By Nova M Bajamonti for Dailymail.Com
June 14, 2024 at 6:56 p.m., updated June 14, 2024 at 7:16 p.m.
A flight attendant has revealed all the things she would never do on a plane – including the terrifying reason passengers should avoid ice in their drinks.
Aislinn Swain, 23, has traveled the world with her work and experienced many embarrassments during the flight.
She regularly shares her tips on Instagram and caused quite a stir with her latest insight.
Aislinn, who is based in Calgary, Canada, explained what flight attendants consider the worst flying faux pas.
She shared, “I’ve talked to colleagues over the years about the things we wish passengers would stop doing, and they remain consistent.”
First, Aislinn says you should never hand over your trash to a crew member unless asked.
She explained: “There are many reasons why you shouldn’t do this.
“First of all, if we’re doing security checks and you’re asking us to take your trash, that disrupts an important procedure.
“Or when we’re doing service, no one wants me to touch someone’s trash before I get food or drink for them—it’s gross.
“It’s frustrating when someone tries to hand me their trash when we don’t go out [into the cabin] for that because I don’t wear gloves either.
“We always go out to pick up trash immediately after duty and several times during the flight, so there are plenty of opportunities.
“Just wait for one of those opportunities or go to the bathroom, because there are always places to litter.
“You can also use the air bag in front of your seat as your personal trash bag and hand it over to us afterward.”
Settled on the road and fancy a cold drink? Well, maybe it’s time to think again, because next time Aislinn is urging the flyers to remove the ice.
She said: ‘This depends on the crew working on the flight, but I wouldn’t recommend eating ice on the plane.
“I’ve seen it so many times when the flight attendant breaks the ice on the ground to break it into smaller pieces.
“Also, they don’t always change gloves before serving ice, and there are a lot of dirty parts of the plane that they touch without realizing it.
“I don’t think it’s worth the risk.
“All drinks (drinks and juices) are refrigerated in our kitchens, so they should be cold by now.
“You can also bring your own ice from one of the nearby airport cafes before you board the plane.”
Most of us will have packed sunscreen before our flight, but what about on the plane?
Aislinn warned passengers never to fly without it.
She said: “People often underestimate how harsh the sun is in the air.
“Just a few hours sitting in a window seat is equivalent to 20 minutes in the solarium.
“If you don’t wear sunscreen, you are at a much higher risk of getting melanoma (the third most common type of skin cancer) in the air.
“Make sure you bring travel-sized sunscreen and/or keep your window shades down to avoid UV rays.
“Also, wearing protective clothing against the sun will protect the rest of your body, unless you want to apply it to your hands and feet as well.”
Aislinn’s latest mistake? Keep your shoes firmly on your feet.
She said: “I recommend you keep your shoes on for the duration of the flight as I’m sure you have smelly feet and your neighbors and the rest of the plane don’t want to smell that.
“Shoes should definitely remain on during takeoff and landing.
“These are the most critical phases of flight, which means that if there were an emergency and we had to evacuate, you have to be ready to go.
“Also, airplane carpets are rarely cleaned and you never know what you’re going to step on.
“Bathrooms almost always have some kind of liquid on the floor—usually bodily fluids that don’t smell good.
“If you really don’t want to wear the shoes you’re traveling in, take something comfier to change into on the plane.”
People online were quick to comment on Aislinn’s tips, with some questioning her on the inside.
“So planes and flight attendants are gross?” I mean, taking trash and then handing out drinks is unethical, but admitting how people break ice on the floor is disgusting. What?!’ one user commented.
One person said, “I take ice…never seen it broken on the floor…just the counter.”
‘O [number four], then why do you always get socks on the plane on long flights? I can’t imagine being in shoes for 10 hours or more,” asked another.
However, some agreed.
“Yeah, trash is my biggest pet peeve. I don’t touch your trash when it’s not time,” said one viewer.
Another person added: “Girllll! Thank you so much for sharing.”
Despite the challenges, Aislinn loves her job, but it’s hard to get there. She started training when she was 18.
She shared: “Being a flight attendant is such a fun job, but in many ways it’s not like other jobs – you don’t become a flight attendant overnight.
“In most jobs, you submit your resume, get hired, and start working shortly thereafter. It doesn’t work like that as a flight attendant.
“We are expected to be able to evacuate an entire aircraft in less than 60 seconds, shout commands, learn and practice first aid and much more.
“We are trained to handle security and medical emergencies as well as provide exceptional customer service.
“With all the hard work comes a great reward when you meet some of your best friends.
“And getting paid to travel the world and stay in some of the nicest hotels.”