
EXCLUSIVE Flight attendant exposes the huge issue airlines refuse to fix because it might 'offend' passengers - but it's making life hell for cabin crew
Marcus Daniels left his role in the aviation industry in 2019 after spending more than five years working as a flight attendant in Australia and the Middle East.
While there were plenty of positives and negatives to the job, Mr Daniels highlighted one major issue with international flights: a lack of education about toilets.
He has dozens of horror stories about the messes passengers would leave behind, mostly due to them having never used a Western-style toilet before.
'As cabin crew, you notice it happens on specific flights to specific destinations. We'll chat and find other crew picked up on the trend too,' Mr Daniels said.
'On those flights, passengers will defecate on the floor and you just do your best to smile and not say anything.
'You get used to it after a while and can start mentally preparing yourself for those flights.'
In particular, Mr Daniels noted the affected routes were mainly those stopping in developing countries.
'It's not really a problem in first-world countries because we know how to use western toilets,' he said.
'Most of the confused passengers don't speak English as their first language so we can't really explain how to use the toilet.
'The issue is education. If they knew how to use the toilets, they would.
'It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing.'
The issue may come as a shock to those who think of flight attending as a glamorous job, but Mr Daniels claimed the clean-ups were a regular occurrence.
'On these routes, we're having to constantly check the toilets to make sure they're clean and the toilet rolls aren't stuffed down the bins,' he said.
'On one flight I had a passenger who kept peeing on the floor. I tried to show her how to use the toilet, and she would nod and agree, then do it again.
'It got to the point where it was unsanitary for me as well so I had to lock off the toilet for the rest of the flight.'
Despite the problem being well-known among international cabin crew, it has been largely ignored by airlines.
'Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don't want to offend anyone,' Mr Daniels said.
'All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures. However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.
'It would be a dream come true. I have friends who are still working these routes and, nine years later, it's still an issue.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
19 hours ago
- The Independent
Major airliners set to resume flights to Israel
German aviation giant Lufthansa Group is poised to gradually reinstate flights to Tel Aviv from 1 August, aiming for a full programme by the end of October. The airline, like others, had halted services due to a renewed flare-up in regional violence. A spokesperson confirmed the decision on Friday, stating: "We are always monitoring the situation, and it now looks like we will be able to fly again from August." By mid-August, Lufthansa, freight carrier Lufthansa Cargo, and Austrian Airlines will operate 44 weekly connections. Brussels Airlines resumes on 13 August, Swiss International Airlines on 29 September, ITA Airways on 1 September, and Eurowings on 26 October. Flights to Tehran will, however, remain suspended. In addition to the announcement from Lufthansa Group, a spokesperson for Brussels Airlines said: 'Following a thorough security assessment, Lufthansa Group airlines will resume flights to Tel Aviv from 1 August. Safety remains our highest priority. 'We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and may adjust our flight schedule if necessary.' Several airlines around the globe, including British Airways and Ryanair, suspended flights to Tel Aviv following a missile strike near Israel's Ben Gurion airport on 4 May. Flights were halted to and from Tel Aviv after a missile fired by Yemen's Houthis landed near Ben Gurion Airport, sending a cloud of smoke into the air and panicking passengers. Many airliners have continued to pause flights to Tel Aviv, yet Wizz Air has announced plans to resume flights on 8 August. Competitor Ryanair has said it will not return to Israel until 25 October at the earliest, and British carrier easyJet will not return to the region until March next year. "Operations are totally safe and secured right now. The situation can change, and it has changed a few times before, but we have a very robust system to monitor this from a safety and security perspective," Varadi said in an interview. He acknowledged that European carriers were cautious about their return and that Wizz Air's presence in Israel would be "larger than all European airlines combined."


Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Telegraph
Foreign Office staff take three domestic flights a day
Foreign Office staff took the equivalent of three domestic flights every day last year, amassing enough air miles to take 20 round trips to Australia. New figures obtained by The Telegraph show civil servants in David Lammy's department took more than 1,000 flights within the UK in 2024-25, despite a bid to shift towards more 'sustainable travel options'. The flights covered a distance of 708,551km, enough to fly to Sydney and back 20 times, and generated 114 tonnes of carbon. The revelations have prompted questions about Labour's green credentials after it emerged that Angela Rayner's department amassed enough international air miles last year to jet around the world 13 times. Climate commitments into question The number of domestic flights taken by the Foreign Office in the year to April 2025 came in at 1,027, down from 1,739 in 2023-24 and 2,112 in 2022-23. However, the distance covered was still more than the 514,785km that Ms Rayner's department racked up on international trips last year. The Green Party said the figures called the Government's climate commitments into question and urged Labour to ban all domestic flights for official trips that can be easily taken by train. 'Setting an example' Sian Berry, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: 'Government departments should be setting an example and using trains whenever possible for domestic travel. 'Taking three domestic flights every day flies in the face of climate science and government ministers' commitments to taking the climate crisis seriously. 'This Labour Government should ban domestic flights for official trips that can be done by train in just a few hours – this has already happened in France. 'They must also urgently implement a 'frequent flyer levy' to disincentivise those who take the vast majority of flights. This is what taking the climate crisis seriously looks like.' 'By default' The Telegraph obtained the number of domestic flights taken by the Foreign Office after the department published the distance travelled and carbon emissions produced in its annual report for 2024-25. It set out the department's commitment to 'reducing the number of UK domestic flights and increasing sustainable travel options as operations embed hybrid working practices'. 'Our duty travel policy requires all staff travelling within the UK and between England and Eurostar destinations to travel by train by default,' it said. 'This policy and increased use of technology to collaborate without the necessity for travel will help the FCDO reduce emissions.' The report confirmed that the Foreign Office has met Labour's target to reduce emissions from domestic flights by 30 per cent compared to 2017-18. Carbon produced However, the 114 tonnes of carbon produced in the year to April were still higher than the 92 tonnes emitted by Ms Rayner's Ministry of Housing. The flight records for the Deputy Prime Minister's department caused a stir when they were published earlier this week, revealing a huge rise in air miles compared to the previous year. In its annual report, the Ministry of Housing revealed that its staff took foreign flights totalling 514,785km in 2024-25, almost five times the 108,060km amassed in 2023-24. The department blamed the rise partly on an increase in 'significant international conferences' attended by staff at Homes England, the housing quango. It is unclear whether the 1,027 domestic flights taken by the Foreign Office last year accounted for separate plane trips or journeys by individuals who may have travelled on the same plane.


Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
How the ABC bungled a $4billion payday - as Aussie show among the biggest in the world makes major move
The ABC has been left red-faced after the UK channel that airs Bluey announced it is set to make even more money off one of Australia's most successful cultural exports. This week, the BBC revealed plans to transform Bluey into a full-fledged lifestyle brand, marking another major commercial leap for the animated juggernaut. Alongside the expansion of its already booming merchandise empire, a Bluey feature film is now in the works, set to be released in 2027 and distributed globally by Disney. In just 2024 alone, Bluey was the driving force behind a bumper $4billion in commercial profits for BBC Studios through global licensing, product deals, and themed experiences. That staggering haul is more than four times the annual budget of the ABC, which is funded by the federal government and Australian taxpayers. The ABC was among the original co-commissioners of Bluey, which first aired in 2018, but failed to secure any significant merchandising deals. Despite being developed and produced in Brisbane by Ludo Studio, most of the benefits of show's commercial success has flowed offshore. Since its debut, Bluey has become a global sensation, celebrated for its heartwarming storytelling, gentle humour, and uniquely Australian character. Bluey-branded merchandise ranges from plush toys and puzzles to camping gear, clothing, and even nappies. In 2024, a large-scale Bluey-themed attraction, Bluey's World, opened in Brisbane, and was recently named one of Time Magazine's 'World's Greatest Places' for 2025. In the same year, Bluey was the number one most viewed show in the United States, recording more than 55billion minutes of viewing time on Disney+. 'From a retail sales standpoint, we are generating about £2.7bn in global retail sales across our entire portfolio and Bluey is a really, really big chunk of that,' Suzy Raia, who heads global consumer products at BBC Studios, told The Guardian. Yet despite its deep Australian roots, the ABC has reaped little financial reward from Bluey's explosive global success. As reported by The Courier-Mail in February, the ABC made no attempt to secure merchandising rights during the show's early development. Then-managing director David Anderson was present at the meeting where Bluey was first pitched to the network. 'We don't make money out of Bluey,' Anderson told the ABC in 2023. 'What Bluey does is provide joy to children and families all over the country and now all over the world. And that would be priceless.' In 2024, ABC Chair Kim Williams addressed the Australian Press Club, warning of declining public funding for the broadcaster and calling for greater government support. Just a few months later in June, the ABC slashed at least 50 jobs in a round of budget cuts, under the new leadership of Managing Director Hugh Marks. Among the casualties was the long-running current affairs program Q&A, once a flagship forum for national political and cultural debate. In an email sent to ABC staff, Marks justified the changes were part of the ABC stepping back from 'areas that no longer align with our priorities'.