The Secret Airplane Bedrooms For Flight Attendants on Long Haul Flights

Last Updated 5 years ago

When you're on a long-haul flight, getting a good sleep isn't easy. You'll probably be good in a lie flat seat in business class, but if you're flying economy, good luck.

Flight attendants are humans too, and just like everyone else, they need to get sleep. You might not have know this, but the same crew does not work the entire long haul flight.

So where does the crew go once it's their turn to sleep?

Most Boeing 777 and 787 airliners have a secret stairway that leads to a set of windowless bedrooms for the cabin crew. There are also hidden bedrooms for pilots, that few people know exist.

It will depend on the plane, but usually crew rest areas are hidden behind the cockpit or above business class.

Chris McGinnis took the photo above of a tiny set of stairs that was hidden behind a discreet door that leads up to the cabin quarters.

In the photo above by Chris Sloan, stairs are shown leading up into the overhead bin to get to the crew quarters

Flight attendant bunks generally have reading lights, hooks, and mirrors, as well as some storage space. They also come with blankets, pillows and occasionally even pajamas.

Some planes, like this American Airlines Boeing 773, have sectioned off beds along an aisle, similair to that of a cruise ship. The aisle ceiling is so low that you have to duck to walk through it.

These bunk beds below are stacked on top of each other. This is on the Malaysian Air A380 plane.

All of the flight attendant rooms seem extremely claustrophoic but there is the odd exception. Check out the flight attendant room below on Singapore's Airbus A380.

Wondering about the pilots? They have their own assigned cabins with extra space and features. On the Boeing 777, pilots have their own overhead sleeping compartments, which feature two roomy sleeping berths. According to Insider, they also feature business-class seats and enough room for a closet, sink, or lavatory, depending on the airline.

Source: A version of this article first appeared on Insider

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