Flight Attendants Reveal Shocking Passenger Red Flags

Are flight attendants judging you? (Maybe, just a little). In reality, we are focused on your safety and on-watch for potential threats or issues that might arise onboard. 

In this episode, we’re reacting  to passenger red flags and how we “calmly” deal with them—from coping with rude remarks to managing a large group of rowdy adults. Trust us, a day in the life of a flight attendant is never short of drama and wild sights! A simple gesture of appreciation can completely change our day.

Join the conversation on Threads!

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] Welcome to Episode #34!
[1:07] Are flight attendants judging us?
[1:41] Ask the Audience!
[2:05] Rich’s flight updates (Wait, WHAT?!)
[4:51] Drew is in passenger mode
[5:52]🚩#1: Intentionally slow boarders
[6:45]🚩#2: Tight connections
[8:30]🚩#3:  Your bag WILL NOT fit there, Ma’am
[9:21]🚩#4: “I know my seat”
[9:53]🚩#5: Water, please…
[11:21]🚩# 6: Ignoring the crew’s greetings
[13:17]🚩#7: Blaming us for a missed connections
[13:51]🚩#8: Telling us to smile more
[15:10]🚩#9: You need time apart…for like 7 minutes
[16:06]🚩#10: Use the bathroom before boarding
[17:45]🚩#11: A loud and rowdy group of adults
[18:36]🚩#12: Handing us trash as they board
[19:33]🚩#13: Pilot cards (not all airlines have them)
[21:10]🚩#14: Nope, we’re not doing that
[21:31]🚩#15: Moving other people’s bags 
[22:13]🚩#16: Hey Captain, don’t tap the fuselage
[23:30]🚩#17: “They” will take care of it
[24:23]🚩#18: Well, that’s rude.
[25:29]🚩#19: Alcohol first, really?
[26:27]🚩#20: Call button isn’t a toy
[29:03]🚩#21: Complaining about literally anything
[29:47]🚩#22: Enormous backpacks are not cute
[30:59]🚩#23: Status fliers & getting away with rules
[32:56]🚩#24: Aggressive questions
[34:19]🚩#25: Nonsense for free stuff
[35:51]🚩#26: Thinking that they’re funny
[37:15]🌟Fan comment: Why are people so feral?
[39:20] Let’s play Cross-Checked!

For more travel updates, jaw-dropping aviation stories, and cool merch, join the Galley Gang!

Transcript

Welcome to Episode #34!

SPEAKER_00 0:00

If your relationship cannot survive a three-hour flight apart from each other, go to therapy.

SPEAKER_01 0:05

See, boarding is already too much. This is too much. Now I gotta worry about people's superstitions and their trash.

SPEAKER_00 0:11

If anyone tells you to ask a flight attendant, it's because they don't want to tell you no. And if a flight attendant tells you to ask anyone else, it's because their work day is over and they're tired of dealing with it.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

I don't even care if you're flying at 8 a.m. and you want a bud light. Like, I don't know what kind of day you had. I don't know what you're going through right now, but asking for it immediately upon boarding, I just think immediately you're gonna be a problem. Uh-huh. Like you just asked me at the absolute worst possible time if there's Wi-Fi. So everybody knows by now that boarding is the most chaotic part of a flight attendant's job. We have safety compliance checks that we need to do. We're worried about bag space. We're worried about so many different things that are happening in these moments. But

Are flight attendants judging us?

SPEAKER_01 1:07

especially the thing that we're looking for the most are the red flags. And there are a lot of them when it comes to boarding an airplane. So when you think, oh, these flight attendants are being so nice and greeting us at the door, well, the truth is we are judging you and we are judging you hardcore. All jokes aside, what we're really looking for is safety issues. We're looking for potential threats, potential issues that could arise, and just kind of to address any issues that may come up later on in a flight that we want to deal with during boarding rather than during flight when we can't do a whole lot about it. So

Ask the Audience!

SPEAKER_01 1:41

on today's episode, we are doing Ask the Audience. As you know, we love to ask some super fun questions over on threads and find out what some of our flight attendants and passengers are really thinking out there on the line. So we asked flight attendants, what are some passenger red flags during boarding that tell you immediately how the flight is going to go? But uh, before we start reading the answers, Rich,

Rich’s flight updates (Wait, WHAT?!)

SPEAKER_01 2:05

how's flying been recently? Flying lately has been mostly good because I've been getting really lucky with like you know how weather doesn't usually work out to your advantage. I mean, I don't know about you, but yeah. Well, lately it's been working out really well for me, and I've had a lot of cancellations, a lot of extra time at home. We love home. I'm feeling happier and more zen than usual, which is rare. Yeah, um, but I did have this one turn that I was working with this uh flight attendant, and she was a character, you could say. As you know, some of our flight attendants are a flight attendant? A character? Never our Saturday night live characters, basically in in the wild. Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye. So um, yeah. So you know how we're always saying, like, y'all, you can't make this shit up. Well, you can't, because this really happened. I was working a flight with this flight attendant, and um, she was an older woman, very nice, very nice woman, but just a little quirky. And we're on the last leg, we're sitting on a 7-3, we're both up front, um, doing, you know, her final review or 30-second review and all that sort of stuff, and just it's pretty quiet, you know. That those last few moments before landing are usually pretty quiet. And we're sitting there, and she just goes, Have you ever pegged somebody? And I said, I'm sorry, what what can you repeat that? Because I wasn't sure if she said what I thought she said. Oh, she did, and she did, and she said, Have you ever pegged somebody? And I just yelled, what so loud. I was like, what? And she was like dead serious. And the passengers in the front row were looking at me, and I'm like, I can't tell if they heard me yell what or if they heard her say what she said. But you never know what they heard here, and I was like, I'm gonna not, I don't, I'm not, we're not having this conversation. And she goes, Well, I don't even know what it is. Can you tell me what it means to be pegged? And I said, I cannot. I can't do it, and so she starts Googling it while we're on the jump seat, like landing gears down, and I just I see like the photos just swiping by on her phone in her Google search, and she's just going, Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, no, no, no. That's you know that's not right. And I was like, I could not get off that plane.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Did she apologize for asking the question after looking it up?

