Flight attendants reveal when you should press the call button and not during a flight

To push or not to push, that is the question.

The etiquette around the flight attendant’s bell on an airplane can be a gray area for passengers, and many wonder when is the right time to press the button.

To clear up the confusion, here are several flight attendants sharing insights on when you should and shouldn’t ring the bell.

When not to push the button

Ringing the bell because you want an alcoholic drink is apparently not a good idea. Sarah NelsonThe international president of the Association of Flight Attendants previously told travel website The Points Guy: “Don’t use the call button to ask for a drink… Don’t generally think of the call button as your vodka and tonic button .”

Former Delta flight attendant Kat Kamalani shared her thoughts on the matter, saying that pressing the call button at the wrong time could cause a “massive safety issue.”

In a TikTok video before a career change, she said when passengers press the button on the apron or when the plane takes off or lands, “it drives the flight attendants crazy.”

She pointed out that flight attendants or passengers could be injured if, in these cases, a cabin crew member is unnecessarily called to a seat.

“If it’s not an emergency, we’ll go right back to our seats,” she said.

On a Delta Air Lines Reddit forum, user “Ianisboss123” asked for examples of when using the call button would be considered rude.

One user, “Juneballon,” who claimed to be a flight attendant, responded, listing the occasions when he “didn’t like the diaper.”

First, they said it’s a problem if “someone pushes to ask for a sprite or a cookie” while cabin crew are dealing with a medical situation. Juneballon remarked, “Really? You attract the attention of a crew member because you wanted a lemonade?”

Another faux pas is when a passenger presses the call button to give the cabin crew their trash. The user explained: “I feel like human trash. Just hold it or put it in the seat bag until we come by with a bag.”

It’s also frowned upon, the user reveals, as cabin crew walk down the aisle, “handing out headphones loudly, consciously trying to make eye contact with everyone,” only for a passenger moments later to ring the bell and ask for headphones.

According to the president of the flight attendants association, you should not use the call button to ask for a drink

Another nuisance is when passengers repeatedly ring the bell to annoy cabin crew. “June balloon,” they said they once saw, “a lady popped it at least 100 times during the flight because she was angry [about] something from her previous flight”.

When you press the button…

When is button pressing acceptable? Speaking to Insider, United Airlines flight attendant Annette Long said, “If you have diabetes and you have an emergency, you should call them — even two or three times. Let us know. We’re almost there.

And sometimes when people are stuck in the window seat, and the two people next to them are sleeping, and all they want is a glass of water, right? [a] Problem.’

Speaking to The Points Guy, Sara Nelson supported Long’s point, noting, “It’s really mainly for emergencies.”

Parents with small children also have a right to this, she says and explains: ‘It could be that you are a mother and you have a baby in your arms and you need help – you struggle to get up and you need help ‘

Additionally, according to Nelson, it can also be used as a “signaling system”. She told the publication that she used it to identify those passengers who needed to make an express flight connection after a delayed flight – they could ring the bell to identify themselves.

Nicky Kelvin, head of The Points Guy UK, told MailOnline Travel: “Bell Bells are mainly for safety or emergencies and overuse can reduce their effectiveness or cause the crew to focus on things far away.” is less important and leaves real problems behind. swing

“Outside of security, there are times when it might seem appropriate to use a bell. For example, if the seat belt signs are on, but the crew is still moving in the cabin and you need water, or you forgot an important service – let’s say you miss cutlery and your food is waiting for you, the only way to get attention to rouse the crew, this can be done via the call button.

“If you are at the window and your neighbors are sleeping, you may also find it more considerate to ring the doorbell when you have a more important matter.”

“In any case, it’s not appropriate to ring the bell to get things your way, but you just try to get ahead of the queue. For example, don’t ring the bell to request that your food or drink be delivered immediately. It is best to wait your turn and let the crew follow their normal service procedure unless you have an urgent or immediate need.

“Don’t use the bell to ask for things you can do or get yourself. Examples of this are on many long-haul flights – including economy flights – juices, water and snack baskets made available to passengers in the galley. You better get up, stretch and grab what’s left for you.”