Latest news with #flightattendant
News.com.au
a day ago
- General
- News.com.au
Flight attendant warns why you shouldn't switch seats
Agreeing to swap seats at 30,000 feet might seem like the generous thing to do — but there's a good reason you should always say no, according to airline insiders. A lot of passengers refuse the request for various reasons — which can frequently lead to dramatic, unscheduled in-flight entertainment. But a flight attendant is now warning big-hearted travellers who usually don't mind making the change of the potential chaos that can ensue as a result of the seat switcheroo. 'Just beware!' Leanna Coy, a cabin crew member based in Connecticut in the US, advised in the caption of her cautionary clip. The title? 'Why you shouldn't switch seats on the plane.' 'If the person you switch with does anything to act up on the plane, that can now come back on you,' Leanna told a TikTok audience of more than 19,700 viewers. The skyway savant explained she was recently a passenger on a United Airlines flight to Jordan, when a woman asked her to forfeit an aisle seat for the same accommodations in a different row. 'Normally, I am absolutely 100 per cent against changing seats,' said Leanna. 'Your lack of planning should not constitute me having to move.' However, in effort to 'not be a b***h, for once' she kindly made the trade – only to be thunderstruck with fear that she'd made a terrible mistake seconds later. 'If this lady decides to go smoke in the bathroom or something, that could come back on me because my name is gonna be on the manifest [sic],' Leanna carped, adding that the worry made her 'anxious' as the flight took off. 'Then I realised, I'm flying United,' she said. 'If you know anything about United's service, if you want to buy drinks or anything, you have to put your card onto the app ahead of time, which I've done before.' Uploading debit or credit card information onto an airline's app typically grants customers the option to buy in-flight goodies through contactless payment. Rather than having to whip out the piece of plastic, the purchases are charged to the card connected to the name and seat number of the passenger. 'So, I [said to] the flight attendant, 'Hey, I just switched seats with somebody, but my card is connected to my account. Does that mean that they now have access to my card?' She was stunned to hear, 'Oh, yeah. Technically, they do.' Leanna explained that passengers ordering food or beverages are supposed to verify their seat number prior to completing a transaction. But, more often than not, she said air trippers mindlessly make mid-flight snack and soda purchases without realising they come at a cost. 'Now, do I think this lady was trying to scam me out of money on my card? No,' Leanna conceded. 'But that's just something to be aware of.' 'I fully support you if you don't want to switch seats,' she added. 'You are entitled to the seat that you chose.' Mitra Amirzadeh, a flight attendant based in Orlando, agrees – unless, of course, a child is involved. 'The next time you feel yourself getting angry or getting frustrated that you're not getting the seat you want, you need to remind yourself that you didn't pay to pick your seat. Otherwise, you'd be in it,' Amirzadeh previously ranted to WSJ, scolding jetsetters who try bullying others into seat swapping. However, grumps who refuse to give up their chairs to parents with small children can expect to feel her wrath. 'I have said before, 'OK, so you're going to watch the toddler?'' she admitted. 'You'll want their snacks and their colouring books then, because they're going to need that.' The mere suggestion that the curmudgeon might have to provide child care often triggers an immediate change of heart regarding the seat switch.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Airline passenger sparks heated debate about 'rarely enforced' baggage policy on flight
A flight passenger who boarded a late-night flight out of Atlanta, Georgia, shared frustrations about the baggage-related actions of some fellow flyers. Posting in the "r/delta" Reddit forum with the title, "Another rant about carry-ons and personal items," the user wrote to others, "Seriously, why have a 'rule' about one carry-on and one personal item when it's rarely enforced." The user added, "I watch[ed] a person with two, what I would call, large roll bags and no personal items put both rollers in an overhead bin while an FA [flight attendant] watched him do it." The user then added, "[Since] I paid to check my bag, I figured I'd put my backpack above my seat and the same FA [then] tells me that I can't do that." The person continued, "I mention to the FA that we just watched a person put two rollers in the overhead and why is that OK. The FA ignores me, moves on." The user said the flight attendant then put the bag under the seat in front. Reddit users took to the comments section to speculate about the actions of the traveler with two suitcases, plus bag policy habits. "Just from a personal experience, I once was asked about my two roller bags and my backpack as I was going to my seat," said one user. "I handle my mom's luggage when she gets on a plane because she can't. [So] it is very possible [this person was] doing the same." Another user pointed out other issues: "Let's talk about the real problem: baggage fees. This is why everyone uses a carry-on now. Which in turn makes boarding and deplaning take waaaay longer." Said yet another person, "Airlines need to start allowing a more generous checked baggage policy and start charging for carry-on luggage. That would solve several problems." One Redditor added, "I stopped traveling with a backpack because I got tired of having to sacrifice my legroom due to FAs screeching about backpacks going under the seat (even though it was usually my only carry-on)." One snarky user told the original poster, "Maybe you shouldn't be trying to police others, and [instead] should put your personal item under the seat in front of you where it [belongs]." "I'm [a member of a] flight crew who frequently travels as a passenger on commercial airliners," claimed one user. The person continued, "Rule of thumb is that if I'm not in uniform, I'm not allowed to bring more than the standard bag allowance for any passenger, whether crew or not." "If the flight is not full, oftentimes this rule is overlooked." Said another person on Reddit, "If I only have one item, that's my carry-on regardless of size, and I'm definitely putting it in the overhead and not under the seat in front of me." Former flight attendant and etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore of Florida told Fox News Digital the flight attendant may have been in the wrong in the case in question. "I'm not sure why this passenger was not allowed to put her backpack in the overhead bin. That's perfectly acceptable unless the bins are full," said Whitmore. She added, "The airlines have a policy that passengers can take one bag (of a certain size) and a personal item onboard the plane. If the flight is not full, oftentimes this rule is overlooked."
