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How to behave on an airplane during the “beast” of summer travel
A veteran flight attendant and union leader has a message for passengers this summer: Air travel is going to be a “beast,” so please behave!
Airplanes are expected to be packed to the gills this summer as Americans engage in “revenge travel” — taking the domestic and international trips they may have put off during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions and mask mandates made flying difficult or even impossible.
Sarah Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, urged passengers to consider not just themselves, but their fellow passengers as well as the flight crew as they prepare to board fuller-than-usual planes. Flight attendants’ chief concern is keeping everyone safe in the air, she added.
“We have a set of strict rules because we need to be safe first and foremost and we’re bringing all of humanity into a cramped space, and summer flying has always been a beast,” she told CBS News.
She added, “Flight attendants are there to ensure you have a safe, secure flight and to respond to any health emergencies. That is primarily our job on board — to keep everyone safe. We also want you to have a good time.”
She also highlighted that staffing shortages are making flight attendants’ job even more challenging, particularly when dealing with testy passengers.
“There’s fewer of us than there ever have been and summer travel usually means airplanes are full to the brim,” she said. “So every flight will be very full and we’re going to try to keep order and keep everyone following the rules so we can all get from point A to point B without incident.”
Passenger etiquette tips
Amid the minimal personal space on airplanes, tempers can flare, and violent outbursts among passengers, as well as attacks on crew members, are still rampant in the skies, she added.
On behalf of flight attendants trying to keep order in cabins, she urged passengers to follow these tips:
- Acknowledge and greet your flight attendants
- Leave space for others in the overhead bins
- Don’t bring food aboard with strong or pungent scents
- Let the middle seat passenger user the shared armrest
Some experts are also advising passengers to avoid reclining their seats, noting that it can raise tensions with the passengers around you, even potentially injuring someone seated in the row behind yours or leading to wine or food being spilled.
“Of course, keep your hands to yourself, make sure you are not causing a problem,” Nelson said. She added to be “aware that you’re not just flying for yourself; you’re flying with everyone around you.”
If an altercation between passengers takes place, seek out a flight attendant immediately because they are trained to de-escalate tense situations, Nelson said.
“If you see a problem starting to arise, don’t jump in yourself,” Nelson said.
Another word of advice for passengers?
“It really takes a lot of patience and we encourage people to pack their patience,” Nelson said.
She added, “Chocolate never hurts either.”
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Liam Payne’s family says they are heartbroken after former One Direction star’s death
Liam Payne’s family said they’re heartbroken after the musician fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Payne, who belonged to the wildly successful band One Direction before its members split up to pursue solo careers in 2016, was 31.
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the family said in a statement to PA Media, the U.K. and Ireland’s national news agency. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Other tributes poured in from the music and entertainment world. Musician Charlie Puth shared a photo of himself and Payne on Instagram, writing that he was “in shock” after hearing about Payne’s death. Puth contributed to Payne’s 2017 song “Bedroom Floor.”
“Liam was always so kind to me,” Puth wrote. “He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone.”
Former One Direction guitarist Dan Richards said on Instagram that Payne’s death “feels so surreal” and that he is “still trying to wrap my head around it all.”
Payne had been spotted in Argentina attending a concert of former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan on Oct. 2. Horan and other One Direction members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik have not yet released a statement about Payne’s death.
A spokesperson for the Buenos Aires police told CBS News that officers responded to the Casasur Palermo Hotel after reports of an “aggressive man” who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol on Wednesday night. Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said that it seized “a series of substances” from Payne’s room.
Argentine Director of Emergency Medical Services Alberto Crescenti told CBS News that an ambulance arrived about seven minutes after Payne fell from a third-floor balcony. His body was found in a hotel courtyard, local police said.
An autopsy was conducted late Wednesday night. It found that Payne died of “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
Crescenti declined to answer questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident, The Associated Press reported. The Buenos Aires police spokesperson said that Payne “had thrown himself from the balcony of his room.”
Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son.
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