The crew who are the funniest person on every crew: the galley comedian, the PA that made the cabin laugh

Virgin Australia Sydney, four years, and I am told I am the galley comedian on most of my crews, which is a title with a warning attached. Every crew has one and the forum has not written them: the funniest person on the crew, what they do for the crew and the cabin, and why the purser watches them with love and concern.

The galley comedian

The crew member who makes the galley laugh at hour nine, who has the story about the passenger in 14C from last month, who does the impression of the captain's PA, who makes the second week crew member's shaking hands stop with a joke about her own first PA. The galley comedian is the crew's morale and the pursers know it and roster them deliberately on the hard sectors.

The PA that made the cabin laugh

The Virgin thing and the Southwest thing and the Ryanair thing in the sales announcement: the PA with the joke, the safety demo with the personality, the landing announcement that gets applause. The airlines with the cheeky brand (Virgin, Southwest, the Australian ones) allow it within limits and the airlines with the formal brand (the Japanese, the Gulf) do not and the comedian at a formal airline keeps it in the galley. The PA that made the cabin laugh is the comedian's stage when the brand allows and the galley is the stage when it does not.

The purser who does the voices

The senior version: the purser who does the briefing with a joke, who does the captain's voice in the galley, who has the forty year old story about the 747 upper deck that the junior crew have heard three times and laugh at anyway. The purser comedian sets the crew's tone and the crew who fly with them bid to.

Why every crew needs one

Because hour nine on a four sector day and hour eleven on a long haul are the hours the crew need lifting and the comedian lifts them. Because the second week crew member's fear is dissolved by the joke faster than by the reassurance. Because the galley at 3am (the thread) is the comedian's room. And because the crew who laugh together handle the medical and the diversion and the stag party better, which the pursers know and the fatigue people suspect.

Why every purser worries about them

Because the comedian's joke in the galley is fine and the comedian's joke on the PA at a formal airline is a disciplinary. Because the impression of the captain is funny until the captain hears it. Because the comedian who does not know when to stop is the one in the complaint. And because the galley comedian is sometimes the crew member whose comedy is covering the going phase, and the purser who notices is the one who asks on the layover. The purser's love and concern are the same thing.

For the comedians

The galley is the stage, the brand decides the PA, the captain's impression stays in the galley, and the purser who asks on the layover is asking for a reason. The crew need you. The purser knows it. Know when to stop.