Passenger Green Flags: 16 Ways to Win Flight Attendants Over

We need more good passengers on our flights! While people often think flight attendants are hard to approach, it’s actually incredibly simple. In reality, it’s the most basic acts of politeness and common courtesy that keep us flight attendants happy and grateful.

In this episode, we’re throwing some well-deserved love and appreciation to all the lovely passengers out there. If you're already that model passenger, or just looking to become a certified “flight attendant favorite,”—this is definitely a must-watch!

Episode Highlights

[0:00] Welcome to Episode #33!
[1:05] Gosh, we love you, (good) passengers!
[1:24] Drew’s new route & lovely flight updates
[3:50] Rich is keeping his cool
[6:15] All the things passengers do right
[6:33] Be nice and smile back
[7:15] Greetings go a long way
[8:12]✅️#1: Putting your suitcase away properly
[9:44]✅️#2: Being gracious during delays
[11:07]✅️#3: Packing efficiently and settling in quickly
[12:26]✅️#4: Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ 
[12:57]✅️#5: Telling us exactly what you want
[14:05]✅️#6: Compliments over complaints
[15:04]✅️#7: Headphones off is a love language?
[18:34]✅️#8: Team flight attendant all the way
[19:46]✅️#9: Know your coffee, people!
[22:53]✅️#10: Parents making an effort
[24:58]✅️#11: Sure, I’ll switch seats
[27:15]✅️#12: Actually reading the safety card
[29:30]✅️#13: Acknowledging us
[31:12]✅️#14: Disposing of trash properly
[33:23]✅️#15: Only ringing the call bell when it’s urgent
[34:33]✅️#15: Waiting patiently when offboarding
[37:04]✅️#16: Not fighting us over uncontrollable circumstances

Watch us talk about the passenger green flags we love, share our own flight updates, and read through a wild galley gossip segment.

For more laughs, memes, and amazing aviation content, join the Galley Gang!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, welcome aboard. Trash. Like my mother would have smacked me across the face if someone in the service industry spoke to me, spoke to me, and they said nothing back. They're like, Oh, can you take this? And it's like a banana peel or something random. And I'm like, this is the wrong use of the call bell. I'm sorry. Row 27, you're beautiful. I love what you're doing. I love when passengers get involved in like other passenger drama. You know how people are always striving to be like the best passenger in the TSA line? Like they want to get their bins just right, they want to impress TSA. They want to take all the right articles of clothing off, get their liquids out, and all that sort of stuff. Well, I really need people to start doing that for flight attendants. I want people to want to be good passengers on the plane too. And I just

Welcome to Episode #33!

SPEAKER_00 1:01

don't think people are trying hard enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

I don't think they are.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

They're really not. So today's episode, we're going to

Gosh, we love you, (good) passengers!

SPEAKER_00 1:06

dive into all of the things that passengers do that make us love you. We love our passengers, the good ones anyway. Um, and I feel like there's so many times where we're just ranting and raving about passengers and all the things they do wrong. So today we're gonna talk about all the things you do right. But first,

Drew’s new route & lovely flight updates

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Andrew, how is flying going lately?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Um, you know, honestly, I've had a really good week of flying. Good. Um, it's been going pretty well. I've been doing uh, I did this thing with my bid where I started bidding trips instead of turns.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

I know I'm so proud of you. You're like leaving the house for like a day. I know, it's just like finally my own bed.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Love it.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

I get it. It's fine. I'm the same way. I'm enjoying some nights at home alone where I'm just binging Netflix and eating frozen pizza because I don't know how to take care of myself like an adult when Andrew's not home.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

All necessary things. No, I've been flying uh new routes, uh, so new passengers, and honestly, um, it's been relatively nice to like get a whole different group of passengers, and um, it's honestly kind of reminded me what I enjoy about this job, truthfully. Um, you get so like stuck in a routine and the monotony of it, and it really becomes a job, and um having new passengers and seeing new personalities, it has reminded me why I enjoy this job.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

I really love that aspect of our job, is that you can mix it up. It's like, okay, I want to do turns because I want to be home when I miss home. Yeah. Okay, I want to go on a layover, so I feel like a real flight attendant again. Like you can really just make it whatever you want.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

And I've been doing turns for so long because I really do just enjoy going home um at night. But um every once in a while a turn is uh turn is super fun.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Yeah. I have been doing a lot of turns this winter as well because I just I know it's so cheesy, but not having to pack a bag is like so nice sometimes. Be like, okay, I have my little backpack of stuff that I take on my day trips, my emergency underwear in case I get stuck somewhere. And that's it. I don't need to keep like repacking my bag. Why are you making that face?

