Flight attendants deal with hundreds of passengers every day, and unfortunately, not all of them are pleasant. The good news? You don’t have to do anything extraordinary to stand out for the right reasons. A few simple habits can make a flight attendant’s day a little easier—and might even earn you a smile, a thank-you or an extra pack of Biscoff cookies.
The Golden Rule is simple: Treat others the way you’d like to be treated. Be nice. Don’t be a jerk. It’s not a very difficult concept but unfortunately, there are lots of people who don’t follow it. Especially on planes.
Flight attendants. (FAs) have always had to deal with rude passengers who don’t want to follow the rules. In the past decade or so, even more people have shown they think the rules somehow exclude them. Treating an FA the way you’d like to be treated is more important than ever.
There are several simple ways to make flight attendants know that they’re appreciated and respected. Here are 10 of them:
Return their greeting
FAs greet just about every person who boards their plane. Granted, they’re doing it for a specific reason. But how many passengers say “hello” back, especially with eye contact and a smile? Not many. Be that passenger.
Wait to ask for things
While the plane is loading, as some FAs need to greet everyone, others need to get everybody settled so the plane can take off on time. Unless they specifically ask or offer, that’s probably not the best time to ask for a pillow or drink.
Pay attention to the safety spiel
Yes, even if you’ve heard it a bajillion times before. The FA’s main job is to keep you safe, and they can see who’s attentive and who isn’t. So watch them and pay attention. It’s less than 5 minutes out of your life.
Let them help you
If you’re scared of flying (here are some tips), or are feeling sick, let them know. FAs can try to help you feel more comfortable and it’s better if they try that than having a panic attack or puking.
Come bearing gifts
How do you feel when someone brings you a little something extra at work? Especially if it’s unexpected? If you have a store-bought package of candy or individually wrapped snacks the crew can share—or even a few $5 Starbucks gift cards—it’ll probably make their day, and you may get brownie points. 
Understand priorities
If you ordered a coffee 10 minutes ago and it still hasn’t gotten there, look around to see what’s going on. Could there be an emergency behind you? Someone who just threw up in the aisle because they didn’t tell the FA that they were feeling sick is more important than your drink.
About the call button
If you want to know when snacks will be served, or if you would like a blanket, don’t use the call button to ask about it. Just wait until your FA goes past you. In most cases, it won’t be a long wait. Save the call button for important things.
Know what you want
Whether it’s a drink/snack service or a full meal, you get plenty of warning that the time to place your order is coming up. When it’s your turn to order, know what you want so you’re not making your decision as the FA is standing there. And if you want milk and sugar with your coffee, ask for it then, so the FAs don’t have to come back later on with your “afterthoughts.” It helps keep the service moving for everyone.
About those headphones
If the FA is talking to you, take one earbud out or remove your headphones for a moment, so they don’t have to repeat themselves 3 times.
Your kids are your responsibility, and nobody else’s
Your children are your responsibility to entertain, not the FAs’, so come with everything they’ll need to keep them happy, comfortable and occupied. Bring food and drink for them, too, if they won’t/can’t eat what’s available on the plane. Oh, and if you have to use the lavatory? FAs are not your built-in babysitters.
Flying is a shared experience. Everyone gets to the same destination eventually, but how pleasant the journey is depends a lot on how passengers treat one another—and the crew.
None of these suggestions require extra money or much extra effort. They’re simply small courtesies that acknowledge flight attendants are people doing an often stressful job.
And while being kind shouldn’t be done in hopes of getting a free drink or an extra snack, if your thoughtfulness happens to earn you a few extra Biscoff cookies along the way…well, that’s just a nice bonus.
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