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Do Saturday Night Live characters usually apologize for their behavior? She did not, but I could not have gotten off that plane fast enough.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

You guys, he saved the story. I didn't even know about this one. He saved the story just for today. I did. I love it so much. I did, I've been sitting on this one because I had blind reaction to this one.

Drew is in passenger mode

SPEAKER_00 4:51

How has flying been for you lately? You know, I don't think it's a secret that I work as a union rep for my carrier. Um, and that has been taking up um the majority of my time recently. I actually haven't been flying as a flight attendant a lot um because I've been flying as a passenger to get around to all of these like union events that I've had to be doing. So um the last month has been really fun. I have flown on like almost every major carrier recently. Amazing. You know, I just love to sit around and like watch what everyone does and how everyone does their jobs differently. So um I've been enjoying myself. And because I've worked so little, I've been a really good flight attendant recently.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Isn't it funny how less time on a plane just makes us better at our job? Yeah, it does. Well, today we're talking about red flags, and I'm excited to get into it. What are some of the red flags that people have been sharing with us?

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Uh so the

🚩#1: Intentionally slow boarders

SPEAKER_00 5:52

first one I've got is those who stop the boarding flow to constantly get um out of their seats, uh, to grab things out of their bags in the overhead bin like they couldn't retrieve those items before they got on.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Infuriating.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Yeah, this isn't annoys us.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Yeah. Like what are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 6:11

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Get your stuff together, sit down and get out of the way.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Yeah. If you you already knew you planned to put it in the bin. Yes. Why didn't you have a nesting bag in that bag that you could just pull out and sit down?

SPEAKER_01 6:25

I'm with. We always have like the bag within the bag so that you can avoid all of it.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

You have a nesting bag that you pull out that has like your headphones and your chapstick and your gum and like nook or all the little things that you need so you can just stuff in the seat back pocket that and and move on.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

It's not a it's not a hard process, but no one does it right.

🚩#2: Tight connections

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Next up, I have a tight connection. Could you ask for everyone to remain seated so I can deplain first? No. Why do they come on with this question? Like, we're boarding. I haven't even thought about if we're gonna make it on time, let alone your connection.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

I had a lady the other day who was sitting next to me, because this guy came running up from the back. Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. She was like, I don't know why they don't make an announcement. And I said, Because we landed 36 minutes early, and she was like, Oh, and I said, and the airline doesn't let you book for less than an hour on your connection. So you now have an hour and a half. There's no way he has a tight connection. And she said, Huh. Is that why you all don't make announcements? And I said, That's generally generally why the flight attendant sitting up front told you we were 30 minutes early. So you would take a deep breath and realize everything was fine. And she was like, Huh. Well, what's that guy running from? And I said, He's just being rude. She was like, Oh, your airline is an hour for connections? I don't know what it is. There's like a minimum connect time that everybody uses.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

It's such a it messes with them.

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Yeah, it's you can't get out of here any quicker. And if everyone would just deploy, just like boarding, if you would just start at the front and kindly wait, it takes like 10 minutes to deploy an airplane. It's the people who like stop to let the person in front of them fully exit the airplane because they weren't ready that is making this uh last longer. It's but don't get on telling me you have a tight connection because we're leaving early. You're gonna arrive early.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

And deplane's not the time to be rearranging your entire life.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Right. Uh

🚩#3: Your bag WILL NOT fit there, Ma’am

SPEAKER_00 8:30

the next one I have is my bag will fit. It fit on the last plane. Babes, this is an E145. You'll be lucky if your purse fits in that overhead bin, but go off. Break that bin. We aren't going anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

I love that. They think all planes are the same. They like don't understand. I just why wouldn't you trust the person that works on this plane all day, every day, to tell you if a bag fits or not? Trust me, we know.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

And those for those of you who aren't familiar, an E145 is a regional jet. And as someone who used to work uh regional jets, I didn't even get to put my suitcase on the plane. Why would I tell you that yours won't fit? If I couldn't put mine on the plane, yeah, we all valet our bags together. Yeah, it's really a thing. It's fine. It's coming right back to you.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

You'll be alright.

