We've got a screamer in 29A
During my thirty plus five year’s career in the hotel industry, I’ve had the opportunity to fly a countless number of times to several countries - mainly on business as well as when going abroad to holiday.
In that time, I’ve overheard flight attendants use a certain vocabulary when communicating with each other during the flight. Some of these terms are like ‘shorthand’ - mainly to get some job done quickly or take count of what’s needed.
One of the most regular announcements passengers hear is ‘Cross check, doors to arrival’. This is issued to flight attendants gearing up for de-planning, where a check is done to ensure that each emergency escape slide is attached to the doors, and that they are ‘disarmed’ prior to landing. An armed slide can cause absolute mayhem; because no sooner the door is opened, the slide will deploy and inflate – and that is not the most dignified way to get off a plane that has had a normal landing.
Another oft used word, which I knew - thanks to my hotel background, is ‘pax’. Cabin crew use this shortened word for passenger and I’ve overheard crew members whispering "We have 201 pax boarding today" or "Pax in 11D, would like an apple juice."
Then there are the terms used to communicate certain less-glamorous duties that usually the newest staff has to do during the flight. When you hear “Has Roy emptied the Gash cart”, it translates to “has the trash in the trash cart been removed?” When a crew member tells a colleague, within earshot of passengers, “I’m going to the ‘Blue-room”; it means a visit to the toilet.
Many of the terms used have very practical uses, particularly when crew are attending to passengers or serving meals. Others, I’m told by a friend who flew for many decades, is more of private joke among the tribe of people who work, up among the clouds.
A “Galley” we know is the airplane kitchen. But a “Galley queen” is not a female supervisor of the kitchen. It’s something totally different. It is a slang description for a flight attendant who is very territorial over his / her area and does not like people intruding in that space. Then when a colleague tells another “Gotta go, I’m on the Crotch watch”. It’s not what you think it is. It’s simply when a flight attendant is in charge of checking for seat belts.
Then on certain flights, where after the meal service on a short-haul flight, the cabin crews (usually two of them) go by pouring tea and coffee by hand, there is a third person who would bring out the tray with extra milk, sugar and stirrers. This person is called the “Dairy fairy”.
“We’ve got a screamer in 29A.” This is a term for an upset passenger. Flight attendants abhor this type of traveler. It could be someone demanding extra snacks or behaving badly. Since of late though, it has been reported that a, high percentage of screamers were those who attempted to skirt the mask mandates.
Say you and two other passengers happen to be late – especially when coming from another flight – which means having to run through the airport to catch the flight, crew might tell each other “we’re waiting for three ‘Runners’ to get on board before take-off.
Don’t be alarmed if you overhear a flight attendant tell a colleague “We are carrying a Dead head on this flight”. No it’s not someone in a coffin. It is an airline employee in uniform, who is on board, but is off duty.
None of us would like to hear “Squawk 7500” - because it means there’s a hijacking. So, the next time you travel and have to empty your pockets, remove personal belongings including the watch, belt, shoes and whatever: be thankful that it’s all done to avoid hearing that dreaded word during the flight. Yes, there is also “Squawk 7700” – a term used to communicate an emergency on the plane, like a very sick passenger or bad weather.
These are but a few of the intriguing terms in a certain vocabulary used by flight attendants when they talk to each other, inflight.
Ilzaf Keefahs is a freelance writer who enjoys focusing on hospitality related matters that he is passionate about, and likes to share his views with hoteliers and customers alike. He delves into the heart of hospitality to figure out both customer service and consumer trends that impact the industry.
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