The ‘coke or stroke’ secret phrase that flight attendants live by – and the passenger habit they hate

OKAY, picture the scene - the plane is on the runway, the seatbelt sign is on and we're making sure everyone gets to their seats ready for take off.

As the passengers filter in and make their way to their place, the call bells start to chime and suddenly we have to start responding.

Our motto for the call bell is "coke or stroke" - as in it could be someone wanting a drink, or it could be a medical emergency.

We never know what it's going to be, so we have to respond as quickly as possible.

Yet, most of the time, before the plane has even started moving, it's people complaining or asking us to move them to a better seat.

The answer, especially if it's before take off, is almost always going to be no - if you wanted a better seat for the whole flight, you should've paid for one.

And it's not the only thing people should pay for ahead of their flight either.

In this week's blog for Sun Online Travel, I'll reveal the things that you need to pay for if you want to be more comfortable during your journey - and why we hate people who don't cough up for them.

It happens all the time - passengers getting on board thinking we're responsible for their comfort. We're absolutely not.

Each passenger knows what they need to make their flight experience more bearable - it's not up to us to provide it for free.

If you need a better seat, you have to pay for it when you check in online.

If your flight isn't full and there are empty rows, then by all means ask once the plane is in the air - it should be fine for you to move.

But if you don't want to chance it, you have to stump up the cash to guarantee you'll be sitting where you want.

That's the main request we get, but it's certainly not the only one.

People ask us for things like bigger pillows and even lounge access at the airports - all of these things are your responsibility.

If you know you need a big pillow bring one, don't expect us to provide it.

The pillows on the plane are small and square - at a push we can give you a second one.

But there are others out there, some specially designed to keep you comfortable in plane cabins.

We don't provide those, it's up to you to do your research and find a solution for yourself.

The plane cabin is tiny, so we can only carry a set amount of items - we hardly have room for a whole stockpile of different pillows and cushions just in case you need one.

I know things are expensive right now and I do have some sympathy for you, but there are things you just can't expect to get for free.

Complaining about it to us isn't going to get you anywhere, especially if it's about something that's completely out of our hands and not our responsibility. Which brings me back to lounge access.

If you want the luxuries that come with being in the airport lounge, then you have to pay for it.

Some credit cards or phone networks have lounge access included, so it's worth having a look to see if you can get in that way.

But other than that, the only way is to cough up what it costs.

So please, when you get on board the plane, think before you press that call button and ask yourself if your request is at all reasonable.

It makes our lives much easier and means we're a lot less likely to resent you for being so irritating.

Meanwhile, these are the worst requests flight attendants get while flying.

And this Ryanair cabin crew member revealed the stupidest things passengers have asked her for.