🚩#4: “I know my seat”

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Or when they say, I know my seat, sir, I couldn't care less about your seat. Just show us your boarding pass to make sure you're on the right flight.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Oh, yeah. Or when there's a seat dupe problem and like, well, I thought F was the aisle seat. The pictogram above you makes total sense. F is not the aisle seat. Never has been, never will be. It's pretty alphabetical if that's C. This is probably not L C. They don't know that that's C though, either. I know, that's it. Truthfully. Uh

🚩#5: Water, please…

SPEAKER_00 9:53

when they immediately get on the airplane and ask for water so they can take a pill.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

This I it's the like level of urgency. Like they come on as if they didn't know they had to take the pill and then declare this medical reason. When the truth is, we most of us I don't really need a reason. Just I'll give you a water if you really want a water. I don't understand why you're like shouting at me right now so urgently.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

Well, there are a couple um airlines that will only give you water if it's a medical necessity, so I think that's why some people say it. But I also this is one of those things that fascinates me. Like you uh know you, you know your life, you know what you need in life, and somehow you walked past 37 bottle filling stations to need a cup of water from me for this pill. I don't I don't buy it. Yeah, sorry. I don't buy it.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

Well, especially like nowadays, there's so many water filling stations in the airport, like it is free to bring an empty water bottle and just fill it up. I don't understand this, like, oh no one has provided me with water. Like, you haven't been walking the desert for days, like it's an airport. Calm down. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

And I don't know why I know people don't know this, but ice isn't liquid, so you could also true. You could freeze it and then you just have one of your own from home if you really wanted it.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

Another red

🚩# 6: Ignoring the crew’s greetings

SPEAKER_01 11:21

flag is when they don't say hi back to me when I greet them. This is not a red flag so much for me as like just a pet peeve. It's just disrespectful. I don't understand it.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Yeah. I just I don't understand people who don't like who don't come out of their moment. You are not doing anything important enough. Like you take your headphones off when you scan the ticket, keep your headphones off, or like you know you're walking onto a plane. I mean, this is why half half half flight attendants don't even say good morning to you anymore. We're so tired of being ignored that we stand and ignore you and we're trying.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

I usually reach a breaking point during boarding. Like, I'll say hello to everyone that's boarding, if most of them or a good portion of them are responding. But if I get to like a streak of like five or ten people in a row where I'm getting nothing, I'm like, I'm done talking to people. I've what who am I speaking to right now?

SPEAKER_00 12:20

My reaction gets poor. I'm like, oh, chopped liver. Oh, wait till you need me in flight.

SPEAKER_01 12:26

Yeah, I had this guy one time, and I'll never forget it. He was getting off the plane, and we I worked like a cross-country flight, first class. Everybody was needy as hell, and most of them were nice, but this one guy who was particularly needy, like getting off, I was like, Thank you so much for flying with us. Have a great day, and nothing. And I was like, Or not, and I just like yelled it into the jet bridge. Yeah, and he turns around and he goes, Excuse me. Yeah, and I said, Oh, so you can hear me, and he goes, You're a smart ass. And I said, Yep, have a great day. Like, I just I lost it.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

Have the day you deserve.

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Yeah, I think I think we all have a breaking point where it's like, I'm gonna get a letter for this, and I don't know that I care anymore because I could have done worse.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Uh

🚩#7: Blaming us for a missed connections

SPEAKER_00 13:17

last time you made me miss my connection. Like WTF Karen. I love this one. I love how I am personally responsible for whatever happened to you in aviation, and that you choose boarding to tell me about it. Right. We have a three and a half hour flight where you could tell me about your experience, but you want to stop boarding to be like, let me tell you what you did to me the last time I was on your airline. Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

If you're coming at me with this energy, I'm gonna meet you where you are. Correct. And to just don't, just don't do it. Another

🚩#8: Telling us to smile more

SPEAKER_01 13:51

red flag, telling me to smile, saying shit like, oh, you finally made it. Oh, this one sends me over the edge. Like when you're on reserve and you are replacing somebody and the flight's delayed, not because of you, but because of some previous crew issue that happened, and they take it out on you. Like, I'm actually the one saving the day here. I didn't have to show up here, you're welcome, but instead they choose to come at you with an attitude.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

It's like, are you kidding? I don't understand this smile thing. I don't like I can put on a smack smack, I can put on a fake smile for you if that's really what will make you happy. But at the end of the day, my personality doesn't change because I put a fake smile on my face. Like, um, I usually joke with people when they ask me to smile, and I'm like, but this is my happy face. Like, I don't get it. What like you don't know what we're going through, you don't know what kind of day we've had. Like, I've acknowledged your presence, you've ignored me, and now you want me to smile. Yeah. Pop off on somebody else's sis. It's not me.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

Yeah, the fake smile thing. Like, I just you smile. Give me a reason to smile. That's usually what I say. Make my day and we'll see. Right?

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Is it my turn? Okay. Uh can

🚩#9: You need time apart…for like 7 minutes

SPEAKER_00 15:10

I sit next to my BF on the seven-minute flight? We bought middle seats, and now we want to inconvenience anyone who will let us sit together on this very, very full flight next to the next city over.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

These people crack me up because it really is always the shortest flight where this is like the biggest issue for people. And I'm like, you and your boyfriend, maybe you need time apart. Maybe this space will be good for you. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Take the seven-minute flight away from your boyfriend. You guys can meet up later in the destination where you're probably gonna spend seven days together at some all-inclusive resort and chew each other's heads off.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Uh, it's not even a seven-minute flight. If your relationship cannot survive a three-hour flight apart from each other, any length flight. Go to therapy. Go to therapy before you come to the airline. Because you're just gonna put your headphones on and ignore them anyway. Stop asking us to fix things you could have fixed long before you got to me.

