Over a thousand travelers took the poll, and I don’t think there were any big surprises.  Topping the list, with 19% in agreement, was bad breath and body odor.  No kidding!

Here’s what tops the list:

• Bad breath and body odor (19%)
• Wailing baby (15%)
• Hyperactive child (13%)
• Big bodied people (12%)
• Sneezers and sniffers (10%)
• Rowdy parties (10%)
• Arm rest hogs (8%)

For me, the most annoying is the person who invades my personal space.  Whether it’s leaning into my face (with their bad breath), hogging the arm rest, or crowding me personally by putting their body into my personal space, it makes me crazy.  We each get a small little bit of space in our seat, and I don’t want to share it with anyone.

How would you answer the question? Who do you hate sitting next to most on the plane?

Source:  Travel Daily News

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Q.  I know that Flight Attendants hate it when passengers ring the call button.  But is there a time when it’s okay to use it?  It’s there, after all.

A.  Yeah, the ringing call button can really be an annoyance to us, and it’s for a couple of reasons.

Most important of all, however, is that if you have an emergency, use it.  Do not hesitate!

That said, there are differing opinions about what constitutes an emergency.

During certain phases of flight, specifically the take off and landing sequence, emergency should be interpreted very strictly.  This is a time when we are buckled into our jump seats, for our own safety, and getting up to answer a call button can be dangerous.

At any time, if you are ill, see someone around you who may need first aid assistance, see someone being harmed or threatened with harm, overhear threats or intimidation, see something that could threaten the safety of the flight, or have an emergency situation – reach up or over and push the call button.  We want you to use it, even if the situation plays out to not be the crisis you may have believed it was.  Better safe than sorry.

For less dire circumstances, use the call button when you need something, but be mindful of what else is going on around you. 

Keep reading, and see how you’d answer the following questions:

• You see the Flight Attendants rushing about with first aid items, paging for a doctor or nurse, and see another passenger collapsed at the floor.  You’re wondering what time the flight is going to get in.  Do you ring the call button?
• The plane is climbing up to cruise altitude, and your child is already a little bored with the flight.  All of a sudden he notices all the buttons overhead.  There’s a button that turns the light on and off and he plays with that for awhile.  After that he reaches for the call button.  Do you intercept him, or let him play with it?
• Beverages have just been served at your row, and the Flight Attendants have moved the cart ahead to serve the next row.  You’ve downed your glass of water, don’t want to hold the glass any more, and want it taken away.  Do you ring the call button.
• The Flight Attendants have finished the food and beverages cart(s), and have just made an announcement that they are going to pick up some trash, and re-stock supplies and will then be out with additional beverages.  You want a refill on your coffee.  Do you ring the call button?

All of the above have happened, and all have been an annoyance.  Simply put, there are much fewer of “us” than there are of ""you."  If we’re busy with other duties and/or assisting other passengers, we really need you to wait your turn.  That may sound like we don’t care about customer service, but it’s quite the opposite.  We want to get to things as quickly as possible, but constant interruptions for call buttons just slows the process down.

Use the call button, but use it wisely.

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

One entertainer who has captured the humor of our job is Pam Ann, a character created by Australian comedian Caroline Reid.  Pam Ann, a twist on the name of former airline Pan Am, is part drag routine and part campy humor with a bit of glamour thrown in for good measure.  Her routines play on the stereotypes of airlines, Flight Attendants, and some of the quirkiness of various airline cultures. 

Although much of the humor can be on the risque side, here’s a safe-for-work clip of what it’s like to work the beverage cart:

Pam Ann frequently tours in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia.  She has a released a couple DVD’s, and I hear that one more is in the works.

People often think that Flight Attendants are offended at humor like this.  Quite the contrary is true!  This is funny stuff, and we appreciate it as much as anyone!

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Q.  What do Flight Attendants do if their uniform gets really dirty on a trip or if, for example, someone spills a glass of tomato juice on you on day one of a multi-day trip?

