Photo Credit: © Austrian Airlines Group – Huber

Have you ever wondered what life as a flight attendant is like? Nowadays, air travel is far more accessible thanks to the internet – long gone are the years where the only way to book a holiday was through teletext or the travel agents. The boom in the online world means we now have a wide variety of choice at our fingertips and comparison companies such as Cheapflights show us 1000s of flights to various destinations, all at the touch of a button. But with the costs being fairly regulated across the industry, how does an airline make itself stand out and become the go-to choice for travellers? Through its staff of course!

But what do the airline employees really think about their passengers? And what is it really like to be a flight attendant?

1. Flight attendants don’t get paid until the plane doors close.

Even though cabin crew see you onto the plane and stow away your bags, they don’t get paid until the plane doors close.

2. They’re practically make-up experts.

Keeping make-up beautifully in-tact for a long-haul flight is a real skill – in fact, they deserve medals. Some of their best bits of advice? No hair products, no lip gloss and lots of concealer.

3. They will kick your butt.

All cabin crew are trained in self-defence.

4. They can use their mobile phones.

You can only use yours if it’s in flight mode, but they can text out of sight until their heart’s content.

5. They know the secret to amazing skin.

Use plant-based moisturisers regularly, alcohol free cleansers and stay hydrated.

6. They’ve got to be a certain height.

Staff must be tall enough to reach the overhead luggage but can’t be too tall, or they’ll bump their heads!

7. They have great nicknames for procedures.

‘Crotch Watch’ is checking that seatbelts are fastened securely.

8. The ladies have great ‘landing lips’.

This is what they call that last slick of lipstick before coming in to land, according to this Monarch blogger.

9. You should listen to them when they’re going through the safety procedure.

If the plane runs out of oxygen at altitude, you only have 15-20 seconds before passing out.

10. They could catch you joining the mile-high club.

If someone needs the toilet then the flight attendant will unlock the cubicle door from the outside and catch you in the act.

11. Those headphones aren’t new.

Of course the airlines don’t provide you with brand-new headphones every time! The cabin crew cleverly reseal them after each flight.

12. They get asked ridiculous questions.

Including: ‘Could you turn the engines down because they are too noisy?’ and ‘Is there a McDonald’s on board?’

13. Treat them well and be rewarded.

One gentleman has said that flight attendants rarely get tipped, so give them a fiver with your first drink and you may get drinks for free for the rest of the flight.

14. They can work 16 hour days.

This is the maximum legal shift, which can happen due to flight delays.

15. Flight attendants are pretty broke.

They get paid an average of £14,548 per year in the UK.

16. They work in a filthy environment.

It’s been said that planes don’t get cleaned as often as they should – oops!

17. They pass wind near you.

They engage in ‘crop dusting’ aka walking down the aisle and farting as they go to distribute it evenly.

18. They have a nickname for you.

If you’ve been rude or are just plain beautiful, they’ll be talking about you in the galley.

19. They get ill a lot.

An airplane is the perfect breeding ground for germs.

20. It’s a really tough job.

The cabin crew do a fantastic job, but it’s not easy. You’ll always see them smiling though, won’t you?