I’m a flight attendant and we have three crucial rules to protect yourself in severe turbulence
TURBULENCE has been back in the news recently – and it’s making a lot of people feel anxious about their upcoming flights.
A man was unfortunately killed and several others were injured on a flight from London to Singapore earlier this week, after their plane encountered some severe turbulence en route.
But that shouldn’t put you off flying – it should just serve to remind you that you need to be careful when you’re on board a plane because there are ways of making yourself safer.
In this week’s blog for Sun Travel, I’ll explain the three main rules we always follow to protect ourselves if we’re hit with turbulence.
As flight attendants, we’re extremely used to it, and the more exposed you are to the bumps and the rumbles of a flight, the less you worry about them.
However, turbulence can be very dangerous, if you aren’t fully prepared for it to happen.
This is called clear air turbulence, which is when something unexpected starts shaking the plane in the sky, despite there being no clear indication of what it is.
Some turbulence you can prepare for, with weather forecasting tools letting the flight crew know where there may be some rougher patches.
However, sometimes it will just appear and there’s no obvious reason why.
That’s why it’s always best to wear your seatbelt at all times, even if the seatbelt sign is switched off.
The main threat with turbulence is that it will throw you from your seat into the ceiling, or into somebody else, rather than it bringing the plane down, which is all-but impossible.
You’re much more likely to be injured if you’re not strapped in, so it’s best to keep yourself attached to the seat to prevent yourself from becoming a flying object in the cabin.
This brings me to my second point – you should stay in your seat at all times, unless you really have to get up.
Going to the toilet, or having a walk up and down the aisle every now and then to stretch your legs is completely fine.
But you really don’t need to be standing up or hanging around for the whole flight.
If it’s a short haul journey, you have even less of an excuse to be walking about, and if it’s long haul, just try and make the most of the films that we provide as part of the on board entertainment.
What are the passport rules?
The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know.
“Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one.
“But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months.
“In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination.
“And you’ll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK.
“Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old.
“The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted – some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page.”
I know the seats aren’t hugely comfortable, especially in economy class, but if there’s sudden, unexpected turbulence, you’re much better off there than in the aisle.
Finally, make sure your items are all stowed and tucked away properly.
There’s a reason we ask for bags to be kept either in the overhead lockers, or under the seats in front.
It’s to stop them being thrown around the cabin in case there’s any turbulence.
It’s a very easy thing to do, doesn’t take a minute of your time, but could stop someone getting seriously hurt.
Your backpack full of clothes, electronics and whatever else is in there could really do some damage if it’s not safely stored, so just think about that when you’re getting on board.
We don’t ask you to do these things just to be deliberately difficult – we just want everyone to get to their destination safely and free from harm.
By following these three simple steps, you’re really helping us to do our job.
Meanwhile, this is the worst place to sit on the plane if you don’t like turbulence.
And this is how you can always find the best seat on the plane.