Crew air sickness

[nick14]

Hello all,

My Girlfriend is cabin crew and on her first flight she felt airsick quite badly. On the outbound she was looking after the forward galley and felt fine, the inbound however she was down the back and felt awful.:yuk:

She is on the 320 and 321. Anyone else felt like this? Any tips?

Thanks

Nick

[Kerosene Kraut]

She will get more tolerant to motion sickness as she flies more. And she will be more relaxed about the whole flying experience and cabin attendant work. Just keep on going. Try to let her sleep enough and make her eat and drink enough (water) before she's flying.

[znww5]

Although it may sound counter-intuitive, it usually helps to eat something light before flying (non-fatty ham sandwich or something like that). Chances are it may be more to do with nerves rather than actual motion sickness since she sounds new to the job.

There are tablets of course, but some make you feel like a zombie and there are also acupressure bands which are reportedly effective.

If it's any consolation, I managed to make my instructor airsick when I was training - so it can happen to anybody. Good luck - I'm sure things will improve with more air time. :)

[bondim]

I know somone who flew many years without problems on Boeings and A319s, then started flying on A320 and A321 and was constantly airsick....Strange things happen, but the front part of the a/c, forward of the wings tend to be smoother.

Good luck to your girlfriend.

[deltayankee]

Don't be discouraged. I've even known veteran competitive glider pilots who get sick at the start of each season, but gradually it passes for most people.

And yes, the front of the aircraft is the best place to be because the tail tends to wag a little, but you are probably not going to have much choice in the matter.

[Ten West]

Many years ago there was an engineer with the USAAF who went up as a backseater in an aircraft he'd just been working on.

When he landed he was sick as a dog!

Chap by the name of Charles E "Chuck" Yeager. ;)

Didn't seem to hurt his career any.

[hellsbrink]

I know I shouldn't post here, but........


Sounds like on the outbound she was maybe so nervous, etc, she didn't think about being "sick". After that first flight was over, alongside the relief that she got through it with (I hope) no foul ups, then the "sick" rears it's ugly head. That's normal with any new job, I've chucked a few times because of nerves and I don't have to deal with the flying masses.

(Hmmm, "outbound" she was "forward", "inbound" she was at the rear. Could different classes of passenger have had an effect? You know, "inbound" would be more people, possibly more likely to be rowdy/whiny/etc than who she was dealing with on the "outbound", stresses her more, yada yada.... Just thinking out loud, sorry.)

[Bullethead]

It's probably got more to do with the fact that the ar5e end of any airliner suffers a whole lot more movement due turbulence etc and it's a motion that takes getting used to. Go down the back end of an A330 if you want to feel queasy.

Regards,
BH.

[777AV8R]

I hope you don't mind one of us from the 'pointy' end, wading in on this but I can understand her problem. Its true that the further forward one is, the better the ride conditions. I'm not going to wade into the Boeing vs Airbus war here, we do that elsewhere, however; the ride is better at the back, in a Boeing, especially the 777. The aircraft has a yaw stability system and the ride back there is much smoother. I've had occasion to ride in the back of the 'bus and it is very uncomfortable. The tail tends to sway around.

Another factor is cabin temperature. The day that the designers gave you cabin attendants control of cabin temperature! LOL For turbulent air...the cooler the better and use the gasper vents. Believe it or not, the ideal temperature for comfort is 23 C. I've had occasion to see the zones anywhere up to 28 degrees. The 777 is designed around 23 C. If all zones are set to this default and left alone for the entire flight, the aircraft computer system will slowly increase the cabin temperature, to look after inactivity of the passengers and keep things nice and comfy. If you start to manually set the system, the computer is reset and the cycle starts all over again.

And don't feel bad about having the feeling. I've never been airsick, but a month ago I was on crew rest in the bunk. We flew into an area of turbulence that was really bad. I was reading at the time and in the confined space, I had nothing to focus on. The sweat was beginning to form on my brow and the bumps started to subside. I had to get out of there and get my bearings straight. It was a close call!

[paris13e]

I'm sure her symptoms will settle after a short time. I'm not sure if it is relevant, but when I first started flying I was fine onboard, but about an hour after landing I'd feel a sudden loss of balance and feel like I was still 'in motion'. It was worse when sitting down and lasted for a few hours intermittently. It took about week of 4 sector days for it to settle, and I never experienced it again.

[Munnyspinner]

Ginger Beer or anything sweet with ginger in.

Works a treat. I sail and when we get into blue water the swell usually gets to me when I am in the galley. After calling to god on the great white telephone too many times a friend suggested ginger beer - worked a treat.

The ginger is a natural cure and the sugar helps perk you up - as often the sickness is as a result of not eating/ low blood sugar.

Whilst I don't get air sickness, I think this is only because I am at the controls and not walking around lifting, bending and moving my head without reference to visual clues. ( when sailing I usually give the helm to anyone who is looking a bit green and 9/10 times this works).

Given the gas in Ginger beer it may be easier to use candied ginger which gives pleasant warming feeling. Otherwise you may be burping all the time.

