Do Air Hostesses Sleep at all on a Flight? 5 Such Curious Questions Answered

Do you often find yourself neck-deep in curiosity every time you board a flight? What kind of lives do the flight attendants lead? What happens if they fatten up? And why are they insisting that we switch off our phones during take-off and landing? This and much more—we’ve attempted to answer your most whacky flight related questions.

Do Air Hostesses Sleep at all on a Flight?

Yes, they do catch few winks for sure. In most long-distance flights, there are tiny bedrooms where the air hostesses head for a short nap once they finish their duties. These bedrooms are hidden and located in areas that you cannot even fathom—behind a flight of stairs, near the door or the cockpit area, and sometime even above the overhead luggage bins. Several Boeing 787 and 777 have about 8 to 10 such bedrooms, usually measuring 6 feet in length and 2.5 feet in width. Though it may appear a little crammed, air hostesses feel it is a boon to be able to stretch out those tired legs and give their weary eyes some rest. All these rooms come with clean bed sheets, cushions, pillows, curtains for privacy, and TVs and mini iPads for entertainment. However, a few air hostesses choose to carry their own bed sheets, pillows and teddies to make the space feel homely. So the next time you are on a long-distance flight, do keep a keen eye—you just might spot those tiny bedrooms.

Will Using Phone during Take-Off or Landing Cause Flights to Crash?

Yes and no. Asking passengers to keep their phones on airplane mode during take-off and landing is mainly for precaution, and till date no crashes have been reported due to usage of phones. Having said that, phones, or for that matter electronic devices like laptops, tablets, e-books, et al emit radio waves, and if these radio waves have a frequency too similar to the ones used by the plane’s navigational apparatus, it can interfere and confuse a pilot’s judgement during crucial times. CNN Travel reports that from 2003 to 2009, there were 75 instances of phone interferences, which could have distracted the pilots and led to crashes. Now you know why the flight attendants give you annoyed looks when you refuse to follow their instructions.

Do Pilots Tell Us the Whole Truth during Emergencies?

More often than not, pilots do not tell us the exact situation during emergencies. If the visibility has suddenly become zero, the pilots would say, “We are experiencing some fog in this area, which is likely to clear up soon.” Or else if one of the engines suddenly stops working, you will hear something like, “One of our engines is not indicating properly, but nothing that cannot be corrected.” Most issues are often dealt with by the pilots and they do not believe in creating unnecessary panic among the passengers. They continue to give them assurance till things do not go out of hand, which is when they begin to bark commands like, “Brace yourself for an emergency landing because the plane is on fire.”  

Read More: Here is All You Need to Know Before Boarding a Flight

Is it True that Autopilots Do Most of the Work?

Some pilots have confessed that on regular flights, autopilots do about 90 percent of the flying with the pilots handling the take-off and landing. However, with advanced automation enhancing the safety quotient considerably, even landing and take-off can now be managed by autopilots. Having said that, there is speculation that pilots who fly using automation result in making errors when confronted with unexpected situations. Hence the solution is for pilots to acquire more manual flight training so that they have a clear understanding of the workings of automation, and are able to take the right decisions during emergencies.

Is it True that Air Hostesses Are Not Allowed to Gain Weight?

Yes, air hostesses are not allowed to gain weight. While every airline has their own criteria, some airlines maintain that as long as the air hostesses are employed with them, they have to continue fitting in the uniform size they had joined in. The size cannot be altered. To ensure this, air hostesses go through a regular Body Mass Index check, which has to be within the normal range of 18.5 to 25. In case they gain weight, they are given one month to lose the extra pounds, or else are put on a weight management programme.

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