TORONTO – Everyone loves a good scandal, especially those that take place 30,000 feet above ground.
A recent survey of 718 current and former British air stewards aged 18 and over found that most – a whopping 89% – have broken airline rules during a flight, reports The Telegraph.
Offenses include “indulging in sexual relations with a colleague during a flight” (21%), and “in-flight sexual encounters with passengers” (14%).
The most common “crime” was lying about the availability of products in the in-flight shopping catalogue; 28% said they were guilty of this charge, presumably out of pure laziness. One in five surveyed, meanwhile, admitted to short-changing passengers.
When asked how much they thought they pocketed from unsuspecting fliers, the answers averaged to £331 per year.
More than half surveyed (54%) said they had given change in a different currency, while 40% said they had gotten away with it because “most passengers don’t check their change.”
German crews proved to be the most dishonest. In a survey by Jetcost.co.uk, which asked cabin crews from Germany, Spain, France and Italy whether they had shortchanged passengers, 29% of Germans said they had, with the average “earnings” amounting to £410 per year.
A further 7% of cabin crew said they had accepted tips and gifts from passengers, something that’s against company rules.