Top 10 Crazy Requests By Airplane Passengers That Will Shock You

Ever think you’ve heard it all? Think again! Flight attendants are no strangers to odd requests, but some passengers truly take it to another level. From asking to turn off the engine’s whirring sound that’s causing a headache to demand a seat back if their legs are too long, there’s never a dull moment in the sky.

And it’s not just the requests that are bizarre. Can you imagine being woken up multiple times on a long flight, not by turbulence, but by flight attendants advertising products? One passenger had enough of this in-flight infomercial and pleaded for peace, only to be ignored.

Top 10 Hilarious Requests By Passengers In Airplane

While flying can be a monotonous and tiresome experience for many, there’s never a shortage of entertainment when it comes to passengers’ whimsical demands. They range from the hilarious to the downright preposterous, yet they all share a certain tinge of originality that’s hard to come by. Buckle up and let’s dive into the Top 10 Crazy Airplane Requests by Passengers to see what life at 30,000 feet looks like!

1. “Call Me A Taxi”

Once a woman, during a flight’s descent into London, politely asked the flight attendant if they could “Call me a taxi“. The witty flight attendant, not to be outdone, promptly replied, “Certainly, madam. You’re a taxi“. The passenger was taken aback and everyone else was left chuckling. What a way to break the routine monotony of a flight!

2. “Asking For A Detour To Pick Up Coffee”

Imagine being at cruising altitude and having a fellow passenger kicking up a fuss because they have a craving for their favourite cup of joe. Irrespective of the fact that the aeroplane’s not a taxi, nor has it anyway to detour for a caffeine pick-me-up, it’s an enticing idea nonetheless, isn’t it?

3. “Please Shut Off The Engines”

Yeah, you’ve heard that right – a passenger once asked the flight attendant to stop the engines because the whirring sound was giving them a headache. The poor flight attendant, trying their best not to burst out laughing, had to explain why the engines couldn’t be turned off mid-flight. Oh, the things people say!

4. “Help Me Dry My Laundry”

This one’s a rarity. Think about it – you’re all buckled up, the in-flight movie is about to start and then someone pops up, holding their dripping wet laundry and asks, “Can you help me dry these?” It’s almost like they’ve mistaken the aeroplane for their neighbourhood laundromat!

5. “Open A Window For Me”

Next on this list, we have a passenger who wanted to ‘feel the breeze’. Thus, he asked the flight attendant if he could open the window during the flight. The flight attendant, bewilderingly amused, had to break down the consequences of opening a window mid-flight. Talk about a breath of fresh ‘air’!

6. “Let Us Play Beer Pong”

Who said you can’t have a frat party in the air? Well, a pair of daring passengers decided to liven up a flight by playing beer pong across the aisle. The shock on the flight attendants’ faces! While technically not advisable, it made for one memorable flight, for sure.

7. “I Forgot Something, Turn The Plane Around”

In seventh place, we have a passenger who asked the flight crew if they could ‘Turn the plane around.’ Why, you ask? Because they had forgotten something at home! Well, we hope they had enough round-trip tickets to cover the flight back!

8. “Requesting A Private Concert By The Flight Attendants”

Sometimes, the essence of a journey lies in the journey itself, not the destination. Like asking for a private concert by the flight attendants to keep passengers entertained throughout the monotonous journey. While it’s a fun request, flight attendants aren’t pop idols (even though they’re obliged to play various roles).

9. “Give Me Access To My Checked Luggage”

A classic request that pops up more often than it should. Amid a long flight, a passenger wanted access to their checked luggage in the cargo hold. Despite being gently refused, they weren’t pleased, grumbling about wanting their favourite novel which was tucked away in their suitcase downstairs.

10. “Can You Fly The Plane Lower? My Wife Is Scared Of Heights.”

Yes, it’s not enjoyable to be afraid of heights when flying. However, the pilot is unlikely to be understanding enough to comply if you pose this question, given that aircraft must fly at a specific altitude to reduce drag and air resistance. In addition, how much less nerve-wracking could an aircraft travelling at 20,000 feet as opposed to 35,000 feet possibly be?

How Does Airlines Handle Unusual Passenger Requests?

Let’s take a scenic tour through the not-so-glamorous realities of working in an airline cabin, where the expectations of passenger service often clash with the laws of physics and common sense.

1. Training Flight Crew To Deal With Odd Requests:

Imagine this: You’re a flight attendant. You’re serving drinks with a smile brighter than the sun, and a passenger raises their hand. “Could you turn off the engines? They’re giving me a headache.” You blink. Twice. It’s not often that customer service training prepares you for…whatever that was.

Jokes aside, becoming a flight attendant isn’t like enrolling for a lemonade stand. They often undergo weeks of training before they’re considered fit for maintaining sanity in a tube soaring through the sky. As one flight attendant shared, “I did 7 weeks. So worth it. I felt so ready. The training is hard but it paid off for me.” Even after the training, adapting to the erratic schedules, and various time zones is no walk in the park. One part of their training includes responding to some truly outlandish passenger requests without breaking a sweat…or the laws of the universe.

2. Customer Service Policies And Limitations:

While passenger satisfaction is generally the goal, airlines also have to draw the line somewhere. Laughable requests such as opening a window mid-flight for some fresh hair are a sigh-and-chuckle sort of request that leads flight attendants to question if they missed the memo about aeroplanes vs. convertibles in their training. They handle such requests with grace and a dash of humour, not to mention absolute professionalism.

But what about the frat boys wanting to turn the aeroplane into their beer-pong table? A stiff “no” isn’t enough; those requests are addressed with a mix of tact, diplomacy, and perhaps a not-so-subtle suggestion that playing darts in the clouds isn’t as much fun as it sounds.

The hustle and bustle of a flight attendant’s life is indeed a cocktail of awkward interactions, spine-testing compliance, and bizarre requests. But hey, whoever said air travel was ever boring?

Conclusion:

Well, folks, we’ve soared through the stratosphere of silliness with these wild aeroplane requests. The sky’s not the limit when it comes to what some passengers will ask for. From shutting down engines mid-flight to a high-altitude game of beer pong, the requests have been nothing short of ludicrous. Yet, our flight attendants keep their cool, armed with their trusty training and a dash of diplomacy. So next time you’re cruising at 35,000 feet and the urge to make a wacky request hits you, remember – there’s a limit to the ‘friendly’ in ‘friendly skies’. And no, they still won’t let you open the window.