World of Airport Personnel : The tribulations of air travel are widely recognized. Passengers tend to be very upset when they arrive at the airport, while on their journey, and even after they have left. The airport staff are usually the ones who have to suffer the brunt of this anger, which can sometimes lead to humorous stories.
1. Don’t Bother Your Flight Attendant
Tourists often believe that if they press the bell for a flight attendant several times, the attendant will come quickly. Nevertheless, a flight attendant confessed that when someone continues to push the button more than once, they take longer to get to that person intentionally. Do not make your cabin crew unhappy!
2. Only Single Lines
Have you noticed that at most airports, there is only a single line for security and customs instead of multiple queues? This is intentional! Having only one line reduces the anxiety of having to decide which line will be the fastest or move the most quickly.
3. Hard Working Doggies
Numerous airports employ canines with specific training to discover any prohibited items that might be hidden inside the passengers’ bags. Even though they may be endearing, you should avoid scratching them since they are fulfilling their responsibility and are considered airport staff members. These captivating dogs are doing an outstanding job helping to keep us safe.
4. No More Free Upgrades
In the past, airlines would often upgrade passengers for special occasions, like a honeymoon or having a connection to a worker. However, now the only route to a free upgrade is to be an extremely dedicated frequent flyer.
5. Your Luggage, First
Agreeing that it is annoying to wait for your suitcase to show up on the carousel after a long trip is effortless. Someone with inside knowledge provided a practical tip to get your luggage faster: check in a bit later. If you are among the last people to check-in, it is likely that you will be one of the earliest to see your bags moving along the conveyor belt.
6. Unsanitary Conditions
An individual associated with an airline company recently made known via the Whisper app that changing tables for babies on domestic flights are rarely sanitized, and only occasionally spruced up after international flights. It is therefore important to be mindful of this information before allowing your infant to be in a potentially unsanitary environment.
7. A Misleading Lock
Despite using locks to protect your luggage, it is important to be aware that airport staff possess tools which allow them to open the locks without being detected and then re-lock them when they are done inspecting your belongings. You may never be aware that your bags were opened.
8. Finding Suspicious People
In airports, certain personnel called profilers are hired as a safety measure to recognize people who could potentially have dubious intentions. Travelling can make people anxious; so, these profilers have to discern between the normal nervousness of flying and the suspicious type.
9. Duty Free Don’t Come Cheap
Lots of individuals make the wrong assumption that buying items from a duty-free shop will be cheaper than obtaining them from other locations. While these items are free from taxes, their original price can be much higher. To ensure you get a bargain, it is essential to investigate before making a purchase.
10. Avoid The Airplane Coffee
Many people do not think very highly of airplane coffee, and a flight attendant revealed that there is a good reason for this. The coffee is not brewed with purified water, but instead with the drinking water on the plane, which is similar to the water that is discharged from the lavatory plumbing.
11. Little chance of being starstruck
People may be wondering why they have never seen a famous person at an airport even though it looks like they’re constantly travelling. This is because there is a special entrance for VIPs and an exclusive exit room. Some airports, such as LAX, even have entire sections dedicated to VIPs.
12. Always Double Check
It is critical to guarantee that all your documentation is up to date when traveling, as having documents that have gone past the expiration date could result in being prohibited from entering a country and being forced to turn back on the plane you just arrived in.
13. Don’t Be Rude To Staff
It is not productive to be rude or yell when working in a service job, including those in the airline sector. In fact, some airline personnel have admitted to taking revenge on impolite customers and making their experience more difficult. One employee revealed that they intentionally pressed down on the scale to guarantee that an ill-mannered traveler had to pay extra for their suitcase that was heavier than the allowed limit.
14. A Few Bad Eggs
When we travel, we usually have faith that airport workers will be conscientious and not pilfer from our things while we are not around. Most of them are dependable, but unfortunately, a small number of them break that confidence. In some cases, a few staff members will be fired for taking possessions that do not belong to them, particularly around the Christmas period.
15. An Invasion?
Although some people might consider this an infringement of their privacy, security checkpoints use scanners that generate an image of a person with their clothing still on. This is done to ensure that no weapons or contraband make it onto the plane.
16. Mystery Runway Numbers
When seated in an airport, you may have noticed numbers between 1 and 36 along the runway. These numbers are used to signify cardinal directions in terms of degrees. For instance, the number 9 stands for 90 degrees, which is east, 18 is 180 degrees which is south, whereas 27 is 270 degrees that is west, and 36 stands for 360 degrees which is north.
17. A Case Of Mistaken Destination
On occasion, airline representatives have admitted that some passengers mistakenly get on a plane that takes them to a different location than the one they were planning on visiting. As an example, two people who were aiming to go to Rome, Italy, were mistakenly sent to Reus, Spain, and it was not until after the aircraft had already taken off that this error was noticed.
18. The Truth About Oxygen Masks
We are all lucky to not have experienced the deployment of aircraft emergency masks. Not many people are aware that the oxygen released by these masks is only available for quarter of an hour. Thankfully, this is long enough for the pilot to bring the plane to a safe height.
19. No Handling With Care
People are often apt to use the term “throwers” to refer to baggage handlers, and there is a reasonable justification for this. As they tend to mishandle bags, it is not uncommon to find your suitcase damaged when it arrives on the belt. To prevent this, you should purchase a durable piece of luggage and ensure that you properly wrap your items.
