A flight attendant has revealed three tips for travelling stress-free during the busy festive period – and why Santa was nearly kicked off a plane.
Barbara Bacilieri, known online as Barbie Bac, said a record-breaking volume of travellers is expected this year.
As a result, she offered several tips to make passengers’ journeys easier.
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The 33-year-old said: “Flying during the holiday season can be quite stressful; airports are crowded, and flights are often delayed.
“Here are three tips to make your journey smoother:
“First, arrive earlier than usual.
“Security and passport control lines will be much longer than typical.”
Barbara, who worked as a flight attendant for 14 years, told travellers to wear practical clobber on the plane.
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She also told What’s The Jam: “Second, travel comfortably and wear clothes that are easy to take off and put back on for security checks.
“Avoid metal objects, and choose comfortable outfits for the flight, such as joggers and leggings.
“And bring a coat in case it gets cold on the plane.”
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Barbara, who comes from Argentina and lives in Spain, also pleaded for passengers to keep their cool during the busy period.
“Third, please be patient and kind to airport staff,” she said.
“Delays aren’t their fault, and they likely don’t want to be working under such stress during the holidays.
“Being friendly to flight attendants is always appreciated.”
The former flight attendant, who now devotes her time to her 4.9m TikTok fans and 2.8m YouTube subscribers, also had some advice for travelling with presents.
She said: “If you are travelling with gifts, avoid wrapping gifts to ensure your presents meet airline requirements and contain no prohibited items.
“Try not to wrap them in gift paper; if security needs to inspect the contents, they will have to tear it open.”
She added: “Fun Fact for 2025: A record-breaking volume of travellers is expected this year.
“Many airports are rolling out new 3D scanners that allow you to leave liquids and laptops inside your bag, but not all airports have them yet, so be prepared to take them out just in case.”
Barbara said a passenger was once refused to board the plane in a Santa costume.
The captain told him to change into normal clothes or get off the plane.
But the man donned his Father Christmas attire halfway through the flight and thrilled his fellow passengers.
Barbara explained: “On one of my flights, a passenger tried to board the plane dressed as Santa Claus.
“He had the full red suit, the hat, a wig, a white beard, and even padding for his belly.
“However, the captain did not allow him to board like that.
“He didn’t find the costume amusing and told the passenger that if he wanted to get on the plane, he had to take it off and wear normal clothes.
“This is because security must be able to identify passengers correctly, and it’s impossible to know what someone might be hiding under a bulky costume.
“Although the passenger was annoyed, he eventually took off the suit and boarded.
“Interestingly, once we were in the air, he put the costume back on and walked through the cabin laughing and shouting, ‘ho ho ho’ while the other passengers filmed him and took photos.”
She added: “Aeroplanes don’t stop during the holidays; flights continue through Christmas and the New Year.
“Some flights even take off at 11.55pm, meaning passengers ring in the New Year in the sky!
“Many airlines organise special celebrations, offering champagne and festive meals to enjoy alongside the crew.
“If you are on one of these flights, my advice is to look out the window; seeing fireworks from the air is a truly unique and spectacular show.
“When flight attendants have to work, they sometimes bring their families along on the flight so they can spend the holiday and the layover together at the destination.
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