Flights delayed, airports in state of pandemonium, holidays ruined: airlines blame Covid and Brexit, but it’s all their fault
I’ve worked as cabin crew for six years, and I’ve never been so exhausted. I’m not the kind of person who usually suffers with fatigue, but crew are facing catastrophic and sustained levels of understaffing. Despite what you might hear about the travel chaos facing hard-working families who just want to get away for a well earned half-term break, being asked to travel with hand luggage alone to try to alleviate the huge delays and cancellations, the pandemonium at Britain’s airports doesn’t affect passengers alone.
Crew members are flying more than ever. Our hours are longer, our schedule more gruelling and our pay a pittance. Working for airlines used to be about luxury and glamour. Now, many of us can’t even afford to live near the airports, so we drive for hours to get home after long-haul flights on dangerously little sleep. Crew members are so tired they are having accidents – closed social media groups are full of tips for staying awake at the wheel.
The writer works as cabin crew for a major airline. As told to Lucy Pasha-Robinson
