AS a flight attendant, I’m regularly asked who the worst passengers are and which country they come from.
For me, Brits are nowhere near the worst – typically they’re friendly, polite and stick to the rules.
This week I explain how flight attendants can tell if Brits are on their planes
AlamyBrits stand out in airport bars and pubs – especially if they’re in groups[/caption]
However, there are some of them who stick out like a sore thumb in airports, usually for the wrong reasons.
In this week’s blog for Sun Online Travel, I’ll discuss how I know people in the airport are from the UK and why a lot of the time I hope they’re not going to end up on my flight.
For the most part, I like having Brits on my flights because it offers a feeling of home while I’m away.
But there are some moments when they leave me with a sense of foreboding.
That typically comes when I see them in the airport bar, loading up on drinks before their flights.
I’m usually against pigeonholing people, but some stereotypes are truer than others – and Brits are by far the most popular users of airport boozers.
They always seem to get to the airport earlier than they need to so they can make the most of their time at the airport Spoons, or foreign equivalent.
Sometimes you see them in there and you dread the prospect of them possibly being on your flight because you know they’re going to be trouble.
You’ll often hear them before you see them, especially if they’re on a group holiday like a stag or hen do, or a first trip away without their parents.
They’ll regularly be chanting, which is never a good sign – you know you’re going to have to ask them to stop doing that on the plane in a couple of hours.
What’s more, drunk people are much more likely to kick off and cause trouble during a flight, which makes our jobs way more difficult.
We’d much rather be spending our time keeping you comfortable, serving tea and coffee and maintaining a peaceful environment.
We don’t mind you enjoying yourself, especially if you’re on a big holiday with your mates – but sometimes people like that just aren’t aware of the people around them.
That’s when we have to step in and waste our time and energy dealing with arguments from people who should just know better.
It’s not always Brits who are like this, don’t get me wrong, but every flight attendant has a story about a horrendous drunk person on their plane.
And it does usually tend to be groups from the UK who treat the airport bar like they would any other pub on a night out.
When we see those groups, we remember the moments we’ve had with boozy people before and pray that we don’t have another experience like that.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to the airport bar – I’m always partial to a visit whenever I’m flying for my own holidays.
However, what I would say is that you shouldn’t treat it as the start of your partying.
You’ll have plenty of time to do that after you’ve arrived – so just be a bit more courteous and sympathetic before and during your journey.
You’re not necessarily giving Brits a bad name internationally, but I would say you’re not exactly helping very much either.
Instead, just try and have a little more decorum and awareness of how other people are going to feel in your company before you order another round of pre-flight shots.
Meanwhile, this simple thing will ensure you get freebies from your flight attendants.
And passengers should never order this drink on a plane.
GettyBrits will often be the rowdiest people in the airport bars[/caption]