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A flight attendant can make all the difference between a stuffy, uncomfortable journey and a pleasant flight — but how you treat your cabin crew can play a part, too.
Flight attendants juggle a range of responsibilities, from serving food and drinks and clearing up after passengers to delivering safety demonstrations. Despite their hard work, they rarely receive tips and are not always met with the gratitude or courtesy they deserve.
However, there are several ways that you can show your appreciation for your flight crew besides following plane etiquette — and the small gestures might go a long way in getting you perks like extra snacks or more legroom on your flight.
Charity Moore, a flight attendant with 11 years of experience, said in a TikTok video that passengers can make their flight attendants “obsessed” with them by bringing them small treats or goody bags.
“We love goody bags. Anything like Starbucks gift cards, hand sanitizer, chapstick, under-eye patches, little snacks,” she said. “We are stuck on board for 12, 13, 14 hours; we can’t get off. So it’s just nice to have a little treat and know we’re appreciated.”
“Starbucks gift cards are my favorite,” she added.
Although flight attendants can accept gifts, it should be noted that it is against airline policies to accept bribes of any kind, which means that people cannot expect a seat upgrade or extra snacks in return.
“Nothing is expected, but everything is appreciated,” Moore recently told Southern Living.
Bringing small treats for flight attendants has become a trend in recent years, with travelers and cabin crew members both sharing social media posts about the gift-giving.
Moore told the magazine: “It is becoming more common that people will bring us not necessarily a monetary tip, but people have been making little baggies for us and bringing us a goody bag.”
Rori Simon, a flight attendant with a major airline, said in a recent TikTok: “I’m a flight attendant and I love receiving gifts from passengers. It really does go a long way, especially if it’s been a long week, a long day or something like that. It always turns the whole day around.”
Travelers on a Reddit thread dedicated to the hack recommended giving liquid IVs, vouchers, lotion, packaged gum and mints to make flight attendants feel appreciated.
For preparation purposes, it is also important to consider that the number of flight attendants per plane depends on the aircraft, but there is typically a minimum of one flight attendant for every 50 passengers.
But if you don’t plan on bringing goody bags to your flight attendants, crew members also appreciate it when travelers use basic manners and etiquette while ordering their food and moving around the plane.