Flight Attendants Secret Language – Include in your travel hacks list the decoding of the secret language of flight attendants.
Just like any other field, flight attendants also have their own terms or set of words they use that are related to their job. Here are some of the terms that you must understand before your flight, based on the article in Reader’s Digest.
Red-eye / Pink-eye – Red-eye means an overnight flight that arrives early in the morning while pink-eye is a flight that takes off earlier than red-eye but still occurs late at night.
Holding pen – It is the area surrounding the gate where passengers wait to board.
Runner – This refers to the passenger who arrives late at the airport or late for the connecting flight.
Spinner – It is the term for a passenger who comes to the plane without seat assignment and stands in the middle of the aisle confused.
Specials – Former flight attendant Bobby Laurie said that they would use this term for passengers who require special attention like those with mobility problems.
Privo – This term refers to things with provisions in the plane such as flight drinks, snacks, meals, etc.
U. M. – This stands for an “unaccompanied minor” who is traveling alone and will be in the flight crew’s care.
Blue room – Flight attendants use their term to refer to the bathroom and this is referenced to the blue liquid used in aircraft toilets.
Galley – It is the term for the aircraft’s small kitchen and the flight attendant who is territorial when it comes to this area in the plane is called Galley Queen.
Also part of the Flight Attendants Secret Language is the terms they use to describe their lifestyle. RON is the term for “Remain Overnight.” This means that the plane is not going back out for the night. “Turn” is what flight attendants call a trip from one airport to another and going back to where the first flight took off.
Laurie explained that they use “pairing or trip” for “The one-, two-, three- or four-day schedule the flight attendant is currently operating.” They call a flight attendant a “commuter” when he or she lives in another city and not where the airline is based. Crash pad is the term they use for an apartment that a group of flight attendants share.