Flight attendant reveals secret reason they greet you on plane

They’re doing more than welcoming you aboard — they’re also sizing you up. 

A flight attendant has revealed what crew members are really doing when they greet passengers on the way to their seats: Determining who is most fit to help out in case of an emergency. 

“Have you ever walked on a plane and saw the flight attendants standing right here greeting you? Or the flight attendants walking up and down the aisle? Well, I’m about to tell you what we’re really doing,” said TikTok user and flight attendant Kat Kamalani in a now-viral video on the platform. Since being uploaded earlier this week, it has racked up over 2.4 million views. 

“So, when you’re walking on the airplane and you see our happy, smiling face, we’re actually looking you up and down and we are trying to find our A.B.P.s”

A.B.P., Kamalani then explains to her more than 588,000 followers, are Able Body People capable of helping flight crew in case of a medical emergency, unexpected landing or security breach. This often includes military personnel — easily identifiable as they are often invited to board planes ahead of other passengers — as well as pilots, firefighters, cops, doctors and nurses, she listed. 

That’s not all attendants are looking for when they take in who’s on their plane, however. 

“We’re also looking at one more thing,” Kamalani goes on. Besides “looking for things that don’t belong on the plane” — including disallowed liquids — attendants are checking for human trafficking. “It happens a lot in the industry,” Kamalani explained. “Our passenger safety is our No. 1 priority, so we’re just looking for things that look off.” 

Kamalani often uses her TikTok account to share industry secrets and other tidbits about her experience working as a sky steward.