A cabin crew website asks when it’s acceptable to press the flight attendant call button.
- Which airline you fly matters. It’s fine with an Asian or Middle Eastern carrier, while U.S.-based flight attendants often hate it.
- It matters which phase of flight you’re in. During taxi, takeoff and landing cabin crew can’t fulfill drink requests. They’re busy during boarding, or might miss you while performing meal service.
- It matters what class of service you’re in. Though business class passengers are sometimes treated shabbily, they’re more likely to have a request honored than someone in coach.
But this describes how to predict the response a flight attendant will give you. It doesn’t really answer whether pressing the call button is the right thing to do or not. In other words, if you’re met with disdain is it because you were in the wrong for pressing it, or was the flight attendant wrong to treat you that way?
The Washington Post purported to offer “The 52 Definitive Rules of Flying” as an air travel etiquette guide. While mostly on the nose, they offer that “the flight attendant button is not a vodka tonic button.”
Consider it the 911 call of the sky — something to use in case of emergency, not in case of thirst to quench.
I once wrote about a Delta Air Lines flight attendant who warned a passenger “DON’T TOUCH THAT BUTTON AGAIN” after they’d used it to request a drink.
The head of the largest flight attendants union, Sara Nelson, says you should never press the flight attendant call button for a drink, and even tried to get the government to ban alcohol on planes which would reduce the amount of service her members would have to provide. (She also tried to get the federal government to make leisure travel illegal during the pandemic.)
This is 100% wrong.
- The alternative to pressing the call button, to let a flight attendant know you want a drink, is to go to the galley. But flight attendants don’t want a steady stream of passengers heading to the galley and blocking the aisles, and airlines often announce not to congregate in the galley.
- In Ms. Nelson’s world, passengers simply wouldn’t hydrate. Cabin crew wouldn’t provide service. And you’d sit down and shut up about it.
- The call button exists, what does she think it is for? She says it is so individual passengers can press it to identify themselves when called upon to do so by a crewmember. And if you do use it for something like a glass of water, you’d darned well better have a compelling moral justification (“It may be that you’re a mother, and you have an infant in your arms, and you need some help”).
- However airlines themselves say otherwise. For instance Emirates flight attendants have been reminded not to ignore the passenger call button. According to that airline it’s expressly not the ‘911 of the sky’. In fact, they monitor response times to customer requests.
- It is not called an ’emergency button’ it is a call button, and if you need a drink the best way to ask for one is to let a crewmember know you need one.
Flight attendants don’t ‘just’ provide drinks. Airlines for the most part have them on board because they are required to by the FAA, since they’re assigned safety duties. (Although especially for international flights, airlines often staff cabin crew beyond the required minimums, in order to provide better service.) However flight attendants aren’t performing safety duties for most of the flight on most flights, and can ignore the call button when there are more pressing matters.
So ultimately the flight attendant call button is for… calling the attention of a flight attendant. That means, if you need a drink, ask. But understand that they may make you wait, and if you’re on Spirit they may make you pay. Your crewmember may also make you wait out of spite, because you pressed the call button.
I guess you like to create drama so you get clicks.. this is the dumbest article ever.
Sorry you have nothing else to do with your “blog” then write about this
I fly mostly premium so it’s pretty easy to simply ask for a refill on a beverage as the FA is walking by. When in coach if I want something else I generally will just walk to the back and ask. Truthfully on a domestic flight other than transcons the time the flight attendants get up, get the cart together and make a pass through in a fully packed cabin, and then collect trash the pilots have turned on the seat belt sign for landing. So it’s not like one has much of a chance to use the call button.
Sky waitresses can GFTS. I’ll use the button anytime I want. That’s why it’s there.
sarah nelson, the pseudo pro palestinian CNT gan go die…
@Walter +1. I’m going to make a point of using it on every flight.
Why do flight attendants on many foreign airlines seem happy when one presses the call button? I feel like something went off with US flight attendants that did not for some foreign airlines.