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Because I had to pair back up. I paired down so low on my turn life that I like had to pair back up because you were getting stuck a lot. I was getting stuck a lot, and I had like gotten to the point where I was wearing a speedo to work so that I like had a bathing suit on me, and like my backpack had nothing but essentials, and then you get stuck somewhere and you're like, um, but I need pants.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

That's amazing. Yeah, you just you just never know. You literally never know. Um, but yeah, I hate packing a bag, so I I get it. Um, but sometimes you gotta pack the essentials.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

How's

Rich is keeping his cool

SPEAKER_01 3:50

flying been for you?

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Flying has been okay. My crews have been such a weird variety, and I think it's the doing turns thing. Like in your case, you do turns with a lot of the same people. I'm doing it with a wide range of people, so I almost feel like slightly bipolar because one day I go to work and it's like this is a magical group of people. Everybody clicks, everybody's vibing. It's so nice to go to work. And then the next day I'm flying with people who are just like batshit crazy, and I'm like, what? What is happening here? Like, I don't even understand what's going on. I just flew this lady the other day. She'd been flying for like 30 something years, and she got her pin that day, like her 30-year service pin, and she was so excited about it, and we were like, Oh, like good for you. And she's like, Oh, I thought they were coming for me like with a complaint. And I was like, Oh, do you get a lot of complaints? Four that day. That day, four separate passengers complained about this woman on this one turn, and it was like she was doing the wildest things. Like a passenger in first class was sleeping, he was trying to take a nap, and I guess she was talking to somebody in the main cabin, and he turned around and he was like, Hey, do you do you mind keeping it down? I'm trying to sleep. She turned around and said, Mind your business. We were like floored, and me and the flight attendant up front were like, What is happening? And the passenger was complaining. She was rude to a blind passenger. And you know how much like I get so angry about the way some of our coworkers treat people with disabilities. This man like was getting getting screwed by the airline like every which way, and then on top of it, she was rude to him. I was like, I'm gonna like lose my mind on this woman. And um, she just she had no idea what was going on. It was like, all right, can I see your ID? Like it's feeling like it's feeling like this is your first day of flying, and I don't understand how that's possible. How you like have no idea what's going on?

SPEAKER_01 5:55

I don't know. I feel like the one passenger though should have minded his business. Just put your headphones in.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Four people complained about her that day.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

I know, but you want to tell you how to be a passenger that I enjoy flying with? Don't tell me to be quiet.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Well, that's fair. And I I guess that's a good segue. Because today

All the things passengers do right

SPEAKER_00 6:15

we're talking about all the things that passengers do well and do right. Um, and I there are a lot of things that passengers do really well, and I don't even know that some of them notice it. And I know that some of them do and are like proud of themselves. But um, yeah, let's get into it. First

Be nice and smile back

SPEAKER_00 6:33

and foremost, boarding right off the bat. We say hello to everyone most times. Sometimes we're busy or whatever, but like we say hello, welcome aboard, and I would say probably 50% of the time, depending on the route, some are higher, some are lower. We're just like straight up ignored. And it's like, I can't imagine, like, my mother would have smacked me across the face if someone in the service industry spoke to me and I spoke to me and I said nothing back.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Yeah, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Like, welcome aboard. They either blank stare at you, like, or they just they like see you and they side-eye, like they they know someone's talking to them, but they're just straight up ignoring it. And I'm like, this is crazy to me.

Greetings go a long way

SPEAKER_01 7:15

You know what it also wants me makes me want to do? Like, if you can't talk to me and just immediately I say good morning, and you like immediately launch into your problem, it makes me not want to help you right with whatever your problem is. Right. So, like, if I say, Hey, good morning, how are you today? Welcome aboard. Oh, thanks, I'm good. How are you? I'm good, a little tired. Like, there's a whole conversation we can have before you get. So now if you need anything, correct, I want I'm a way nicer person.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

Rather than hello, welcome aboard. Trash, can you take this? Oh, okay. Well, I guess I'll just go fuck myself. Like, it drives me crazy. Like, I don't know. I can't imagine doing that to somebody.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Same. Um, but it really does set a mood. And if you want me in a good mood, say good morning back to me.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Start nice with me. I'm gonna meet you there. Be rude to me. I'm probably gonna give it right back to you. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Yeah. Uh, the other

✅️#1: Putting your suitcase away properly

SPEAKER_01 8:12

thing you can do during like boarding um is to put your suitcase away efficiently.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Yes. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

A really good tip for everyone out there. It doesn't belong directly above your seat, just the nearest open overhead bin. And when I say open, the one where the door is actually open. I know some people close the bin doors before they're all the way full, but for the most part, that should be your one hint that it's full or other stuff is in there, and you should move on to any of the open bins around you.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

Right. Like, so A, finding the right location, good on you. B, literally putting it in correctly. Like, some people will try to shove this huge bag into this tiny space where it doesn't fit and leave it half hanging out and then just sit down. And I'm like, I'm gonna check that. I'm gonna make sure that goes to your final destination, or someone else's final destination. I don't know. Depends what version of me you got that day.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

