Please Behave, Cabin Crew Is Our Family in the Skies

Thousands of youth dream to become a cabin crew and make their dream come true with one of the major airlines. It’s a dynamic profession that offers countless opportunities for personal and professional growth. Their office is clouded, high up in the sky.

The role of a cabin crew derives from that of similar positions on passenger trains, but it has more direct involvement with passengers because of the confined space on aircraft. From a distance, it seems that they don’t do much other than looking beautiful, being elegant, and traveling the world. But there’s another side. A closer look into their lives can provide a flip perspective of what is visible.

I haven’t traveled much in airplanes or have many friends who work for an airline. I just have one college friend who’s working for British Airways for many years. And don’t ask me this; obviously, she beautiful. So much that all the college must have been after her in those days. I’ve got deep regard for her because she worked hard for it and made it; as per her dream. I think her sister and brother-in-law also works for some airlines.

I like to meet her, again and again, but she’s always on the ninth cloud — always traveling the world.

There’re quite many advantages of becoming a cabin crew — traveling to a lot of new places, getting good travel discounts, meeting new people, it’s a glamours job; after all, and in my personal opinion, the cabin crew gets the best looks; like a film or sports celebrity. I observe people perpetually checking — women cabin crew — them from top to bottom.

On the flip side, there might some downside to all the glamour and hard work. It might be quite hectic with all this traveling to different places with different climatic conditions. They might be missing friends or family as they’re always working and away from home or might be having difficult times with partners because it’s almost like having many lives. One sure thing I have noticed is the way some, or most, people treat them on the flight.

I don’t travel much but whenever I travel I observe people and how they treat the cabin crew. Some are rude and think that the cabin crew is a servant from the colonial period. The best example is the mobile phone. The cabin crew keeps requesting to switch off the phone but almost no one does it before being personally told twice-thrice.

Once, I was returning from Thailand, and this group was constantly asking for liquor and misbehaving with one of the cabin crew. She was so polite and compassionate but the group wouldn’t listen to her at all. They littered all around on the airplane and called her again and again.

I know that I can’t do much to change the way people treat the cabin crew but all I know is that I can BE THE CHANGE. I’ve made some kindness rituals for myself. As I enter the airplane and greet all the cabin crew members on the way to my seat.

I put on the seat belt as I sit. I switch off my mobile phone. I listen to all the instructions they give before taking-off. While we’re flying, I silently wait for my turn to ask for food. And I always check their names and call them by their name with a smile.

I have seen people, in the 21st century, snapping fingers to call one of the cabin crew. After landing, I wait for my turn to get out and quietly hand a small THANK YOU card to the person standing near the exit. I usually get down last so that I’ve got a minute to share my gratitude to the cabin crew. Believe me, that smile on their face is priceless!

The cabin crew is like our family when we’re on the skies, flying.

They live a tough life, as we do, this is why it takes a special, understanding kind of person to be close to a cabin crew. And just dig deep. What does it take? A little set of manners, politeness, and a pinch of gratitude.

Is it too much?