Calling all frequent globe-trotters, have you ever wondered why flight attendants greet you with their hands behind their back?
Perhaps some of you have never even questioned the cabin crew’s stance. It’s surely just a polite gesture, right?
Well, it’s been revealed that there’s a clever reason behind their upright posture.
As passengers board the plane, members of the cabin crew team are required to count each person using a clicker.
In order to be discreet while they smile and welcome you onboard, the nifty little device is held behind their back.
Eagle-eyed passengers on long-haul flights may have even noticed that sometimes the aircraft team walk up and down the aisle using the clicking device before take-off.
When they perform a head count, it’s actually more of a double check to ensure everyone is on board.
The news comes after a Ryanair flight from Stansted to Belfast was delayed by two hours after staff failed to count the number of passengers.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, cabin crew members checked boarding passes three times before take-off then later called out names from a list.
“It looked as though there were two people on the flight who couldn’t be accounted for,” a passenger revealed. “The flight attendants kept telling us that legally they couldn’t take off until they had the correct number of passengers.”
So there you have it, next time you’re boarding a flight you’ll have a conversation starter at the ready for the neighbour sitting next to you.