9 Myths About Flight Attendants That Are 'Just Plain Insulting'

The main priority for flight attendants is safety, not service. From shows like Pan Am and The Flight Attendant to the many popular influencers who work in the skies, the job of flight attendant certainly captures the public imagination. But along with that allure comes a long list of myths about what the job really entails.“There’s something about the sky that carries a kind of mystic appeal, so it’s no surprise that unconventional jobs above the clouds come wrapped in myths and misconceptions, particularly from those watching from the ground,” Jay Robert, a former flight attendant and the founder of A Fly Guy Travels, told HuffPost.“Some of those myths make us laugh, while others are just plain insulting to the role we play in keeping millions of travellers safe and sound, often at the expense of our health and well-being.”From assumptions about glamorous layovers to the persistent idea that flight attendants are simply “waitresses in the sky”, here’s a look at the most common misconceptions about the profession – and what flight attendants want you to know instead.Myth: their main role is food and drink service.When travellers think of flight attendants, they often picture drink carts and snack service. But those who work the aisles say that perception barely scratches the surface of their actual responsibilities. “It’s a myth that the primary role of flight attendants is to serve drinks and snacks to customers during the flights,” Delta Air Lines flight attendant Terri Baker said. “In reality, flight attendants are trained safety professionals.”She emphasised that the job involves ensuring passenger safety, managing emergencies and enforcing aviation regulations.“We’re trained in emergency evacuations, CPR, firefighting, de-escalation and even childbirth,” said Paula Adams, who used to work for Etihad Airways but is now a private flight attendant and aviation and business trainer. “If something goes wrong at 40,000 feet, we’re your first responders. Coffee and pretzels are just the tip of the service iceberg.”That safety-first focus begins long before passengers step on board.“Since passengers mainly see what happens in the cabin, it’s understandable that they associate our role primarily with service, because that’s the most visible part of what we do,” Robert said.“But like any good production, the real work happens behind the curtain, setting the stage for those who’ve paid to be in the seats. What passengers don’t see before we greet them with smiles in the aisle during boarding are the countless checks and security sweeps we perform before every flight.”He pointed to important tasks like inspecting the aircraft for explosives, weapons and other threats and verifying that all life-saving safety and medical equipment is present and operational. Flight attendants must also undergo extensive training and take rigorous annual exams to maintain their licenses. Myth: flight attendants hate passengers.Expecting flight attendants to be happy and smiling at all times is unrealistic and based on misconceptions about their role. “Flight attendants are professionals trained to maintain composure and provide excellent service – even under stress or challenging circumstances,” Baker said.So don’t assume a flight attendant hates you or your fellow passengers if you don’t get a cheerful vibe.“Most bitter or rude flight attendants didn’t start out that way,” Robert said. “Many entered the industry as passionate, idealistic professionals who followed their dream into aviation, only to find that the job, like many others, is driven by profit. Passengers often dislike the resulting changes and tend to take out their frustrations on the crew.”Over time, the pressure of being wedged between profit-driven management and passengers who feel nickel-and-dimed can take its toll. Add in the rise of flight attendant abuse since the pandemic, and it’s not surprising“Some flight attendants end up wearing a calloused, ‘don’t care’ persona as part of their uniform,” Robert said. “And honestly, spending years trapped in a metal tube with the general public, and some of their bad manners and strange travel habits crammed into tight spaces, will leave anyone a little jaded.”Myth: their job is one big glamorous holiday.From Instagram snapshots of tropical beaches to tales of international adventures, it’s easy to imagine flight attendants as modern-day jet-setters. But those working the job say the reality is often far less glamorous.“This myth partly stems from the golden age of air travel, when airline crew would jet off to exotic destinations and spend days, even weeks, on what looked like a paid vacation,” Robert said. “Today, only a lucky few with high seniority or those working for holiday charter airlines get that kind of treatment.”Instead of strolling through Paris or lounging on a beach in Bali, many flight attendants are just grinding through packed schedules and trying to figure out a good time to shower and rest. “Many crew are flying four to six sectors a day, seeing little more than the inside of jetways before collapsing into bed back at home or at an airport hotel,” Robert said. “Others are working 20-hour duty days with layovers that barely allow time to eat and sleep. And if you want to squeeze in a bit of sightseeing, it usually means sacrificing something important like sleep or other basic survival tasks.”Heather Poole, a commercial flight attendant and the author of Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, noted that just because you work for an airline doesn’t mean you’re gallivanting around the world. “Sure, the job can be glamorous, especially when you have enough seniority to hold international trips, but most flight attendants with less than 20 years are working domestic routes with eight to 10-hour layovers,” she said. Adams recalled moving nonstop to try to make the most of her international layovers, high on adrenaline and running on minimal sleep. “It may lookglamorous on social media, but behind every beach photo is a red-eye, jet lag and a tight turnaround,” she said. “We do get travel benefits, yes, but we sometimes fly standby – meaning we get bumped if the plane’s full.”Myth: flight attendants can upgrade your seat. People should strive to be polite, respectful and friendly in all their interactions, including