The scary secret that affects loads of flight attendants
WHEN passengers get on a plane, they often look to us, the flight attendants, to be calmed down.
A lot of people think that if the cabin crew are acting normally, then everything's alright, but the truth is, a lot of us aren't doing as well as we might appear.
In this my weekly blog for Sun Online Travel, I'll reveal just how bad a lot of us are at being on planes, when really we should know much better.
The truth is that a lot of us are afraid of flying, believe it or not. I know it sounds daft, but it still scares a fair few of us.
When I started out, I used to be really scared of it, particularly of turbulence, and I'm far from the only one.
The airline has even hired people to come and speak to some of us and provide little courses to try and help people get over it because it can be a real problem.
I've worked with colleagues, very briefly, who haven't been able to cut it because as soon as the plane starts rocking, they're of no use to anyone.
They think they'll learn to adapt, but they just can't and end up having to leave because it's too much of a risk for us, them and the passengers.
Fortunately I was able to get over it - and actually the job really helped me to do that.
I would say, if you're a little bit scared of flying, it's a great job to get into to help you put it behind you. It also keeps you alert too if you've still got that little bit of nervousness.
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What really helped me was one of the fear of flying courses put on for us by the airline.
We were basically just told we had to get over ourselves and snap out of it - it was a pretty abrupt, tough love approach, but I think some of us needed it.
We're supposed to be looking after and reassuring the passengers in those scarier moments, but it's not going to keep people calm if we're quivering and white as a sheet.
But also, the more you do it, the more you realise that bumps and bangs are all part and parcel of the journey and you become much less afraid.
Luckily now when people look to me for calm, I'm able to give them that reassurance, as I should.
However, it's not like that with all of us and there are probably some people who shouldn't be cabin crew if they're struggling to do their job because of it.
Obviously, like me, it's always good to give people a little bit of time to move past it, but I know one or two who should be over it now and aren't.
Luckily, accidents are increasingly rare and the chances are that these people will only ever have to do trolley services for the rest of their careers, which to be fair to them, they're very good at.
Flying is incredibly safe and I always try to pass on the advice that I was given - you just need to get over yourself.
Turbulence hasn't caused an accident now for decades and planes are getting safer and safer all the time. So don't worry about it.
Bring something to distract you - a book, some films or a podcast, and just recline your seat and see if you can drift off.
After all, most of the best places and experiences are a plane ride away - so think of how much you've got to gain just by learning to be okay when flying.
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Meanwhile, these tips can help you prepare for a flight if you've got a fear of flying, including courses you can take to help you get over your phobia.
And this frequent flyer shared a really interesting method for feeling better about air travel.
