This was published 1 year ago
Pilot reveals secret hatch on A380 where flight attendants sleep under passengers on TikTok
By Brook Sabin
The video reveals where flight attendants sleep on an A380.Credit: @a380_pilot/TikTok
The next time you're flying and notice a bump under your shoe, it might be a human.
A viral social media video has revealed a secret compartment on planes where flight attendants sleep underneath passengers.
The video, which has been viewed more than 550,000 times, was posted by the pilot of an A380, the world's largest passenger plane.
It starts by looking down a hatch in the floor, with a set of steep stairs heading into darkness.
After heading below, the video reveals a series of bunk beds in a large compartment that extends under passengers.
The beds are stacked two high and is where around half the crew rest for approximately three to four hours on longer flights, before swapping over with the on-duty flight attendants.
The pilot also reveals the crew rest area has an emergency exit, so flight attendants can get out of the aircraft directly from their sleeping quarters if needed.
One viewer asked if the crew wear pyjamas, to which the pilot replied: "We do! They have 'CREW' written on the back. This is so that if there is an emergency it is easy to tell who is crew or not."
Another viewer asked why the airline doesn't make the crew rest available for passengers. The pilot replied: "First and Business class have seats that fully recline into beds. They are a lot more comfortable and a lot less claustrophobic than this."
The pilot also explained there are no toilets or showers below deck, meaning crew must climb back up and use passenger toilets when they need to go.
Another viewer comments: "mortuary", to which the pilot replies: "Haha, hopefully not. We do have a body bag on board though – in case someone passes away during flight."
While many found the video fascinating, one left the comment: "that looks awful." The pilot replied, "Definitely a struggle for tall crew and a little claustrophobic, but when you're jetlagged and exhausted a bed is a bed!"
Other aircraft types have crew rest areas in the tail of the plane, or even above passengers.
The pilot remains unnamed on his account and doesn't reveal which airline he flies for – as some crew have got in trouble for posting on their accounts.
See also: How (and where) crew get their sleep on long flights
See also: No menus, no Michelin stars: The restaurant Qantas pilots flock to
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