Plastic Pilot

Will you spend Christmas day or New Year’s day in an airliner ? If yes, try not to be a grumpy passenger - away from home for the best time of year.

I know this situation first hand, I was once on duty on the 31st of December evening, starting work at 11PM. Years ago, I spent New Year’s Eve in a 747, flying back from Australia.

This is not much help, but remember that while you will enjoy your Christmas / New-Year flight, some will be working to make this flight enjoyable:

Flight and cabin crew - Check-in and boarding staff - Baggage handlers - Mechanics - Air traffic controllers - Catering and cleaning teams - Security and immigration inspectors…

But you will also feel the different mood that prevails on such special dates. Not everybody is happy, but I bet that most persons you will talk to will wish you a Merry Christmas or an Happy New Year. I would not be surprised if you spot here and there some “homemade” decorations…

Try to open yourself to this festive spirit, smile, and enjoy your trip. You will make it easier for anybody around as well. And if you pilot flies strange turns, try to look outside… Santa and Rudolph do not always respect the rules of the air !