I would like for someone to describe the norm on foreign airlines to Sara Nelson and ask why it cannot be as passenger friendly for US airlines.
Way to kick the hornet’s nest, Gary ! Like others, I only fly Premium Economy or First/Business, but it doesn’t change how I look at this issue. For me, I never use the call button because it make me feel like I’m calling out “Hey You” to a waiter/waitress in a nice restaurant. As such, it’s not about how they feel, it’s about how I feel. I’d much rather saunter back to the galley and ask them nicely.
On Spirit they actually encourage use of the call button if you want anything after the service. They make announcements as such, and actually respond pretty quickly. Their crew get measured on response time.
@Guflyer, mostly that has to do with the levels of respect foreign airline passengers give the flight attendant. This is especially true for Asia. They actually see and acknowledge that Cabin Crew is a position of importance and respect. Many many US passengers treat Cabin crew as if they are servants and even in some cases less than human. I do disagree with what Ms Nelson stated, but I also understand where her view point comes from. Also keep in mind some cultures treat people in roles of service very differently. Nevertheless; must have been a very slow media day at viewfromthewing…The so called “travel expert”, once again kicking a hornets nest just for clicks and views.
Great article Gary! Anybody who hits the call button for a drink is lazy! The call button really should be for emergencies only in my opinion.
I love the peanut gallery comments about stirring the hornets nest! If they do not like the articles, then stop reading them!
They could solve a lot of these problems by serving refreshments and snacks shortly after takeoff, then make another pass every hour. Coming by one time on a 3 hour flight is ridiculous. I always bring a 32 oz water and get 1-2 drinks, they’re all empty at the end of the flight. I don’t like to be treated like a cactus so make sure you keep me hydrated. I’ve often flagged down an FA walking by our have gone to the back for another drink if they don’t walk by but I never push the call button for that, seems rude.
I’ve used the call button any time the AC power outlet wasn’t working or I had trouble getting the WiFi to work. On every single occasion, regardless of airline, the flight crew was friendly and helpful. So apparently they don’t mind this use of the button. On the other hand I have never used the button to ask for a drink.
Sara Nelson is the ultimate grifter. Demands government funds during COVID, but doesn’t want people to be able to fly. “Hey taxpayers, give us your tax dollars but shut up and stay home.” Now that the airlines are all experiencing full flights, she doesn’t want her members to actually provide services customers expect. She would have been a great Aeroflot FA in Soviet times.
Have a purpose.
Use it, don’t abuse it.
Ask nicely.
Smile.
Say thank you.
It’s pretty simple.
I had to ring once for a medical emergency. As did the kind folks across the aisle. And reset and rang again. F/A walked by quickly 3 times without paying attention to the chimes/light or people waving. Person across the aisle from me finally got up and went and got a F/A. So not even in emergencies…. That was American Airlines caring for me on all lifes journeys…
@Bhn: Aeroflot flight attendants would at least let you smoke in the galley with them and do a shot or two with you.
If I want a cocktail -after the initial service- I’ll use the aft restroom first, then ask for a drink while I’m back there. I’ve never had pushback from a FA when I did that. Plus, I always treat them the way I want to be treated. Kindness and respect goes a long way.
Typical of most Americans these days – show up on the job, then hope the phone never rings or otherwise become “inconvenienced” by a paying customer. If FA’s were doing their job and walking the aisle every now and then – instead of screwing with Facebook on their cellphones – it would not be necessary to use the call button to get a glass of water or make any other simple request.
Completely agree with Gary. Sara is an idiot and deserves to be shot (Gary’s words haha j/k). And what the F is the button for if not calling for service. Hey! Remember FA stands for FLIGHT ATTENDANT. Their job is to ATTENDANT to customers. How is this not obvious?
Herein lies the problem with U.S. airlines compared to foreign carriers. I hardly ever use the call button. Never had an emergency, but when I get passed during drink service and dehydrated, I will use the call button as happened recently on Alaska. The f/a was pleasant and got me a Coke right away.