I cannot the when you're the third person on the airplane and you can't find space for your bag, it drives me crazy.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Or the ones that move it, like those people crack me up too. I love that I'm like, let's say all the nice things passengers do have already gone off on a tangent. But like it always kills me when that like first person comes on the plane and they put their bag in and then they move it. Oh, yeah, and then they move it again, and I'm like, it's good, you're fine. Yep, just sit down. Like it's it's all gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

It drives me crazy.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Oh, it's so funny. Um, being gracious

✅️#2: Being gracious during delays

SPEAKER_00 9:44

during lengthy onboard delays. I actually can't tell you how far this goes with me. Like, there are days where you're like on an extended tarmac delay, everyone's trapped on this plane, it's full, everyone's ticked off, and you're like serving water or whatever, and cookies or whatever it is that you're serving, and passengers will be like, Thank you so much for being here and for being so nice to us during all of this. And I'm like, Look, we're all in this together. This is a terrible situation for everybody. Like, thank you for respecting that and recognizing it and being nice enough.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

Despite what you think, we're not actually being paid at that moment for that delay. Oh, okay. Well, we probably are then. Yeah, we might be being paid for that, but I don't know. I we've said it so many times on the podcast before. Like, we don't want to be there either. We also have plans, we have someplace we want to get to. Like, this isn't the way we want to be spending our day either. And for you to make me your enemy or enemy number one, like I am the one who delayed this flight for you, doesn't make me want to help you in any way, shape, form, or fashion. Um, so you'll get a nicer flight attendant if you acknowledge that we're kind of all in this together. Um, so that's that. Uh, not

✅️#3: Packing efficiently and settling in quickly

SPEAKER_01 11:07

blocking the aisle during boarding.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

Oh, yeah. Such a pet peeve of mine is the people that get on, take like 20 minutes to settle in. I'm like, there's 200 people on this plane. What are you doing? Oof.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Yeah. I mean, we've talked about this so many times before. Efficiently pack. Put your like nesting bag in your bag so you can just pull your nesting bag out. Um, and then just kind of hold on to everything else until the flight settles. Like there will be room for your jacket. You don't have to keep standing up. Yep. Um, your nesting bag can fit under your seat. I promise it won't.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Well, that's what kills me about this situation, too, is it's like a double whammy, like they're doing two bad things at once because it's like we say put the bigger item in the overhead, the smaller one goes under the seat in front of you. And it's always the one who doesn't put the small item underneath the seat in front of them that is now getting up 72 times during boarding to get those items out. And it's like, had this been under the seat in front of you, A, there'd be space for other people's luggage, and B, you'd have everything you need by your feet. So, like, why why did you why are we making these decisions? Yeah. So props to the people who who don't do that. Uh

✅️#4: Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’

SPEAKER_00 12:26

saying please and thank you, this one I had to leave it in there because I just feel like it should be common courtesy, but it's not. Like a lot of people, I don't know, not saying please, I can kind of forgive that, but like no acknowledgement of gratitude when someone's doing something for you. It just seems crazy to me. Like again, my mother would have smacked me across the face if someone did something for me and I never said thank you to them.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

This

✅️#5: Telling us exactly what you want

SPEAKER_01 12:57

one runs so much deeper for me. It's not even the please and thank you. It's when people like just walk in and like put their cup in your face with like no Oh, like into the galley? Just anywhere. They just like hold your cup like you're supposed to know what to do with it. Is it trash? Do you want it refilled? Like what what what are you just holding this cup for? Like, you have to use your words. You have to tell me what you want. Right. And then after you've told me what you want, a please and thank you is really good. Right. But like, let's start with actually vocalizing the thing that you need from me. Yeah. Instead of just standing there holding an empty soda can, like I'm supposed to know what you want me to do with that.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Just just tell me what you want. It's like that reel that keeps going viral, that clip of the notebook with um Ryan Gosling, and he's like, What do you want? What do you want? I think I've made memes out of this several times. I'm sure you have. And Rachel McCadna's like, it's not that simple. It is that simple. Just tell me what you want.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Um

✅️#6: Compliments over complaints

SPEAKER_01 14:05

can we normalize writing customer compliments instead of complaints?

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Yes, please. I can't tell people this enough because like I've literally only had one complaint in my 13 years of flying, and it was because I refused to give passengers something headphones that we weren't even catered with. I'm like, how am I in trouble for something that I like literally couldn't even do? I've had a few compliment letters over the years, but they're so few and far between. And I'm like, I know there's times that I've been nice to people more than I've been mean to people. So, like, write those in too. Like, yes, complain if you don't like your situation, but also normalize being like, hey, by the way, this crew is really good. Shout out to uh whoever for doing a good job.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Totally agree.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

It goes a long way with us. It really does. Um

✅️#7: Headphones off is a love language?

