An ex-flight attendant has revealed the three things she always experienced around Christmas time in a bid to stop people from getting “caught out”.
With the big day less than two weeks away, people are gearing up to visit family and friends to celebrate.
But when it comes to flying abroad for the holidays, it can end up being more stress than it’s worth.
Skye Taylor, 50, is no stranger to the season’s rush, having seen multiple people’s luggage taken off due to no space and extensive delays because of the weather.
In her 17 years working for a UK airline, she’s experienced it all, and has now revealed the three most common things that happen at Christmas which cause “complete carnage”.
“Firstly, people bring so much with them because they’re going to visit family and friends,” she told Need To Know.
“From gifts to a month’s worth of clothes, it all goes onto the weight of the plane.
“So try to be mindful of this when sorting your suitcase.
“Try to pack as much as you can into a small backpack or piece of luggage that can fit under your seat.
“This way, when people are scrambling to get their bags out of the overhead lockers, or are waiting for their bags to come off the belt, you’ll already be out of the airport.
“If you can, ship gifts over before you travel so you have less to bring with you.
“It’s a total nightmare trying to fit everyone’s baggage into the overhead lockers – and cabin crew get the brunt of this.
“Instead, if you are travelling with a lot, take a bigger case and pay a little bit more to ensure it’s loaded.
“I’ve seen it so many times; people’s suitcases get taken off as they’ve brought multiple, and they’re left travelling without their gifts in tow.
“Save yourself the hassle – and don’t put yourself in this position.”
Delays are not unusual this time of year, with severe weather being the majority cause.
Skye, from Southampton, suggests flyers to prepare; otherwise, they may freeze while waiting for the plane to eventually take off.
She said: “Always take a piece of warm clothing with you, even if you’re jetting off to Jamaica.
“You could be sitting on the runway for a while, and the air conditioning, which can be quite warm, does usually run cold in different parts of the aircraft.
“Especially by the doors.
“Also, pay attention to your destinations.
“If an aircraft is coming in from New York, where it snows a lot, then prepare to wait around for a few extra hours.
“If you’ve got children, make sure they’ve got something comfy to sit on and to keep them occupied.”
And the final, but most common, thing Skye sees around this time of year is “abuse” against staff.
She added,“ We’re human, just like you.
“People and crew are away from home, sitting in a hotel room, rather than their own, at Christmas.
“We’re missing family – or flying on the day to get you to yours.
“It’s a really lonely time.
“It is our job, but it can be quite difficult at times.
“Be mindful that the crew don’t get told a lot of things until the last minute, either.
“Screaming or shouting at us isn’t going to change anything.
“Use some humanity over this season.”
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