🚩#10: Use the bathroom before boarding

SPEAKER_01 16:06

The next red flag is when they get on the plane and immediately need to use the bathroom. Mind you, I work on the CRJ 700 and the ERJ 175. Ain't no space for all of that. I love this one. Because I mean, it's true on any airplane, though, because even if you're on the tiniest airplane, which obviously does make it harder, the airplanes are usually in some sort of flight attendant or flight attendant adjacent space anyway. Yes. So it's like they're all up in our business. Did the bathrooms in the terminal break? Like, I don't understand what's happening here.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Be a normal human when you get to the airport, go check to make sure that your gate is there. We all want to pop around and make sure C-17 actually exists. Yep. Then go to the bathroom, get your food, come back and sit until they call your boarding group. You don't need to be lined up at the boarding door an hour and 15 minutes before your flight when they don't even start boarding until a half hour prior. I will say you are in group seven, not one.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

I will say, I think in these moments, the only people I will forgive are the non-revs, are the passengers. Non-revs, mom, if you're listening, are the passengers who fly on standby benefits with the airline. So you may or may not get a seat, and sometimes you have to stay at that podium until the very last minute. So you can't want to go to the bathroom. You might miss your opportunity for the flight altogether. So I will forgive them because sometimes that's stressful.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

And I mean, I'll forgive a lot of people. It isn't a red flag for me personally, but also I'm just gonna keep reiterating it. Use the bathroom before you get on because you don't even know if our bathrooms are working. Because if they're being serviced or the airplane has been shut off, our bathrooms literally may not be working

🚩#11: A loud and rowdy group of adults

SPEAKER_00 17:45

for like a multitude of reasons. So um, like don't expect that to be an option for you. Um, the group of men being really loud with the bottles of alcohol from the duty free joking around. I already know I'll have to be acting like a mom. Girl same.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

I groups of adults in general are usually kind of a red flag. Like whether it's like a bachelor party, bachelorette party, or just some like rowdy group of bros going to play golf or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

Any group of adults.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

Yeah, I'm like, you're all gonna order drinks and you're all gonna make jokes that I've heard a thousand times before that are usually cringe, and I'm gonna have to pretend that I'm having a good time dealing with this.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Life of a flight attendant.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

The next red

🚩#12: Handing us trash as they board

SPEAKER_01 18:36

flag that we have is those who give you their trash as soon as they board without even saying hi or anything. Do I look like a garbage bin?

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Also, it's not like you've never flown before when you walk on and say, Do you have garbage?

unknown 18:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

Well, yeah, of course we have a place to put it, but like, hi, how are you? How's your day? How are you? Do you have somewhere I can ditch this coffee cup? Sure, sure, sure. I don't I love when they don't even say anything, they just hand you the coffee cup.

SPEAKER_01 19:06

Well, that's what this person's talking about. They just shove it in your face. And I'm usually a complete asshole about it, and I'm like, oh no, thank you. And then they look at me and I'm like, use your words. Ask me for something like an adult. Like, come on now. This is like treat us like human beings at least.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

I don't know when that became the hardest part of our job, but that's the hardest part of our job is being treated like a human. Amen. Um

🚩#13: Pilot cards (not all airlines have them)

SPEAKER_00 19:33

the next one we have is at D now. Uh, we have a handful of people every flight ask about the pilot cards. I try not to let it annoy me because they're usually nice, but it's just yet another thing to add during the chaos of boarding. Um agreed.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

I would say that even if whether you work at that airline or not, it's getting asked at every airline because once one airline gets something, people see us all as one. So they immediately get on another airline and they're like, Oh, I want those little pilot cards, and you're like, that's not this airline, that's this airline, and they just stare at you like a deer in headlights, like, huh. So you don't have them? No, I don't have them.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

Yeah. I I happen to work at an airline that does those, and I really like them, but I it's also another thing that I have to carry around if I don't want to. Um, I wish they were like catered on or something like that, so that you always had a supply of them because um I I'm a minimalist minimalist in my packing. Don't ask me to carry anything.

SPEAKER_01 20:39

It's all those little like amenities that they put on the flight attendants to maybe carry or maybe not carry, like kitty wings and things like that. Like, it's on the crew member to carry them around, and it's like a lot of us are it's one more thing.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

Right. I mean, I know it's one more thing for catering to do, but there has to be a better way to get those things on the airplane for us.

SPEAKER_01 20:56

Well, and the irony of the fact that like it's one more thing for us to carry yet, these are the same passengers asking us for these amenities. They're also like, you guys carry too many bags. What do you have in there? Things for you. You're welcome. Yeah, things for you.

🚩#14: Nope, we’re not doing that

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Uh, the next red flag we have, ooh, is quite a red flag.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

It's a red hat. It's 2026. We just don't wear them in public. It's 2026.

SPEAKER_01 21:22

We're not doing that.

SPEAKER_00 21:23

Nope. By now, you're not forgiven. Right. Uh the next one we

🚩#15: Moving other people’s bags

SPEAKER_00 21:31

have is they come on and immediately start moving people's bags from overhead bins, removing people's bags from overhead bins.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

I I think this is funny because part of me is like, okay, the passenger is trying to figure things out on their own. I applaud when passengers do that because it's like a lot of times they ask us for things that I'm like, you could have figured this out already. Uh-huh. But also, what are you doing with everybody's stuff? Correct. Where are you going? Right. What are you doing? Yeah. What's your plan?

SPEAKER_00 21:57

I need the space right above my head. You were the last person to board and you're in row four. We're out of space.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Right. It's it's you're going to 37, or you're gonna check it. These are your choices.

