Flight attendants on the vast majority of major commercial airlines are not actually paid their hourly wage until the aircraft doors are officially closed and the parking brake is released.

A closer look

Flight attendants on the vast majority of major commercial airlines are not actually paid their hourly wage until the aircraft doors are officially closed and the parking brake is released. This means the entire time they are smiling, greeting you, helping you shove an oversized roller bag into a tiny overhead bin, and dealing with your seat assignment complaints, they are effectively working as unpaid volunteers. It takes a truly phenomenal amount of emotional suppression to maintain a cheerful demeanor while explaining Federal Aviation Regulations to a grown adult throwing a tantrum over a window shade, all for exactly zero dollars a minute. The next time you feel the urge to complain about the boarding process taking too long, just remember the crew is silently praying for the doors to shut so they can finally start making rent