Last Updated on March 7, 2021

© Reader’s Digest

Being a flight attendant is the dream job for many people who enjoy traveling, communicating, and helping others. It is also an excellent chance for those who like to travel anywhere in the world, for those who want to learn new things and get to know new cultures.

However, the pleasure of always walking in the clouds brings with it numerous responsibilities linked to the profession. And there are many airline rules that must be followed so that air safety and the well-being of passengers on board an aircraft are never compromised.

Discover the eight incredible things flight attendants aren´t allowed to do and understand now why they adopt certain attitudes and behaviors during airplane flights!

You can take that bottle of vodka you bought at the airport duty-free into the plane, but you won’t be able to open and drink it. If you try to do so, you will be immediately stopped by a flight assistant who will tell you that such an action goes against laws on an airplane.

You will not be thirsty inside the plane because the flight attendants themselves can serve you a drink or two during the trip. But no more than that, because the goal is for you to have a comfortable and smooth journey. If you are drunk, your trip will be much more hectic, and nobody wants it.

2. Having A Drink With The Passengers

After all, the safety procedures have been completed, and when the plane is stable in the air, is it not possible for a flight assistant to have a drink and relax with the passengers? Of course not, one of the flight attendant requirements is that it behaves with dignity – nor do airlines admit that their employees convey that image of the company.

Would you feel safe to see that the flight attendant on your flight had a glass in his hand to fraternize with the passengers? We are sure not.

3. Getting In Touch With Passengers without a Uniform

One of the most important flight attendant rules is that they cannot contact passengers who are boarding or already onboard an airplane if they are not properly dressed in their uniforms.
And the same must be true for passengers.

They must not obey orders or directions from people who are not properly dressed in the colors and symbols of the respective airline – this is one of the flight rules for passengers that everyone must follow.

The correct identification of a flight attendant allows the employee to carry out their duties with greater rigor and authority, which makes people feel more secure, protected and accompanied by the respective flight professionals.

4. Eating On the Plane? Yes, In the Kitchen!

Flight attendants can have their meals, but not in front of passengers. They have a kitchen, and this is their sacred space to eat, drink, and talk a little about whatever they feel like.

There are things only flight attendants know, and one of them is that passengers are completely prohibited from entering the kitchen compartment of the plane for any eventuality.

5. They Do Not Accept Tips or Other Bonuses

One of the rules for air travel is that flight attendants are strictly prohibited from accepting gratuities or other types of bonuses from passengers. And this is because traveling by plane is not the same as going out to a restaurant for dinner.

In the restaurant, it is natural that people feel more or less satisfied with the service that is provided by the respective employee. And, in the end, for the sake of etiquette, they offer a small contribution according to their degree of satisfaction with the services provided.

On the plane, it’s quite different. The service provided (it is always a service of excellence) is already part of the amount you paid for the plane ticket, and so you do not need to give tips or other bonuses.

6. Sleep? Only For Passengers!

It is natural for passengers to fall asleep during an airplane flight, as this is a time when the body is more relaxed and allows them to relax. What happens is that people may be excited to get to their destination, and they are unable to disconnect – after all, this could be that long-awaited trip that was being prepared for months.

But that doesn’t happen with flight attendants. Travel is part of their profession, and so they cannot sleep. Passengers may need something in the middle of the night, and there must be someone to assist them.

However, there may be exceptions for long trips of 10 hours or more. In such situations, it is necessary to take turns or implement a rotation system in which flight attendants rest at the same time in specific rest compartments.

7. Assigning Privileges or Offers to Passengers

One of the flight attendants’ secrets is that they are unable to assign privileges or special offers to passengers. It is useless to ask if there is no spare seat in first-class or an extra seat for your child, among other examples of requests that passengers make, because flight attendants have no power to do so.

The truth is that most of the time, flights are full and all seats reserved. This is the basic condition for everything to be previously established. Otherwise, it would be chaos. And in the air, all you want is for things to be as calm and orderly as possible.

Everything you need to know about airlines is that, although children under the age of two can travel for free, they will have to travel on your lap and not in that seat that may be available.

Flight attendants do everything in their power to please you and maximize your comfort during the flight but are unable to change seats or change registrations.
The Same Goes For Suitcases:

Many people think that flight attendants must keep their bags in their compartments, but that is not part of their tasks. This is one strange rule flight attendants must follow, but which they get around because they want to help passengers – even though they don’t have to.

-Access to the On-Board Kitchen

Some people abuse the sympathy of flight attendants, as well as people who are sympathetic to them in general. And they think they can walk aboard the plane, be without a seat belt when the prohibition sign is still on or enter the kitchen whenever they want. The truth is that flight attendants do not allow this type of behavior. And well, because after all, they are the authority of that space.

8. Tarnishing the Reputation of Their Airline

Flight attendants are completely prohibited from having actions or behaviors that are less appropriate to their professional reputation, and that affect the image of the companies they represent.
There are several less appropriate behaviors that flight attendants should avoid when wearing their uniforms, such as:

-Do not have piercings on the tongue or other visible places on the body. Can flight attendants have piercings on the ears? It depends on the airlines.

-Do not have visible tattoos on the body. Some airlines already allow flight attendants to have non-offensive tattoos, but they are few.

-Do not consume alcoholic beverages with the uniform worn (at work and out of it).

-Do not play with the uniform.

-Do not speak loudly in the cabin. There are behavioral guidelines that FAs impose, and one of them is about speaking. Flight attendants should not talk out loud, talk about their lives or personal problems, among other more intimate topics.

-Promote other people’s agendas or interests. Being a flight attendant brings advantages concerning flights, and these are personal and non-transferable and should only be used by them for leisure.

These are some of the weirdest rules flight attendants must follow during plane flights. There are many things that they are not allowed to do, and there are procedures that must always be followed. And they must be respected by everyone. Will you collaborate more with flight attendants on your next plane trip.

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