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On widebody aircraft, there are some hidden regions where the aircraft and the cabin crew rest after lengthy flights. Under no circumstances can anyone entry them, and they are well hidden from view.
Crew Rest Divisions are known as Crew Rest Compartments, and their locations on different aircraft can vary.
On newer plane, such as the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A350, they are located above the principal room, in the middle aircraft. However, they can also be in the cargo hold of older plane or just in the main room.
One for the pilots, which typically occupies the uppermost aircraft and frequently includes two bunks and a saddle chair, and the other for the cabin crew, which typically has six bunks or more and is perched high above the starboard galley, the area where food and beverages are prepared and stored, is placed.
Like a spacecraft resort
When purchasing a helicopter, airlines have a say in how the staff rest areas are configured, but the main rules are set by authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration. For instance, it requires that the team rest areas become “in a place where aggressive noise, odors, and vibration have least effect on sleep,” and that they be temperature-controlled and permit the crew to change lighting.
The bunks ( “or other surface that allows for a flat sleeping position” ) have to be 78 by 30 inches ( 198 by 76 centimeters ) in size – tall people beware – and have at least 35 cubic feet, or one cubic meter, of space around them. At least 65 square feet of space must also be provided for changing, entering, and exiting.
The end result is somewhat similar to a Chinese spacecraft resort: a windowless, cramped, but comfortable sleeping place, with power outlets and a light – as well as all of the necessary safety equipment such as oxygen masks, seat belt lights and an intercom, among others.
” They can be very comfortable”, says Susannah Carr, a flight attendant with United Airlines who works on Boeing plane including the 787, 777 and 767.
We are given clothes, typically similar to those used in business school on our global flights, along with a fitted mattress, an air outlet to keep the air circulating, and temperature controls so you can maintain it cooler or warmer. I like them– but I’m also only about 5 feet 8 inches, so if you put a 6 feet 4 inches people in it, they might be a small tight”, she says.
But are they more advantageous than a company or even second course chair?
” In some ways indeed, in some ways no”, says Carr. ” The cabins can become wider than second class and for me personally, depending on the plane, I get more room. You do n’t necessarily have the same amount of headroom as a cabin, and you obviously do n’t have the privacy either, because it’s a bunk. And if you’re stuffy, you can certainly feel that there – it’s an airplane, but you only have so much space to put points. They definitely use every inch available.
Tucked ahead
The team sleep locations are designed to not get too much attention from individuals, irrespective of where they are located:” A passenger traveling by would definitely think it’s a closet”, says Carr.
” I wo n’t go too far into how we access it – it’s secure, I will say that. We occasionally have people who mistakenly try to open the bathroom door and are told to go to the restroom instead. We just show them the way.
Behind the door, at least on the most recent aircraft, are typically a small landing and a ladder leading upstairs.
” The bunks are either open on the side or one end, so you can crawl in – I sometimes jokingly refer to them as ‘ the catacombs,'” says Carr.
On slightly older aircraft, such as the Airbus A330, the crew rest compartment can also be in the cargo hold, so a staircase would lead down instead. However, the rest areas on even older aircraft like the Boeing 767 are located in the main cabin and are just recliner seats with curtains around them.
” They are very heavy curtains, which block out light and a lot of sound,” says the airline’s representative. We’ve had passengers open the curtains, looking for something or thinking they’d be going into the galley, so it’s not necessarily the best rest”.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of flight attendants favor the overhead bunks over the curtained seats, but the upgrade also benefits airlines, who do n’t have to sacrifice valuable cabin space for passenger seats.
Seniority order
On long-haul flights, cabin crew members typically spend at least 10 % of their time in the waiting areas.
” On average, I would say that means about 1.5 hours per long- haul flight”, says Karoliina Ã…man, a flight attendant with Finnair who works on Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft. This, however, can vary depending on the airline and flight time – rest time can extend up to a few hours.
This rest period is extremely important and helpful for us because we do n’t have any private areas in the aircraft for our lunch or coffee breaks,” she says.
” This is the moment during the flight when we do n’t answer calls from passengers or perform any other duties but to rest and let our minds and feet take a break.” This rest is intended to keep passengers alert and prepared throughout the entire flight, so that if something unexpected occurs, we are prepared to take action.
Not everyone sleeps once in the bunk, however.
” Usually when I leave Helsinki for work, I use my rest to read or listen to audiobooks because I am rested and coming from home. However, there might be sleepless nights behind you on an inbound flight from the destination to Helsinki ( for example, I have trouble sleeping in Asia ), and then you might fall asleep during the rest. If your brain has switched to night sleep mode, “waking up from that sleep can be a really tough experience sometimes,” says Man.
” Jet lag can be a tricky beast”, says Carr,” Sometimes I can unwind and I can sleep, other times my body’s just not ready for a nap. But because we’re on a break, we’re allowed to use our phones, so we could watch a movie on it, or read a book”.
The cabin crew member who oversees all the others and oversees operations on board is called the chief purser ( in aviation lingo ), and the rest areas are closed during taxi, takeoff, and landing.
This person typically uses a special bunk near the entrance of the rest areas and has access to an intercom to communicate with the pilots and the rest of the crew.
” Everything in our industry is seniority based, from the schedule you fly to the routes you can hold to your days off,” Carr explains. The better the benefits are the longer you’ve been there, and one of those benefits is choosing your crew break time. We order our breaks in order of priority, so the most senior passenger on the flight has the option to choose the first break or the second break, and you go through the list until everyone has breaks.
Piloting perks
Close to the cockpit is the rest area for the pilots, which is separate from the one dedicated to the cabin crew. Depending on the duration of the flight, there can be up to four pilots on board, but two will always be in the cockpit, therefore, the pilots ‘ rest area only has two bunks ( or even just one on older aircraft ) but it includes a seat sometimes equipped with in- flight entertainment, which the cabin crew do not get. Other than that, the compartments are pretty similar.
” I usually sleep pretty well in there”, says Aleksi Kuosmanen, deputy fleet chief pilot at Finnair.
Kuosmanen flies on A330 and A350 aircraft, and says he prefers the latter’s rest area, which is located above the forward galley rather than in the main cabin. ” It has really good curtains, you can adjust the temperature really well, there’s great ventilation, and it’s more soundproof. You do n’t hear anything of what’s happening in the galleys, it’s really quiet and comfortable”.
If you spot a pilot or flight attendant disappearing into the plane, you might want to keep an eye out for an unmarked door at the front or back of the plane.
But keep in mind that crew members wo n’t necessarily be happy to show you around, as passenger access to the rest areas is prohibited:” It’s a little bit like Disney– we keep the magic behind closed doors”, says Carr.
You do n’t necessarily want to know that your flight attendants are getting a little shuteye, but you’ll be happy when we arrive after our little cat’s nap is finished as a daisy, “you do n’t necessarily want to know that.”