SPEAKER_00 15:04

taking out your headphones when we take beverage and meal orders. This to me is like it's it's more than like something nice that makes me love you as a passenger. It's like basically flirting with me. Like it might is it it's like a love language. That's how deep this one goes. Like when I walk out to a passenger and I see them take off their headphones and immediately look at me, like fully just aware and ready for whatever I'm about to say. I'm immediately like, thank you so much. Like, I can't tell you how much that means. Like, it's so nice when a passenger is disrespectful and situationally aware enough to be like, oh, someone might want something from me. Like, I don't feel like it's that hard to like recognize, oh, there's a presence above me, or I see a beverage cart, let me just pause for a moment. Like it go, it's I love it.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

It's not like the flow of like airline service has changed in the last like 55 years. You know what we're standing there doing. So like be prepared to do it. And my frustration with the noise canceling headphones is not even that you're not acknowledging me, it's that you're talking so low because you think you're so loud and I can't hear right, I can't hear anything that you're saying. And so this what should have been a 30-second interaction turns into a five-minute interaction because you're still whispering at me and I don't know what you want.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Because I don't have I don't have the patience, but I don't have the time. Like I've got to move on to other people.

SPEAKER_01 16:40

Yes. Um, cause it like a full beverage service on a full flight takes a long time to do. Some people hand out the whole can, but if you're pouring that many sodas, oh yeah, that takes a long time to do. And it's not just during boarding, or sorry, it's not just during service. Take your headphones out during boarding, take your headphones out during deploying, take your headphones off when you know we're doing our demo. Like, there's important information that we're trying to relay to you. And I just also feel like it sets a standard for the people around you. Like, if you take your headphones off, pull your safety information card out, and like pay attention, it causes other people to be like, okay, should I be doing this too?

SPEAKER_00 17:28

And like, really, uh most things in our job, it goes back to everything being rooted in safety. Like, it truly is safer to just be a little more aware of what's going on. And I always think about that jet-lagged comic that is um all the crew sitting in the life raft, like the plane landed on water, and all the passengers are inside with their like noise-canceling headphones on, and the captions like, oh, do you think they know we crashed or something like that? And it's like, They don't. As much as it's a joke, it's not because like in these situations, I'm like, if I'm like yelling at you what your beverage order is, like, what if there was an actual problem and then we're trying to communicate with you, and now you've got 200 passengers being like, What did they say? What's going on? I have no idea. Like that sort of thing as a flight attendant, as a safety professional, like really worries me.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Yeah. And also it is exhausting to repeat information that many times when something is going on, and then you have to repeat all of that information 240 times because no one was paying attention. It's really exhausting. What's next?

✅️#8: Team flight attendant all the way

SPEAKER_00 18:34

Uh, defending crew members when another passenger is being rude. Oh, I love this so much. I love when passengers get involved in like other passenger drama. Not in like a unhelpful way, but in like uh, I don't know, like any sort of acknowledgement of like what's going on around them makes me so happy. Because it's like, okay, it's not just me, the flight attendant, telling a passenger they're out of line. It's now other passengers being like, what are you doing? You're right. Like the crew member is right. The flight attendant is just telling you something that you should be doing. Like, I love that. It makes me feel like supported, you know, like if something really goes wrong, I know 17C's got my back, you know? So I appreciate those a little more.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

I'm gonna say I feel the same way. It's really nice to know that you have other people looking out for you other than just your crew members.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

Um, I really like that. Um making eye contact with the flight attendant and acknowledging other passengers' behavior.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Oh yeah, same same line of of uh thought there. It's so nice when they're like I had the

✅️#9: Know your coffee, people!

SPEAKER_00 19:46

other day, I was had this woman order a coffee and I was like, okay, do you want cream or sugar? And she was like, coffee, and I was like, right, so do you want cream and sugar in it? And she goes, Oh, okay, probably. It's kind of like a yes or a no. And like it was it was just like back and forth with this woman about the cream and the sugar for probably five minutes, and like I see the other flight attendant looking at me across the cart, and she's now laughing. I see passengers in the row behind also just like being way too involved in this situation, and they're laughing and they're looking at me. And this one guy, he's like, and he's like mouthing, like, you know, what WTF, like, what is going on? And I'm like, at least I'm not alone on an island here.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

Like, everyone around is like crazy, but thank you for not making me feel crazy.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

Because there's some days where you're like, is it me? Am I the problem?

