The Seemingly Polite Passenger Request That Drives Flight Attendants Up The Wall

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Flight attendants have to put up with a lot of annoying behaviors from passengers. They often deal with things like people poking or tapping them to get their attention or overusing the call button to summon them over while on a plane. However, there is one seemingly polite passenger request that drives them up the wall, which is asking them to change the temperature in the cabin. We've all been there: It's summer and you're sitting on the tarmac, boiling alive while you wait for the flight to depart. Later, you're up in the air, shivering as you wait for the drink cart so you can get a hot tea to warm you up. 

Planes tend to be chilly in general, and there is a good reason why. People faint more when the air is warmer, according to a 2008 study published in the Journal of ASTM International, because of a condition called hypoxia, where the body doesn't get enough oxygen. The heat and higher pressure inside a plane cabin can make it worse.

In a post on Reddit's r/flightattendants, one flight attendant commenter says, "When it's cold people shiver and drink hot drinks. When it's hot people vomit and pass out. I'll keep the cabin cool anyway." While most planes allow flight attendants and pilots to control the temperature to some degree, they're unlikely to change it for a single person's request. Plus, remember that, while you as a passenger are just sitting there, flight attendants are moving around quite a bit. In another comment on the same post, a flight attendant explains, "I am wearing a lined polyester dress and I am working. The plane will remain cold! Don't like it, wear clothes and bring your own blanket." 

If you tend to have difficulty regulating your body temperature on a plane, your best bet is to layer your clothing. You can take off layers if you get warm and add them if you get cold. This way you can deal with warm cabin temperatures when the plane is sitting on the tarmac or the chilly temps during the flight. You can also purchase cold or hot drinks in the airport according to your general temperature and put them in a reusable mug that maintains the temperature, like the Yinbaoge Insulated Travel Coffee Mug on Amazon. Warm or cold food can be helpful as well.

If you're someone whose hands are always chilly, there is no reason you can't pack gloves, as they don't take up much room. Disposable hand warmers are allowed in your carry-on bag by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as well. A packable travel blanket is also a great idea, like the BlueHills Premium Soft Travel Blanket Pillow. You can use it as a pillow when it's folded up, or cover yourself to get warm when it's unfolded. Even something as simple as a wool scarf is easy to pull out of a carry-on and shove back in after the flight. If you're always warm, you might try a portable, handheld fan. Being responsible for your own comfort and remembering to be polite while on a flight will keep you from being called this code word by flight attendants that isn't as good as it sounds.