Fed up with being cursed and attacked, flight attendants talk about unruly passengers

They were cursed, caught and even hit on the head.

Flight attendants are now speaking publicly about the stress of dealing with increasingly unruly passengers at 35,000 feet, a job that has become more difficult in recent months as passengers return to the skies after months of lockdowns. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced flight attendants to enforce federal rules requiring masks on planes, a mandate that has touched a political nerve for many Americans and led to an increase in bad behavior on board.

“It’s definitely out of control,” said flight attendant Matthew Cook, one of two flight attendants who agreed to speak officially to CNBC until their employer was identified. “I have apprehensions [about] go to work every day. I have a lot of anxiety. “

Most flight attendants have remained silent about the increase in unruly passengers for fear of reprisals from their employers.

“Absolutely, our tasks are getting more and more difficult,” said Mitra Amirzadeh, a flight attendant who also works for a major airline. “We had a reception worker who was punched in the head so bad, so severe, that she had to go to the hospital and was left with a knot the size of an orange. … on the front.”

Amirzadeh worked in the industry for six years, including during the pandemic, and said she had never seen passengers behave so badly.

“I think people use the mask warrant as an excuse for bad behavior. A rule is a rule,” Amirzadeh said. She fears the situation will worsen once her airline resumes serving alcohol in the coming weeks.

“I think it could cause additional worries and problems in the cabin,” she said.

The Federal Aviation Administration currently has a zero tolerance policy towards passengers who disrupt flights or fail to follow flight crew instructions in violation of FAA regulations, according to its website.

The agency said 150 cases of unruly passengers were reported last week – the biggest weekly increase in the summer.

There have been more than 3,400 reports of unruly passengers so far this year, including more than 2,400 reports of passengers refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate. In addition, the agency has proposed more than $ 682,000 in fines against unruly passengers.

According to a recent survey by the data platform Dynata, 22% of adults said they refuse to wear a mask in flight, while 7% think it is okay to eliminate frustration from flight attendants.

But Amirzadeh said passengers who assault flight attendants should face even tougher penalties:

“If it were up to me, not only would they go to jail, they would pay a fine. And they wouldn’t be allowed to fly with an air carrier. [ever again]”Amirzadeh said.” They would get on Amtrak. “

Cook, who has traveled more than a million miles in his career, said some of his colleagues are considering early retirement or even a career change due to unruly passengers.

“I had the F-bomb dropped on me, [and I’ve been given] tantrums, lips and tantrums, ”Cook recalls. “I don’t know if they’re going to turn violent. And I don’t want to have to face that kind of situation. “

In May, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant sustained facial injuries and lost two teeth after a passenger “repeatedly ignored standard flight instructions and became verbally and physically abusive on landing.” Southwest told NBC News in a statement.

The 28-year-old suspect was then charged with battery felony in the incident and the airline has since banned him from flying with them again.

Another flight attendant with three decades of experience said passengers are increasingly pushing the boundaries and making the job of flight attendants, like his, more difficult.

It is becoming “a more volatile situation,” she said, asking to remain anonymous for fear of losing her job.

Wearing a mask is not negotiable, she said. Flight attendants can be made redundant if they fail to follow FAA rules, she said.

Flight attendants also mentioned the lack of respect many passengers have towards the industry.

Passengers think flight attendants are just “pouring soda and having a good time,” Cook said, adding that travelers lose sight of the fact that we are also people who just do their jobs. “We are trying to get people where they need to be safely and hopefully as easily as possible.”