Flight Attendants Always Notice This Type Of Passenger While Boarding A Plane

Despite the stress and hassle of navigating busy airports and knowing what you can and can't bring through the TSA line, the actual act of boarding an airplane is usually a more pleasant experience. That's often because the flight crew is ready at the door, offering a friendly smile and welcoming you aboard. While it's a warm gesture, for sure, flight attendants are also sizing up their travelers and assessing them before the plane's doors are even secured.

If that sounds judgy, well, it is. But cabin crews are focused on the safety of the plane and its passengers, which is why flight attendants can't stand one particular request passengers make after finding their seat. As they watch guests step aboard the plane, they're assessing which passengers are an "ABP," or able-bodied passenger. As a flight attendant wrote on Reddit, "We are supposed to 'pick out' and assess a number of able bodied customers and keep them in mind throughout every flight in case of emergency." If you've ever sat in an exit row aboard an airplane, you've heard the request to help during an emergency and will understand why this type of passenger is so important.

While flight crews are required to pay attention to suspicious or odd behavior in passengers, they are also looking for assistance from fliers who can offer a hand. According to one flight attendant on Quora, cabin crew members pay attention to passengers who are assisting others in line, for instance. Small details like this can help determine who might be the most helpful in the event of an emergency.

During these emergency situations, ABPs could be requested to do anything from opening emergency doors to assisting mobility-challenged or young passengers evacuate. But helping a flight crew doesn't always involve manual labor or in-depth medical knowledge. Simply paying attention to the flight safety instructions or helping your flight attendant when they are on "crotch watch" are ways to be helpful from your assigned seat.

Even if airline workers are scanning for ABP, that doesn't mean you can't verbally offer your assistance. "Feel free to just say you can help in any way needed throughout the flight," the aforementioned Redditor added. Another flight attendant echoed those sentiments on the same Reddit thread, saying, "I would 100% appreciate and respect anyone who is able bodied to causally [sic] tell me during boarding or first drink service, "hey. I'm here if you need me." It's so rare people have our backs."