She’s a flyin’ tamer.
The friendly skies seem unfriendlier every day, forcing flight attendants to be on their guard at all times. Fortunately, one former Emirates flight attendant has divulged a foolproof, four-step method to prevent an inflight freakout — which involves talking to frantic flyers like a “kindergarten teacher.”
“Just listening and not interrupting is often enough for the passenger to vent their frustration and not escalate it further,” ex-air staffer Marika Mikusova told the Daily Mail.
Mikusova, who spent five years working airborne, said that the technique goes by the acronym LEAP — the letters standing for “listen, empathize, ask and paraphrase.”
The first step involves listening to the panicking passenger carefully “without interrupting them,” per the former crew member, who penned three “Diary of a Flight Attendant” books detailing her career at 30,000 feet.
“If the passenger is sitting down, it is a good idea to crouch down so that he or she does not feel that we have a psychological advantage by standing and looking down at them as if we were their parent, teacher or any authority figure,” the unruly-passenger whisperer instructed. “So, if you see a kneeling flight attendant in the aisle who isn’t smiling but just listening attentively to the passenger and occasionally nodding, you know what it is all about.”
Nodding is also crucial as it demonstrates that “we understand their anger and are keen to resolve the problem,” said the Prague resident.
By a similar token, displaying the proper body language is also essential when it comes to putting a tense traveler at ease.
“It’s hard for the passenger to believe we’re trying to find a solution if, for example, we keep our arms crossed,” said Mikusova.
Sometimes just listening without interruptions is enough to nip a volatile situation in the bud, per the ex-stewardess.
When those tactics fail to soothe a savage passenger, Mikusova said flight attendants should ask “open-ended questions,” asking specifics about “what,” “where” and “when.” Those help get to the root of the problem while also “giving the complainant a chance to fully express their feelings,” she explained.
Finally, it’s best to sum up what was said.
“In the end, we play a kindergarten teacher,” said Mikusova. “So we’re summarizing the information the passenger has spouted at us to let him or her know we’ve been listening all along and understand their point. Meanwhile, the passenger either nods or corrects us as appropriate.”
Generally, by that point, the passenger is “incredibly relieved” and “feels like a winner,” said Mikusova.
And while the flight attendant may feel “drained” from playing airplane crisis negotiator, it’s often necessary to prevent swearing, physical aggression, destruction of the plane and other undesirable outcomes.
Of course, sometimes words aren’t enough to stop the ordeal from escalating, in which case it’s necessary to go to plan B — restraints.
“For those who are aggressive, we don’t have any words, but acts – and useful equipment in our restraint kit,” said Mikusova.
Passenger pacification tools can include cable ties, handcuffs, seatbelt extensions and even duct tape, according to The Points Guy.
Unfortunately, physical measures seem to be increasingly necessary given the recent incidents of air barbarism, which have included several instances of flyers attempting to open an emergency exit midflight.
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