Cabin crew on flights greet plane passengers as they board the aircraft ahead of their trip. Flight attendants often cheerily welcome fliers or direct them to their plane seats. However, they’re not just at the doorway to be friendly – they are also on the lookout for any suspicious passengers coming on the plane. A cabin crew member has revealed what they often watch out for when it comes to those boarding.
A flight attendant has explained they will always notice if passengers don’t have any bags or if they are wearing unusual clothing.
Such fliers could raise suspicion and perhaps see cabin crew take action if they deem it necessary.
“I notice if people don’t have bags with them, and sometimes that strikes me as odd,” a flight attendant for United Airlines told Business Insider.
Sally Ann MacLagan, a flight attendant for Mesa Airlines, added: “I have concerns if they’re wearing a winter coat and it’s summer.”
Cabin crew undergo special training to make sure they are prepared in case anything seems wrong.
Many of the security measures in place were introduced after the 9/11 terror attack in New York.
A former cabin crew member for Virgin Atlantic has revealed what it was like following the epic tragedy.
“Air travel changed dramatically following 9/11 and our cabin crew training manual was practically rewritten,” wrote Mandy Smith in her book Cabin Fever.
“We had to undergo an updated rigorous course of SAS-style security training and Virgin’s entire fleet was modified in line with heightened security rules.
“The flight decks were fitted with bulletproof doors, walls, and security cameras.
“Security keypads were also added to the flight deck, the rotating entry code being revealed only to a select few staff per flight.
“There were armed marshals on board and the days of kids being able to visit the flight deck were well and truly over.”
“We were taught code words and phrases that would be used in cases of emergency – secret messages that could be relayed to crew via the PA system if, for example, there was a terrorist on board.”
One codeword that flight attendants sometimes use is “ABP” – and it’s a positive thing they’ll look for in a passenger.
Carrie Bradley, who worked as a flight attendant on an international airline for 12 years, explained the acronym.
“When passengers are boarding, you’re assessing them and seeing if they are an ABP,” she told The Sun. It stands for “Able-Bodied Passenger.” In short, well-built passengers could be very useful in an emergency.
Crew will identify these fit and healthy people as they walk in the door and then note where they are sitting in the aircraft.
Janice Bridger, who claimed to have been a flight attendant for 27 years, explained the importance of a powerfully-built person boarding the aircraft.