_






7. My stepmom is a flight attendant. Never ever ever ever use the pillows.
   — tv_junkie_75


8. Obligatory not a flight attendant, but a frequent flyer. Believe it or not, it is perfectly legal to remove a person from an overbooked flight (However, note that you have the right to receive compensation). The airline will remove the person of lowest importance to them. That means the passenger who is not a member of their loyalty program and who bought the cheapest ticket. Edit to add: Shockingly, lining up in the aisle before the doors are opened does not save as much time as you might think.
   — envenomedaccountant