I am a Flight Attendant for a major US airline. AMA!

I knew a flight attendant ten or fifteen years ago when I lived in NYC. She and a dozen or so other FAs rented a two bedroom and crammed it full of bunk beds and had a big calendar/schedule to plan it so only three or four people were home at any given time. I'm sure this was totally illegal, but it gave them all a place to live in a cool neighborhood on the cheap.

Have you heard of any similar living situations with those in your profession? What's your living situation?

We call those crashpads. Crashpads are very popular among crew members that commute to their bases. I do not and would not have a crashpad. I have an apartment in the city where I am based.

Hi. I am a frequent flier and I cannot help but discern the difference between customer service on US flights compared to select international flights. I am not accusing you of poor service, but why in general is the service so much more genuine and caring on certain European and Asian flights?

I think I am genuine when I am serving passengers, etc. However, there are a lot of jaded and miserable FAs out there. But, I am not there to serve you or tell you jokes, the purpose of my job is to protect you in case of an emergency and enforce FAA regulations. My first priority is SAFETY.

Prioritizing safety doesn't mean you have to ignore service. Other countries manage to do both, but it seems that across the board, US carriers ignore service.

Agreed.

Situation: I'm the last passenger in the plane all the other flight attendants and pilots are gone. My seatbelt is stuck and i need some help getting it off. Would you...?

A. Suggest maybe taking off my pants would help. Undo them and preform fellatio on my now exposed member.

B. Call another attendant over and in the struggle both of your blouses come undone and you start making passionate love to each other on my lap.

C. Suggest I stop watching so much porn because it is giving me unrealistic expectations of mundane situations.

This is an impossible scenario, so C.

Can you tell us about your worst experience with a customer and how you dealt with it?

One of my passengers got very angry when I told him that he could not put his trash on my cart because I was serving food/drinks and I would be back shorty to collect his service items. After I moved the cart a fews down, he threw his half empty Bud Light can at me and began screaming at me for not being able to take his trash at that very moment.

From OPs proof pic: "In recognition of outstanding service excellence"

On American Airlines, that probably meant the Flight Attendant didn't tell the passengers to go fuck themselves.

Passengers give those to me, not the airline.

Do you know when an air Marshall is onboard?

Always.

As a FA, do you know who they are?

We know is there are any armed law enforcement officials onboard and where they are sitting. They usually will pre-board and introduce themselves to us.

Oddly enough there was another FA that did one of these a few weeks ago and said the exact opposite answer, they never knew.

We are given passenger manifests before we depart and we always know where an armed passenger is sitting on board. It is the FAs responsibility to know this and to check, in case of an emergency, etc.

Do you hate your job as much as it looks like you do?

I love my job! There are A LOT of jaded and miserable FAs out there, but I am not one of them. I genuinely love my job and everything that comes along with it.. even the rude passengers and long delays. I love the sky!

I resent pouring diet coke though..

And telling people what's available to drink, assuring infrequent fliers that you're on schedule, dealing with passengers that don't understand how the environmental controls work, and enduring those tiny bladders that follow you down the aisle because Jesus fucking christ they might breathe on you.

When passengers ask me if they are going to make their connection flight after a delay, I do not know the answer to their question and there is no way that I can assist them with that 35,000 feet in the sky. Flight attendants do not know the answers to those questions. Sometimes I offer to look up flight schedules for those passengers who are not used to flying, but I cannot do that for 160 people on a 2 hour flight. I'm only asked that question if we've been delayed, in which case, most passengers don't make their connection and I don't know when the next flight leaving the airport to their destination is. I find this frustrating because passengers get angry when I cannot help them with this. This is the job of the customer service reps, not the FAs.

On the larger Asian airlines if you are transferring on the same airline the FAs definitely will let you know on the flight whether the connection can be made or not. This will be announced without asking. I believe they already decided at that point whether the transfer plane will wait or leave early if possible. If the transfer cannot be made, there will be an agent right at the gate when you deplane with your new gate number or info on any compensatory accommodations.

That's cool. We don't have that luxury on my airline though.

When the little bastard kid behind me starts kicking my seat what should I do?

Tell the flight attendant. They may able to move you to a different seat or talk to the child or his parents for you :)

What are some of the most annoying things that you've had to experience from us passengers?

https://www.quora.com/Can-swapping-seats-in-flight-actually-alter-the-planes-balance-cabin-crew-discourage-changing-seats-for-this-reason

as a coach passenger in American Airlines, what could i do to walk off the plane at the end of the flight with a free pair of those Bose headphones that passengers in First Class get to use? (as in, how many packages of chocolates would i have to bribe a FA with for him/her to discreetly hand me a set as i disembark . this is a serious question, btw) :)

Just ask :) I've given those to plenty of my coach passengers before!

