(CNN) – There are some secret areas on widebody planes where pilots and cabin crew go to rest during long flights. Passengers cannot reach them under any circumstances and they are well hidden.
They are called the crew rest compartment and their location on the aircraft varies.
On newer aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 or Airbus A350, they are located in the upper fuselage, above the main cabin. But on older planes, they can also be in the cargo hold or in the main cabin.
They come in pairs: one for pilots, which usually sits atop the cockpit and often includes two bunks and a recliner seat, and the other for cabin crew, which usually has six bunks or more. and are located above the aft galley. The rear of the aircraft where food and drinks are prepared and stored.
like a capsule hotel
Airlines have a say in the configuration of crew rest areas when they purchase aircraft, but key parameters are set by regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration. It mandates, for example, that the crew’s comfort zones “should be in a location where intrusive noise, odors and vibrations have minimal impact on sleep” and that they should be temperature-controlled and allow the crew to adjust lighting. should be allowed.
Bunks (“or other surfaces that allow a flat sleeping position”) should be 78 by 30 inches (198 by 76 centimeters) — tall people beware — and at least 35 cubic feet, or one cubic meter. There should be space around them. There should also be a communal area for change, entry and exit that provides at least 65 cubic feet of space.
Crew rest area on a Boeing 777 passenger jet.
Boeing
The end result is somewhat similar to that of a Japanese capsule hotel: a windowless, cramped, but comfortable sleeping space, complete with power outlets and a light, as well as all the necessary safety equipment such as oxygen masks, seat belt lights and an intercom, among others.
“They can be quite comfortable,” says Susannah Carr, a flight attendant for United Airlines who works on Boeing aircraft, including the 787, 777 and 767.
“They have a padded mattress, an air vent to circulate the air and control the temperature so you can keep it cool or warm, and we are provided with linen, usually in business class on our international flights. Similar to what people are used to. I like them — but I’m also only 5 foot 8 inches, so if you put a 6 foot 4 inch person in there, they can get a little cramped,” she says.
But are they even better than a business or first class seat?
“In some ways yes, in some ways no,” Carr says. “Bunks can be wider than first class and for me personally, depending on the plane, I get more legroom. But it’s a bunk, so you don’t necessarily have full head space to be in the cabin and obviously That’s you don’t. Your privacy isn’t either. And if you’re claustrophobic, you can definitely feel like there’s — it’s an airplane, so you only have so much space to put things. They definitely use up every inch in there.”
folded
The rest of the space for pilots is closer to the cockpit.
Boeing
The crew rest areas are designed to not draw too much attention from passengers, regardless of where they are located: “A passenger who will be walking by will probably think it’s a closet,” Carr says. .
“I won’t go too far into how we access it — it’s safe, I’ll say it. Sometimes we have people who think it’s a bathroom door and they try to open it, But we show them the real way to the toilet instead.”
Behind the door there is usually a small landing and a stairway leading up, at least on the latest aircraft.
“The bunks are open either on the side or at one end, so you can crawl in — I sometimes jokingly call them ‘catacombs,'” Carr says.
On slightly older aircraft, such as the Airbus A330, the crew rest compartment may also be in the cargo hold, so a ladder will be taken down instead. But even on older planes like the Boeing 767, the rest areas are located in the main cabin, and are simply reclining seats with curtains around them.
“They are very heavy curtains, they block light and a good amount of sound, but if you have an energetic crowd or an upset child on the plane. We have opened the curtains to the passengers, looking for something or thinking they are Will be going to the galley, so it’s not necessarily the best rest.”
Unsurprisingly, most flight attendants prefer overhead bunks to curtain seats, but the upgrade is also beneficial for airlines who don’t have to give up precious cabin space that can be used for passenger seats.
seniority order
Split image of Finnair A350 cabin crew rest area. To the right is the entrance, which can be accessed from the galley ahead.
Alexei Kausmann / Finnair
On long-haul flights, cabin crew members typically spend at least 10% of the planned flight time in rest areas.
“On average, I would say that means about 1.5 hours per long-haul flight,” says Karolina Eman, a flight attendant with Finnair who works on Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft. However, this can vary depending on the airline and flight time – rest time can extend up to a few hours.
“Since we don’t have any private areas on the plane for lunch or coffee breaks, this rest period is extremely important and helpful for us,” she says.
“It is the moment during the flight when we do not answer the calls of passengers or do any other work, but rest, and also give our legs and mind a break. The purpose of this rest is an alert and prepared The mindset has to be maintained. Full flight so that if something unforeseen happens we are ready to act.”
However, not everyone sleeps in a bunk once in a while.
“Usually on an outbound flight from Helsinki I use my rest to listen to some audiobook or read a book as I am coming from home and well rested. But on an inbound flight from destination to Helsinki , you may have sleepless nights behind you – for example I have trouble sleeping in Asia – and then during rest, you usually fall asleep. Waking up from that sleep can sometimes be a harsh experience if Your brain has switched to nighttime sleep mode,” Iman says.
To reach the comfort zone on this A330 SAS aircraft, cabin crew go down a short flight of stairs.
Philippe Masquet/Master Films/Airbus
“Jet lag can be a tricky beast,” says Carr, “sometimes I can relax and I can fall asleep, other times my body isn’t ready for a nap.” But because we’re on a break, we’re allowed to use our phone so that we can watch a movie on it, or read a book.”
Rest areas are sealed off during taxi, takeoff and landing, and they are used by the cabin manager – or chief purser, aviation lingo – depending on the shift overseen by the cabin crew member, who is in charge of all others. and supervise the operations of the Board.
This person typically uses a special bunk that is near the entrance to the rest areas and has access to an intercom to communicate with the pilots and the rest of the crew.
“Everything in our industry is seniority-based, from schedules you fly to routes you can catch, to your days,” explains Carr. “The longer you’ve been there, the better the benefits, and one of those benefits is choosing your crew break time – we go in order of seniority, so the person who is the senior most in the flight has the right to choose which one.” Do they like the first break or the second break, and then you go down the list until everyone has a break.”
piloting allowances
The pilots’ comfort zone, which is separate from the area dedicated to cabin crew, is closer to the cockpit. Depending on the duration of the flight, there may be a maximum of four pilots on board, but two will always be in the cockpit; Therefore, the pilots’ rest area consists of only two bunks (or just one on older aircraft) but also sometimes includes a seat equipped with in-flight entertainment, which is not available to the cabin crew. Other than that, the bins are pretty much the same.
“I usually sleep very well there,” says Alexei Kuosmanen, deputy fleet chief pilot at Finnair.
Kuosmanen flies on the A330 and A350 planes, and says he prefers the latter’s comfort zone, which is located above the front galley, rather than the main cabin. “It has really nice curtains, you can adjust the temperature really well, there’s great ventilation, and it’s more soundproof. You don’t hear anything about what’s going on in the galleys, it Really cool and comfortable.”
The rest room for the crew members in this Boeing 787 Dreamliner is located at the rear of the aircraft.
Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images
The next time you’re on a long-haul flight, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for an inconspicuous door at the front or back of the plane – if you notice a pilot or flight attendant has gone missing. You’ve probably seen a comfort zone.
But keep in mind that crew members won’t be happy to show you their surroundings, as the rest of the areas prohibit passenger access: “It’s a bit like Disney – we keep the magic behind closed doors,” says Carr.
“You don’t necessarily want to know your flight attendant is getting a little off, but at the same time you’ll be overjoyed when we see our little cat as fresh as a daisy pop up after a nap.”
Top image: A rest room for pilots located behind the cockpit of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images