A.  As I said this just happened to me.  Only it was coffee all over the front of a white shirt.  And if was on day two of a three day trip.

So what did I do?  I changed into a fresh shirt at the earliest opportunity. 

On multiple day trips, most Flight Attendants pack a change of uniform items, so it’s a matter of determining when to make a change.  That may be a matter of digging into your luggage during the flight and changing in the airplane lavatory, or it may mean toughing it out for the flight, and wearing a fresh shirt the next day.

Most core uniform pieces are a dark color (navy, black, etc.), so stains don’t show up as easily. 

If you don’t have a change of clothes, then, it’s just a matter of blotting and cleaning as best as possible (maybe doing a little hand washing in your hotel sink) and getting by until you can get it cleaned.

Hmm, now that I think about it, that’s the same thing that a passenger does if a spill happens.

If you have a question that you’d like me to answer in a future Flight Attendant Friday, just email me.

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Anyone who’s traveled a bit has a story about a scary takeoff or landing.  Whether is was a little bit of turbulence, a smack down on the runway, or a truly harrowing experience, is probably open to interpretation. 

In the most recent issue of Travel + Leisure, the magazine ranks the 10 scariest runways in the world. 

In alphabetical order they are:

1. Barra Airport, Barra, Scotland
2. Gibraltar Airport, Gibraltar
3. JFK, New York
4. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba, Netherlands Antilles
5. Madeira Airport, Funchal, Portugal
6. Matekane Air Strip, Lesotho
7. Paro Airport, Bhutan
8. Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten
9. Reagan National, Washington, D.C.
10. Toncontin Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras (in photo)

I’ve only flown into two of the above airports, but neither one in on my list of scary runway stories.

How about you?  What airport figures prominently in your scary story?

Photo credit: flickr

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

For some, best means First Class or Business Class.  Okay, I’m with you on that one!

But what if you’re in coach?  Is it possible to get a “BEST” seat there?

That’s where the debate begins.

Many travelers believe that an exit row or bulkhead is their “BEST” seat.  Other travelers define “BEST” by a window or an aisle.  Still others define “”BEST” by the front or back of the plane, how close or how far away it is from the lavatory, and how close or far away it is from a galley.

This video tries to give you some hints about those “BEST” seats that are kept secret. . . .

Are these really the best seats, though?  Keep reading for my opinion.

As someone who is on a plane on a regular basis, and who logs more miles than most business travelers out there, I know that some people will find these seats attractive, others will not.

There are trade offs.  It all depends on what you’re willing to trade for that “BEST” seat.

You may be close to a galley (often noisy, lit up, and hives of activity), near a lavatory (having to deal with a line up of people, noisy, often odiferous), or you may not have a place to store your carry on items on the floor (not easily accessible during flight, valuables may be in overhead where you can’t keep an eye on them).

Another issue is that in the event of an aircraft swap, your original seat assignment may not correspond to what you originally had.  Aircraft swaps occur frequently, as a result of mechanicals, late arrivals, weather delays, crew configurations, etc.  In short, you purchase transportation between Point A and Point B, and while every effort is made to accommodate your preferences, you do not purchase a specific seat on the airplane.

So decide what the deal breaker is for YOU.  Only after that can you figure out where YOUR “BEST” seat is.

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Q:  Do you get airsick?

A:  Remarkably, no.  I say “remarkably” because I do get car sick. 

I don’t recall having this problem as a child, so I’m not sure when it started happening.  While it doesn’t happen all the time, and it hasn’t been a problem on the last few car trips I’ve taken, I’ve been fortunate that the problem has not carried over to the airplane.

There have been a couple of times when I’ve been sick on the plane, and there is truly nothing worse, but it was never a result of motion sickness.

I’ve flown with people who have problems with airsickness, and after a few months, they seem to “grow out of it.”  I’m not sure if it’s a matter of acclimation, mind over matter, or medication, but I don’t think I’ve seen it continue for much longer than that.  The occasional flyer, however, likely has a harder time overcoming it.

Photo credit:  flickr

Post from: Fly Away Cafe