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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Alexander Sehmer

What not to do on a plane: Seven things that really annoy flight attendants

A large numbers of Brits are heading abroad for Christmas this year and as a considerate lot we wanted to know, what flight attendants dislike most about how passengers treat them while on board.

Thankfully a thread on Quora, contributed to largely by Paula Mitchell, whose profile says she has been a flight attendant for eight years, offers some answers.

So have a care this Christmas, and try to avoid these seven things that really annoy your cabin crew:

1) Asking 'will I make my connection'?

They're cabin crew, not psychics.

2) Clicking your fingers to get their attention

People actually do that? Come on, people. Just press the call button again and again and again. That's a much better way.

3) Pressing the call button again and again and again

Okay, perhaps once is enough.

4) Asking for pens to fill out immigration forms

There are only a limited number of pens on a flight, and strangely the crew never receive all of them back on landing.

5) Asking 'what's for dinner?'

It's on the menu they gave you earlier.

Possibly both passenger and crew feel the menu is a largely pointless addition to the flight, but still - if you've got it you might as well use it.

6) Taking your shoes and socks off

This one sounds like a problem for everyone onboard.

On the Quora thread, Paula gently describes it as "creating a smelly cabin environment".

7) Being handed a 'filled' nappy

No one wants that. No one.

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