Flight attendants reveal why they greet every passenger – and it isn’t about being friendly

FLIGHT attendants have revealed why they greet all passengers as they board the plane - and it isn't just about being friendly.

Kat Kamalani, who has gained popularity on TikTok sharing secrets of being part of the flight crew, explained why this was.

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She said in to her 745k followers: "When you’re walking on the plane and see our happy, smiley face we’re actually looking you up and down and trying to find our ABPs (able bodied people),” 

“This is people who are going to help us in an emergency.

"For example: military personnel, fire fighters nurses, doctors, so if we have a medical emergency or we are going to land the plane, or there is a security breach - we know who is on our plane and can help us."

Carrie Bradley, who worked as a flight attendant for 12 years, agreed, telling Sun Online Travel: "When passengers are boarding, you're assessing them and seeing if they are an ABP.

"At the door, whilst greeting passengers and checking their boarding card, I would make a very quick assessment to see if they were well, coherent, could understand me and looked fit and healthy."

She said that she would continue to chat during the flight, to determine if anyone onboard could help in an emergency if they were trained.

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She added that she herself was even an ABP when off-duty: "On one occasion when I was a passenger, we had an engine problem and straight away I let the crew know I could be an able-bodied passenger."

However, Kat's TikTok fans were left gutted that it meant they weren't being flirted with.

One person wrote: "I thought y'all were checking me out."

Another joked: "Them looking at me like... 'okay useless'."

However, while many asked how the crew could tell, one person who was a paramedic said they "tell crew and where they are sitting," which was "always appreciated".

One flight attendant said they "didn't get the memo," adding: "I was just looking for the best looking passengers."

Here are some other secret phrases flight attendants use on a plane - including asking if "Tom Cruise" is onboard.

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