20. The Best Airport Gig
Being employed as an airport worker is a beneficial job, especially when working in the club lounge. Passengers who are ready to spend extra money to have a peaceful area before their flight can be quite generous. A few bartenders at the club lounge reported that they receive tips up to $40 per hour, which is a great profit.
21. A Mean Spirited Joke?
An employee at an airport admitted that they take enjoyment in directing passengers to the wrong place, notably if they are late for their flight. This may result in them missing their plane, yet it was an amusing experience for the airline personnel.
22. Flights At The Fraction Of The Cost
Employees of an airport or airline can capitalize on reduced airfare, which can be an effective way to save money when planning a trip. Nevertheless, they also have to handle numerous inconsiderate people, which can be quite a challenge.
23. Don’t Push Your Luck
People sometimes try to trick baggage handlers by attaching a “priority” tag to their luggage to get their bags put on the first-class cart without paying extra. However, the staff can usually spot this ruse right away, so it’s not worth attempting.
24. Stick To The Aisle
Airline attendants suggest picking an aisle seat if you usually get chilly during flights. These places are usually the hottest on the aircraft, while window seats can become quite arctic. Additionally, if you sit in the aisle, you can move about without bothering your fellow travelers.
25. The Strangest Contraband
Working in an airport can be an interesting and strange experience due to the numerous prohibited items that are confiscated from passengers trying to sneak them onto their flight. Airport personnel have expressed that they enjoy sharing stories about the extraordinary items that have been confiscated in an effort to prevent people from committing the same offense.
26. A Security Swab
In order to decide if an individual has come into contact with prohibited items, like drugs, a wipe is employed to collect a sample from their hands which is then analyzed by a device. If the results are suspicious, the person’s belongings are then examined.
27. Keep It Fully Charged
Airlines now permit you to utilize your phone as an alternative to the traditional paper ticket and boarding pass. It is critical that your mobile device is fully powered, as the worst thing that could happen is for it to die when you are trying to board the plane.
28. They Don’t Know Everything
Employees of airlines want to emphasize that although they work at the airport, they are not always cognizant of the exact whereabouts of every item or what each law entails.
29. A Pretty Good Deal
Airlines can overbook their flights, which can be disheartening if you don’t make it to the boarding gate on time. Yet, there are advantages and you may be rewarded with vouchers that are worth more than the price of your ticket. If you don’t mind waiting for another flight, you could get a great bargain when travelling.
30. They See You When You’re Sleeping
It’s no surprise that being a flight attendant can be quite dull, so they think of creative ways to amuse themselves. One of these is watching the many, usually amusing, tactics people employ to doze off during the flight. We can only imagine how funny it must be!
31. The Happiest Place In The Airport
An airline staff member mentioned that the arrivals part of the airport was their preferred place. People tend to be more elated here than in the departures area, which is usually quite tense. It is delightful to observe the happy reunions between people after they have been away for an extended period of time.
32. Food Waste
A representative from the airport said that a great deal of food is prepared there but most of it is discarded. Even though this extra food could be beneficial for people who are struggling to get by, government laws prohibit airports from distributing it, leaving it to end up in the trash.
33. A Four-Wheeler
Flight attendants recommend that vacationers carry luggage with four wheels instead of two. This type of suitcase offers greater agility when navigating an airport, since it can be pushed instead of pulled. This makes it much more practical and allows for faster and easier movement.
34. Skip The Checked Bag
Airhostesses recommend that tourists pack as little as possible and not check-in their baggage. This not only eliminates the risk of misplacing your items but also saves a lot of time at the baggage collection area. We consider this to be a really good idea!
35. The Automated Luggage System
You likely don’t know this, but a computerized machine sorts through your luggage. This system ensures that suitcases are sent from the check-in area to the departure gate for flights with layovers, as well as from arrivals to the baggage claim area. This is done by scanning the barcodes on the tag attached to your bag, so make sure to take off any labels that are outdated to avoid confusion!
36. Security Inconsistencies
When passing through an airport, all travelers are required to undergo a security screening, however, airport staff are exempt from this process. This leaves open the risk of improper items being smuggled into the airport by employees, of which there have been reported cases.
37. The Air Traffic Control Role
Air traffic controllers are shouldering a great amount of accountability and many individuals may not be cognizant of the fact that their obligations extend beyond managing planes in the air. They are also accountable for guiding air crafts on the ground, regulating the runway lights, and monitoring the climate.
38. Lost In Transit
Air travel is a frequently stressful experience because of the possibility of misplaced baggage. A variety of factors can lead to a bag not arriving at its intended destination, ranging from required security reviews that cause loading delays to having the incorrect label put on the suitcase, consequently sending it to the wrong spot.
39. The Non-Stop Kitchens
The majority of restaurants located in airports stay open as airports usually provide flights around the clock. Allegedly, there are almost 37 million take-offs and landings annually, with more than three billion passengers needing meals while travelling.
40. Avoiding Escalation
Airports can be very nerve-wracking for countless reasons. Aside from the fear of flying and the stress of daily life, some travelers find it necessary to indulge in alcoholic beverages while waiting for the flight. Therefore, personnel at the airport are always on the lookout for any potential problems. It is essential to be mindful that you are most likely being observed when at an airport.
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