SPEAKER_01 20:44

I usually am.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

But then there's days where you're like, okay, everyone's in on it. Everyone thinks this one person has lost their mind, and it's not just me.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Also, how this drives me bonkers. Do you want to know how to make a good passenger? Know how to order your coffee. Know what you want in it. Yes. Coffee? Black? Sure. Yep. Actually, could I get some sugar? No, now that you've walked four rows away from me, I think I need cream too. You knew you needed all of those things. Know what you want in your coffee. He asked you. It's very simple.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

I think that's on this list somewhere, too, because it's like ordering specific coffee.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Like when a passenger's like, hey, oh, yeah, it is ordering the well, I'll just go there next then.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Right. Ordering, like, because when a passenger goes, I'll have a coffee, two creams, three sugars. I'm like, I'm always like, thank you. Yeah. For being so specific. You know exactly what you wanted. That I have no follow-up questions. Because it's like, do you want cream or sugar? And they're like, cream. Okay, how many? Two, maybe, I don't know. And then, like, well, what about sugar? Well, I asked you that and you didn't say anything. Okay, well, I want sugar. Well, how many? It's like, this shouldn't be like the a scene of dialogue from a movie. This should be like a very quick interaction that I have.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Order your coffee regionally, we are not from your region. I mean, we might be based there, but we don't know. Coffee regular. I don't know what regular means. I don't know what regular means. I don't know what it is.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

It's a coffee with cream and sugar.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

Or you say coffee extra extra.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

I don't know what those regional things are. So tell me what that thing is.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

You know what we need to do is spend more time in a Dunkin' Donuts in Boston.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Should we?

SPEAKER_00 22:29

Should we? We should.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

We've spent a lot of time in Dunkin' Donuts in Boston.

SPEAKER_00 22:33

Well, you didn't learn enough.

SPEAKER_01 22:35

Apparently not. Lodge Regula.

SPEAKER_00 22:40

You'll learn. We're gonna get you on more of those Boston footage.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

But also just tell me what you need. It's really easier than than going about it that way.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

I couldn't agree more.

✅️#10: Parents making an effort

SPEAKER_00 22:53

Um, parents who are obviously making an effort with their kids. We love you so much.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

We really do. Thank you for trying. We know children will be children, but there are times when seatbelts are required. There are times when toys are required to be put away, there are times when bags are required to be put away. And you just simply acknowledging that you're attempting to do that thing means so much to us.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

It goes such a long way. I, you know, we don't have kids, but like obviously we see parents with kids on the plane all the time, and we see every variety of it. We see the parents who are so checked out or self-absorbed that they're not even noticing their kids are like climbing into an overhead bin. And then you see the parents who are like, oh my god, I'm so sorry. Like little Stacy or whatever. I don't know where I'm getting these names, but like little Stacy, you know, is is is doing this, and I don't know how to stop her. And it's like breathe, you know, like we don't need you to be like your kids to be perfect, but like there needs to be some sort of effort happening here to prevent your kid from doing like crazy things. But we're I would say most of us are very lenient about that sort of thing. It's like we know that traveling with kids, you have your hands full, and you don't need a flight attendant barking at you over something stupid. If I can see you're trying, like, I'm gonna let you keep doing it. And if I need to say, like, oh, put your seatbelt on, little whatever, you know, like I'm happy to help and and do my job and my part of it, but like, you know, there's a difference between the parents who are clearly trying and then the parents who are not doing anything whatsoever.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

We know if you're trying, you chose Stacy because her mom's got it going on, didn't you? That's why you chose Stacy. What's in your cup today?

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Tea. Tea, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Um, but yeah, we shout out to all the parents out there trying to make it work on airplanes. Travel is not easy for adults. I can't even imagine doing it with your hands full with kids and and the chaos that that entails.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

Okay, I

✅️#11: Sure, I’ll switch seats

SPEAKER_01 24:58

like the next one, but I am gonna add something to it. Switching seats without hesitation um to help get a family together when asked by the flight attendant to do so. Um, but if you just switch seats just cuz um it makes it hard for us. Oh, yeah. Don't just switch willy-nilly. If we come up and we're like, we're trying to get a family together, we've got a couple parents with a couple kids and they'd like to sit together. I know that you paid for your ticket. I know you don't want to go sit in the back in a middle seat, but it really helps us at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Yeah. It I had this happen.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

Most of us don't really take care of you if you'll do it for us.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

Oh, for sure. I had this happen the other day. Like, this guy came on, he was really aggressive and intense about it. He came up to me and was like, We're gonna have a problem. Me and my kid are not sitting together, blah, blah, blah. And like, we were kind of back and forth, and I was explaining how switching seats works. And immediately this girl who was sitting across the aisle was like, if it's easier, I can just switch that way. You guys are sitting together. And I was so grateful for her because like the the father wasn't being very nice about the situation, despite the fact that I was trying really hard to help him, and she just kind of like saw that it was happening, was aware enough to know that she could help in the situation, and she just did. Like that sort of stuff goes such a long way. Like, it just makes our lives so much easier when passengers are aware enough to be like, oh, maybe maybe this is what can happen, or whatever the case may be.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Also, parents know what you need. I mean, you can't get five seats together, it doesn't work that way. Right. Figure out before you get on the airplane who wants to sit together, pre-pick your seats so that you at least are three and two, like figure it out so that we don't have to do all of this. I know, I know that seats aren't always available. I get that, but like start talking way before you get to the flight attendant. Go to the ticket counter, go to the gate agent. Like the flight attendant is the last person to be able to help you do this. And you knew you were a family traveling together long before you got to me. Right. So, like, I want to help you, but if you want me to be a good flight attendant to you, try to help yourself before you get to me.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

