If you’re a nervous flyer, anything out of the ordinary can send your anxiety into overdrive.
Thankfully, in-flight incidents are incredibly rare. Flying remains the safest form of long-distance travel, and while there are occasional problems—some more severe than others—getting on a plane is typically low-stress.
That said, there are always things that can make passengers a little uneasy. For example, one TikToker was thrown for a loop when her flight experienced incredible turbulence. Not helping matters was this bizarre and unsettling announcement made by a flight attendant.
What Happened On This JetBlue Flight?
In a video with over 499,000 views, TikTok user Brenda Madden (@brenda_madden) shows herself seated on an incredibly turbulent JetBlue flight. Madden appears shocked, bracing herself as the plane jerks violently in all directions.
After a few seconds, an announcement from the flight attendants can be heard. The announcement begins fairly typically.
“That double chime means we have started our final descent,” the flight attendant starts.
Then, things get a little less reassuring.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not coming through. We are not getting up. We’re not coming through,” the flight attendant declares.
“Buckle your seatbelts. Bring your seat back upright. Put your tray tables up. Make sure that your carry-ons are put away, and just do what you know you’re supposed to do,” the flight attendant continues. “We’re not coming.”
What Was The Announcement Supposed To Be?
This announcement was not a comfort to nervous flyers like Madden. In the text overlaying the video, she writes, “NO BC IMAGINE HAVING FLYING ANXIETY AND YOUR FLIGHT ATTENDANT SAYS THIS IN MIDST OF TURBULENCE.” The caption reads, “I thought I was going to meet Jesus today.”
Generally speaking, most parts of this announcement are normal and typical of airline descent procedures. Flight attendants are instructed by the FAA to announce that seatbelts are to be buckled, tray tables stowed, carry-ons put away, and that the use of larger electronics like laptops be discontinued.
Flight attendants are usually instructed to walk through the aisles and ensure compliance with these requests. This typically involves instructing those who have not complied to comply; for example, a flight attendant may tell a passenger to put their seat back upright or assist them in placing an item in the overhead bin.
That said, they are not always required to do this—especially in situations where doing so could put them in danger. This is what the flight attendant meant by “we’re not coming through.” They were saying that they did not plan to walk down the aisles, given the amount of turbulence.
While this may be jarring for passengers—and there’s almost certainly a better way to phrase it to them—if a pilot tells flight attendants to sit down and buckle up for their safety, they are advised to follow this direction, even if it means forgoing the usual announcements and landing checks.
Why Does Turbulence Happen?
When some passengers feel turbulence, they immediately enter panic mode. However, turbulence is a totally normal and expected part of the flying process—even if it is admittedly a bit scary.
As noted by LOT, there are a few things that can cause turbulence. For example, a plane can hit an air pocket in which the speed, temperature, or direction of the wind can change suddenly. As a plane hits these air pockets, it can shake or cause sudden jerking movements.
Generally, pilots do their best to try to avoid or minimize turbulence. Sometimes, however, there’s little they can do to prevent it. It’s important to note that, in these situations, it’s best to follow crew member instructions until the turbulence has passed.
Commenters Are Disturbed
In the comments section, many users agreed that, while the flight attendant may have been correct in her decision not to walk through the aisle, there were better ways to handle it.
“What a very unprofessional announcement,” a commenter said.
“Omg that’s so unprofessional,” another echoed. “I’m a flight attendant i have announced this many times. I usually say something like, ‘as you can feel it’s a bit to bumpy for us to check the cabin before landing, therefore we kindly ask you to help us prepare the cabin for land. Please pay attention as this is for your safety’ and so on.”
“Extremely poor choice of words lmao,” a third stated. “Even I would’ve cried.”
The Announcement Makes It Worse
In a comment, Madden said that, at the end of the day, she understood the flight attendant’s actions.
“Guys, SHES RIGHT,” Madden wrote in a comment. “Dont expect her to get up when there’s turbulence but my anxiety went through the rooooof ha.”
She reiterated these feelings in an email to BroBible.
“I spoke to the flight attendant that made this announcement right before this, when I was going to the bathroom to change my baby’s diaper and she was so sweet and funny. I don’t think she meant any harm in the announcement!” she said.
“And I certainly don’t disagree with the flight attendants staying in their seats during turbulence,” she continued. “They need to stay safe as well. But the wording could have been different. I was already panicked by the turbulence, as I always am. The announcement did not help!”
The remainder of the flight, she added, carried on as expected.
@brenda_madden I thought I was going to meet Jesus today #flyinganxiety #jetblue
BroBible reached out to JetBlue via email.