Flight attendant shares what it really means when they say ‘hello’ on a plane

A flight attendant has revealed the real reason why passengers are greeted by staff when they step onto a plane, and it's more important than you may think.

Contrary to outdated stereotypes, aeroplane cabin crew aren't just waiters or waitresses working at 33,000ft but they're actually responsible for a lot of things behind the scenes.

From the life-saving 'silent reviews' conducted before takeoff to the secret codewords which are created to deal with sensitive situations without causing mass panic, cabin crew aren't only responsible for keeping passengers happy while onboard a flight, but also safe.

And yes, this also includes asking you to keep your window open during takeoff and landing.

So how does greeting passengers when they step onto the plane factor into all of this?

Fortunately, we have the answer.

Why cabin crew greet passengers when they board the plane explained

Flight attendant 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 but are in place to keep you safe.

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.

She explained that 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 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.

The initial greeting when you step onto a flight isn't the only important part of crew onboarding either, as there's also a very good reason why cabin crew stand with their hands behind their backs during the welcome process.

This is because flight attendants are holding a clicker to count every person who boards in order to make sure they have the correct number of passengers.

As for the reason cabin crew hold the clicker behind their backs? Well that's pretty simple; it avoids people asking questions and slowing down the boarding process.