No, I couldn't agree more with that. Uh, reading the safety

✅️#12: Actually reading the safety card

SPEAKER_00 27:15

card at any point during the flight. Oh, I love that. Me too. This one warms my heart because I'm like, you're you like little cutie. Like, you probably don't fly that much, but you want to know what's going on. You're looking at the pictures, you probably don't really know what any of it means. And that's okay. But like you're trying to be like an aware, observant passenger and that sort of stuff. Like, I I just love it because I'm like, thank you for recognizing there's more to air travel than just like your flight attendant serve you soda.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

Like things can happen, issues come up, like it's good to know your surroundings, know your also really love when like exit seat participants ask questions about how to use the door. Yes. So if we need this, how do we actually do it? I just really love when you take your role.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

Right, because I'm like, you paid attention at least, and you're like, wait, I actually don't know how this opens. Tell me. Yes, I will tell you, like happily. Um, I had uh exit row passenger um the other day, and I like did the whole exit briefing or whatever, and um we're going to like close the door and we're about to arm. I go to arm the the doors, and this guy sitting in like 10A or whatever the row was on that aircraft, he was like, Oh yeah, nice. And I was like, What? And he goes, I was gonna ask you about that because like I saw it and I was like, is that supposed to be up or down? And he's like, I asked my wife, and she was like, I don't know, ask the flag, and I was like, I was getting ready to ask you, and then you did it, and I was like, This is amazing. I love this whole interaction so much. And he's like, But what is that for? Like, it was we had a whole conversation about like arming the slides and all that.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

I had the same conversation a few weeks ago because I did arm it, and they were like, Wait, what'd you do to the door? Right. And I'm like, This is how we make sure the slide works.

SPEAKER_00 29:07

It was nice, it was just like, I love that you're paying attention, I love that you were like working up the courage to like say something, like immediately get put in like favorite passenger when you start doing those sort of things. Like, I feel like a teacher. I'm like, I want to give you a sticker, I want to like tell everyone on board that you like did such a good job. Gold star, gold star for sure.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

Gold star.

✅️#13: Acknowledging us

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Um, okay, saying little things like thanks for keeping us safe during deplaning. We love that. Yeah, I think that's nice. Love that when you acknowledge that we worked just as hard as the pilots for your safety. Yes. Please don't speak over us, don't yell over us to yell at them for thanking them for the flight. We want you to thank them too. Um, but we were there. We worked, we kept you safe too.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

Well, and that's the thing, too, like during deep planing. It's not that we think we did better than the pilots or that we did more for you than the pilots, or that the pilots aren't important too. Like, it's just respecting that both jobs are critical for flight.

SPEAKER_01 30:10

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

And they're very different jobs. And yes, thank the pilots for landing, thank the pilots for getting you there safe. But like, we were part of that as well. And so I think it's nice when people say that to us directly because it's like, okay, you recognize our role, which is often overlooked in aviation. Very much so. And it's it's nice when people say something to both of us. But yeah, when you're standing by the flight deck and the pilots are in there, or even worse, actually, is when they're gone. They're all the way off the plane. They're the first ones off the plane sometimes. Like, thanks for everything. The landing was great. And I'm like, just no one even in there. Who's who's here to care about you till the end? It's me, it's the flight attendant. I'm gonna be the one saving your ass on a burning airplane. Like taps me. Yeah, so it's it's nice when people like show that level of respect to both of us. To both of us not here to trash talk pilots today, but both of our roles are important.

SPEAKER_01 31:07

That's another episode coming soon.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

Um

✅️#14: Disposing of trash properly

SPEAKER_00 31:12

organizing their trash neatly before we come through. This is another like gold sticker, gold star sticker behavior. I think it's nice when they try to make an effort. Sometimes it's not always the most helpful, like they stack too many things or like try to like hand you like clumps of trash and it explodes on you, or the passenger next to them. But like those little efforts where they're trying to be aware and like cognizant of what's happening as you're coming through with the trash rather than like the shocked face they look. Like they look up at you like they've never seen a human before, and then they're like, Oh, I forgot about this trash that I have back here. Just just give me one minute. And it's like, I don't what are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 31:54

Yeah. I just find it funny that people are surprised that you're coming through with trash. And I also we do actually move have to move through the cabin without trash bags sometimes. So like I'm not always prepared to take your trash. So, like know the difference.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

Do you see a trash bag in my hand? Right. Or am I just walking through?

