Airline Crew-Passenger Spat: Why Is Cabin Crew Always Looked Down Upon?

'I'm an employee, not your servant.' A crew member of a popular airline remarked when a passenger talked down to her on board. She screamed, yes, but I hope we all realise what must push her to reach that breaking point. We now understand, if not entirely, what it takes to work in a profession constantly being looked down upon. A profession where the crew members are often met with misconduct, judged and yelled at, among any other ill-mannered behaviour we human beings are capable of.

A video which has gone viral across social media platforms showcases not just the incident from the flight on the Istanbul-Delhi route but a mindset a lot of people hold concerning those who work as the cabin crew across airlines. A conflict broke out between an Indigo flight attendant and a passenger after the latter communicated rudely with other crew members. The flight attendant requested the passenger to calm down and not create a scene over confusion around a sandwich, however, the latter was in no mood for reasoning. He yelled, she yelled back, and that's exactly what didn't go down well with him - her yelling.

The annoyed passenger asked her, "Why are you yelling," to which she answered, "Because you are yelling at us. Sorry, sir, but you cannot speak to the crew in that manner. You are pointing fingers at me and yelling at me. My crew is crying because of you." He then referred to her as a servant, and that's when it got downhill. Having said that, there's no entitlement to speak with one's servant in that tone, either. It's just about time that society broadens its view of the cabin crew industry and a lot of other jobs where women are in a customer-facing role.

It's not just one airline, a recent incident on board a SpiceJet plane showcases the horrendous behaviour female cabin crew are subjected to. The Hyderabad-bound SpiceJet flight faced a similar issue where two men behaved in an unruly manner with a female member of the cabin crew; the argument reached such an extent that they had to be deplaned for their inappropriate behaviour.

Suggested  Reading: Viral Video Shows Fight Between IndiGo Crew And Passenger

Indigo Crew-Passenger Spat

The airline industry is abridged without cabin crew personnel. They form the pillars of the hospitality industry that the airlines boast of. They not just run the onboard functioning on a plane but act as representatives of the airlines.

A few friends who formally worked as cabin crew members across airlines tell SheThePeople that not much has changed in this regard. While the air travel business has increased twofold with a lot of people majorly choosing air routes, their behaviour and appreciation towards cabin crew have, unfortunately, not moved an inch.

"I hope we understand the gravity of the fact that the cabin crew are officially and legally equipped to handle mid-air childbirth and offer the primary possible first-aid in case you have a health emergency. They're trained professionals and anything they do is towards the oath of hospitality they've taken before getting on board. Treating them with disrespect only shows us in a bad light, and them reaching their breaking point indicates how far we’ve let situations of misconduct come to."

I'm assuming many people are well-read and informed about how the cabin crew sector functions and what responsibilities and decisions they are accustomed to. Here’s something to ponder over for those who choose to overlook it.

What goes behind building a strong crew

Potential Flight attendants undergo an entire selection procedure before they are hired, which includes written tests and verbal interviews that are meant to test the candidate’s writing ability, communication skills, general knowledge skills, sense of tackling numbers, situation analysis and overall personality traits. Among the thousands of applicants, very few are shortlisted and hired in sets of batches for a training period of a few months thriving on which they are finally ready to fly with the airlines.

Comprising modules like safety, first aid, and food and beverage serving to name a few; the candidates study and go through innumerable exams, mock exercises and a practical understanding of their profession. This is a general procedure that they undergo, which may vary from one airline to another. 

Recently, a video of a cabin crew member giving mid-air aid to a passenger went viral. It's one of the many things that the cabin crew assist the people in need with during the flight.

Tahira Hundal, who worked with not one but two airlines in her six-year-long career as a flight attendant, told SheThePeople that although she loved the flying experience, it was how some passengers behaved with her colleagues and her that really bothered her to some level.

“Sometimes, the passengers, even without pre-booking, don’t understand when we fall short of certain kinds of meals. What got me agitated during my stint as a cabin crew member was that most passengers insensitively hold us responsible for flight delays, and use the kind of foul language I can't even share here.” - Tahira Hundal, Former Flight Attendant.

In terms of factual understanding, the cabin crew is formally certified in first aid designation, which provides them with the authority to assist passengers in cases of emergency. In addition, if they detect disorderly behaviour, they can notify the pilot and have you arrested. After completing official training on safety measures, passenger security, and dealing with nuances and undesired behaviour at 30,000 feet above ground level, the cabin crew religiously embed within themselves an ability to confront every situation calmly and tactfully. Pallavi Angrish, a Doha resident, worked for a few good years at a Middle-Eastern airline. She spoke with SheThePeople about her experience. "A lot of us have faced such misconduct at some level in the hands of passengers and, unfortunately, it's getting worse because there are these stereotypes associated with cabin crew and people can't deal with the fact that it's a chosen, honourable profession."

“Flying as a profession is amazing. The major challenge we faced with passengers is primarily that they don't even understand the importance of their safety, making it bothersome for us to deal with them.” - Pallavi Angirish.

Prabhleen Malhi, who worked with an airline, which doesn't operate commercially anymore, once sobbed in front of me when she returned to the apartment we shared in Bombay in 2015 because she was yelled at by a passenger on board with no fault of hers. 

"A passenger once yelled at me because there was no space in the overhead bins. Another yelled when I tried making space because I moved his luggage a little. I was told, in front of a fully boarded flight, that I should have seen to the spacing issue in the aircraft. I mean how?" - Prabhleen Malhi

Availing of a feeling of superiority by making someone feel inferior to you does not make you superior. It makes you entitled, possibly, in unfitting ways.

There is also enough data to suggest that flight attendants face a significant amount of sexual harassment on the job by passengers, co-workers, pilots and so on. That is, however, not the focus of this discussion.

The Cabin Crew understands the aircraft system more than the passengers and they are present on board for your comfort and safety because it is their topmost priority. They are there to ensure you experience a wonderful journey. They smile constantly and put their best behaviour forward, no matter how bad their day has been. They are on board to help you experience a pleasant flight; all you have to do is acknowledge them graciously and politely, and what are we if we can't do the bare minimum?

Views expressed by the author are their own