What was the worst turbulence you've experienced like? Did you ever think you were going to die?

I fell on top of a passenger while pouring his cranberry juice during unexpected turbulence. I spilt his juice all over him (and me) and he called me a bitch (lol).

I have never thought I was going to die during turbulence or any other time on a plane :)

What is a crop duster?

Farting when walking through the cabin

What is your favorite species of bird?

a 737 :)

Is it true that among pilots and flight crew flight attendants are nicknamed "sky pussy?

Haha, probably.

When training for your job do you have an antiterrorism section that covers what to do in case of possible threat and are you trained to handle said threat?

Yes, crew members are thoroughly trained to handle those kinds of situations.

Do you care if a couple goes to the lavatory together to join the mile high club? If yes, why?

I don't care, but don't make it obvious. As long as you aren't loud and there isn't a line of passengers waiting to use the lav, I'm not going to cause a scene about it and knock on the door. Just be discreet :)

Are you afraid of zombie outbreaks inside a plane?

No...

How many times have you caught someone sneaking a smoke in the air john, and what do you do about it?

I've never had a passenger light a cigarette or anything else in a plane. Thankfully. I like to think most people have enough common sense to not try to smoke on the plane....

Of all the truly pissed off FAs, have you witnessed any of them deliberately doing anything with someones drink?

Considering, coach drinks are poured right in front of you, no I haven't.

As for the first class drinks, those get poured in the galley and then brought to the passenger. The only thing we may do to your drink, is if you are very drunk and are rudely demanding another drink, in order to keep the peace, we will serve you a drink, but there will not alcohol in it, It just may smell like there is ;) Works every time

How do you make it smell like alcohol?

Smear some vodka on the rim of the cup.

Ever hook up with a passenger?

Nope.

sweating would you?

Sure. If you're my boyfriend :)

How bout the ramp guys?

Haha! no

Is it true that the workers have this totally rad secret area in the plane to bunk in off time?

On some aircraft, yes :)

The profession appears at least, to have changed a lot since the old days. What do you think is better now than it was then, and what's worse?

I don't know? I'm 26

Why are you downvoting? She's being honest and she hasn't even been working for two years.

I was wondering the same thing, but thanks!

Does American Airlines seem to be worse than others, are least when it comes to delays?

Flight delays occur for various reasons. Usually out our control. Weather is a huge one. ATC will ground us if weather is not ideal for landing etc. Incoming aircraft was delayed. Maintenance issues, lots of things.

I frequently fly between the US and Australia on one of the worlds longest long-haul flights. It's taxing to say the least.

Any tips to make my experience (or long-haul flights in general) better?

And is there really a secret place in the cabin that attendants sleep? I feel like I see them frequently enough on the flight to wonder if they get a break.

I've flown to Darwin before as a passenger before I was FA and I understand the struggle, not a fun flight!

Personally, when I fly long-hauls, drinking enough water is crucial. Get up and move your body a little bit every now and then. Avoid sleep aids like the plague. Melatonin may help when you fly back to the US (don't use when flying to Aus!).

Yes, we have secret sleeping bunks :) We can nap, but not for very long :(

Is the mile high club an urban myth?

Its very real.

How frequent is wife swapping and swinging among your community?

I don't think this is common?

Can you help me find the AA customer service rep that told me "I was supposed to get my bags off the carousel" when my wife's luggage got lost last year @ dfw on way to Hawaii?

3 things I leaned from that.

1. Delta is awesome, they tried to recover the luggage for me.

2. American Airlines doesn't care how much you fly with them anymore and don't care if you fly 1st

3. The people too dumb to work as flight staff or in the airport go to answering customer service calls.

In your 2 years being there has there been a specific event that turned the airline to crap? I've flown 1st on American since you guys had actual liquor bottles on the plane and the past couple years it has become so bad even twa was better.

Oh one more question where in the world does luggage get lost at dfw that it takes days to find and then all the clothes inside are soaking wet? It's a big airport I want to know where to start looking next time.

I don't really understand your question, but I don't know anything about baggage.

Where are the exits of Reddit, forward and aft?

Forward, aft, and mid-cabin over the wings ;)

How do you like the Atlanta airport? Do you ever get used to it or do you dread it as much as passengers do?

Edit: Any tips or tricks on how to manage it?

I'm ok with ATL airport, but it is not my favorite! I'm from ATL actually (I moved when I went to college tho), so its not as bad since I've been there many times both as a passenger and as crew. As a passenger, I HATE it!!

Have you ever flown overseas as a FA or do you fly just in the states?

Both domestic and international

am a frequent flier and I have heard many horror stories of pilots being super pervs more often than not. How true is that?

