Now Boarding ... Chicken or Beef?

[NM]

It has been suggested that we have a place where members can ask questions they always wanted to ask Cabin and Check-in crew. We have several cabin crew and check-in crew amongst the AFF membership and this is an opportunity to ask questions related to check-in experiences, in-flight cabin experiences, how check-in or cabin crew responsibility and duties work, or anything relating to the life of a check-in or cabin crew member (well, maybe not anything ).

Please be aware that all members of AFF are voluntary members of the community and nobody is expected or required to comment or answer any specific question. Also note that some of the ca members are regularly performing their duties and may not be in a position to read AFF and respond immediately, so please be patient.

We have members with wide-ranging experience, from domestic to international operations, working with LCC and full-service airlines.

Please be aware that some topics relating to specific company policies or incidents may not be able to be addressed directly and we respect the professional restrictions that may exist from time to time around some topics.

If the mods find question raised in other threads or forums that we feel may be best addressed in this thread, we may move, copy or link the posts here.

We greatly respect and appreciate the input provided by the professional ground and cabin staff in our community and I look forward to some interesting questions and answers.

As this is an "ask the crew" thread, we ask that members who are not employed as ground or cabin crew/staff refrain from answering questions that have been directed to ground or cabin crew until the crew members have had a good opportunity to answer the question (i.e. at least 7 days). Posts contrary to this request or discussions that get too far off topic may be removed or moved to a more appropriate thread or forum so we can retain order and respect in this thread.

Also note that this is not a thread for complaints against airlines or crew members and not a forum for venting dissatisfaction about your experiences. There are other places for those threads or comments and such posts in this thread will be removed.

This thread is now ready for boarding. All passengers holding a boarding pass are invited to board at your convenience. Please remember this is a non-venting service. Venting in the cabin is against the rules and offenders will be removed from the thread. The crew are primarily here for you safety, but if you have questions, they will try to help. Note this thread is not a meal service, so you won't be served chicken or beef today and you'll need to purchase your own drinks at the bar.

 

[OverrideServlet]

Something I've been thinking about since the bossreggie thread yesterday.

If I was to board your aircraft with a box of chocolates intended for the cabin crew, who is the best person to give them to (the CSM?) and when is the most convenient time?

 

[richie9x]

What simple things could passengers do (or not do) that would make the job of flight attendants easier?

 

[Major]

What is the duration of the FA training course and do you go on a flight without passengers as part of your training ?

 

[Tortuga]

I may as well ask the obvious. What are the best methods to increase your chances of getting an upgrade. Some say it depends on status, others say it is random, others how well you treat the check-in agent... I figure it doesn't hurt to ask, as yet I am yet to be offered an upgrade, even for a price. It might be because I travel on seamens tickets

 

[milehighclub]

I may as well ask the obvious. What are the best methods to increase your chances of getting an upgrade. Some say it depends on status, others say it is random, others how well you treat the check-in agent... I figure it doesn't hurt to ask, as yet I am yet to be offered an upgrade, even for a price. It might be because I travel on seamens tickets

I really wish I could provide some tips, but you will only ever get an upgrade on Qantas if you pay, use points, or the flight is oversold and your a FF. Other airlines run a similar policy to Qantas. US and EU airlines tend to operate a little differently.

What is the duration of the FA training course and do you go on a flight without passengers as part of your training ?

My training was about 8 weeks. About half of that was emergency training and the other half service. There are no flights without passengers however our training centre has a mock up, and the trainers are good at pretending to be any type of passenger. Most recently they just started hiring actors to recreate some rather interesting scenarios. However your first few flights are as an additional crew member (supernumerary flights as we call them) in addition to the normal crew compliment.

Something I've been thinking about since the bossreggie thread yesterday.

If I was to board your aircraft with a box of chocolates intended for the cabin crew, who is the best person to give them to (the CSM?) and when is the most convenient time?

Certainly give it to the person in charge. I do it myself when I staff travel with other airlines. As for the best time, I do it during boarding (I board last usually too)

And thanks in advance

What simple things could passengers do (or not do) that would make the job of flight attendants easier?

If I told you that, my job could become less interesting!

 

[notzac]

What simple things could passengers do (or not do) that would make the job of flight attendants easier?

I'm definitely no flight attendant, but I've asked this question before and the answer I got was "have manners .. please". Apparently common courtesies are typically forgotten by pax on a plane..

 

[milehighclub]

I'm definitely no flight attendant, but I've asked this question before and the answer I got was "have manners .. please". Apparently common courtesies are typically forgotten by pax on a plane..

If I had to pick an answer - that would probably be it.

 

[nlagalle]

Does it annoy you when people pay no attention to the safety brief? Personally I always watch it even though I can recite it.

 

[TheInsider]

I may as well ask the obvious. What are the best methods to increase your chances of getting an upgrade. Some say it depends on status, others say it is random, others how well you treat the check-in agent... I figure it doesn't hurt to ask, as yet I am yet to be offered an upgrade, even for a price. It might be because I travel on seamens tickets

-Make sure you are booked on a full flight, with economy over sold and business seats free (for a domestic example MEL-SYDvv at about 1800)
-Don't ask checkin staff, they cannot do it.
-Generally based on status and then how many seats they need to free up and where people in Y are sitting. They won't split people up when doing upgrades.
-Upgrade using your points either in the QF club or on the kiosk, for QF club, SG, WPs

 

[TheInsider]

I'm definitely no flight attendant, but I've asked this question before and the answer I got was "have manners .. please". Apparently common courtesies are typically forgotten by pax on a plane..