SPEAKER_01 32:18

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

Do I have food in my hand? Right. It's for me, not you.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

For me, not for you. Know the difference. I don't mind standing waiting while people dig out their uh seat back pocket, but like let me know that's what you're about to do. Right. Because if I don't know, I'm gonna and then you keep walking and try to pull me away and then you're mad, and just be like, I have a lot, give me a second, and I'll stand there and wait for you to be done. But then also be like, okay, that's everything, so that I know that it's time to keep moving. It's about communication on this sort of thing. But if we have a bag, give us your trash. If we don't, wait till we have a bag in our hand or ask for your trash, because we're not quiet about it when we want it.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

Trash.

SPEAKER_01 33:01

I don't think we're quiet about it.

SPEAKER_00 33:03

I always find it funny, like those awkward moments too, where like a passenger sees you and then they make some like sudden move and they're like, No, I'm just yeah, just getting my phone. Correct. Like, I thought you were grabbing trash. I don't know, like your timing was very strange. Your timing was not great. What are you doing here?

✅️#15: Only ringing the call bell when it’s urgent

SPEAKER_01 33:23

Uh pressing the call bell for urgent matters rather than to hand us trash.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

Correct behavior.

SPEAKER_01 33:30

Correct behavior. Um trash is not the reason to ring your call bell. There are a variety of other reasons to ring your call bell, but trash is not the one.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

Some days like when they ring their callbell and it's this situation where it's like, okay, someone in the window seat couldn't get up to get a water. Okay, that's valid. And I almost want to be like, good job, like good use of the call bell. And then other days it's like they're like, oh, can you take this? And it's like a banana peel or something random, and I'm like, no, no, wrong. This is the wrong use of the call bell. I'm sorry. Someone will be back later when when you figure this out.

SPEAKER_01 34:15

I don't know. Um, and if it is an emergency, it's okay to like frantically push the button at the Oh push it two or three times if you need to. We it really tells us that something is happening in your row. Um, we don't mind that, but don't do it for trash.

✅️#15: Waiting patiently when offboarding

SPEAKER_00 34:33

Waiting patiently to deplane in a neat and orderly fashion. I love this zero. I know. I love this when I'm in the back and like I'm watching it happen, and I'm like, row 27, you're beautiful. I love what you're doing. Like, you're being so respectful.

SPEAKER_01 34:50

We were deploying the other day, and I saw like half of the back of the airplane try to scoot up, and then they're like in the exit row that I'm in. So there's all kinds of like bags and people there. And I finally like picked up the PA and made an announcement, and I was like, There's one door. We're deploying through one door. We do this row by row. Here's how this works. Like you standing and blocking the aisle and exits doesn't help us get off any quicker. The flight agent in the back called up to where I was and was like, not you mansplaining how to exit an airplane. And I was like, if it needs to be done, sometimes it has to be done, but you're not sitting in the extra row with like 13 extra people that don't belong there. Right. I was even crowded. I was like, please go back to your seats. You can't do this. It was awful. It was so terrible. Like, and why to the point I had to like break it down like they were toddlers, how we were gonna deplain the plane.

SPEAKER_00 35:43

And I get it, you have somewhere to be. Most people on this airplane do. Everyone does, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:47

They're all home. We all just finish vacations. It's fine. You actually make it take longer to deplain when you do that junk than if you would just wait until everyone deplay in the aircraft.

SPEAKER_02 35:58

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

Like row by row, just sit patiently until the row before you stands up. Oh, you know what else drives me nuts? When you're like, wait for the person in front of you to fully deplane the airplane.

SPEAKER_00 36:12

Wait, what do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 36:13

So, like you're in row like 15, uh-huh, and you wait until the person is all the way off of the airplane to pull your bag out of the overhead bin and start walking.

SPEAKER_00 36:22

Like the polar option, just neat, and now you're doing too much.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

Just neat and orderly, yeah, one by one, follow the person off. It's very easy to do. Right. This shouldn't be that complicated, and yet here we go. The person in front of you shouldn't fully get off the airplane before you've gotten your bag out of the overhead bin.

SPEAKER_00 36:38

Oh my god, that's crazy. Um, yeah. I don't understand the people that do that, and I'm also laughing at how this quickly went from like all the good passengers that behaviors do. And also, here's some of the really bad ones.

SPEAKER_01 36:52

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you have to know what the bad behavior is to be a good behavior. That is true, to be in the good behavior. That's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think we talked about a lot of people that

✅️#16: Not fighting us over uncontrollable circumstances

SPEAKER_01 37:04

okay. What's next?

SPEAKER_00 37:05

Wanna give us the last one?

SPEAKER_01 37:07

Uh, not being mad at us for things beyond our control, like maintenance or weather. Um, I don't I know the flight attendants listening know this, but mom, if you're listening, literally nothing in aviation is within our control. So, like, I'm not the person to make an enemy of.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

Right. Like, you can be mad at the crew for I don't know, forgetting your drink or bumping you with the cart. Those are things that we've actually done. Oh, right. I get it. Right.

