Throughout the pandemic, essential workers have borne the brunt of public frustration and fear about the coronavirus. Flight attendants are rarely mentioned in the same breath as restaurant staff or nurses and doctors, but they experience some of the worst treatment, with 85% of airline workers reporting having sex with others in 2021, according to a July survey by the Association of Flight Attendants. Dealing with well-behaved customers - CWA. 17% of these incidents escalated into physical altercations, often affecting women, who make up nearly three-quarters of all crew members . Bustle spoke with Kate*, 33, a West Coast flight attendant, about some of the things she's been dealing with during the pandemic.
When everything stopped, I kept flying because I didn't want to sit alone in my apartment. But throughout the pandemic, we've had issues with masks on more than half of our flights. We kicked someone off the plane at least once every three days. I firmly believe that if you travel, you should wear a mask, especially until there is a vaccine, but I don’t think I have to police it. I never applied for that job. Every time, the best-case scenario is that they roll their eyes and put on their masks. The worst case scenario is that they are completely defiant and won't do it.
One customer in particular was ridiculous. This gentleman was not wearing a mask at all and when I approached him he didn't even acknowledge me or look at me. He was eating and every time I asked him to put the mask on, he just put the food in his mouth. Our policy is to only remind someone three times, but we reminded this person four times. Finally, I called someone to get him off the plane before we took off. His expression completely changed. He started crying, yelling and calling me a jerk. This question is notable because it shows how much effort some people put into not wearing a mask, and how hard they go to avoid wearing one.
"On the plane, I had a little bit of a breakdown."
Labor Day weekend, it's been a busy summer and I'm flying in and out of Florida. A man wore a mask around his neck and fell asleep with his mouth open. We would have him put it on and within half a second I would turn around and it would be back down. He would say it didn't fit his face, so I gave him one issued by our airline. Next thing you know, he’s poking holes in it! What a clown, I thought! We caught him on a connecting flight and now he is banned from flying with our airline.
It's scary because a lot of times the perpetrators are larger men and a lot of flight attendants are women or smaller men. Certain types of men get angry on airplanes and feel they can intimidate you into doing things their way. People were touching us more because they were wearing masks - they thought I couldn't hear them with my mask on, so they would tap me to get my attention, which made me nervous. I even got pushed yesterday by someone who wanted me to notice them. Whenever I go to the airport, my stomach is in knots—I know it’s not going to be a good day. Good days are rare these days. It's usually passable or exhausting and kind of terrible.
There's really nothing I can do about it. I would meditate and cleanse myself, but now I think I have to stay on medication. I was also working more than usual, which compounded the problem. There is nothing you can do. On the plane, I had a bit of a breakdown. Early in my career, someone told me, "When you have a hard time on a plane, pretend it's happening to someone else." This sometimes works.
As a flight attendant, our job is to make people happy. We are a group of people who like to make others feel comfortable. As a result, most of our interactions at work are filled with hostility and anger, which can quickly take a toll on you. When I fly with other airlines, I bring some personal bath salts and chocolates for their flight attendants. It saddens me to know what they are going through.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