As most of us know, U.S. airlines continue to abuse passengers by shrinking the lavs, seats, etc. and promoting a cattle call environment. This will never change until either the industry is regulated again or the greedy administration changes their attitudes. Neither of which will happen in my lifetime. Oh…..if I could only fly a foreign airline again.
This is a decent article and fair topic from Gary.
If someone has a scratchy throat, and they’re coughing up a storm, I say let them use the call button to request a beverage. We should all just use the call button sparingly as there are often hundreds of passengers and just a few flight attendants to serve.
If they would just come through the first class cabin every 15 or 20 minutes problem would be solved. Why should the passenger have to get up and chase down a F/A who is engrossed in either reading, playing a game on their phone, or chatting with another F/A??
Who gives a shit what she thinks.
I recommend using the flight attendant call button for emergencies such as cardiac arrest, cardiac symptoms, obstetric emergencies, and possible stroke. If a passenger nearby needs a replacement air sickness bag due to vomiting, please ask a flight attendant for assistance. If you run out of toilet paper in the lavatory due to diarrhea, please inform a flight attendant for an extra roll. Don’t forget to flush.
Used to be the customer was king. Now the customer is an inconvenience.
In a fair world, if a FA does not like answering the FA button call, think all passengers should press it. Everyone in economy. That would be a nice wakeup call on not to treat passengers unprofessionally.
I am almost always in a coach window seat. For me to get a cup of water by getting out and going to the rear of the airplane would inconvenience the people next to me several times each trip. I almost always use the call button to get water. Most of the time it is due to the dry air on an airplane drying out my throat but sometimes it is due to taking necessary medicine. If I can get my plastic water bottle refilled, I will use the call button less.
I flew as a purser for forty years. i NEVER minded answering the “call button” and my crews always did the same. Of course, there was no such thing as a cellphone in those days.
Sara Nelson should get out of the airline business completely. I would get off the airplane, if I found out she was one of the flight attendants.
But that would never happen as she never flies, just makes trouble for her members
I can’t remember the last SWA flight I was on that had service. They always have an excuse not to provide service.
@ mauiguy. Really? I recall SWA FA’s slinging bourbon, beer, Cokes and Sprites from “Gear Up “to “Gear Down” and sometimes longer. I just can’t remember when the two drink limit was eliminated by airlines or if SWA ever enforced it. The SWA FA’s knew that the alcohol profits paid for the soft drinks and “Love Bites.”
Norse Atlantic,
Love them or hate them has a system built into their IFE Screen. I flew with them in Premium Economy from OSL to MIA, and I found that when I ordered through the IFE screen I received a drink in under 5 minutes. Perhaps US carriers should adopt this as an option. Not only would crew be aware what the call is for but the system logs what is ordered.
@Wslter always sounds incredibly miserable and just plain nasty and disrespectful. Mad at the world. You must lead a miserable life to cal flight attendants waitresses.
I have been on board two long haul international flights where we had to make emergency landings and evacuate the aircraft using the inflatable slides.
These “waitresses” sprang into action as life saving professionals while the passengers(like you) cried and panicked.
They saved every life in both occasions.
Walter should be required to wear a large button when he flies so that the waitresses can leave his sorry ass behind.
I honestly don’t get why any flight attendants would complain about passengers using the call button for certain reasons,that is why it is there. How clueless are these pathetic/ whiney little Snowflakes. If there are flight attendants out there that have such a problem with this,then maybe they shouldn’t have trained for this job in the first place
Sara Nelson has created a toxic culture in the FA industry. She is responsible for the lazy attitude of so many FAs today.
I completely understand that, “First and foremost, FAs are there for your safety.” )As many of them are quick to remind people.) However, if there is no emergency, then what is your secondary duty? TO PROVIDE SERVICE.
By the way, Sara: Why is the picture on the call button a person holding a tray with a beverage on it?
I suspect that people would be more content on airplanes with sufficient food and drink. So maybe serving those should be considered as safety services.