‘To the flight attendants who held my legs in the air — you are the best’

I HAD a feeling that my flight was going to become a nightmare. Unfortunately, I was right. But what the flight attendants did will stay with me forever.

An open letter to flight attendants

THEY’RE often unappreciated and cop a lot of criticism.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember when they’re pouring your drink that flight attendants are the most important safety feature on the plane — they undergo rigorous training to comply with the industry standards and during a crisis at 35,000ft, you look to the cabin crew.

During their day-to-day work they frequently go above and beyond the call of duty to help people. Here are three times when they really helped me out.

Me with my sleeping toddler, it’s so peaceful now.

FLIGHT ROUTE: SYDNEY TO LONDON

INCIDENT: FAINTING

I was on a Virgin Atlantic flight, bound for Europe via Hong Kong and soon after take-off I began to feel light-headed and not quite right.

I was several months pregnant and I was constantly ravenous — so I waited impatiently for the meal to be served. Unfortunately I needed to go to the bathroom and when I emerged from the toilet I felt weak and unsteady.

The next thing I know I’m lying on the floor of the galley with my legs held up in the air by two female flight attendants.

When I woke, I was incredibly thankful I was wearing trousers.

They asked if I’d been drinking alcohol and I explained that I was pregnant. They place an oxygen mask over my face and then handed me a banana and a packet of chips. When they helped me back to my seat — along with the oxygen bottle — everyone stared. They fussed over me all the way to Hong Kong and when we landed they insisted I sit in a wheelchair to be pushed through the terminal to my connecting flight.

The airport was busy with pre-Christmas flyers, and I was pleased to skip all the queues and be the first to board the next flight.

Flight attendant Louise McNamara in the new Virgin Australia A330 economy cabin. Pic Steve Creedy.

FLIGHT ROUTE: HOBART TO SYDNEY

INCIDENT: TODDLER TANTRUM

I was flying back from Hobart last month with my three-year-old and given that the flight down to Tasmania was unremarkable, I thought I was in for a pleasant ride home.

I was prepared for the flying-with-toddler game — I had cheese and biscuits, grapes, strawberries, water, yoghurt. It’s like I was like a walking Coles store.

And I had my entertainment ready — my phone was charged, I’d downloaded the Virgin in-flight entertainment app and I knew it contained episodes of Peppa Pig.

But then to my horror, 50 minutes into the flight, Peppa Pig ran out. And then the flight attendant started to collect the rubbish, including my daughter’s glass of water, which sent her into a downward emotional spiral.

“WATER, WATER,” she started screaming into my right ear. At the same time my left ear became incredible painful due to my flu and soon my hearing was muffled.

A flight attendant, whose badge read Mel, came over to my seat to check on us. She gave me a bottle of water and sat with me for some time.

Then she took my toddler and gave her a packet of M&Ms — and I didn’t hear a peep out of the little one until we arrived in Sydney.

FLIGHT ROUTE: SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE

INCIDENT: BABY GOES BANANAS

When a flight attendant is not available to assist, there’s often a kind passenger who is ready to extend a helping hand.

A recent story on News.com.au about a kind passenger on a US flight who helped a woman soothe her screaming baby reminded me of the time a stranger assisted me with my bub.

On a Virgin Australia flight with my four-month-old I sat next to a woman called Jenny. When I tried to get my bag into an overhead locker while holding my baby I found it impossible — I was relieved when Jenny offered to hold her while I put my luggage away.

“I know how difficult it is,” she said. “I have four.”

I stared at her in awe: “I take my hat off to you,” I replied.

An hour into the flight my daughter started to cry so I started rolling out my anti-crying tricks — feeding, picture books, pretending something interesting is out the window and walking up and down the aisle.

But when all those activities were exhausted I started becoming worried. I just had to let her wail. My tear ducts began to fill with water when I spied the darting looks of other passengers eager for me to find a solution — fast.

Then Jenny reached over and gave my baby several raspberry kisses and transformed her mood from challenging to cheerful. Unbelievable. Her generous act took my breath away. Jenny turned what could have been a nightmare flight into a new friendship.