The small mistakes that could cause you big problems when boarding planes
SOMETIMES passengers get really annoyed when flight attendants ask to see their boarding passes as they get onto the planes.
It can feel like we're accusing them of doing something wrong, or like they're somewhere they shouldn't be, but really we're just trying to do our job.
The amount of deep sighs or angry glances we get, just for asking people if we can see their boarding pass is unbelievable and it starts to grate after a while.
Here, in my latest weekly blog for Sun Online Travel, I'll explain exactly what it is we're looking for on your boarding card and why it's so important - because things can go wrong if you're not careful.
First and foremost, we need to know if you should be on our plane.
It seems like very basic information, but people get it wrong - not just passengers either.
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I remember awaiting an elderly woman who required help with her wheelchair for a flight to New York. I was told she'd be on my flight, but she never showed up.
The airport staff who were responsible for providing her assistance as she made her way through the security gates took her to the wrong departure lounge.
No one checked her pass and she ended up on the wrong flight, landing thousands of miles away in San Francisco.
It's always a good idea to let everyone who asks check your boarding pass, just in case something similar has happened.
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It's a simple enough request, but it could be the difference between you going on your holiday, or spending a couple of days trying to get back from the wrong destination.
Once we've established whether or not you're on the right plane, we want to know where you're sitting.
When we know where your seat is, we can show you the quickest route to get you sat down as soon as possible.
If every single passenger goes the wrong way, or holds us up a little bit, it slows the flight down and can even end up delaying the flight.
The sooner you're in your seat, the sooner we can ask for permission to take off. Until then, we're all waiting for you.
It genuinely is for everyone's benefit, we're not doing it to be overbearing or anything, we just want to take off as much as you do.
A lot of passengers get on board with their headphones in and just don't listen to us, then will end up going down the wrong aisle and taking ages to find their seat.
It takes two seconds to listen to us, then follow our instructions, but means we can all get away on time.
So the next time you're asked for your boarding pass, don't sigh or groan about it, just listen to what we have to say, humour us if you already know where you're going, and let us all have a pleasant flight.
We'll be the ones serving your drinks and snacks for the next few hours, and the ones keeping you safe if anything goes wrong.
It's no real effort for you to be nice to us for a few seconds, and it could mean that we're nice to you for the rest of the flight.
Similarly, if you ignore us when you get on the plane, don't expect us to act quickly when you want us to fetch you another beer.
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Meanwhile, a drunk passenger was booted off a Ryanair flight after being "too excited" for his first holiday in 11 years.
And this flight attendant has revealed how to get some complimentary booze with your soft drink - and it's all to do with being nice to crew.
