Unlock These 36 Insider Plane Hacks That Frequent Flyers Swear By for Surviving Long Flights
All aisle arm rests can go up. Ther is a button or latch underneath towards the back of the arm rest. It’s useful if your tray table is down and you need to get up.
If you take a flight with SQ, you could ask for a range of things like toothbrush, pen, notepad, poker cards, eye mask, sewing kit, comb and shaver. In economy.
Oh and if it’s your birthday or wedding anniversary (declared it somehow during your ticket booking process), we will bring you cake with fancy deco and a glass of champagne. Might even get a card filled with crew’s signatures and well wishes!
If you have a kid with you, ask for children’s toys.
Special dietary meals get served first.
There’s a button underneath the mirror in all aircraft’s lavatory, press that, mirror will swing out and you’ll see how we hide them extra toilet rolls and boxes but please don’t take all of them on a full flight :(.
If you’re still hungry, you can ask for seconds. After the meal is served, there are usually a couple of extra entrees leftover. You have to ask nicely and don’t expect to have a choice in what you get, but they’re usually be able to accommodate you.
(on international flights where meals are still included).
If you have a large coat, or a nice jacket, you can ask the stewards to hang it in the closet. There’s a small closet with hangers on nearly every plane.
I was flying with a stuffed nose that resulted in a massive headache an hour after the plane took off. If you ask the flight attendants for an aspirin they have individually packeted medicine they will give you for free along with a small cup of water. There were some other first aid supplies in the back too. That really saved me on an 8 hour flight.
Espresso drinks aren’t only for first class on my airline, but *no one* ever thinks to ask for a latte or a cappuccino. I’m happy to make them and they’re free!
* We can make you hot chocolate.
* Maybe not a secret, but booze is free. A lot of people don’t ask for it because they think we’ll charge them.
* We have a polaroid camera on board for kids/special occasions. We usually go around the cabin and take pictures of kids, but if you ask us nicely, we’ll take a picture for you and put it in a nice souvenir sleeve. We might even let you wear our red hat.
* We have all kinds of goodies along the lines of earplugs, razors, pens, combs, and playing cards for you if you ask. Sometimes we have chocolate.
* But we won’t give you anything if you’re a jerk ;).
Not a hostess but I travel often; if you select the seat near the emergency exits, you get more leg room/space. You just have to verbally confirm you will help in case of an emergency. Bonus: people are now at your mercy at the event of a crash.
Not an airline employee, but I recently was on a flight that was way less than 50% booked. My window seat was one of those that didn’t align with a window so I just got a wall. I moved up, not realizing that I sat in the “Economy Plus” section, which had nobody in it. Despite the attendant seeing me move, she still gave me the complimentary adult drinks that came with the upgraded section.
Not an air host but if you have access to a VIP lounge (either perks of work, bank etc or through family or friends) just take as many of those little cans of pop with you for the flight, since you’re past security anyway.
When the flight attendant is going down the aisle for drinks ask for the whole can. That way you get more of it, and they don’t have to carry around 1/4 filled cans with them. It also makes their job easier because they don’t have to pour it into a cup either.
Not a flight attendant, but if you strike up a conversation with one of them before you take off, they’ll treat you way better than usual.
The last flight I was on, my wife and I got free champagne and chocolate mousse while everyone else around us glared at us, just because I got talking to one of the flight attendants while we were waiting to get to our seat.
If you’re booking a flight late, check to see if the last row only has 2 seats. If it does, you can sometimes get extra leg room where only 90% of a seat would fit.
Say you need the halal meal due to religious reasons. It’s generally tastier (on BA flights it’s a really nice rice dish) and you get served first.
The pilot will generally admit your kid to the cockpit before take off for a mini tour if you ask nicely and your kid is cute enough.
On a British airways flight to the US the crew let me hang out in the galley and chat with them. They also let me help myself to the beer. It was a long flight so they didn’t mind the company and it was also easier for me to get my drinks. Win win.
If you’re on a busier flight, board as late as possible. The overheads will be full and you’ll get your luggage checked for free.
It is legally fine to slap someone who rests his/her head on your shoulder while sleeping. Dare they think of sleep again on any flight.
Those peanuts… They’re complementary.
Since this is somewhat serious, an actual hack is to be the last person or so to board. Literally announcing your name last. Pretty good odds that whatever seat is open is likely open. I do this regularly for long flights and have ridden first and upgraded leg room seats. As you walk up, mumble the seat number your faking ‘…. 6b’, glance at your ticket to confirm that it’s not your seat, and sit like you own it. Works every time.
If you go to the lavatory and the flight attendants haven’t unlocked them yet (some airlines lock them during taxi / takeoff), look on the door for a sign or placard that is raised above the surface of the door and isn’t a sticker.
The lock is under that. Just flip the sign up and slide the lock open.
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