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Flight attendant reveals disturbing reason why they smile during turbulence

Home> Lifestyle> Travel

Updated 19:26 30 Apr 2025 GMT+1Published 19:59 7 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Flight attendant reveals disturbing reason why they smile during turbulence

The cabin crew member opened up about the 'fake' thing she does

Jess Battison

Jess Battison

A flight attendant has revealed the very reason why they smile during turbulence.

If there’s one thing you can pretty much always count on when you board a plane to set off on your travels, it’s the cabin crew saying hello to you with a smile – even if it’s for a specific reason.

And as some reveal they secretly memorise you and others took about the specific row to book, this one revealed their disturbing reason behind the turbulence grin.

It comes not long after a British man died and others were left injured after a Singapore Airlines flight was hit by devastating turbulence.

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There's a reason this attendant smiles during turbulence. (Getty Stock Images/James Lauritz)
There's a reason this attendant smiles during turbulence. (Getty Stock Images/James Lauritz)

The plane had left Heathrow Airport on 20 May with 211 passengers and 18 crew before having to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand, with ambulances driven onto the tarmac.

But despite this tragic event, extreme turbulence of this kind is rare and a flight attendant said passengers shouldn’t be hugely worried when they next board a plane.

Meryl Love works for an international airline and told Metro.co.uk: “The entire crew has a safety briefing before each flight.”

She explained how the pilots have a look at the radar to warn when turbulence can be expected by the crew.

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“The seatbelt signs will go on, and we go through the entire cabin checking everyone is strapped in and safe,” she said.

“Even if the turbulence is unexpected, the pilots know what to do, and are fully focused on the safety of the plane.”

She advises the best way to think of turbulence is that it’s ‘just like going over a speed bump in a car’.

She says not to worry much about turbulence. (Getty Stock Photo)
She says not to worry much about turbulence. (Getty Stock Photo)

And the 37-year-old went on to reveal the little trick up her sleeves to help keep passengers calm.

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‘I know that the passengers will be looking at me, to see how I react – especially if the turbulence is bad enough that the cabin crew have to take their seats,” Love says.

So, the flight attendant explains how she ‘plasters on a huge fake smile’ if a plane hits turbulence.

“I’ll pretend to laugh at a joke, and basically just look really happy,” the flight attendant adds. “It’s a whole routine, and it seems to work.

“When the seatbelt signs go off, that’s the sign from the pilot that things are back to normal, and the cabin crew can carry on as normal.”

Well, there you go, if you see the attendant smiling at you during turbulence, it’s likely a ‘fake’ one to make you feel better.

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Although, knowing that might not make you feel better...

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photos

Topics: Plane Etiquette, Travel, Flight attendants

Jess Battison
Jess Battison

Jess is a Senior Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include asking everyone in the office what they're having for tea, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021.

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@jessbattison_

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