Flight attendant tips: What not to do as a couple travelling together
As a flight attendant there are plenty of awkward situations you might have to deal with over the years.
None more so than those around couples travelling together, according to former airline worker Suzanne Bucknam.
The hashtag #Baecation has over 1.3 billion views on TikTok, and being loved up can sometimes make you blind to what is considered ‘appropriate’ behaviour.
So the former flight attendant has shared some of her ‘icks’ with SkyParkSecure, pointing out how to behave when travelling. And what not to do.
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Getting too cosy could cost you more than a fine
Public Display of Affection (PDA) is something that makes many people uncomfortable, especially when you’re stuck inside a tube in the sky for hours with each other.
“A kiss on the lips or handholding doesn’t warrant ick status but making out and putting a blanket over each other’s laps gets very uncomfortable for everyone in the vicinity,” Suzanne explains.
“I’ve seen several couples attempt to join the mile-high club either in the bathroom or, worse, at their seats with said blanket over them. In fact, I’ve caught a couple with their pants down in the back of our plane once. We did an emergency landing and had them escorted off the plane, then got back in the air without them.
“It should be known that you can be arrested for public indecency, and flight attendants won’t be afraid to call the authorities if they see you trying to get too cosy with your partner.”
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Book seats together, seriously
Suzanne emphasises that if you are bothered about sitting together, book your seats together.
“A simple boarding process can become a nightmare if couples don’t book seats together but demand another passenger to move,” she says.
“Not only does it slow the process down significantly, but it often causes an altercation between passengers when someone won’t move. Someone picked and paid for that seat, so they are well within their right to turn down a request to switch.”
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“I’ve had to have a couple moved to a new flight because they demanded to sit next to each other on an already booked flight – they were hoping for a complimentary upgrade by asserting their newlywed status but the passenger (quite rightly) next to her declined their request.
“The situation intensified when the husband raised his voice, prompting their removal from the plane. The decision was made as we didn’t want them harassing or sitting next to this woman for the entire 4-hour flight, and the hostility wouldn’t be tolerated.”
Making demands will get you nowhere
For Suzanne, there’s nothing more exhausting than a couple on their honeymoon who think they deserve everything.
“What I wish all honeymooners knew before travelling somewhere is that, just because they’re celebrating, it doesn’t mean others have to celebrate or contribute to that celebration. If you do get a free upgrade or a free drink, fantastic! But please don’t demand one from an unsuspecting flight attendant,” she explains.
“And as an employee who has been in that situation, it’s just plain awkward if there are no upgrades available, and it’s against the airline’s policy to give freebies.”
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