Flight attendants go the extra mile to cheer passengers

Flight attendants go the extra mile to cheer passengers

31/05/2021

Sunitha Sekar CHENNAI

At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, flyers could be anxious about many things. Flight attendants, knowing their anxieties, try their best to put passengers at ease — from calming down a sobbing flyer to making a ‘get well soon’ card for someone sick.

Karthika Hariharan Iyer, working with IndiGo for 11 years now, recounts seeing a number of migrant workers on board.

“Some of them felt bad they didn’t know how to lock the washroom door. A few of them used all their money for the ticket and were really hungry on board. So, I make them comfortable and buy them snacks and tea. That’s the least I can do,” she says.

Chandni Pandit, a flight attendant for nine years, says a first-time flyer accidentally fell during the rush to board a flight and entered the aircraft with bleeding knees. “I tried to give her first aid and made her a ‘get well soon’ card before she got off. She still remembers and is in touch with me. Sometimes, we have passengers who sob on board and we give them a vacant seat in front so that they can immediately leave to the hospital or funeral they are heading to,” she adds.

Neelam Rathore, a flight attendant for nine years, says, “A major barrier for everyone now is communication, and many feel lonely and isolated. So, at this time, even small gestures will make a world of difference. We want to do everything in our capacity to bring a smile to their faces.”