Secret words and codes flight attendants use and what they mean
When it comes to plane travel there is plenty that goes on behind the scenes most passengers will be completely unaware of.
Flight attendants have a lot of things to tick off before, during and after a trip. So it's no surprise they have a bit of a secret language to help.
Here we've rounded up a few of the secret words used among flights attendants, as well as the codes you may have heard before but not understood.
Mermaid
"Mermaid" in flight attendant code is referring to a behaviour that is actually very common on flights.
It is a "playful yet passive-aggressive nickname for a passenger who deliberately sprawls out across empty seats to deter others from sitting in their row," travel experts told HuffPost.
Code 300 and Angel
The words "Code 300" or "Angel" indicate that someone has died on board, the experts from Wander said.
In the event of an in-flight death, crew members are supposed to transfer the deceased to a seat, ideally one without a lot of passengers nearby.
Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen, as was the case with a couple who were forced to sit next to a woman's body for several hours after she died on a 15-hour flight from Australia to Qatar.
Foxtrot Oscar
Flight attendant Paula Gahan has recalled a time where she had a passenger tap her on the shoulder to request a drink.
The only kicker, it was in the middle of a medical emergency and she was assisting a passenger who had collapsed.
"The most common question I'm asked is, 'What did you say to him?'," she wrote In a piece for The Telegraph UK.
"I can't reveal the exact words, but all cabin crew will understand what I meant when I told him to 'Foxtrot Oscar'."
It probably doesn't require much explanation on our end either, but the words are taken from the standard phonetic alphabet for aviation use, as a politer way of saying "f--- off".
Which version she used in this particular instance remains a mystery.
ABP
ABP translates to 'able bodied passengers', according to an anonymous Qatar Airways air hostess called 'Anna' spoke to MSN
These are individuals that the crew seek out just in case of an emergency.
Crew may look for any person who is physically strong and able to follow instructions - like policemen or military personnel.
Gate Lice
Urban Dictionary provides a relatively in-depth definition of the term 'gate lice'.
They are described as "passengers, often inexperienced flyers in [economy] class, who crowd around or line up at a gate at an airport completely blocking the boarding area and preventing First and Business Class passengers from being able to get on the plane when they're allowed to.
"They can also cause delays and confusion if a passenger in a wheelchair needs to board as the chair has to plough through the mass of gate lice hovering around the gate.
See you later
A TikTok user has shared what he claims to be a secret code that flight attendants use among themselves to point out passengers they think are attractive.
Travel fanatic @gowithgarret shared a video, in which he revealed: "Did you know that a lot of flight attendants play a game called, 'see you later'?"
He says that the game takes place at the end of the flight, when passengers are deplaning and flight attendants farewell them at the door.
According to Garret, flight attendants say goodbye to every passenger – but they say: "see you later" to everyone that they want to sleep with.
"So, next time you getting off the plane and if that flight attendant says, 'see you later,' I think twice on what that really means," he said.
Bob or Philip
Complete unrelated to the popular phrase "Bob's your uncle", if you hear your seat number mentioned in the same sentence as the word "Bob" then you've landed in the good books, a flight attendant revealed in a column for Sun Travel.
"Crews use that abbreviation to mean 'best on board'," they said.
On the flip side, though, if you're labelled a "Philip" then you've done something wrong.
"That name originated from the term PILP - Passenger I'd Like to Punch - but has changed over time," the airline staffer added.
Phonetic Alphabet
The same cabin crew member also told The Sun that if you're a frequent flyer to could be worth learning the phonetic alphabet
"If we are discussing individual passengers, we'll use seat numbers to do so. For example, if you're in seat 13D, we'll refer to you as 'Delta 13'," they explained.
Crosscheck
This is something you'll likely hear shortly before take-off and after landing.
A senior member of the cabin crew will call for a crosscheck which has to do with unlocking the doors for arrival and deactivating the emergency slides on the doors. Skipping this step would make the slides deploy as soon as the door was opened.
Then essentially this is double checked by another crew member to verify the task has been completed.
