As soon as you board an aircraft as a passenger, you are greeted formally by the cabin crew. It is an important time for the cabin crew to assess passengers, but what are they looking for?
1Safety concerns
The cabin crew will first monitor passengers for if they seem drunk or drugged in any way. If they think you may become a threat to safety in any way, a passenger can be offloaded. A drunk passenger could try mishandling a cabin door or trying to smoke in a lavatory. They could also abuse the staff or other passengers and become disruptive. If the passenger seems non-cooperative, there could be potential issues, and they are dangerous in an emergency.
2Baggage issues
Cabin crew will be checking for any baggage that may be non-compliant. The luggage may not fit in the overhead locker or cannot be carried in the cabin. Items not within the guidelines will be tagged, offloaded, and stored in the hold instead. Passengers have been known to smuggle their pets into the cabin, so that is something the crew needs to be aware of.
Photo: Finnair
3Emergency ABPs
Cabin crew assess physically fit persons, especially firefighters, police officers, etc., who may be able to assist in an emergency. These are called able-bodied passengers or ABPs. They would be briefed in a planned emergency and assigned certain tasks. In an unplanned emergency, they would be a ‘go-to’ to help open an exit door, for example, and help people down the slide.
4Upgrade
Sometimes, if there are spare seats in business class cabin crew may upgrade a passenger. They will be looking for someone smartly dressed and business-like to offer a free upgrade.
5Unusual behavior
Cabin crew are trained to be super aware of what is going on around them at all times. During boarding, they will be looking for any unusual behavior. Drug mules show certain signs of behavior, as do human traffickers, so the crew are observing. They will also look for any passenger who might be disruptive or cause a disturbance.
Photo: Emirates
6Fellow crew
Usually, cabin crew look after their pilot and cabin crew colleagues as well when traveling as a passenger. This is because they know they are trained the same as them and may be able to help in any emergency situations onboard. This may show up on the passenger information list, but often they can be spotted by their crew bag.
7Sickness
Cabin crew are monitoring for potential sickness too. Certainly, since the pandemic, this is even more so as we understand the effects of communicable diseases. Also, if a passenger looks seriously ill, it isn’t worth the risk of a medical emergency onboard. Also, someone in the late stages of pregnancy would have to have a medical note to say that they are fit to fly.
Photo: airBaltic
8Nervous flyers
Nervous flyers are usually easy to spot but not always. Cabin crew will talk to them, explain things, reseat if necessary, and comfort them when possible. The cabin crew like to be aware of nervous flyers and will do everything they can to help improve their experience.
9Correct seating
Cabin crew will also check that the right passengers are seated on exit rows; there are stringent rules regarding who can sit by the exits, and sometimes mistakes are made at check-in. An emergency evacuation should never be impeded, so even a broken arm would cause a passenger to be moved. Some airlines also ask those seated on exit rows if they would be willing to operate the exit in an emergency. If they are not happy to open the exit door, they are reseated to another area.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Coverpage’s editorial stance
