Flight attendant shares sad reality of her job as passengers can ‘ruin her day’

A flight attendant has opened up about the harsh reality of becoming an air hostess and the ways it impacts her.

Like any job in any walk of life, there's a chance you could find yourself in tough times and having to get through a real rut.

Some of the reasons why you might be feeling a bit blue are hard to control, while others can be directly fixed by the actions of strangers.

TikToker Destanie (@destanieaaa), who works as cabin crew in the United States, has spoken about the things she struggles with when flying in a rather honest account online. And it is so much more than the right thing to do when it comes to taking your trainers off.

Don't get us started on flying in shorts, either.

Rudeness

Destanie said she can't help but let 'rude and inconsiderate people' impact her days.

"I always will 110% let rude/inconsiderate passengers ruin my day," she says.

"I don't know when I'll get numb to it but it's so hard to constantly be kind to others when you're treated so badly.

Be nice to staff (Getty Stock Images)

"It's unfortunate because there are a lot of kind people but my energy gets completely ruined by the rude ones. I wish it didn't get to me so much."

Stop being an a*se, basically. Manners cost you nothing.

In fact, you should be doing more to stand out to those running the planes.

Energy levels and keeping healthy

Destanie says that she struggled significantly with keeping her energy levels high, relying on coffee to give her those boosts throughout the day.

But as with many of us, it can to spikes in anxiety and overstimulation.

"Sometimes people I care about feel like I'm not present but it's usually because I'm so tired overstimulated, or anxious."

Keeping healthy is tough too, with an antisocial schedule, including early starts and late finishes.

Destanie said that 'sometimes it feels cheaper to eat out but that's not always the healthiest'.

Cabin crew spend their days looking after us as we fly to our destinations of choice (Thomas Barwick/Getty Images)

Family and friends

For Destanie, being a flight attendant is tough on the personal relationships whether your mates or family.

"I miss my family a ton," she says.

"West Coast [of America] bases aren't an option with my airline and it usually takes me a whole day to get home.

"I'm an auntie now and sometimes I see the kids getting so big and I feel guilty about not being there."

On her mates, Destanie says: "Even my flight attendant friends, we barely see each other any more because our schedules are so chaotic and everyone has to work so much to make end's meet.

"It really has to be thoroughly planned to even align getting together for an evening."

Cabin crew on their way to their flight (Getty Stock Images)

Money worries

As with many of us in the ongoing cost of living crisis, keeping on top of our cash is a constant worry.

For Destanie, she says the job of a flight attendant is 'super difficult financially'.

She adds: "It really doesn't get better for around five to 10 years (within the USA). Everything is a struggle. Everything is a trade.

"Like, do I get a car and ruin myself financially but feel safer? Or do I take public transportation and save money but ultimately feel uncomfortable regularly? That's just a small example about things I worry about constantly."

Responses

Responding to Destanie, one TikTok user - who is also a flight attendant - posted: "The passenger [rudeness] one... I've become so jaded, anxious, and angry since becoming a flight attendant and having to deal with the flying public.

"It seriously impacts my mental health. People are terrible mean."

Another wrote: "Thank you for speaking up. Your words have motivated me to be more understanding and respectful to flight attendants every time I fly."

A third said: "These are all so valid and I'm not even a flight attendant. But I can 100% empathise."