Flight Attendant Vocabulary 101: Talk Like An Aviation Pro

What language are flight attendants speaking? No more guessing—you’ll learn the secret flight attendant terminology with us!

In this episode, we’re decoding crew jargon, cryptic galley phrases, and the coded chaos of the aviation industry. We’ll break down important flight attendant terms, popular aviation acronyms, and trendy lingo only we aviation pros can understand.

This might sound like a lot, but trust us, it’s not! Learn something new while having a laugh with the Galley gang. If we taught you well, let us know in the comments!


Episode Highlights:
[0:00] Welcome to Episode #40!
[1:35] Drew & maintenance issues
[3:05] Rich & early summer rants
[3:57] Let's talk about air vents, Airbus!
[6:50] The aviation alphabet
[8:05] The tricky test
[9:25] Fun aviation terminology
[9:52] Define “flight attendant”
[11:15] Gate agents are underrated
13:28 Deadhead: not the band 
[14:30] She commutes from Rome to Philly?
[15:48] Crash pads
[18:48] Non-revving is a flight benefit
[19:31] This is why we use StaffTraveler
[21:59] Pairing & sequence
[22:43] Layovers can mean something different
[24:41] There are so many turns
[25:25] What is a redeye?
[27:37] Hub vs, base
[28:29] 2 types of flight attendants
[30:42] The time when the aircraft door is closed
[32:40] Duty days can be significantly longer 
[33:27] Rest is required
[35:13] The galley is our office
[36:00] Jumpseats are reserved for flight attendants
[36:11] Mandatory door check
[37:57] They fight over bulkhead seats
[38:48] Different aircraft sections
[40:05] Cabin secure
[40:51] Last-minute aircraft swaps
[41:33] Taxi vs. runway
[42:54] The ramp & the tarmac
[43:11] Turbulence is normal
[44:25] Pushback & ground stop
[44:55] Air traffic manages delays
[45:11] Tarmac delay
[45:59] Unexpected stops 
[48:40] Airplanes don’t fly by magic
[50:31] Defrosting the aircraft
[51:22] Your least favorite announcement
[52:43] The acronym land of aviation
[54:44] 10 trendy passenger & airport terms
[1:00:35] You’re now part of our crew!
[1:01:32] Galley Gossip

Text us or leave us a voicemail!

Join us for an unforgettable Christmas Markets adventure through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in December 2026! Experience festive markets, charming medieval cities, holiday treats, and the magic of three countries in one incredible trip...

View the Itinerary + Book Your Spot

✈

Join our official community for exclusive merch, early access, behind-the-scenes footage, and more! As independent podcasters, we rely on audience support to keep our show going. We couldn't do it without you!

Join the Galley Gang on Patreon

✈

Have a funny, wild, or heartwarming travel story from a flight that you’re dying to share with us? Submit your story at the link below and we could feature your story on an upcoming episode of the show!

Submit Your 'Galley Gossip' Story

✈

This episode was brought to you by StaffTraveler, the #1 non-rev app! If you travel on standby and are looking to make your journey easy and stress-free, check out StaffTraveler for free in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Download StaffTraveler