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It actually has nothing to do with what kind of luggage you have.
Key Points
- Flight attendants say frequent fliers are identified less by their luggage and more by their calm, confident demeanor and familiarity with the boarding process.
- They tend to board early, organize their belongings quickly, and have essentials like entertainment and snacks easily accessible.
- Frequent fliers also often recognize in-flight menus, pre-order meals, and display loyalty status through tags or travel patterns.
Think you can spot a frequent flier? While a passenger’s sleek carry-on or high-end noise-canceling headphones could be a sign, flight attendants say it's rarely that simple. The real indicators have less to do with what someone is carrying and more to do with how travelers carry themselves.
Trained to notice the little details in their passengers, we asked two flight attendants about what actually gives a frequent flier away, and, perhaps, what to know if you’re looking to blend in on your next flight.
Here's what flight attendants notice about frequent fliers.
Baggage Can Be Misleading
Kristine Eksteine Nizka, an ex-flight attendant and travel planner at Love Your Italy, notes that an outfit and luggage don’t really tell the full story.
"They might have a lot of stuff or just a little backpack, wear a yoga set or a suit—it's not really a sign," she said. What gives it away is the relaxed confidence of someone who has done this hundreds of times. "They'll be confident, smile and say hello, and go to their seat."
Look for the Loyalty or Status Markers
For Honorine Uwase, a cabin crew member, one of the first things she notices is a passenger’s luggage tag.
"If they have a frequent flier program, they usually have a credit card linked to the loyalty program, or even their luggage tag has their mileage number—like if they're a 50K miler or 100K miler, or platinum or silver," she said.
Preboarding access is another tell, Uwase said. Once families and passengers needing assistance have boarded, frequent fliers are typically already at the gate. In her experience, the higher their status, the earlier they're there as higher-tier members may board before the general cabin and are often seated in business or first class. Uwase, who works a lot of business routes, sometimes gets to know her regulars by their schedules. "On Mondays and Wednesdays, I see them because they have a meeting in another city that's not too far away," she said.
They Know the Drill
Once on board, Uwase says what they do next is one of the clearest signals.
"[Frequent fliers] come on, they put their stuff away—boom, they're seated,” she said. “Everything's tucked in, and nothing else has to be said, allowing boarding to be quick and efficient.”
Nizka agreed, sharing that frequent fliers typically just know what to do, and have everything set up quickly. They’ll have entertainment (a book, tablet, or Kindle), headphones, water, or something work-related already within reach.
They Know What They’re Having
The meal service is just as telling. Frequent fliers often preorder their meal ahead of time or already know what's on the menu.
"They ask me, 'Do you have the Asian chicken? Do you have the barbecue chicken?'—depending on their route, they already have a notion of what's offered, or they've had it so many times they know which one they prefer," Uwase explained.
And if they don't have snacks with them, Nizka mentioned, "they'll know to check the in-flight menu and order something when the time comes."
In other words, it's usually the small things that tend to give frequent fliers away. They know the rules, settle in quickly, and keep their boarding process smooth.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
