Flight attendant reveals why passengers should always bring their own food on the plane – even if you’ve paid for a meal

A FLIGHT attendant has revealed why passengers should always bring their own food on the plane.

The inside information was shared by Sean Price – a part-time flight attendant and academic program manager for the Flight Services program at Seneca Polytechnic.

Getty

He explained how passengers may not be able to buy food during the flight.

Sean advised bringing non-liquid snacks and an empty water bottle for if there is turbulence.

Although bottles with liquid in them aren’t allowed most airports have refillable systems.

“So make sure you fill up that water bottle on the plane just in case if turbulence is so severe that we’re not able to come out and give you a beverage,” he told CTVNews.ca.

“If you bring snacks on board, it’s just better preparing you so that if we aren’t able to come around or maybe the airline doesn’t offer the service you were expecting or maybe the flight isn’t long enough to offer you a snack, at least you’ve got some backup in your bag.”

Meanwhile Beth Bourneuf, a former teacher who became a flight attendant in 2020, revealed the real reason the crew greet passengers as they board the aircraft.

She described how the crew will stand by the entrance of the plane for a secret reason.

This is to identify able-bodied passengers, also known as ABPs, who may be able to help in case of an emergency. 

“We look to see how many bags people are carrying, and we also have to be conscious of what kind of bags they’re carrying,” Bourneuf said.

“Anyone with a cooler, we need to ask what’s in there.”

In a blog for Sun Online Travel we told why flight attendants need to assess who they think is the strongest on the plane.

The reality of being a flight attendant is that there are way more passengers than there are cabin crew members.

And if something bad happens and the crew need to make an emergency landing they will need some people to help them out.

That could mean lifting heavy objects, if for example the cabin is in disarray, or opening the emergency doors, which are also pretty hefty.

So if someone asks to see your boarding pass as you get on the plane, they could be marking you down as a potentially useful person, in case there’s a crisis.

The revelation was made as part of a series of debunked flying myths.

Others included the idea that dressing up will get you an upgrade.

Flight attendant, Vinia DiGeronimo, said: “Airlines have strict systems for upgrades, and flight attendants don’t have the authority to dole out seating assignments.

“I know that if I were to upgrade someone out of order and not go by that [upgrade] list, I would get in so much trouble.”

“There are times where the people who actually pay for economy plus will call the airline and ask for a refund because they saw people moved up for free,” said Amber, who has been a flight attendant for eight years.