The Frustrating Flight Attendant Behavior Airplane Passengers Can't Stand

Flight attendants put up with a lot of odd behavior in their professional lives. From passengers who go a bit too hard on the in-flight alcohol to travelers who treat boarding like an Olympic sprint event, cabin crew are often underappreciated for the work they do in keeping passengers safe and comfortable. Flight attendants pay attention to the behavior of passengers from the moment they board the plane, and it is always a good idea for travelers to stay on attendants' good side when taking a flight.

However, while flight attendants have to deal with a lot of frustrating behavior from passengers on board, it isn't just a one-way street. Flight attendants themselves have been known to exhibit certain behaviors and attitudes that can be frustrating and annoying for passengers, and sometimes staying calm on a flight can be a tricky business, particularly if you are tired. One of the most exasperating and aggravating things flight attendants can do, according to regular flyers, is to wake sleeping passengers to ask them if they want a meal.

Complimentary food and drink is one of the biggest perks of flying, particularly on long-haul flights. But plenty of passengers prefer to maximize their sleep on board, rather than eat an extra meal. According to comments on social media, this is particularly relevant when it comes to the breakfast meal service, when many passengers would prefer to sleep right through to arrival at their destination.

Getting enough rest on a long flight is one of the biggest challenges passengers face. No one wants to get to their destination exhausted and drained, and catching enough z's is hard enough in Economy without being woken every couple of hours to be asked about meal preferences. But flight attendants can find themselves in something of a catch-22 situation, with passengers complaining about being woken, but also complaining if they don't get the meal they want!

On an r/AmericanAirlines thread on Reddit, a deleted post described an interaction on a recent flight. "I recently flew CLT-LHR in business class," they said (via I Can Has Cheezburger?). "I laid down and went to sleep after the meal service, and then the next thing I know, someone is aggressively shaking my shoulder. I open my eyes, and it's the flight attendant." They go on to describe how the flight attendant asked if they wanted breakfast, and how they explained that if they are sleeping, it means they don't want breakfast.

However, other comments indicate that the situation can be tricky for cabin crew to manage. u/Hedonismbot-1729a says, "I'm guessing plenty of sleeping passengers get all pissy because they weren't woken for breakfast. FA's have a s*** situation in that regard." This is confirmed by u/Laukie00, who says, "I'm a flight attendant (not Delta) you won't believe how angry some people get if they miss a snack or drink. There's no way to win."

Both airlines and passengers have come up with various workarounds to avoid this frustrating situation. Some airlines have a policy of asking passengers about their preferences for the entire flight during the first meal service, and first-class passengers often have a "do not disturb" light they can use to indicate that they would rather be left alone for the duration of the flight. Some airlines even issue stickers with the amenity bags, sleep masks, and earplugs, which say "do not disturb" and "wake for meals," so travelers can put them somewhere prominent and inform the cabin crew of their preference.

In other cases, passengers have taken the initiative and come up with their own ways of telling flight attendants whether they want to be woken up for meals or not. One passenger filmed himself sleeping while the word "chicken" scrolled across the phone on his lap. Other passengers bring their own sticky labels, or make a point to inform the attendant when boarding that they would like to be left undisturbed.