with flight attendants. But don’t assume buddying up with your next flight crew will get you a fancy upgrade. “Flight attendants don’t have the authority to move passengers to premium cabins,” Baker said. “Upgrades are typically managed by gate agents or automatically via airline systems.”If you discover an issue with your seat upon boarding, you should alert your flight attendant, but don’t ring that call button just to ask if they can upgrade you for no reason.The reality of flight attendant life is not as glamorous as it might look on social media.Myth: flight attendants are flirting when they’re friendly.Adams wanted to make clear that just because a flight attendant is being friendly, it doesn’t mean they’re flirting with you. “We’re trained to be polite, approachable and helpful,” she said. “That’s professionalism, not flirtation. Please don’t mistake kindness for romantic interest – it’s part of our job to make all passengers feel comfortable, safe and respected.”As a passenger, you can do your part by showing the same level of respect and politeness. Myth: they only work when the plane is in the air.“It’s not just about the time in the sky,” Adams said. “We’re on duty from the moment we report for briefing until we’re released after landing – often 12-14 hours or more. And we aren’t paid for all that time.”Indeed, industry standard has long been that flight attendants only receive their hourly pay for “flight hours”, which begin when the aircraft doors close and end when they open upon arrival. But there are still job requirements before and after the time in flight. “Flight attendants have pre-flight briefings, safety checks and post-flight duties, so the work extends beyond the flight itself,” Baker said, adding that boarding is sometimes the most challenging part. In 2022, Delta became the first major U.S. airline to compensate flight attendants for the boarding process, and other carriers like American Airlines, United Airlines and the regional airline SkyWest have taken steps to follow suit (though negotiations remain ongoing in the case of the former two). Air Canada’s flight attendants are currently on strike, with boarding pay being one of the union’s demands. “We’re working during boarding, helping passengers, managing carry-ons, doing safety checks, coordinating with pilots and ground crew,” Adams noted.“We’re responsible for safety from report time to release time, even when we’re not being paid our full hourly wage. We have to be alert, uniformed, professional, and ready, whether we’re being compensated by the minute or not.”Myth: it’s easy to become a flight attendant.If becoming a flight attendant seems like a quick ticket to travel and fun, think again.“The hiring process is highly competitive, with strict standards and rigorous training that covers emergency procedures, medical training, customer service and aviation regulations,” Baker said.She noted that Delta’s flight attendant training is seven weeks long and includes intensive testing throughout the process.“Some airlines accept less than 2% of applicants,” Baker added.Myth: flight attendants love to party and have a lover in every city.“We might get together for drinks after a long flight to debrief and relax after a long day, but only if there’s time, and these days, layovers are way too short and we’re exhausted, especially on the domestic side,” Poole said.“I’m senior enough to hold good trips, and I spend half of my layovers in Paris, Rome and London wandering around by myself.”She said that it can be a lonely job, and she eats dinner alone most of the time. “If you can’t imagine going to a nice place to eat by yourself, you probably aren’t cut out for this job,” Poole added. “Often I’m meeting coworkers for the first time, and they’re too tired from working nine days straight to go out. The odds of getting a crew who clicks and wants to hang out is pretty slim.”Just as flight attendant life isn’t exactly conducive to hard partying, it also can make it hard to maintain romantic relationships. Poole pushed back against the stereotype of a flight attendant who has “a man in every city”.“A new flight attendant can easily work a 12-hour day but only get paid for six hours or even less due to all the time on the ground between short-haul flights,” she said, adding that it takes new flight attendants even longer to hit their monthly hours.“Relationships can be tough when you aren’t around 24/7. We need a partner who is independent, confident and can be alone half the month. Relationships move extra fast so we can get to know a person while we’re on the ground, or they go extra slow because we’re so busy flying, rarely there’s an in between.”Myth: it’s a safe, cushy job.“While there are many fun and exciting perks that come with being a flight attendant, like standby travel benefits, the job involves long hours, jet lag, irregular schedules and expertly handling challenging situations,” Baker said. “It’s physically and emotionally demanding, and safety is always top of mind.”She believes the opportunity for her and her family to see the world is “an unparalleled experience,” however.There are also concerns around increased radiation exposure with the high numbers of flying hours many flight attendants work to earn more pay.“We’re also flying higher than ever before so we’re exposed to even more radiation in 2025,” Poole said, noting that European airlines do more to track radiation exposure in flight crews than their U.S. counterparts. “Harvard’s health department studies flight attendants due to our high exposure rates.”That’s why flight attendants push back against the notion that they have cushy jobs without risks and challenges.“We’re managing a cabin full of people in a pressurised metal tube miles above the earth. That’s no small task,” Adams said. “Flight attendants are often the face of the airline, balancing customer service, safety and crisis management every day. Our job may come with lipstick and luggage, but it also comes with responsibility, resilience and razor-sharp readiness.”Related...The 1 Potentially Deadly Mistake People Make During An Emergency Landing, According To Flight AttendantsFlying With An Unruly Passenger? Here's What Flight Attendants Are (And Aren't) Empowered To DoThese Are The Rudest Things You Can Do On A Flight, Expert Says

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