For what its worth, I met a merchant navy captain once who spent 3 months at sea and 1 month off. He sold me that everytime he returned to his ship he was sea sick for three day suntil he got his sea legs and when he got home it tool three days to get his land legs!

[Jus33]

As some people have mentioned, the more you fly the less airsick you will feel!
I fly on Boeing 747,767 and the 777 and for me the worst aircraft to fly on for feeling rough is the 777!
When the 777 turns in flight most cabin crew will often feel a weird sensation in their stomach and for me its the one aircraft that after a trip you will feel very dry and more fatigued!
Give me the good ole 767 and 747 any day!
But hey thats my own view :)

[raffele]

Ginger is good for travel sickness - we tend to use ginger biscuits or ginger cake in my family rather than ginger beer... Makes taking it through security a bit easier too!

[onboard]

Another factor is cabin temperature. The day that the designers gave you cabin attendants control of cabin temperature! LOL For turbulent air...the cooler the better and use the gasper vents. Believe it or not, the ideal temperature for comfort is 23 C. I've had occasion to see the zones anywhere up to 28 degrees. The 777 is designed around 23 C. If all zones are set to this default and left alone for the entire flight, the aircraft computer system will slowly increase the cabin temperature, to look after inactivity of the passengers and keep things nice and comfy. If you start to manually set the system, the computer is reset and the cycle starts all over again.

Well sir,

after 19 years in the back, I can tell you that when you see 28 degrees on your display, it is nowhere near 28 degrees in the back.
Airbus or Boeing, Aircraft Manufacturers don't have a clue as to how temperature zoning works.
Set all zones at the same temperature, walk from front to back, and you will experience the whole range from tropical heat to arctic cold. From stale air to wind speeds approaching a tropical storm.
Try it sometime! :)
Also, we don't always have the luxury of keeping temperatures at levels comfortable for the crew. We do have paying pax back there. There is a difference in flying out of air conditionened North America or Africa.

[harry 543]

if a humble passenger may be allowed to comment, the plane temp is usually OK when awake but always too cold at sleeping times, look at all the pax with heavy clothes and blankets in use

its because the cabin staff are awake and allert and busy and the pax arent, people who are awake and working need a higher temp than those sleeping, otherwise we wouldnt bother with blankets in bed sleeping

at sleeping times, temp should be at no less than 75F, preferably so cabin staff feel slightly too warm

[Munnyspinner]

Harry I know what you mean but expect that the tem hasn't actually been changed. When you sleep your body does cool down and you are likley to feel colder anyway.

[A Comfy Chair]

Harry, a lot of the reason for that is it is far easier to put on a blanket or a jumper to warm up, than it is to sleep if it is too hot.

Most pax dont complain too much when it is a little cold, but the complaints come thick and fast when it is too hot, as you can't exactly strip down in an aircraft.

The aircraft usually isn't a constant temperature throughout, it varies a bit. For this reason usually the aircraft is trimmed so that the warmest part of the aircraft is at a comfortable temperature, and then if it is a little cooler where you are, just pop on another blanket.

I (and I think most people) would far rather be a little cool and just pop on a jumper than try to sleep while its stuffy and hot.

As for the airsickness... many people take a while to get used to aircraft motion. Most likely, after a couple of flights she won't notice it unless its turbulent, and after a couple of months, she won't notice it at all.

Nature of the business I'm afraid!
:)

[c_hostie]

I have been flying for 3 years now and when I first started, I used to feel so sick on short haul, or actually be sick (b737s and a319s) but it would always be when I was working at the back - if I ever got to work at the front I would feel fine. If I'm honest I have only started to get over it in the last year or so, so it might take your girlfriend a while. I have always been prone to travel sickness though especially in cars and boats when I was younger. I find that even if I am on an early, if I have something plain to eat like toast or a croissant that helps a lot. Bananas seem to work too when I start to feel sick! :ok:

[Papa Sierra]

The best cure for Air/Sea sickness is to go and sit under the nearest tree!! Seriously though I would advise your girlfriend to speak to the Cabin Director and ask to work in the forward areas predominently and gradually "ease" further back as she gains flying experience.

[pixidoll]

I flew for many years and was always air sick in the beginning. I used to get dramamine air sick pills on prescription from the doctor. One flight I forgot to take it and wasnt sick, so I figured it was psycological and I was cured. I must say especially on earlies eating something like a sandwich does help. When I changed from Boeing 757 to A320 I used to get really sick again especially down the back. Also down the back of the Boeing 737 made me sick sometimes, but I think its each individual as others say the 757 is worst down the back, yet I never found that. If your girlfriend likes her job, she should stick with it and it should pass.

[SMT Member]

Harry,

Your impression is that sleeping temperatures are too cold; mine is the exact opposite. However, whılst you may individually adjust for cold temperatures by adding an extra blanket or wear an extra sweater, the optıon of undressing has certain social lımits onboard an aircraft!

So to all of you who control the temp - keep ıt cool please! The colder the better, nothing worse than the combination of hot and dry air that some airlines subject their passengers to.