(CNN) – Your checklist for flying this holiday season: High-quality, comfortable face masks; antibacterial hand sanitizer; get to the airport early; and easily remove coats, shoes, laptops and toiletries to the security checkpoint.
However, according to flight attendants, planning ahead may not prepare you for full actual flying in 2021 – and it’s not just Covid-19.
“You may have seen news reports about disruptive or conflicting passengers,” said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents about 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines. on airliners this year.
“More than 5,000 disruptive passenger reports have been sent to the Federation Department of Aviation since earlier this year,” said Nelson. That’s more disruption in 2021 than the entire 31-year history of recording such behaviour. And we haven’t even finished the year yet! “
CNN spoke with Nelson about what combatants want us to know about disruptive passengers — and more — before we board the plane to visit friends and family on vacation.
This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, makes a pre-pandemic trip.
Courtesy Flight Attendants Association-CWA
Sarah Nelson: First, chances are a lot of people are traveling for the first time since the pandemic began. And they forgot, or just didn’t know, that air travel has a whole set of rules to keep everyone safe.
You must pass through security and practically undress to demonstrate that you are not a threat. You can’t smoke – we did that a long time ago. Everyone must fasten their seat belts and place chairs and trays on tables.
Those federal rules are in place to make sure we’re keeping a safe space for everyone who’s traveling, because not everyone can get vaccinated. And it is very important that people understand why the rules are applied. That’s why I put so much emphasis on this.
We really won’t be safe unless everyone follows the rules and we approach this with the spirit that we’re all in this together.
But something bigger is happening here. Many people are upset about the mask because it is seen by many leaders as a trigger point where people are listening.
I’ve been a flight attendant for 25 years, and over the course of my career, when something happens socially or politically in this country, we see dispersion on planes. And this is completely bullish this year.
An indication of the federal mask requirement is seen as travelers prepare to check in at Miami International Airport on February 1, 2021, the date the new rule goes into effect.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images
CNN: What impact do these incidents have on plane safety?
Nelson: It affects the ability of flight attendants to do their jobs. Before 9/11, we were the first responders to health and safety emergencies on board. But after 9/11, we also became the last line of defense for aviation security forces against terrorism.
In-flight disruptions have been and are happening, they are not only a threat to the crew and you, the flyer, due to the potential for people to be directly injured in these outbreaks of violence, but It also distracts the flight crew. They have the potential to expose us to a lack of signal to other threats or larger threats, such as a coordinated attack.
This is something that those who want to do us more harm are also watching and wondering, “Is this a new tactic we can use to create distraction?”
Now this is not what I want people to think about when they fly to see their loved ones. I want to be very clear about it. It is our job to identify these problems.
But I’m explaining because I want to be clear about why we take these incidents so seriously. We don’t want anyone getting hurt on board. But there is also a bigger threat.
CNN: Are other passengers at risk when these disruptions occur?
Nelson: Ability. You could be exposed to a total scuffle or be defeated by someone who is flirting. There are cases of conflict and violence being passenger on passenger. We have had several instances where individuals have rushed into the cockpit. And that is a very serious concern.
Surely you can have your travel interrupted. When someone refuses to wear their mask or seat belt, we won’t pull them out of the gate if they refuse to cooperate. And if it’s in the air and the conflict is bad enough, your flight could be derailed.
So you don’t want these to happen on your plane because of the risk of injury and the risk of disrupting your trip by causing you to miss flights and then family events. .
Now the conflict is not always about the mask. Some of the most recent violent events have nothing to do with masks at all.
Air travel is expected to be near pre-pandemic levels during Thanksgiving. This photo was taken during last year’s vacation at Seattle-Tacoma International Aiprot
Image by David Ryder / Getty
People are getting upset about any kind of safety instruction: “Put your tray on. Could you please bring your seat back so you don’t kneel to the man behind you?” Any kind of tutorial at all.
People don’t like being told they can’t drink. And the fact that they were drinking also adds to some of the action because they do things they probably wouldn’t do if they weren’t.
Some of these were accused of racism. According to a survey of flight attendants, 61% of incidents spoke ill of each other about gender, race and homophobia.
CNN: What are the warning signs of a pending conflict, and what would you advise people to do if a conflict occurs on their flight?
Nelson: Look for angry behavior, such as people swearing. We’ve had people punching the back of a chair or punching us in the arm. Any kind of violent or threatening behavior and any form of swearing are usually clues.
We recommend that you notify a flight attendant at the first sign of trouble so we can address the situation. We are trained in skills and how to guide others to help. So unless there is an impending threat of people getting hurt, we strongly advise passengers not to act on their own as it could inadvertently make the situation worse.
If you’re sitting next to an alternate seat, don’t press your flight attendant’s button, as that could drag you into the situation. If you can, get up and go to a showroom and talk to the crew members, or try to close your eyes to someone a few seats away to get their attention to talk to the crew. crew or press their call button.
Look around and see if you have other helpers, other witnesses. We really encourage everyone to be a good witness – don’t just bow your head.
CNN: What if you’re traveling with kids?
Nelson: The best thing to do is try to remove yourself from the situation. That might not be possible because you’re already seated and there’s no way to move around it. Move your child to a window or anywhere as far away from the action as possible. Try to surround your child and call for help.
But I want to emphasize that these incidents are happening to a relatively small group of people. And people really do react to the tone set on the plane or in the airport, so I just can’t stress enough how important it is to take a moment to talk to your family and think about bringing kindness and patience to you.
If you are a good witness, aware, and eager to be a helper, that sets the tone that will make your experience much better.
I also want to emphasize that we are not willing to accept this as the new normal. We are continuing to work with airlines, airports and the federal government. One of the very, very important things is that the Justice Department has started public prosecutions.
And as soon as people see that there are dire consequences, we hope that helps people understand that you don’t act in an airport or on an airplane.
Above: Passengers on a United Airlines flight on July 26, 2021. (File / Photo by Gado / Getty Images)
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