🚩#16: Hey Captain, don’t tap the fuselage

SPEAKER_01 22:13

The next frag red flag we have is tapping the view salage before boarding. Oh good. Hey Captain, cancel that walk around. We should be fine. 14 people tapped on the plane before boarding, so we're all set. 60% of the time, it works every time. I love the sass in this person's response. Um, whoever you are, you are fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 22:35

And thank you for being you. Yeah, and what I think is funny is I I truly believe that this is supposed to be for like luck or something.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

Oh, for sure. It's like a superstitious thing.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Yeah, but I thought you were supposed to board the airplane with your right foot for luck. Like that's like the travel thing. Oh, really? So they'll knock on the plane and then they'll board with their left foot first. And I've made people, I've like you've jinxed us, go back, you have to start over. Like one doesn't cancel out the other. So like step back off. If you're a superstitious person, board with your right foot first, because that's how that's good luck for travel. Step back off and do it again. You can't um do this for good luck and then jinxes with walking on with the right foot. So I make people redo it.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

See, boarding is already too much. This is too much. Now I gotta worry about people's superstitions and their trash. I can't do it. We don't get paid enough for all that.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Yeah, I love it. Um,

🚩#17: “They” will take care of it

SPEAKER_00 23:30

they uh told me that you could put this in a closet, seat 31E.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

Uh, the proverbial they is one of the most famous people in the aviation industry, I swear to God, because whether you like it or not, every work group, I swear to God, is is like at fault for this. Like we're all guilty of being like, well, they can take care of that for you. And it's we everybody passes the buck in this industry.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

If anyone tells you to ask a flight attendant uh in aviation, it's because they don't want to tell you no. And if a flight attendant tells you to ask anyone else in aviation, it's because their work day is over and they're tired of dealing with it. And that's the truth on that.

SPEAKER_01 24:16

You tuned in for insider secrets and you got insider secrets. The next

🚩#18: Well, that’s rude.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

red flag is when they came on talking on the phone loudly, thrust their coffee cup in my face and say, Do you have trash without a thank you? Good morning, or please. Someone else mentioned this one too, and I mean it bears repeating because it happens so often. I think this particular thing appeared in this feed like a thousand times because so often it's like they just the trash in your face.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

I don't think as flight attendants, we're asking for a lot. We get that you need services from us, but the bare minimum that you can do is treat us like humans who have given up a lot of our time at home to be somewhere to help you get somewhere important. So, like, good morning, how's your day? Did you get sleep last night? Oh, how's the hotel? Like, there are just ways to start a conversation with a flight attendant that will put us in a good mood where we'll just open the trash can for you because we see that you have an empty coffee cup versus having to thrust it in our faces. I'm ranty today, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 25:28

Uh, the next red

🚩#19: Alcohol first, really?

SPEAKER_00 25:29

flag we have, oh, I agree with this one a lot. Immediately asking for alcohol while boarding the plane. Do you want to know how not to get an alcohol on an airplane? That move right there.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Oh, to get an alcohol.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

No, to not get alcohol. You want to know how not to get alcohol on an airplane? That move right there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

I mean, and this is the thing about drinking on airplanes, is if you're nice to your flight attendants and approach us, you know, with a good attitude, like we're probably gonna give you lots of drinks and we're gonna have a good time with you, and like, you know, we're gonna make your experience on board a fun one. But I don't even care if you're flying at 8 a.m. and you want a bud light. Like, I don't know what kind of day you had, I don't know what you're going through right now, but asking for it immediately upon boarding is such a red flag because I just think immediately you're gonna be a problem. Uh-huh. You're gonna wreak havoc on my flight. Yeah. And I'm not here for it.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

For sure. I don't want any part of it.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

The next

🚩#20: Call button isn’t a toy

SPEAKER_01 26:27

red flag we have is pushing the call button before pushback.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

I don't know why you're looking at me like that. You love a call bell. I do. I do love a call bell, but I do also need people to like look around the airplane and decide whether it's appropriate to push a call bell or not. If the aisle is full and I'm gonna have a hard time getting to you because we're actively boarding an airplane, can your question wait until the aisle is clear? Right. Um, and during boarding, we're pretty actively in the airplane. Like exactly we are stationed every like five to ten rows so that there's somebody pretty available to you, but can I get to you? Right. And if not, wait until I can before you hit the button. Yeah. But I'm a proponent for the button.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

I think that's a the biggest part of the call bell in general is the timing of it. You know, you've got people ring their call bell after the pilots have said prepare for takeoff. I can't get up right now, it's not safe for me to do so. So unless I see some sort of emergency happening in the cabin, I'm gonna wait till we're up in the air to address it. Same with boarding. It's like if there's an emergency, I'll try to swim upstream or push people or whatever I need to do to get to a situation.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

But if it's just a general call bell to ask me for headphones or something, like well, and you have to assume that the call bell is an emergency. So now you've jeopardized my safety so I can mountain climb to get to you for you to be like, is it okay for me to go to the bathroom? No, it's not okay for me to be standing here right now.

SPEAKER_01 28:05

Like you just asked me at the absolute worst possible time if there's Wi-Fi. Like, can you wait a minute? Like, what is your deal right now? Yeah, yeah, it definitely drives me nuts. Situational awareness has to be brought back. Just some, just a little bit. I'm not saying we don't want to answer your call bill, but just have a little bit of grace because like you've got those people too who are like, I rang the call bell and I was ignored. And it's like the aisle was clogged. When where do you where was I do you want me to like descend upon you, like fly over the seats? Yeah, I don't understand.

