From bagging upgrades to what’s in the food: Six secrets from airline staff

With the early check-ins, long queues and extra baggage fees, catching a flight isn’t always the most fun experience.

But now, two flight attendants – with combined experience of 18 years – and an airline pilot, are sharing some secrets they learned on the job – and it could make your flight a whole lot more enjoyable.

They’ve paired up with travel experts at eShores to pull back the curtain, so to speak, and give some insider intel.

So, from how to increase your chances of getting upgraded to why we should be swerving the plane water, here’s what they want travellers to know.

The food is purposely oversalted 

Ever wanted to know why plane food tastes funny? Turns out most of it is probably down to the altitude and the salt content.

Kamila Jakubjakova, a flight attendant for over three years, said: ‘Due to different air pressure and dry air inside the airplane, our sense of smell reduces roughly by 20%, and so does the sensitivity of our taste buds, making the food taste blander.

‘Therefore, the aircraft food is often oversalted. For this reason, I prefer to bring my own snacks when I fly.’

Avoid the plane water 

The salty food might make you desperate for a drink, but the water might not be the best way to go.

The quality can vary between airlines, but a Healthline report found microorganisms present in some water on planes, including total coliform, which is a large group of different types of bacteria.

Kamila explained: ‘Bottled water would be my first choice as the water tanks don’t get cleaned often due to time constraints. That being said, over my flying career I drank countless cups of tea and coffee when I needed a caffeine boost to stay up on night flights, and I never had any issues. 

‘Although the aircraft water is definitely not the best quality, they have to follow the hygiene and sanitation standards.’

Sit at the front of the plane for your choice of food 

Not only do you tend to feel turbulence less at the front compared to the tail of the plane, but there’s also a perk during mealtimes.

Kamila said: ‘The food service usually starts from the front of the airplane, so you’ll get to dine first if you sit in the very first rows of an aircraft. Sitting in the front rows also means you’re more likely to get your preferred choice of meal if two options are available.’

Don’t rush for boarding 

Patrick Smith, an airline pilot, said that the most common mistake travellers make, is rushing to the gate when boarding is announced.

He explained: ‘When your flight is called for boarding, resist the urge to stand up and get in line immediately. In the past, people stayed in their seats until their row or zone was called.

‘Nowadays, when the first pre-boarding call is announced, two-hundred people instantly stand up and form a mob, blocking the way for those passengers whose zones are actually being called.

‘People are forced to literally elbow and shove their way to the front. It’s madness, and there’s no need for it. Standing in line does not get you on the plane any faster. On the contrary, it makes the already tedious boarding process take longer.’

Bring a gift for better service (or even an upgrade) 

Lisa Wilkes, who has been a flight attendant for 15 years, said a little gift can go a long way.

She said: ‘We see a lot of super difficult and mean passengers, so when someone does something nice, we really appreciate it. Often, a gift means you’ll get extra special service or even complimentary snacks.’

Something small, like snacks or a Starbucks voucher should do the trick. Some passengers have even reported that gift-giving has resulted in them getting better seats or even a first class upgrade.  

Don’t be afraid of turbulence  

Turbulence is scary, but Kamila said it’s really nothing to fear.

She said: ‘No airplane has ever crashed because of turbulence. Most accidents happen during take-off and landing.’

That being said, it’s been known to cause accidents inside the plane.

‘One colleague of mine accidentally spilled a cool drink on a passenger because of unexpected turbulence,’ Kamila recalled.

‘We let him wear our crew pyjamas while we attempted to clean and dry his clothes in the galley. It was quite a funny incident – fortunately, he was pretty understanding.’

Do you have a story to share?