This is very true. Not all of them, but they usually are like this to new hires.

What's the most amount people you've seen around one outlet charging/using devices?

Honestly, I haven't paid attention to that. Im usually in the plane, not in the airport :)

What do you look like?

5'7" blonde 130lb

Do you like the new uniform?

Meh..

Are you a "slam click"? Or party girl?

Depends on how tired I am lol

Don't know if this is still ongoing but - I am hoping to become a flight attendant after getting my HS diploma and AA degree (I'm a dual-enrolled HS student) - should I get a Bachelor's first and then apply, or do I have good enough chances as is?

Sure! I got my degree in molecular biology before I decided to be a FA. Honestly, it didn't help me much, but customer service experience will help!

Ever run across anyone attempting to gain membership in the Mile High Club?

Not yet lol.

On long flights, are you ok with couples looking to join the mile high club if done with discretion?

As long as there isn't a line a passengers waiting to use the lav and no one complains, I do not care. Just make sure it isn't obvious to ANYONE including the FAs and the passengers sitting around the lav door. Be VERY discreet.

Say a FA forgot to latch the cabin door before push-off, because she was, oh - I don't know - possibly texting someone on her phone.

Would this cause the cabin door to fall off the plane and the emergency slide to automatically deploy? (Supposedly happened to a [now former] FA relative of mine) Causing the plane to be evacuated and parked for a month or so while a new door was ordered?

The damage depends on the type of aircraft. The pins could've been lodged in the left engine causing engine failure or more likely, causing major damage to the fuselage. Its more concerning that the pilots did not check the door was properly closed before leaving the gate. Did this actually happen...?

Yep, supposedly. According to my relative, she closed the cabin door but forgot to actually latch/lock/whatever you do before takeoff it and the door fell off the aircraft as it pulled away from the gate, evidently eventually costing the airline millions of dollars.

That's what everyone in the family has asked, hell, cheap-ass passenger cars have a light that comes on if a door is ajar, I'd expect a passenger jet to have at least a light in the cockpit saying "Hey, the cabin door isn't locked".

Other than that, she was apparently on her phone and just forgot to latch the door after closing it.

This does not make sense to me at all. I honestly do not see how anyone could make this mistake. There are so many steps in between us latching the door and taxiing that this seems impossible to me. She had to close the door, latch it, check the door indicators, and then verify with the CA or FO the door was closed properly, then close the flight deck door, and then inform the CA the cabin is secure ALL before taxiing. You cant do this while texting. I find this story hard to believe. Did your relative work for a US airline?

Are you really 6'7" ? Or is that 67 inches :)

67 inches haha

Haha :) I can breathe easy now ! As a committed road warrior and consultant for Aerospace manufacturers I would've had to go back and tell my clients to make bigger planes for you.

Haha! I think you can't be taller than 5'11" to qualify for the job :)

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Ok, maybe you're not getting the jist of this AMA thing. There are reply links under each and every question that has been asked. When you randomly reply with answers we have no idea what question you are answering. Just click the reply link under said question and answer away.

I know how to do it. I was using an app on my phone and it wasn't working properly.

How is your reserve system like? I'm also a FA and considering making the switch to AA. Also is the Orlando base difficult to get into? Thanks!

Reserve is pretty typical to that of other airlines..2 hour call-out. I'm based at DFW, but I believe MCO is pretty senior. Which airline do you work for now?

What's the most inappropriate thing that you've seen while in the sky? Anything like a handjob or hard core make out sessions?

I could see a passenger watching some fetish porn from my jumpseat during takeoff.

What separates you from a waitress in the sky?

Currently training to be one, and since OP is receiving so much hate over diet coke I'm not sure if they'll continue answering, I'll try to answer this one.

The first priority of a flight attendant is passenger safety rather than attending to every need and want of every passenger. (We're actually encouraged not to help with putting up luggage in case we injure ourselves unless the situation calls for it, like for the elderly or handicapped.) THEN comes the service parts. Having grown up in Asia, and if you've flown the Asian airliners you might be able to tell, service is often seen almost equally important to safety. I'm not sure how the American airliners view it, but I'm sure that cultural difference plays a huge part in the difference of viewpoints.

I'm not sure if this illustration is correct, but hopefully it'll be a change in perspective. You wouldn't ask a life guard to fill up your margarita right? Well, flight attendants have to ensure flight safety AND serve. So, a little more than glorified waitresses I think.

THANK YOU!

If you wanted to do anything malicious, would the TSA be able to detect that and stop you?

Why would I want to do anything malicious?

How much pilot dick have you received. Or if a male, sucked?

Haha. One. I hooked up with a FO during my flight attendant training.

Pilots are sluts (for the most part anyway).