“Did you see we’re flying on the old configuration aircraft today.”
“Great… I can’t wait till people start going skitz about not having direct aisle access in business class”
As any passenger would attest, not all aircraft are a joy to fly on, and many of the things that passengers prefer when it comes to their particular aircraft are the same things that cabin crew are praying for when they sign on and board their aircraft for the day.
Fortunately if you get a bit of a lemon, you’ll only be stuck with it for that flight, or maybe a couple of flights. That said, a bad aircraft can make for a bad day at the office. If you are crew, you’ll know the following factors make a good plane, and goes a long way to keeping everyone happy.
Space, Particularly Galley Space
First and probably the most important factor from a flight attendant perspective is the amount of space on the plane. This is why a lot of crew prefer working in business class due to the wider aisles and lower density of passengers. The main factor for crew when it comes to space though is the design of the galley and the amount of floor and bench space available.
There’s a particular configuration of a jumbo jet that comes to mind that has a double economy galley – also know as a wet and dry galley – basically one galley for food, and one for drinks. It’s an old plane but if you are working the galley it’s a dream. Passengers can cut through the galley that you aren’t using and don’t get in your way.
Bigger planes mean more space and areas to ‘escape to.’ The area under the stairs for the cabin manager on a 747 to use as a workstation and desk, I can only imagine would be a real treat. Additionally some 737 configurations have a little bit more storage space instead of a last row of seats. That extra cupboard for crew bags, and storing other items makes a big difference.
“As much as this old girl has seen better days, she’s good to work on. Room for a pony in this galley!”
Reliable In Flight Entertainment and Other Mod cons
IFE or Inflight Entertainment is not necessarily a given. Not all planes have it, but many or even most passengers expect it- god forbid they have to entertain themselves with a book or their own device. As crew it’s a constant complaint we field from passengers, whether the lack of it, the quality of it, the variety of the content, or the size of their screen. Luckily, most planes have some form of IFE, or the ability to stream content on your own device through the entertainment library.
There are some planes though, that you always have to reset certain seats throughout the flight, to varying success. When there’s no spare seats to move frustrated passengers to, people can be prone to getting quite volatile. A good plane is one that has a nice modern, responsive IFE system, good size screen, and a USB charger that actually charges a device. Laptop power outlets at each seat are a ‘nice to have’ as well.
Optimal Crew Rest Area
Not all crew rest areas are created equal. Some you can lay down and get horizontal which is actually quite amazing to be able to put your feet up for a couple of hours on a long haul. Depending on the plane, some of these areas are underfloor or might be overhead. Some and so quiet it’s a real retreat, some are and at the tail end of the plane and bounce you around like a boat on stormy seas.
Some crew rest include passenger seats with slightly more legroom and recline, and some planes have nothing at all. Depending on the length of the sector, will depend on what kind of crew rest you have, or if you have it at all, but sometimes planes are configured in a way that means there is less space available, or is less comfortable. It goes without saying, that passengers and crew alike expect a certain degree of comfort.
Amount of Toilets
The more the better. The less the worse for everyone. Generally you need at least one for every 50 passengers. If there is less, or you have one out of order they’ll get filthy a lot quicker. You’ll also have people spilling into the galley and you’ll just be weaving through passengers all flight. Similar to seats, planes seem to be configured to maximise the amount of people they can carry and this comes at the expense of the number of toilets and the amount of galleys and their space.
General State/Age of the Aircraft
Sometimes there’s no avoiding it, you get a povo plane that has all sorts of little difficulties. The hot water boilers might not work properly, or the water flow is tediously slow. Not that big of a deal in itself, but combine that with poxy IFE, and a chiller that doesn’t work it makes doing the day-to-day that little bit more tedious. Generally most crew like working on newer planes the best for many reasons, but often these newer aircraft have less space than their older counterparts.
Here’s a few more factors that can impact the crew office and make a plane that little bit nicer to work on.
- Type of overhead lockers – space and ease of closing them. Some of them have shocking space and some of them you have to push upwards to close them, more arduous when filled with baggage, than closing a lid downwards. Some planes have a plethora. One of the best things about long haul compared to short haul is not having to deal with running out of locker space. Bigger planes have enough space, and most people also check baggage on a long haul.
- Cabin air quality – New aircraft have a noticeably lower cabin altitude. This increased air pressure makes a difference to how you feel after the flight. Benefits include less dehydration and more oxygenation of the blood. I’ve heard anecdotes from crew who work regularly on these aircraft types and that they report feeling better after the flight.
- Cabin lighting. Some planes allow you to dim the windows without having to ask passengers to pull down shades. Others have nice coloured mood lighting.
- The Business Class Configuration. Most people know what to expect from economy, but J class can vary wildly between planes and carriers. It’s easier to serve passengers with the full silver and linen service if there is aisle access for each seat. Passengers like being able to get out without having to climb over someone else.
Some of these things by themselves don’t matter hugely, but a few combined can make or break the cabin crew and passenger experience. It’s something crew and passengers alike will be assessing until the cows come home. We often hear the negatives but in many ways planes are better than ever before. It’s the moment of truth for us all when we board: what plane have we got today?
“Can’t wait to start flying on the new aircraft fleet. It’s supposed to be so much better and because it’s new everything is just going to work properly!”
