The Holidays Feel Different At 35000 ft.

For many people, the holidays are a time to slow down.
In aviation, it often looks very different.

For flight crew, the holiday season is usually one of the busiest times of the year. Flights are full. Rosters are tight. Days start early, end late. Sometimes both.
Even when everything goes “well,” fatigue has a way of building quietly in the background. It doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it shows up as being a little more tired than usual. A little less patient. A bit mentally stretched. You’re still functioning, still smiling, still doing the job, but it takes more effort than people realise.
Full cabins, high expectations, time pressure, and more emotionally charged passengers. You manage safety, service, and teamwork while holding space for people who are stressed, rushed, worried, or disappointed. That emotional effort takes energy, especially when your own tank is not full.

When you get to wish your flatmate a Happy New Year in person! Crew change in Rio De Janeiro on 1st of January 2015, an hour after the countdown.

There is also the quieter part of the holidays, the part no roster shows.
Missing celebrations back home. Watching time zones blur. Being fully present for others while quietly putting your own emotions on pause. Counting down the New Year in a galley. Sharing a “festive” meal with crew you met for the first time just days or hours earlier. Eating room service in an airport hotel. FaceTiming loved ones from another part of the world, trying to feel close through a screen. Or you go into autopilot, numbing yourself, pretending the holidays aren’t really happening, and just sleep your way through them.

I’ve done it all.
And I know many of you have too.

There’s a strange mix of connection and loneliness that comes with that. Moments of warmth and laughter alongside moments where you feel the absence of home more sharply than usual. Both can exist at the same time.
When the holiday season adds pressure, emotionally and mentally, it is felt. Even if it’s not spoken about. Even if everyone keeps going. Simply noticing that - matters. Because awareness creates space: for understanding, for support, for kindness within the team.

And whether you are operating as crew or travelling as a passenger this holiday season - be kind to one another. A moment of patience, a calm word, or a simple thank you can mean more than you realise. Everyone you meet is carrying something, even if you cannot see it.

To my aviation family, wherever you are in the world, on the ground or in the air, I wish you a thoughtful and kind holiday season. One with moments of rest where possible, connection where it counts…and a little more love for yourself along the way.

Safe flying!