SPEAKER_00 28:36

And I think I've said it before, like the where we figure out the seats. Like, if I'm standing in the aisle, those overhead bins block a lot, and you sometimes, I mean, even if you tuck your head down and start spinning around, where we find out where the call bell is is very far from us most of the time. It's in a galley. Yeah. So I gotta swim back up to a galley to figure out where this call bell is that I, anyways, it's it's a thing, it turns into a whole thing for us. Uh,

🚩#21: Complaining about literally anything

SPEAKER_00 29:03

the next red flag I have when the first thing they do as they hit the threshold is start complaining about anything.

SPEAKER_01 29:11

Yeah, I would agree with that one because it's like you're already coming on with just negative energy. It's not that I don't want to help you with whatever you're complaining about or upset about. It's just like starting there is such a choice.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

And I'm, you know, my husband will tell you, I'm a cancer, I feel other people's emotions a lot. So, like your complaining doesn't help me smile and be in a good mood because I'm gonna take your energy and start start complaining to everyone else. So you want to be in a bad mood?

SPEAKER_01 29:41

I'm gonna be in a worse one. It's a hundred percent you, it's me.

🚩#22: Enormous backpacks are not cute

SPEAKER_01 29:47

The next red flag is wearing enormous backpacks through tiny galleys and the aisle where flight attendants are actively working. No, it's not cute. Yes, I've been injured by it, and no, you're not quirky or wild. Yeah, I as someone who travels with a backpack, I love it. I get it. I love having a backpack. I think they're easy to carry around airports, up and down stairs.

SPEAKER_00 30:10

Your backpack's what being talked about, though. No, no, this is not what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 30:13

I'm just saying, like, as someone who wears a backpack, I understand it. Oh, yeah, but like backpack is a specific etiquette. You know, walking through an aisle or a tiny galley with this huge backpack, you're gonna hit someone.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

No one seems to know they're wearing that.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

They have just they have no idea. And it's like that classic joke every time because they'll be like, watch your backpack. And they'll be like, What? And they'll take somebody out or they'll hit something or knock something over, and you're like, What? Just again, some sort of awareness would be great.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

Uh uh just a little bit of it. Yeah, take it off, carry it in front of you. I love when people come on the airplane wearing the the giant backpacks backwards so that they have control over it. Yeah, I would agree. Kudos to you. Um, okay, the next red

🚩#23: Status fliers & getting away with rules

SPEAKER_00 30:59

flag we have are status flyers in the bulkhead who intentionally put their laptops in the seat back pocket um and their bags at their feet. Um, it all goes up.

SPEAKER_01 31:11

I would yeah, the the frequent flyers that suddenly don't know how the rules work, or worse, know the rules and think they're about to get away with something. Come on. I know your status, I know you fly all the time, I can see everything about you that you fly on like all the time. What what are we doing here?

SPEAKER_00 31:31

Yeah. Um, I love when they like put them down their shirts like they're wearing a chest plate. Wait, who? What? You don't you've never seen them like put them up their shirt and it looks like their laptops and it looks like they're just wearing a chest plate to hide their laptops.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Passengers put their laptop under their shirt.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Under their shirt, and then they're just sitting there with this big square under their shirt when they're in the bulkhead, so they don't have to put it up.

SPEAKER_01 31:55

Or I've never seen that. You're joking.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Oh, it happens all the time. It's crazy. I'm like, babe, are you going to war? Like, what's this chest plate? We haven't worn those in years. I don't understand. I don't get it. What's happening? Put it back in your bag, which you tucked behind your feet, which is also wrong. How you thought your legs were gonna hide that giant bag from me, but all of this is a I have to be on the lookout for the chest chest plate laptop. Yeah, yeah. I had a bulkheader the other day who pulled out one of those travel fans before takeoff and like slid the stick down and was like, It's so hot in here. And I was like, No, Fred, no, you don't get to do this.

SPEAKER_01 32:32

Oh my god, every day is a new adventure and a new thing that someone is doing.

SPEAKER_00 32:36

Someone on TikTok told her to bring a travel fan if she was in row one because it was the hottest part of the plane, and she I think they met one of the the like handheld fans, and she brought a full oscillating fan with her. It was the wildest thing I've ever seen.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Once in row one. You cannot make this shit. No.

🚩#24: Aggressive questions

SPEAKER_01 32:56

The next red flag is aggressively asking if it's a full flight. I like that they added the word aggressive in this because they really do. They come on is the flight full? What is that changing for you?

SPEAKER_00 33:09

Right. That's my question. Someone weigh in in the comments um down below somewhere. Can you please tell me how knowing if the flight's full changes the one seat that you purchased on your ticket and how it changes whether you're gonna sit there or not? Because you're gonna sit in the seat on your ticket, even if it is full, you still don't know if somebody's in 32b. Like, sit in your seat. I don't get it.

SPEAKER_01 33:33

Well, and realistically, like, what what do you think is the outcome of this situation? Are you like expecting me to be like, oh, no, it's not, but I'm glad you, the one person asked me this. You can sit in first class by yourself, and this will be like your private chat. Like, what do you think is about to happen when you ask this question to the crew?

SPEAKER_00 33:52

Yeah, my favorite well, the gate agent said it was full, so I'm just reconfirming. Is it a full flight? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

Well, they lied to you. No, I mean, like, I just they they do that.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

Don't know what it changes for you boarding the airplane, what like how aggressively you ask that question? What is this about to change for you in the way that you travel? I I don't understand it, and I never will. So

🚩#25: Nonsense for free stuff

SPEAKER_00 34:19

the next red flag, immediately asking for shit uh as soon as they board, uh, because they want free stuff.

