Flight attendants use code words to warn other crew about annoying passengers
Being called a VIP by a flight attendant may not be the compliment you think it is.
Given how much time they spend in cramped, stressful environments within earshot of customers, it is understandable that cabin crew members have a complex system of communication they employ so passengers can't understand them.
Jay Robert, who has worked as senior cabin crew for Emirates and now runs the popular Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge network, has pulled back the curtain on what aviation staff say and what it means.
The plane worker said that staff tune into CCFM - or cabin crew radio - to find out the latest gossip from the aisles. Those passengers who are particularly liked, whether that be for their politeness or good looks, may be referred to as BOB (Best On Board). Those on the other end of the scale are PITA (Pain In The Backside) passengers.'
It is unclear if this woman is a VIP (Getty Images)He told Mail Online: "The highlights include ABP – Able Bodied Passenger or Person. An official code for a passenger (not a crew member) whom the crew mentally selects during each flight to assist in case of an emergency.
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"Crew unofficially use this code to describe a passenger they are attracted to and think is fit and able-bodied. BOB can also mean Babe On Board – another flirty abbreviation that some flight attendants will use to inform each other who they're secretly crushing on.
"SVML stands for Suddenly Vegetarian Meal, a passenger who didn't order a special meal and probably isn't vegetarian and doesn't like the meal choice offered, so they suddenly become a vegetarian to get something else to eat."
Another bit of code is POS, which is a Passenger Of Size who requires an extension seatbelt, while a 'mermaid' is someone who lays across empty seats in an apparent attempt to keep them free for themselves.
If you find yourself being referred to as a HOB, then good for you - you're the 'hotty on board'. A VIP however, is just a very irritating person.
There are more official, slightly more serious code words which are referred to as Special Services Request. When someone is being deported, ground staff might use the codes DEPA or DEPNAD, which refers to an individual who's been denied entry to a country.
Another cabin crew member previously shared another, less flattering codename. They said: "If you're labelled a 'Philip' then you've done something wrong and should probably expect to get bad service for the rest of the flight.
"That name originated from the term PILP - Passenger I'd Like to Punch - but has changed over time to become slightly more subtle.” According to the flight attendant, one of the easiest ways of annoying the staff is to press the flight attendant call button a lot.
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