Rather than the classic ’round the waist’ belt that most plane seats provide, flight attendants are treated to a much more secure ‘X’ across the body design
A flight attendant has explained why they have to wear different seatbelts from paying customers.
If you’ve ever been on a commercial flight and torn yourself away from the in-flight entertainment for a moment, you may have noticed that the cabin crew strap themselves into their seats with different belts.
Rather than the classic ’round the waist’ belt that most plane seats provide, flight attendants are treated to a much more secure ‘X’ across the body design.
A Reddit user recently visited the ‘NoStupidQuestions’ subreddit to ask: “Why do flight attendants have the cross body ‘X’ seat belt on their seats, whereas passengers only get the horizontal ones across the waist?”
READ MORE: ‘I’m the King of Sunbeds – one habit will get you thrown into the pool’
A former flight attendant kindly rode in to explain that the difference isn’t because customers are “too stupid” to use anything more complex than the passenger belts provided, but because of the way the crew’s seats are installed.
The aviator said that flight attendants’ seats were not bolted to the aircraft in the same way as passengers’ seats, meaning they moved around far more during take-off and landing.
“We needed the extra harness because that thing was bouncy as h**l on a normal takeoff and landing,” they wrote.
The cabin crew member went on to argue that passengers should welcome the fact that flight attendants seem to have a little extra security, as it’s they who are on hand to guide customers to safety in the event of an emergency.
According to Aerosavvy.com, the extra strap is there to work in the same way as the seat in front does for passengers. If a plane were to crash or stop suddenly, the seat in front would stop a passenger from being chucked forward.
READ MORE: Glastonbury Festival hits out at luxury trend they ‘absolutely don’t condone’READ MORE: Eurostar to launch new UK trains direct to two of Europe’s most iconic cities
Given that flight attendants do not have the same setup, the extra strap is on hand. Marina Efthymiou, an aviation expert, told Metro that passengers “wouldn’t keep their seatbelts on if they were like the ones cabin crew wear”.
The lives of flights attendants, and the curious world of planes in general, is one that appears to be endlessly fascinating for those who haven’t glimpsed behind the curtain.
Recently a cabin crew member highlighted the “secret button” in aeroplane armrests that is a game-changing convenience for those in the aisle seat.
The little-known – or often forgotten – button is located on the underside or side of the aisle armrest and makes it easier to move around onboard. Fly Arna – Armenia’s national airline and well-known low-cost carrier – shared a video on its TikTok account of one of its cabin crew members revealing little-known features on its aircrafts.
The video has been viewed over 100,000 times with many excited over the “secret button” reveal. Seated in an aisle seat of a Fly Arnra carrier, the cabin crew member in the video shows that there is a “secret button” in the armrest. Pressing the button allows passengers to lift the aisle seat armrest, making it easier for everyone in the row to exit the aisle.