Top 5 Unusual Tips

There are so many wonderful tips out there that we flight attendants eagerly share with each other as we're jetting back and forth, and many of them are so widely known, I don't feel I need to share them here. Instead, I thought I would give a short list of some of the more unusual tips I've received (and grown to love) that don't relate to travelling in general, but focus mostly on smoothing our job-related tasks. My favorites, from 5 to the number one:

5. As I'm serving beverages and empty a can, I flip the pop-top up to a vertical position to signal an empty can. That way as I'm cleaning out the cart at the end of service, I know at a glance which cans still have liquid in them, and which cans can be recycled or thrown away.

4. Our airbuses have a couple of round vents in all the galleys, so an easy, free way to freshen the air in the galley is to tear those perfume cards out of fashion magazines, roll them up and insert them in the vent. The air blows across the card and subtly perfumes the air.

3. Sanitary napkins are made to be absorbent! When I spill something in the galley, I just peel the sticky back off of a sanitary napkin, stick it to the bottom of my shoe and skate the spill away. Sounds disgusting, works incredibly well and saves a bunch of c-fold napkins.

2. Something I just discovered on my last trip: a combination of hot sauce and alcohol wipes will take chewing gum right off a seat belt buckle.

And my favorite tip, especially for dead-headers or those on extended airport appreciation time:

1. Blow up a beach ball about half-way, stick it inside a pillow case and voila! Cheap travel pillow! You can rest your head more comfortably on the tray table this way, or wedge it between your head and the plane window. Very malleable, and surprisingly comfortable. When you're done, let the air back out of the beach ball, fold it up and it takes up practically no space in your bag. Love it!

What are your favorite tips that have made this job easier?