There are some cities flight attendants hate working flights to and they’re probably not the destinations you’re picturing because the some of the most beloved vacation destinations are on this list.
Here is a list of the top 10 destinations flight attendants try to avoid and why.
Some of these may surprise you!
#10: Minneapolis
There is nothing wrong with Minneapolis or the people who want to fly there. It’s actually one of Delta’s major hub airports.
The reason flight attendants don’t look forward to flying to Minneapolis is because it is really boring to layover there. Most of the time we stay somewhere close to the Mall of America which gets boring after a while.
It’s also terribly cold in the winter and easy to get stuck there for days due to flight cancellations.
#9: Rome
This one is on the list for a very specific reason and for a very specific set of people.
American senior mamas and papas.
Rome is a great city and I know tons of young flight attendants who adore working flights to Rome. The senior mamas and papas hate flying to Rome in the summer because the hotels are not air-conditioned, and they all melt like the wicked witch of the west on a rainy day.
#8: London
Even though I love visiting London, I hate layovers there because the security at Heathrow is a pain in the arse. Even for flight crews.
Elsewhere in the world flight attendants are allowed to pack full-sized liquids in their carry-on luggage. In the UK that is not the case, so we are forced to check our bags. This is annoying for several reasons, but what makes London the worst is the fact that the security agents in the crew line have no chill.
One guy made me cry because I forgot a full-sized tube of toothpaste in my bag.
#7: New York City
Even though layovers in NYC have to potential to be tons of fun the flight there can be tiresome.
NYC passengers, especially those flying into JFK, tend to be really needy and entitled. I always chalked it up to the fact that they must be so used to the instant gratification of the big city, they expect the same thing from their flight attendants.
So they work us to the bone and instead of going out for a thrilling layover in the Big Apple, we mostly spend NYC layovers recovering.
#6: Los Angeles
It is thrilling be able to take care of one of your favorite celebrities and that almost always happens on flights to LA, but it also comes at a cost.
Flights to LA are annoying for flight attendants for a few reasons, including:
- Having to shelter stars from other passengers who want to pester them for autographs and pictures.
- Getting our hearts broken when a celebrity we like ends up being an awful human being.
- Dealing with people we’ve never heard of acting all dramatic because, “don’t you know who I am!”
- Even the “regular” passengers have bad attitudes and treat the flight attendants poorly.
Yeah, it’s not always glamours to fly with the rich and famous.
#5: Sydney
No shade to Australia, but for flight attendants based literally anywhere in the northern hemisphere, flying to Sydney is exhausting because the flights there are so long, and the jet lag is intense that there’s basically no way to avoid feeling absolutely wrecked after the trip.
My sincere apologies to Australian flight attendants because I guess that’s the case for almost all your flights.
#4: India
When surveying flight attendants for this list, India came up pretty often.
I personally have never flown to India, but I have heard that the passengers on flights to and from India tend to drink heavily and treat the flight crews poorly.
The length of the flights to India don’t make things easier and because the flight attendants are tired, their patience for audacious passengers is further reduced.
#3: Cancún
Cancún is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, but flight attendants rarely celebrate having it on their schedule.
On the way to Cancún passengers are in vacation mode and are usually pleasant enough. On the way back however, they are hungover, sunburnt, and very, very cranky!
Or they had butt implants and refuse to sit in their seat like a normal person…
#2: Florida
Yes, I mean all of Florida.
- Orlando is bad because there’s always a ton of screaming kids on the plane.
- Fort Lauderdale and Miami are both bad because the passengers are all super entitled.
- Tampa is bad because it takes forever to board/deplane all the elderly people.
- Jacksonville is OK.
The only thing Florida has going for it, in my opinion, is the Cuban restaurant in the Miami airport. La Carreta is literally the state’s only redeeming quality from a flying perspective.
#1: Las Vegas
Las Vegas was always my least favorite destination because the passengers are usually already in party mode before they even get on the plane.
Drunk passengers are a real problem on flights bound for LAS, and there is usually at least one bachelor(ette) party passing out shots they aren’t supposed to have.
Plus, a high percentage of people flying to Vegas have never flown before and newbie passengers are more likely to give flight crews Greif for enforcing standard flying rules, especially when drunk.
Final Thoughts
Flight attendants are all unique and I’m sure some will love the destinations on this list.
I’m not one to yuck anyone’s yum but these destinations were the ones most commonly avoided based on my own experience and what I have heard from other flight attendants.
