A flight attendant has revealed a list of mistakes people make while travelling, based on her own experience working in the industry for almost a decade.
Brenda Orelus, who lives in Miami, Florida, worked as a cabin crew member for nine years, and is well accustomed to proper flight etiquette and rookie mistakes that people make while on holiday.
Travelling around the world for the best part of ten years has allowed her to hone in on costly mistakes that some punters have made in the past, allowing her to share her knowledge online to prevent people doing the same.
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The Express reports that through her TikTok account @flightbae.b the travel professional posted a video in which she gave some travel advice. She said the first thing she would never do is carry an item on a plane for somebody else.
Brenda said: “I would never under any circumstances transport any items for anybody for any reason. Nope! Not happening. Have you seen Locked Up Abroad?”
Locked Up Abroad is a documentary on National Geographic, which explores the lives of people who have been arrested while travelling abroad, and those who have often been accused of smuggling. Brenda also said it is important to not share your location on social media while travelling and to wait until you get home before posting holiday pictures.
Brenda said: “I would never post my location while I’m still there. Unless there is security that is pre-arranged, like a meet-and-greet, or something of that capacity. You’re not going to set me up. You know these cities better than I do.
"Nuh-huh. There are just too many variables that I’m not willing to risk. If I’m posting about it, don’t worry your pretty little head. I’m gone already.”
One other thing Brenda has seen while working as a flight attendant is people walking around barefoot while on board a flight. Brenda warned against ever doing this, especially in the airline lavatory. She said: “It is not water on the floor. Do with that information what you like.”
The flight attendant also said to be very considerate of your loved ones while travelling and said she would never allow her 'elderly loved ones' to travel alone. She said: “Yes, there are people in the airport that can help them get to their gate but it’s their job and they are typically too overworked to manage multiple people at the same time.”
Brenda explained: “This often leads to your elderly loved ones being mistreated so spare yourself the trouble and make sure they are taken care of like they took care of you when you were little and travel with them.”
The flight attendant also said she would never allow her child to travel as an unaccompanied minor. She added: “If you’re not familiar with what an unaccompanied minor is, it’s basically where you are allowed to let your child travel who is under the age of 16, 15, 14 depending on the airline.”
An airline will take responsibility for having a member of staff accompany a child to their gate, and make sure they have an adult waiting for them when the child arrives at their destination. Brenda said: “Now, there are a lot of horror stories. I’ve seen children as young as five or six years old, travelling as unaccompanied minors. There are so many things that can happen on the aircraft.”
The flight attendant added: “I just wouldn’t run the risk. At the end of the day, this is somebody’s job. Yes, flight attendants, pilots and gate agents are revered, but we’re all clocking into a job and I wouldn’t want someone who is just at their job looking after my child while in transit. There are just too many variables.”
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