SPEAKER_01 34:28

I they just the passengers love free stuff. I flew with this guy not too long ago and he made this joke that like passengers do not care. Like the reason everybody asks for beverages and gives it back to you full when you come through a trash, at least on my airline, is because it's free. And he's like, I'm telling you, it doesn't matter what you pass out, if it's free, they will take it. And he's like, Have you ever done a napkin service? And I was like, No. And he goes, Let's do a napkin service. Let's walk through the cabin, just pass out napkins. They'll take them because you're giving it to them and it's free. And so he did it. I was like, I can't watch you do the whole cabin like this, please stop. And he just went, he started passing out napkins to everybody, and passengers like, oh, thank you. And it was like they really thought this was like some special service that we were doing.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

Yeah. I'm gonna do this with toilet paper from now, and just one square to everyone. Just with the roll. Yeah, take the roll out and just give one square to everyone.

SPEAKER_01 35:27

Toilet paper, no, they're gonna give toilet paper. They're gonna think there's like budget cuts and this is all they get. There's no, there's a toilet paper shortage, there's nothing else happening. Oh, please do and report back to us here at the podcast. I will. I will, I will. One day I'm gonna feel frisky and I'm gonna do a toilet paper service. It's gonna be great. The

🚩#26: Thinking that they’re funny

SPEAKER_01 35:51

next red flag is when they think they're being funny, asking if the pilot is sober. Automatically I add an hour delay for their removal. This I've I've seen this happen a couple times. They think it's okay to make jokes about our sobriety, whether it's flight attendants or pilots. It's such a serious issue. It's so not funny.

SPEAKER_00 36:12

It's not funny, it's such a serious issue that is taken so seriously.

SPEAKER_01 36:18

We are regulated by the DOT and the FAA. We have strict guidelines on alcohol and drug use, any sort of slip-up, and we're removed, fired. Like, there's a number of consequences that happen. So to make that joke, you're not only putting your own flight in jeopardy because that person is probably gonna get pulled and removed for drug and alcohol testing, but you're also putting that person's career in jeopardy because now they're being accused of something, meaning you suspect something. Like it's just it is not a funny joke under any circumstances. Like, you know, whether, like, you see a flight attendant drinking something in the galley and you say, Oh, is that a mimosa or something? Like, nope. No, no, no. There is no space in aviation for that kind of joke, especially in this day and age with so many things going wrong left and right.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

Correct. It's not funny.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

So the

🌟Fan comment: Why are people so feral?

SPEAKER_01 37:15

last one we have, it's not so much a red flag, but it is a fan comment that we really appreciated and wanted to include in the episode. This is from Adventurous Moose on Threads. Um, reading a lot of these comments makes me feel like I'm a gold star passenger because never would I ever think to ask to the plane first, ask for drinks or anything during boarding before they're offered, trying to give trash to anyone before they come around to collect it, or any of these other wild things. Why, why, why are people so feral?

SPEAKER_00 37:46

You know, adventurous moose, we would like to know why they're so feral.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

I just love it because it's like it really doesn't take much to be a good passenger. Correct. But there's so many things that just immediately set the tone in a like the worst way, and then there's the easiest thing to do to start your flight off, right, is to just say like hello, good morning, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 38:05

I think we're gonna need to need to ask green flags sometime soon.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

What are your green flags during Let's do a green flag episode and see what the people say, see what the people say. I like this plan.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

See if they've been paying attention to any of our podcasts.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

Slowly but surely, we think with this podcast, maybe we'll change the way passengers behave on airlines, or maybe we'll get the same feral behavior as always.

SPEAKER_00 38:32

That's funny. Okay, we have a couple minutes left um before we close out this episode, and we don't we normally, when it's just the two of us, we would do um story time.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

A galley gossip segment.

SPEAKER_00 38:45

Galley gossip segment. Um, and we would read a story.

SPEAKER_01 38:49

We don't have one right now. Unfortunately, we've run out of good stories. So if you're listening, think of a time when you had a crazy story or a funny passenger moment, whether you're a flight attendant or not, it doesn't matter. Um, we know you've seen it all out there uh in aviation. So if you have a fun story or heartwarming moment from a flight that you were on, please send us your stories. Go to twoguysinaplane.com slash podcast to submit your story for our galley gossip segment, and we could read your story live on the air.

SPEAKER_00 39:18

But instead,

Let’s play Cross-Checked!

SPEAKER_00 39:20

we decided it would be really fun to play cross-checked. Um, because we realize we've asked all of our guests these questions, but you don't know our answers to these questions.

SPEAKER_01 39:33

Yes, and we love the cross-check segment because this is where we get to do a lightning round of questions of fun aviation flying and travel-related questions.

SPEAKER_00 39:41

So okay, so as quick as possible, because we're not usually good at this, I'm gonna ask Rich.

SPEAKER_01 39:46

You want me to start? Okay, I'm ready.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

Okay, are you ready? Yes, window or aisle, aisle. Um, Airbus or Boeing, obviously Airbus. Hotel or Airbnb.

SPEAKER_01 39:56

Ooh, depends on the circumstance, but I'm gonna lean hotel because Airbnb, you've been sus lately.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

Favorite place you've been so far.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

I can never answer this question. Favorite place I've ever been. Recently it was um Romania.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

It really incredible place. Favorite airport?

