This Annoying Airplane Behavior Is Sure To Frustrate Your Flight Attendants

Flight attendants are an airline's frontline workers when it comes to ensuring that flights are as comfortable as possible for everyone on board. With more than 10 years of in-flight crew member experience, I can attest to the fact that most airlines are counting on us to be one of the top reasons their customers come back. Your flights may boast specialized food and beverage offerings, upgraded seating, and personalized in-flight entertainment, but we're the ones who will be there for you should you need anything during your journey. There's even a call button above every seat to ensure you can contact us at any moment — but that doesn't necessarily mean you should. From ringing the flight attendant call button at inappropriate times to ringing it for undesirable reasons, this faux pas is sure to drive us up the (cabin) wall.

It isn't that we don't want to hear from you — flight attendants tend to have personalities that are people-oriented; otherwise we wouldn't enjoy the job very much. That being said, serving hundreds of customers per flight requires us to be practiced in the art of patience, and most of us are. We smile through the turbulence (literally and figuratively), warmly greeting and bidding goodbye to everyone who boards the plane. We do our best to hide our annoyance when asked to fill passengers' water bottles, and we put our own lunches aside whenever the call button rings in order to provide top-notch service. 

So, when is it acceptable to ring us, and when is it not? Read on to learn a thing or two about call button etiquette, and your future flight attendants will surely thank you for implementing these best practices on your next flight.

Most passengers assume that the flight attendant call button can be pressed at any time, for any reason. There is certainly nothing stopping you from doing this, but just like how there is etiquette associated with other aspects of flying (such as the three unspoken rules to follow if the middle seat is empty on your flight), there are times when it's inappropriate to use the call button, unless you or someone near you is experiencing an emergency.

For example, it's a bad idea to ring the call button when the flight attendants need to remain seated. This includes during taxi, takeoff, and landing. If the aircraft is below 10,000 feet, chances are your flight attendant is either busy performing safety-related duties or buckled into their jump seats. We will assume that the sound of a call button during these times equates to something abnormal that requires immediate assistance, such as a medical emergency. Similarly, there are times when the pilots will tell flight attendants to take their seats if they are anticipating any turbulence. If it's bumpy, it's not a good time to ring your flight attendant call button for another vodka soda.

Ideally, you should keep the bulk of your requests to the times your flight attendants naturally appear, as you'll typically see us no fewer than half a dozen times throughout your flight. Ringing the call button to ask for another drink is fine, especially if it's mid-flight and you haven't seen us pass by in a while, but avoid using it to request trash collection. You can always come to one of our preparation areas to ask us for whatever you may be needing, as long as the seat belt sign is not illuminated.

Flight attendants are called to assist customers during their flights for all kinds of reasons, from informational inquiries, like details on connections, to complaints, like passengers being upset that the seat in front of them is reclined (a frustrating aspect of flying that sparks heated debate among travelers). The flight attendant call button is designed to get our attention quickly, and you should use it if you need to — just ask yourself first if your need is an urgent one. If it appears to be during a phase of flight that we're performing safety duties or already serving food or beverages, you may want to choose another moment.

That being said, there's no better reason to reach up and illuminate that button than during an emergency. For example, if you're feeling ill, it is best that we're informed of this as quickly as possible so we can help you. If you spill something that needs to be cleaned up, we're happy to assist, too. More urgent matters that would need to be announced right away include serious medical situations (like if someone is choking or loses consciousness); if you see, hear, or smell something unusual in the cabin (think smoke or a strong chemical odor); or if a personal electronic device swells or overheats. The cabin is big, and while we're trained to address all of these things swiftly, we can only do so if we're aware of the situation to begin with.

Usually all it takes is to use your best judgment before relying on the flight attendant call button to get our attention, but don't worry: If you press it during an inopportune time, it's usually not a problem, and we'll be with you as soon as we can.