Flight attendant explains why you need to carefully consider your reply when they say ‘hello’ on a plane

A flight attendant has explained why they greet every passenger as they board the plane – and it's more than just being polite.

Now after spending several hours hanging out in the airport and what feels like an entire lifetime waiting on the tarmac to board the plane, you might be feeling a little tired

Or perhaps you're feeling a little miffed because you've been charged for overfilling your carry-on bag and just want to get to your seat and decompress.

But no matter how overtired or crabby you're feeling you should always respond, or at the very least acknowledge, the flight attendant greeting you.

Not just out of politeness either, although that's a good enough reason alone, as flight crew use your response to gauge much more than whether or not you're a nice person.

Why you should consider your answer to flight attendant on a plane

Cabin crew Iona Iachim is one of many content creators shining a light on what it's like to work in the aviation industry, including all of the extra responsibilities flight attendants have which you likely won't even notice on a flight.

In one TikTok post, Iona recreated a scenario where she would be greeting passengers at the door of an aircraft and explained why it's about much more than politeness.

According to the Wizz Air flight attendant, crew members are judging your reaction to see if you've had one too many in the departure lounge or appear too sick to fly.

So if you're feeling a bit under the weather or tipsy it's probably worth downing some water, quietly saying hello and then heading to your seat without much fuss.

Unless you want to find yourself booted off the aircraft prematurely.

Judging your fitness to fly isn't the only motivation behind the greeting either, with another flight attendant revealing that cabin crew will also use this moment to assess if any passengers will be of use to them in an emergency situation.

Other secret codes flight attendants use

Turns out a warm greeting the moment you step on the aircraft isn't the only time in which cabin crew are assessing passengers and the wider situation on the aircraft, as they actually have a whole host of hidden meanings and gestures.

If a flight attendant walks past you and utters the phrase 'bob' then good news, you've earned the title of 'best [looking] on board'.

But don't let the compliment go to your head, as they'll likely be less than impressed if you get out of your seat and attempt to flirt with them, especially if you get in the way of the crucial silent review.

On a more sombre note, codewords such as 'Code 300', 'Angel', 'Squawk 7500' and 'Hotel' are phrases you definitely don't want to hear onboard, and for good reason.