Modern twin-aisle, widebody airliners routinely fly for 14 or more hours nonstop. They have hidden spaces – crew rest areas – where pilots and flight attendants enjoy required rest periods away from the hub bub and work demands of the cabin. These areas are similar to a capsule hotel. They have beds, individual temperature and lighting controls, and more privacy than any other area on the plane. I’ve heard about them but never seen one in person. A few hot-shot travel writers have had the privilege. I’m sharing some of their photos
Airlines staff each flight with enough pilots and flight attendants to allow some crew members to rest while others remain on duty to serve passengers and meet safety requirements.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sets parameters for crew rest periods and rest areas on U.S. airlines. Rest areas must be in a location where intrusive noise, odors, and vibration have minimum effect on sleep. Sleeping areas must be temperature controlled, and crew members must be able to adjust the lighting. Beds have power outlets and seat belts and each area has an intercom for communication with other crew members.

Beds have to measure at least 78 by 30 inches (198 by 76 cm) and have at least 35 cubic feet (1 cubic meter) of space around them. There must be a communal space for entering, exiting and changing of 65 cubic feet (1.8 cubic meters) or greater.
When purchasing new aircraft, airlines are able to choose the configuration of crew rest areas. Many of the manufacturers that make airline seats also provide options for outfitting crew rest areas.
There are separate crew rest areas for pilots and cabin crew, and they are in different locations. The rest area for flight attendants is usually located at the back of the cabin near a galley. Access is through an entrance is that is hidden in plain sight.


On some aircraft types the rest area is below the cabin.
Rest area configurations vary widely but all of them meet the required standards. Privacy curtains are made of thick fabric to deaden sound. Crew rest areas are provided with the same pillows and blankets that are available in business class.
Flight attendants can use the time to sleep, read or use their phones for watching movies. Most airlines do not provide access to the onboard inflight entertainment (IFE) system in cabin crew rest areas.

The pilot rest area is located near (usually above and behind) the flight deck. Pilot rest areas are even nicer because they come with reclining seats as well as beds. Plus pilots have access to IFE.


Access to the pilots crew rest area on a 747 was located at the front of the upper deck business class cabin. The times when I was lucky enough to have a seat up there, it was easy to spot the pilots entering their rest area.

Delta retired its 747s in 2017. I still rate the upper deck on those birds as the world’s best business class cabin. The pilots let me sit up front for a bit before takeoff. I should have asked to see the rest area, too.
Some aircraft have the crew rest areas in the cabin. I’ve seen such an arrangement on a 767.

Airlines are starting to use smaller narrowbody aircraft like A321XLR on transatlantic routes. Those planes aren’t big enough for the kind of rest areas found on widebody planes. Airlines will have to use seats like on the Condor 767 in the photo above for crew rest.
The absence of overhead luggage bins may be a tip off to the location of crew rest areas. People closing the bins might disturb anyone above who is resting. That’s purely an assumption on my part to explain the missing overhead bin storage at the front of the business class cabin on this Kenya Airways 787.
Final Thoughts
Next time you are on a transatlantic or transpacific flight and some of your crew disappear for a few hours, you’ll have an idea where they are. Did you know about crew rest areas or what they looked like? I think these areas are pretty nice.
In spite of the fact that I’ve been on dozens and dozens of such flights, I’ve never seen a cabin crew member enter or exit the crew rest area at the rear of the plane. Have you?
I just know. Its very interesting
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Very interesting!
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I’d love to see one in person.
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Fascinating! I’ll definitely have my eyes peeled next time I’m on one of the big airliners!
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Ask a crewmember if they like their rest area. I’ll do the same on my next flight.
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I’ll definitely ask!
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I’ve always wondered what it looked like. My cousin who is a pilot told me where the entrance was but I couldn’t visualize it. Thanks for sharing!
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I wish I had a relative who was a pilot. I bet your cousin has a lot of interesting stories to tell. I hope he enjoys his flying adventures. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
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Wow, I had no idea. The area looks really nice š
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Some flights are as long as 19 hours. It is good pilots and attendants have places where they can relax and recharge. š
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Interesting post, John. I had no idea.
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These places are fairly well-kept secrets. Cabin crew take enough abuse from passengers. I suppose it might add to someone’s hostility if they know the crew have places to relax that are so much nicer than the cramped accommodations in economy.
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no i have never seen them disappear, you are right John! But fair’s fair they deserve a chance to get away for a while!
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Attendants and pilots need breaks for sure. Peaceful time off helps them perform better when they are on duty. I wish I had a bed that wide and a real mattress.
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I have seen a TikTok video about this, but never seen anyone go in person. I’ll keep my eye out next international flight.
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When in coach on a long flight I’ll get up several times to stretch my legs, go to the bathroom or look for snacks in the galley. The attendants are pretty secretive about their rest areas. I don’t remember ever seeing an attendant go in or come out. It is
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I’ve heard about these areas of airliners from YouTubers but have never seen pictures of them until now. The quarters look like great job benefits.
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If I was a flight attendant, I’d much rather hang out in the rest area than take care of customers.
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I’m sure they really appreciate their breaks.
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Flights last as long as 19 hours. Crews need time off. I know I would.
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Beats paying for it ššš
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I’d pay to get a few hours sleep in some of these areas. The beds are wide and have real mattresses. Even in international first class, you just get a seat with a mattress pad even in international first class. Maybe airlines will figure out a way to make money off these rest areas somehow.
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Wow John, these rest spaces look inviting and look at you front and center. The bed sizes are decent too! ā£ļø
Great picture!
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Because these rest areas have real mattresses rather than a mattress pad, they are probably better for sleeping than the seats that convert to beds in first class. Too bad they can’t rent them out for a few hours.š
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That’s truly an upgrade, I’ll say. Nice! š
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I’ve read about this before, but never seen crew “disappear” in such an area … maybe because I was sleeping myself! Thanks for sharing John.
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I guess crew members know the best time to slip away without being noticed. There are often lavatories near the entrances to the rest areas, so it is surprising that crew aren’t observed when they disappear and these rest areas largely remain a secret.
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I have never seen such rest options and enjoyed learning about them
I can see how crucial these are for workers wellness on those log flights
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And you know – as I read some of the descriptions – I think ALL sleeping areas should have barriers for
“intrusive noise, odors, and vibration have minimum effect on sleep”
And maybe people would be healthier
š“
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These places are a well-kept secret. I’m glad the crew are well taken care of. Too bad it isn’t possible to give everyone onboard the same opportunity for healthy and happy travel.
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Well travelers can recover when they arrive whereas the crew needs this to do their job safely, right?
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My point was that the way you declined the sleeping chambers reminded me that more people need to improve their bedrooms at home – and make it better for sleeping
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That is a good point about improving our sleep at home. I think having a great mattress is a good place to start.
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I agree !
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Nice information.
Thanks for sharing.
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Happy to share the info.
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Whoa! I just found out this now. Thanks for sharing. š
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These bedrooms sure beat the jump seats crews are stuck with on narrowbody airliners.
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I had no idea about this. Thanks for posting.
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Crews do a good job of keeping these places secret.
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Thanks for sharing John. Good to know that the crew gets some rest on long haul flights. Allan
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Crew have better mattresses than in first class. I wouldn’t mind sleeping in one of those berths. Thanks, Allan, for reading the post.
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