Question regarding crew shift patterns
Usually in slf (where I belong), but I was looking for a factual answer, rather than pax experience.
On long haul flights, usually large numbers of the cabin crew go off to 'rest' in some form of cabin crew rest/partitioned space. My question is this, on say a JFK to LHR flight or vice versa, do the crew who have rested for most of the flight then have to join other flights as cabin crew, or does their shift end.
What I'm really wondering is, why do the crew need to rest on say a 7 hour flight, for maybe four or five hours, are they really expected to join another flight at the other end?
I am a frequent flyer, and know the pattern is different with different carriers, but I'd be keen if someone can give an overview of why some of the cabin crew 'rest', whilst a skeleton crew remains active for the bulk of a flight.
I do appreciate that on 13 hour flights, it may be different.