Aug 4, 2026 · 12 min · 10 segments
Susan has to deadhead a sector on a trip. This can be super fun but there are some things you want to be aware of! When you're cabin crew, you may get the chance to be a passenger on your own plane…
So I've got a good one for you this month because, believe it or not, I started writing this blog from above the clouds.
Yes, there I was, three wines down, post-movie, and post-dinner, attempting to coordinate my fingers well enough to type and give you a real-life, real-time insight into what it's like to be a passenger on your own aircraft.
A customer in your own shop, so to speak.
And so, before I get to the part where I accidentally drink my body weight in alcohol and fall asleep with my socks on, I should probably explain how I ended up there in the first place.
I think it's probably the same in most airlines.
Crew get positioned here and there and everywhere, and sometimes it's because an aircraft change means more crew are needed on the flight home, and sometimes it's because the schedule has left an aircraft with too much downtime or not enough to use the same crew for both sectors.
The reasons are probably endless, to be fair.
And me, well, I gave up trying to second-guess the thinking behind it all a long, long time ago.
All I know is that a lovely little New York positioning sector suddenly appeared on my roster, and I found myself saying a silent thank you to the rostering gods for considering me for such a cheeky little number.
So I've got a good one for you this month because, believe it or not, I started writing this blog from above the clouds.
Yes, there I was, three wines down, post-movie, and post-dinner, attempting to coordinate my fingers well enough to type and give you a real-life, real-time insight into what it's like to be a passenger on your own aircraft.
A customer in your own shop, so to speak.
And so, before I get to the part where I accidentally drink my body weight in alcohol and fall asleep with my socks on, I should probably explain how I ended up there in the first place.
I think it's probably the same in most airlines.
Crew get positioned here and there and everywhere, and sometimes it's because an aircraft change means more crew are needed on the flight home, and sometimes it's because the schedule has left an aircraft with too much downtime or not enough to use the same crew for both sectors.
The reasons are probably endless, to be fair.
And me, well, I gave up trying to second-guess the thinking behind it all a long, long time ago.
All I know is that a lovely little New York positioning sector suddenly appeared on my roster, and I found myself saying a silent thank you to the rostering gods for considering me for such a cheeky little number.
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