ABC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
A sea change from London to 'Jurassic Park'
In 2013 Kelly Green swapped her busy life as a flight attendant to move to Tristan Da Cuhna - part of a volcanic archipelago in the South Atlanic Ocean and the most remote inhabited island in the world. It's only possible to get to by ship from South Africa a few times a year. Despite the isolation, Kelly Green says it was a love story, island life, and the wildlife which has made the tiny isle her forever home. Producer: Joanna Crothers
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
British Airways cabin crew member was 'dancing high and naked in business class' after 30,000ft 'drugs binge'
A British Airways cabin crew member has been arrested after he was found dancing naked mid-flight in a business class toilet following a suspected drug binge. The steward's colleagues noticed he was missing when he failed to serve meals and drinks to passengers on the flight on Sunday , which was headed for London Heathrow from San Francisco. After searching for him in the aircraft, his boss was shocked to discover him completely naked and dancing up and down in the cabin bathroom, The Sun reports. 'We think the guy popped pills when he was meant to be working. It is an extraordinary thing to do,' one furious colleague said about the incident. 'The plane was cruising at 37,000ft over the Atlantic, but this bloke seemed to be higher than anyone else.' Other members of staff quickly threw a spare pair of pyjamas reserved for First Class customers onto the nude flight attendant. He was then escorted into the First Class cabin, where he stayed for the remainder of the ten-and-a-half hour flight. Upon landing, the flight attendant received medical attention and was escorted off the plane in a wheelchair, before being arrested by airport cops. British Airways said the incident was a matter for the police. It is understood that the crew member has been suspended from his job as he is investigated. MailOnline has approached the Metropolitan Police for comment. The incident involving the cabin crew member comes as a young British former flight attendant accused of smuggling £1.2 million worth of cannabis into Sri Lank appeared in court on Friday. Charlotte May Lee, 21, from Coulsdon, south London, was arrested in Colombo after police discovered 46 kg of 'Kush' - a synthetic strain of cannabis - in her suitcase. She had just arrived in the Sri Lankan capital on a flight from Bangkok in Thailand. She was arrested at Bandaranaike Airport and taken into custody on Monday, May 11. On Friday, Charlotte was filmed in a white dress with her hands behind her back being escorted to a prison van by police outside the court building in Colombo. She was visibly upset and tearful when she appeared in the courtroom. The Foreign Office in the UK has confirmed that it is supporting a British woman who has been arrested in Sri Lanka and is in contact with her family, as well as local authorities The former TUI flight attendant was held in a cell at the back of the room and then briefly led to the witness box but struggled to follow proceedings because it was in the main language of Sri Lanka, Sinhalese. Police also wheeled in the near-50kg haul of cannabis she was caught carrying into court as their investigation into the drugs bust continues. Charlotte is expected to appear in the dock again in two weeks. She is facing up to 25 years locked in a hellhole Sri Lankan jail - but she has insisted she has been set up. MailOnline spoke to her from her cell last week where she admitted that she had not been eating because the food was too spicy. Speaking to MailOnline from behind bars in the woman's ward of a notorious prison last week, Miss Lee said she had 'no idea' that there were drugs in her luggage when she set off for Sri Lanka. She said: 'I had never seen them before. I didn't expect it all when they pulled me over at the airport. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff. 'I had been in Bangkok the night before and had already packed my clothes because my flight was really early. 'So I left my bags in the hotel room and headed for the night out. As they were already packed I didn't check them again in the morning. 'They must have planted it then.' Miss Lee told us she had been working temporarily on a 'booze cruise' in Thailand but her 30-day visa was about to run out so she decided to take a trip to nearby Sri Lanka while she waited for her Thai visa to be renewed. She decided to go to the country because it was relatively nearby - only a three-hour flight away - and she had never visited there before. 'I thought while I was waiting for the visa that I'd come to Sri Lanka. 'They [the people she believed planted the drugs] were supposed to meet me here. But now I'm here - stuck in this jail.' After her arrest, Miss Lee was initially held at the Police Narcotics Bureau for seven days. She says she was forced to sleep on a sofa that had bed bugs with a security guard watching her the whole time. Then on Sunday she was brought to Negombo Magistrates Court where she was given remanded in custody for a further 14 days while she awaits further hearings. At this point she was transferred to Negombo Prison where she still remains, stuck in her crowded cell for 22 hours a day and only let out to eat and briefly stretch her legs. And it was here that she spoke to MailOnline last week to highlight the 'awful' conditions in the prison - revealing she has not eaten any food at all for two days because the prison meals have been making her ill.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Flight passenger branded a 'diva' after giving cabin crew a bizarre note with list of demands
