A veteran flight attendant explains what she's thinking when she greets boarding passengers

Adnan Abidi/Reuters

This post from flight attendant Gaea Peregrinor originally appeared on Quora an answer to the question, "What are flight attendants really thinking when they are forced to greet and thank passengers at the door?"

I've been a flight attendant for 25 years. Greeting passengers at the door requires concentration on several levels. 

Of course, the objective is to make you feel welcome and comfortable. I try very hard to give the impression that I'm warm, approachable, and competent, and that you will have a wonderful flight with nothing to worry about.

But that's only one aspect. While I'm trying to give that impression, I'm evaluating you very closely. It's your impression on me that I'm paying close attention to, and I'm considering a number of possibilities.

For example, here are just a few things that I consider:

• Is this person intoxicated?
• What attitude do I get from this person? Helpful? Belligerent? Withdrawn? 
• Is this person physically fit? Powerful? If so, where is he/she sitting?
• Are there any physical disabilities or hindrances such as a limp, injured hand/arm, etc.?  
• Is this person traveling alone? With one other person or with a group?
• Comfortable/fluent with English language?

All of these things help me to assess whether people will be helpful to us on a flight, or even if they might develop into a problem. Remember that we will be hurtling through the air between six and seven miles above the earth. If a problem develops, one cannot simply dial 911 and wait for the police. So the whole idea is to prevent problems from getting airborne, and to be prepared for them if they do develop in-flight.

Obviously, if someone appears to be intoxicated, we don't want them on the plane; the potential for future problems is too great. Likewise, if someone boards the plane with a hateful or nasty attitude toward the crew, that's a concern that needs to be addressed before departure. (It's rare, but it has happened.)

I watch for disabilities that may disqualify someone from sitting in the exit row. People in that row need to be able to physically lift a heavy hatch (up to 60 pounds) or open a heavy door (several hundred pounds). Likewise, if they cannot understand English, they cannot understand shouted commands, nor can they read the instructions on how to open the exits.

If I see someone who is muscular, powerful, strong, and physically fit, I memorize his or her face and make a mental note of where he or she is sitting. I consider this person a resource for me. 

In the event of an attack on the flight or on me, these are my "go-to" people. If a situation looks like it could develop, I'll privately and discreetly ask one of these people if he or she would be willing to help us if necessary. Help might involve subduing or restraining an unruly passenger. We hope it never happens, but we prepare just in case it does.

I try to learn if we have any passengers who are airline employees, particularly crew members who have been trained in the in-flight procedures. These people also are a resource for me. They've been trained in what to do in an emergency, whether medical, mechanical, etc. They know how to handle the situations as well as I, and are trained to become an instant "team member," fitting in immediately if needed. They are an invaluable resource for me, and I like to know who they are and where they're sitting.

(When United Airlines Flight 232 crashed in Sioux City, Iowa in 1989, it was a disaster that should have killed everyone on the plane. But when the problems began, the head flight attendant remembered that a pilot was a passenger on the flight. She told the Captain Haynes, who told her to ask him for his help. His assistance in the cockpit helped save so many lives.)

Consider that air travel is fraught with inherent danger, made more so by the political and religious climate of the world today. One must be constantly alert and aware of one's situation.

So when I greet people, you better believe that I'm always very aware of each passenger who steps through the door of the aircraft. The items mentioned above are only a few of the myriad of "triggers" that we watch for. 

For example, I've had passengers board who look pasty and pale, deathly ill. (We removed them; nobody wants their flu germs!) I often see passengers who are afraid of flying and need a word of comfort and encouragement. I've had people try to smuggle pets in their purses or handbags or bottles of booze in their briefcases. (Booze is allowed as long as it stays capped. You just can't drink your own liquor on the plane.) 

So yes, I need to be vigilant and aware, all behind my "greeting face" of pleasant, comforting welcome!

And when you consider that I have approximately 3-4 seconds to make that passenger feel welcomed and comfortable, and then also assess a person for all of the potential that he or she brings onto the plane ... well, it can require a lot of focus.

As for thanking people as they leave ... I'm probably thinking about getting out of my uniform and relaxing in the layover hotel, or at home! Or I may be trying to figure out if I have enough time to grab a sandwich on my way to the next flight. Or, I may be figuring out how to get to my commuter flight home (I work in San Francisco but live in Denver.) 

Once I had to think about the furious drunk guy who was waiting in the boarding area for me to come out. He was angry because I had cut him off during the flight (he could hardly walk), and was determined to "have it out" with me. As it turned out, he sat down in a seat in the terminal to wait for me and passed out!

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