This also applies when people are checking-in. Moreso with the higher tier FF'ers, than anyone else.

 

[milehighclub]

Does it annoy you when people pay no attention to the safety brief? Personally I always watch it even though I can recite it.

Yes - but on different scales.

Most annoying: When passengers talk when I am directly in front of them. I think it is rude, and while they may know the demo inside out, the person behind or next to you might not. I don't think it is too hard to stop talking for 3 minutes.

Annoying: When you read directly in front of me. However since only you will miss the demo, it is less annoying than above

Least annoying: When your further down the cabin doing either of the above.

Understandable: When you fall asleep

Naturally I know the safety demo off by heart, but as a courtesy will always stop what I am doing during the demo regardless of where I am seated and the airline I am flying. It is actually written of us to do so in the hope that it would encourage those seated around us to do the same.

As I said above, you (like me) have seen the demo more than enough times to repeat off by heart, but the person near you may be on their first flight ever. It's important for them to watch it because in any situation a flight attendant may not always be at hand to assist. When oxygen masks drop, crew won't be in the cabin to help put them on (initially) and in a crash landing or ditching who is to say the flight attendant at your door won't be dead. You'll have to do some things yourself, so the demo is a very important.

Another important briefing is the over wing exit speech. Please don't just it there are nod just to stay in the exit row. Take the time to read the card just for a few moments. I have often seen passengers board, and put the card away immediately when seated. Now you may know what it says and what to do, but I don't know who you are upon boarding from a bar of soap - I need to know your capable of the duties required of you by sitting there and have no problem moving anyone - if the brown stuff hits that fan your reactions are critical. Do you know what 3 conditions NOT to open the exit in? Chances are you do or will know from reading the card, but in an emergency you are quite likely to panic and open it even when your not supposed to (and there are cases of it happening where passengers have been injured from using over wing exits when they should not have been opened)

 

[harvyk]

Why is there a requirement for a minimum of two people next to an overwing exit?

A couple of years ago I was seated in the exit row, and had two vacant seats next to me, the FA asked one of the people seated nearby if they could move into the exit row seat as they need to have a minimum of two pax in that row.

From memory this was on a B738, which had a flip out style exit, not a B734 with it's 20kg of door to dump down on the pax, so I doubt weight would have been the key factor...

 

[Sifor]

On the exit row seating I am dead against paying for it. Chances are you'll get 'older' (50+) passengers wanting it for leg room but if things go wrong I do not want them there.

IMO the crew should randomly ask pax as they board if they wish to sit in an exit row.

 

[TonyHancock]

Chances are you'll get 'older' (50+) passengers wanting it for leg room but if things go wrong I do not want them there.

Conversely if young people are sitting in the exit row seats I don't fancy my chances either. If they are called upon to take action they'll probably just fall over because their jeans crotch will be around their knees.

 

[Major]

Do you secretly rate pilot's landings ?

Sometimes I feel like holding up a card from 1 to 10

Seriously, do the cabin crew and flight crew always work as a well oiled team ?

 

[Fifa]

Does the passenger manifest show who is travelling on an award ticket?

 

[TonyHancock]

Does the passenger manifest show who is travelling on an award ticket?

...or in a similar vein has received an op-up?

Many thanks

TH

 

[milehighclub]

Why is there a requirement for a minimum of two people next to an overwing exit?

A couple of years ago I was seated in the exit row, and had two vacant seats next to me, the FA asked one of the people seated nearby if they could move into the exit row seat as they need to have a minimum of two pax in that row.

From memory this was on a B738, which had a flip out style exit, not a B734 with it's 20kg of door to dump down on the pax, so I doubt weight would have been the key factor...

I'm not 100% sure as I've never been 737 trained (and I had a quick look through the manual and couldn't find the answer either), but I'll take an educated guess - having two passengers in an exit row increases the odds of someone being alive if something serious was to happen and therefore being able to operate the exit.

 

[milehighclub]

Do you secretly rate pilot's landings ?

Sometimes I feel like holding up a card from 1 to 10

Seriously, do the cabin crew and flight crew always work as a well oiled team ?

Yes, like passengers, I also judge the landings (in my head), but as mentioned in the "ask the pilot" thread what we as passengers and crew think, would vary to that of a pilot.

I have great respect for all our pilots, and enjoy spending time in the flight deck talking to them. 99% of the time pilots and cabin crew get along fine. There are a only a very, very small handful of pilots (single digit) who I do not enjoy flying with. It tends to be over trivial things and lack of manners and knowledge of our service, although has been over more serious things too.

Depending on where you work also depends on how much interaction you have with them. Economy flight attendants would probably never talk to or even see the pilots, not even after landing (as they sometimes stay in different hotels). Business (on 747/767/A330/737) and First (A380) are the crew who look after the pilots requests for drinks and food. By policy we call them every 20 minutes to ensure they are OK, and if they would like anything.