SPEAKER_01 37:35

But like delays, even like when it comes to like crew delays, when the cave agent tells you we're late, it's not because we just overslept at home. Right. Five people did not just decide to show up at the exact same time. Exactly. Late.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

And that's what I'm what I'm getting at too is like crew legalities, crew rest, like we're waiting on a flight attendant. That flight attendant is probably replacing someone, they're on reserve, they're only late because the other person didn't show up or whatever. So, like, they're not the enemy either. Right. But all this to say, like at the end of the day, all of that stuff, the delays, the crew delays, the weather, the maintenance, the catering screw-ups, like we didn't do any of that. We didn't ask for any of that to happen. So, like, getting mad at us personally doesn't really do you any favors as a passenger and it isn't making you any friends.

SPEAKER_01 38:30

Correct. Right. We didn't decide that the van should be late. We didn't decide that our inbound aircraft should be late. Like that one person that you're waiting on was probably on a different trip and coming in from somewhere else. Like exactly. It's really um I'm not saying we don't call in sick, but we don't like we're not all five of us showing up at the same time means we came from a delayed airplane.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Exactly. Which was also not our fault. Right. I know it sounds like we're really just not trying to take responsibility for anything, but we really didn't do anything.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

I take responsibility for the things that I control. Like my attitude, I do take responsibility for you most of the time.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

That's great. Well, those are all of the amazing passenger behaviors that we have for you today. And if we missed any, you should tell us what amazing things passengers do or what you as a passenger think you're doing really well. Uh, check the show notes for a link to send us a text. We'd love to hear from you. Um, and for more amazing content and laughs from the two of us, check out our Patreon community at patreon.com slash two guys on a plane. We have behind the scenes content, bonus footage, and lots of other fun stuff for you to enjoy. And you get to support our show. And we couldn't do this without our Patreon subscribers. So thank you guys so much for your continued support of all of our creative ventures. And before we go, we're gonna do our favorite segment, galley gossip. This is where we share stories from our audience. You guys submit your stories to us and we read them out loud on the air of all the crazy, wild, and sometimes wonderful things that happen on airplanes. So, whether you're a flight attendant or not, send us your stories. We'd love to hear what's really going on at 35,000 feet. Go to twoguysonaplane.com slash podcast to submit your story.

SPEAKER_01 40:25

What do you got for me?

SPEAKER_00 40:26

And today's story is from a flight attendant named Sandy. She said, I was working a pretty bumpy flight from Charlotte to Orlando. We had a kid throw up all over themselves mid-flight, which obviously is awful, and I felt terrible for them. I brought towels, wipes, ginger ale, some pretzels, you know, the whole typical flight attendant care package when a passenger gets sick. The mom looked at me and completely dead serious, said, Okay, so where are the spare clothes? What? I immediately went blank. I thought she meant her carry-on, so I pointed to the overhead bin and went to grab her bag out for her. She stopped me and she goes, No, for my child. Don't you have any extras? Ma'am, this is not a daycare. This is why flight attendants stop liking people eventually in their careers. That's amazing. Yeah, it's wild the things passengers ask for on an airplane.

SPEAKER_01 41:23

Or think we have just readily available.

SPEAKER_00 41:25

Right. Like, what what do you think is in those galleys? Like, there's a lot of compartments back there, but I promise you there's no extra clothing.

SPEAKER_01 41:32

None. That's a wild request.

SPEAKER_00 41:35

And like a domestic flight from like Charlotte to Orlando. Like, this isn't like international. There's no like class. It was Orlando. Well, yeah, it's always Orlando. First class, first time. Some of our stories are from Orlando.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

First time on an area.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

When is Orlando not a problem? I don't know. I'm working Orlando on Tuesday, though, by the way. So maybe pray for me.

SPEAKER_01 41:57

I will be. Yeah. But, anyways. I had a girl the other day did that. She just threw up all over herself. I was like so sad for her. She was so sad about it, but we didn't I mean I got her bag down so she could get extra clothes out. That's what you're supposed to do. Like a kid? No.

SPEAKER_00 42:16

Like a grown-up. It was you said girl, I wasn't sure.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Oh, sorry. No woman, I guess then. It was real bad, but poor thing. You're supposed to have extra clothes on you. That's what your suitcase is for. Children should too. What was in that suitcase for you? That's what I don't really understand.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

It doesn't make any sense.

SPEAKER_01 42:34

No. I thought we had backup with our backups for kids.

SPEAKER_00 42:38

Odd. Odd behavior. Weird. But, anyways, that's all for galley gossip today. Keep sending us those stories. We love to read them.

SPEAKER_01 42:46

And join us next time for more humor, heart, and stories from our beverage cart.

SPEAKER_00 42:52

What was that? Oh, I was like, what did you just do? Okay. Bye.