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Insider asked five current and former flight attendants what people don’t know about their jobs.
Their answers included everything from why they can’t accept tips to why they rush boarding.
“Passengers have offered $100-plus bills for a better seat,” one told us. “But if it gets noticed, the flight attendant will have to speak with their manager.”

On a recent cross country trip, I found myself studying the flight attendants on my flight. At first glance, it seems like their job is simple. They pour drinks, hand out snacks, and deal with passenger requests. 

But during the six-hour flight, I noticed so much more. One flight attendant had to deal with a mid-flight health emergency, another spent a few hours doing paperwork, and a third worked hard to keep the aircraft — and the bathrooms — clean during the long flight.

This made me realize that there’s so much we don’t notice, or even know, when it comes to the job of a flight attendant. To learn more, I asked five current and former flight attendants to share some unknowns about the job. Here’s what they had to say.

1. The senior flight attendants get the best routes 

Some people are fascinated by the job of being a flight attendant because they hope it will take them around the world. That was the case for Ryen Williams, who was a flight attendant for two years before leaving to start her own production company. She hoped the job would take her to new countries, but she realized that the more senior flight attendants get the best routes.

“I ended up having all local trips, and rarely would I get an international flight,” Williams said.

2. Payment usually doesn’t start until the doors close 

Even though flight attendants arrive way before the flight actually takes off, Williams …read more

Source:: Businessinsider