A flight attendant has shared a ridiculous list of demands she received from a passenger as they boarded the flight. The cabin crew member, believed to be from the US, took to Reddit to reveal the extensive list of 'allergies' printed on a sheet of A4 paper that was handed to her as the passenger boarded the flight. The traveller, who revealed they were seated in seat 4A, requested a ban on the smell of coffee, perfume, and 'airplane fuel' as they were 'highly allergic' to these items. They asked the cabin crew member to ensure they weren't exposed to any related odors for the entire duration of the flight. Sharing the full list on the r/flightattendants subreddit, she captioned her post: 'Time to take the bus.' The note read: 'No coffee (highly allergic even to smell) No cashews. No fragrances or chemical smells. No gasoline or airplane fuel. 'I have a cashew allergy so if you could refrain from serving nuts I would appreciate it.' The passenger also mentioned that they were on 'several medications' and would, therefore, need to drink a lot of water. The note continued: 'If you could spare a large bottle of water from the onset of the flight, that would be greatly appreciated, this way I don't have to constantly ask you for more water. 'Thank you for your patience and understanding in trying to make this flight as enjoyable as possible for me I appreciate you.' Many quickly took to the comments to share their reactions to the unusual request. One person said: 'So they expect y'all just to not brew coffee for the whole flight? How are y'all supposed to control the smell of the gasoline? Another added: 'If you drink a lot of water, bring an empty water bottle or two and fill them after security. Even if everything else is true, this one makes us clear they want others to accommodate them, while doing little mitigation on their end.' Someone else added: 'Guess you should drive? I mean come on. I get severe life-threatening allergies. But you cannot dictate to everyone. It just doesn't work like that. I hate perfumes and get massive migraines from them but I'm certainly not going to make it someone else's issue.' A fourth added: 'I wonder how she got through the airport. I mean really in all honesty, the FA is supposed to deny the whole plane coffee because of 1 person? What a joke!' Meanwhile, other flight attendants chimed in with their own stories of bizarre in-flight requests. One crew member wrote: 'New flight attendant - already ready to get fired for telling off one more person that asks me to refill their water bottle and then acts pained when I give them two cups.' Another said: 'I had a passenger at boarding tell me she was allergic to everything. 'I spoke to the Captain, who said she could not fly with us. I went to relay this information and to have her deplane, and suddenly she changed the story. 'I asked "Which is it? Are you or are you not allergic to everything?" Finally, she stated "No, just peanuts." I said "Fine! We don't serve them!"' Someone else said: 'I had a passenger who was apparently deathly allergic to dogs but didn't bring an EpiPen. 'She was told that the owners of the dogs on board would be using the business class toilets as to not have any cross contamination. She still made a stink. When she was told that she could take the next flight if she was uncomfortable, she was suddenly fine to travel.' It comes after an American Airlines flight attendant revealed she had received a handwritten note from Meghan Markle in a now-viral TikTok video. Nina Vida, who lives in New York and is a flight attendant with AA, gushed about her recent experience with the Duchess of Sussex, who had boarded the plane she was working on. Dressed in her uniform, she shared her experience with her followers in a video on TikTok: 'You guys will not believe who I just had on my flight, who I had the pleasure of serving!' 'The Queen, the princess, the Duchess of Sussex! THE Meghan Markle was on my flight and she is so beautiful in person, she was so sweet. She wrote us a little handwritten note back,' she revealed, in her widely viewed TikTok video. Nina explained in the video that the cabin crew had written Meghan a note when she got on the flight, saying: 'It's a pleasure serving you, we love you real bad', signing it off from the 'AA girlies'. Meghan, who is known to love sending personalised messages and recently sent one to a podcaster who criticised her Netflix show, delighted the girls by responding in her own calligraphic scrawl with a message on a napkin. However, she apparently couldn't resist adding a little plug to her lifestyle brand, As Ever, which she has begun using as her signature sign-off in recent months. The video captures Nina showing off the note to the camera, which read: 'Dear AA girlies, thank you for the love, hospitality and handwritten note - you know me well. All love right back to you. As ever, Meghan.'
