Cabin crew frequently deal with entitled and discourteous passengers, and they have a secret code to identify them, according to an anonymous British flight attendant. In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, the crew member revealed that the word 'precious' is used to flag passengers who are acting rudely.
The code word is shared among the entire crew and may affect the level of service the individual receives. However, the employee noted that different airlines may have their own codes. For instance, another flight attendant told The Sun that if a passenger is labelled a 'Philip', it means they have done something wrong and can expect poor service. The term originated from PILP, which stands for 'Passenger I'd Like to Punch'.
There is also a discreet signal for attractive passengers. The flight attendant with two years of experience said: 'If we find you attractive, we would say "cheerio" when you're leaving instead of goodbye. Obviously, we have to be discreet and cannot outwardly be like "hey, you're hot", but that's a fun way to secretly flirt.'
The crew member explained that countless codes exist for operational efficiency. Staff never refer to passengers by their real names but by seat numbers using the phonetic alphabet. For example, they would say '50 Delta' instead of 'Mary in row 50'. This helps avoid commotion and gossip while assisting passengers.
Passengers are advised to pay attention if they are being called a 'precious Philip' and consider apologising for their behaviour.
