'I'm a flight attendant - there are annoying passengers we'll always ignore'

14 July 2023 , 06:28

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Marika Mikusova lifts the lid on what it is like in the sky (Image: Marika Mikusova)

A flight attendant has warned customers not to indulge in a bit of common passenger behaviour that can see you placed on the 'ignore' list.

While the customer is technically always right, when flying at 30,000 feet in a cramped tube with cheap alcohol flowing off the back of a bad night's sleep, that isn't always the case. Tensions between passengers and staff can flare up, particularly if customers annoy those working hard to ensure the flight is stress-free and safe.

Marika Mikusova is a cabin crew member who has written about her time in the skies in Diary of a Flight Attendant, in which she lifts the lid on what aviation employees are really thinking. The plane-pro has shared the one thing that most regularly annoys flight attendants.

The flight attendant has explained how customers end up annoying her colleagues (Marika Mikusova)

She told the Mirror: "Abusing the call bell will definitely lead to you being ignored, so please, don't. You never know if you will need a medical help. And we won't either as we will deliberately ignore you.

"What also annoys us is when passengers have a quarrel among each other and are not able to solve it without us. You are adults, so, come on, just talk to your fellow passenger about that window seat preference you have. And don't fight over rack above your seat. Of course, the closest one you use, the better. But you can use any."

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Marika has also come up against passengers that have stepped over the line from annoying into rude and abusive. She added: "Some of the most outrageous behaviours I have witnessed usually comes from aggressive passengers. We were even called 'b**ches' once when a customer complained he didn't get his drink.

"Then he tried to ridicule the whole female crew saying 'my sister would never work like these b**ches'. It was meant to be a cultural insult. Fortunately calling us names and so on rarely happens, but when it did we are on full alert as it could likely turn into physical abuse. In such cases alcohol is the main trigger."

Marika urged passengers to be kind to flight attendants (Getty Images)

Marika also urged passengers not to indulge in any casual misogyny or rude restaurant behaviour, which can leave crew members feeling put out.

"What we find annoying is calling us 'hey, you' or so on as if you were in a medieval dive bar. Or snapping fingers or pulling the hem of our skirt to get our attention," Marika said. "Not okay. Press the call bell or even better – come to the galley yourself."

It's not the first time a flight attendant has revealed some annoying passenger habits. Recently members of cabin crew revealed some of the most cringe-inducing chat up lines they've heard on flights.

On one occasion when asked by a flight attendant what they would like to drink, a passenger boldly replied: "You, on ice."

The consumption base attempt at romance was continued by another hopeful customer who remarked "Well, would you look at that - a snack from a snack." when being handed a small packet of pretzels.

Another incident saw a passenger attempt to give a flight attendant their number by writing it on a piece of paper, which they pretended was a bit of rubbish they had found on the floor.

Milo Boyd