Why The Cabin Crew Always Start Flights With Their Hands Behind Their Backs

Updated September 8, 2021

Since we tend to have a lot to think about when we're trying to navigate airports and board planes, there's a lot about the experience that we tend not to notice.

But while we may have the luxury of zoning out once we find our seats, there are a lot of details that need to be watched over in order for a flight to run smoothly. And flight attendants are the ones responsible for keeping those details in order.

So while there's some valuable advice that flight attendants can offer passengers after logging so much flight experience, it can also be fascinating in its own right to learn about the little insider secrets of their jobs.

And once you become aware of the subtle things they do every time we time we board, you're all but guaranteed to notice them forever.

Most of us don't exactly go out of our way to keep track of what flight attendants are doing with their hands.

Wikimedia Commons | Peter van der Sluijs

And even if we did, it would be easy to miss those periods where they always keep them behind their backs because as soon as they start the safety presentation, they stop standing that way for the rest of the flight.

Nonetheless, you'll always see them standing with their hands behind their backs as you actually step on the plane.

Wikimedia Commons | Petar Milošević

And since this seems to be the case no matter what airline you use, you'd think there would have to be a reason that it's so universal among them to start in that position.

You'd be right.

Because while we're trying to find our seats and places to store our bags, they're counting us.

We can't see this and the general noise of planes makes it just as hard to hear, but whether they're using it as they greet us or waiting until we sit down, they're keeping track of our numbers using a clicker like this.

As for why they do this, it's so they can make sure the number of passengers matches the number of tickets sold.

20th Century Fox via YouTube

It's unlikely that they're constantly expecting passengers to end up on the wrong plane like Kevin McCallister, but they'll be the ones stuck dealing with irate passengers if a plane happens to be overbooked.

So it's best to know what you're dealing with as soon as possible into the flight. And the airline is also likely interested in knowing how many passengers actually showed up for their bookings.

In any case, it's something you'll not only notice but understand from here on out.

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