A flight attendant has revealed secrets from the sky including where cabin crew sleep, what they eat and the age-old debate on who should really get the middle seat armrests.
Esther Sturrus dreamed about working for airlines since she was just a young girl, and at the age of 16, attended an aviation course for three years, before going on to work for TUI (2019) and KLM (2020).
Now, the 22-year-old shares her expert knowledge on TikTok, where she has amassed 193,500 followers.
Previously, she has told frequent flyers to look for hidden cameras in hotel rooms, how to keep clothes fresh when travelling and other tips.
This time, she tackles three other issues including why you should always wipe your tray table before you use it.
WHO SHOULD GET THE TWO MIDDLE ARMRESTS?
If you’ve ever been assigned or chosen the middle seat on a busy flight, you probably know the struggle of deciding who gets the arm seats – with those to the left and right trying to wrestle their way for them.
Well, Esther is here to settle the argument for good.
“When you are sitting in the middle, the two armrests are yours,” the flight attendant, from Rotterdam, Netherlands, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“The person at the window has his armrest at the window and the other at the aisle, so the middle two are yours.”
Debate settled.
WHERE DO CABIN CREW SLEEP ON LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS?
Esther has also shared some interesting facts about life as a cabin crew member, including where they sleep on a long-haul flight to what food they eat.
She said: “Yes, we eat the same food as passengers if there is any left.
“But I usually pack light snacks like hummus, apples, etc. The most important thing we do is drink a lot of water.
“Also, a good thing is that not many people know that we sleep on board.
“On all long-haul flights, cabin crew and pilots will take a break.
“We divide this into two shifts. There is a crew rest for us above the luggage compartments which is just a flatbed with a pillow and a curtain.
“We love it!
“It’s not all that glamorous, though.
“Sure the idea sounds great… you see those films, but it is hard work.
“Some days, I’m working 20 hours and I don’t get a lot of sleep.
“You can sometimes feel lonely at your destination, but often the crew is super fun!”
WHAT IS THE DIRTIEST PART OF A PLANE?
While many of us might assume the dirtiest part of a plane is the toilets, Esther has revealed that this isn’t the case at all.
It’s actually the tray tables.
She said: “Did you know the dirtiest spot on the plane?
“You will probably think the toilets, but no.
“The dirtiest spot is the tray tables that you fold out to put your food and drinks on.
“People place their feet, head or other things on it.
“Cleaners can’t clean every table, so I recommend bringing your own disinfectant wipes!”
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