SPEAKER_01 40:14

Favorite airport, I would have to go either my two hometown airports, either well, three. The three places I've lived. It's a great lightning round. I keep talking. Three places I've lived are Boston, DC, and Philly. And I love Logan, Reagan, and Philly International. They're just they're comforting places to me.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

I'm gonna see if he surprises me right now. Least favorite airport.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

Least favorite airport, Atlanta.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

He did not surprise. You're accessible. Uh go to snack while flying.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

Go to snack while flying something salty, crunchy, and not messy.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

Uh, he likes peanut butter pretzels. Yeah, usually it's like a peanut butter pretzel because they don't make a mess.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

You know, do you ever get in those situations?

SPEAKER_00 40:57

You know what's sweet, salty, and crunchy? Peanut butter pretzels.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

True! They're the perfect snack. But you know when you get like Doritos or something, and then like suddenly you're like, I'm a mess, and I'm in some middle seat somewhere, it's the worst.

SPEAKER_00 41:09

Um, favorite song on your travel playlist.

SPEAKER_01 41:13

Um, this actually might surprise you because it's usually pretty much anything Kelly Clarkson. I will say that. You know, who doesn't love like the breakaway music video when she's on the plane? Like, I have my breakaway moments when I'm on the plane. But I will say it's um oh my god, it's a song by Bastille called Flaws. Is it Flaws? No, what's the other one that they have? I can't believe how ADD I'm being right now. There's a song by Bastia that I really like. We'll link it in the show notes.

SPEAKER_00 41:46

Uh one item that's always in your carry-on.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

One item that is always in my carry-on. It is usually uh portable fan.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

Um no joke.

SPEAKER_01 42:02

Because there's nothing worse than being stuck on a hot airplane with no APU. New Zealand. Alright. Tables have turned. Andrew, are you ready to play cross-checked?

SPEAKER_00 42:16

Uh yes.

SPEAKER_01 42:17

With the same exact questions that you should have answers for.

SPEAKER_00 42:20

Oh, have all the answers already. Window or aisle. Um, I am an aisle seater. Airbusser Boeing. Uh, I'm an Airbusser. Hotel or Airbnb. Um, I am generally an Airbnber, although I'm becoming a hoteller. So uh hotel.

SPEAKER_01 42:39

Favorite place you've been to?

SPEAKER_00 42:41

Uh Budapest. Should not be a secret to anyone at this point. Favorite airport. Uh I'm a hometown girly, so Philadelphia. I used to love Nashville, but they just redid it and I don't really like it's not as model. Sorry, Nashville. I hate to keep shit talking you in all of these episodes, but you're not living up to the hype anymore.

SPEAKER_01 43:00

Least favorite airport.

SPEAKER_00 43:01

You know, I don't really have one on hand. Atlanta is too large and very hard to get around in. But my least favorite airports are the ones that like they took an airport and then they just kept adding on to them, so they no longer make any sense. Um, and I don't really have a descriptor for that, but they exist.

SPEAKER_01 43:18

Like Logan, Boston's pretty badish.

SPEAKER_00 43:21

Yeah, like they're how do you turn this hallway and then it goes that way for no reason? And I just I feel like there was no clear guidance on how the airplane was supposed or how the airport was supposed to grow. Um, and those are the ones that get on my nerves.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

Understandable.

SPEAKER_00 43:35

Yeah. Go-to snack while flying. Beef jerky. I know.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Smells like a pistachious.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Um, actually, I just did that to get that reaction. My actual one. I really um I carry around pistachios.

SPEAKER_01 43:46

You're an absolute menace. I know.

SPEAKER_00 43:49

Um, pistachios is my go to.

SPEAKER_01 43:51

Favorite song on your travel playlist?

SPEAKER_00 43:52

Um, currently anything by Noah Khan. I just put him on um replay or not replay, but shuffle and just listen.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

Solid choice. Basic white girl, solid choice.

SPEAKER_00 44:02

Oh no, it's the season of sticks. What can I say?

SPEAKER_01 44:04

One item that's always in your carry-on?

SPEAKER_00 44:06

Tinfoil.

SPEAKER_01 44:07

Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 44:08

Um, I take a shoot of tinfoil and I as a flight attendant, that makes so much sense. It's always in every carry-on, always. You you may need a hat to protect yourself from aliens or to cover up your why was that the first choice? Or to take um or to take leftovers home. You never know. You never know what you're gonna need it for.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

Lastly, a place you've always wanted to visit but I haven't been to yet.

SPEAKER_00 44:29

Uh Antarctica.

SPEAKER_01 44:30

Oh, why didn't I say that?

SPEAKER_00 44:32

I don't know, but I want to see the penguins. Yes, so beyond.

SPEAKER_01 44:36

Well, this was fun. I'm glad we got to cross-check each other since we don't get to work together.

SPEAKER_00 44:40

That's true.

SPEAKER_01 44:42

This has been such a fun episode of Red Flags. Keep the thread going. We're gonna link it to the comments so you can see the original post with the original comments that were shared by some of our audience members. Uh, and if you want more content, tune in to Patreon and join our community. We've got behind the scenes footage, bonus content, early access to episodes, exclusive merch, and more. Go to patreon.com slash two guys in a plane for extra stuff and to support our show.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

Um, as an extra special thank you, we appreciate all of you for joining in on this journey with us. It's been so fun doing this podcast, and we're so excited to do more. So join us next time for more humor, heart, and stories from our beverage cart.

SPEAKER_01 45:24

I was like, where are you going with this? I have no idea. This episode was brought to you by Staff Traveler, the number one non rev app. If you travel on standby tickets and are looking to make your journey easy and stress free, check out the Staff Traveler app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Visit StaffTraveler.comslash two guys to learn more and sign up.