Crew bunk
The curtained sleeping berth in a hidden compartment on long-haul aircraft where cabin crew take their in-flight rest.
Definition
A crew bunk is a narrow berth inside a crew rest compartment, most often in the overhead space above the rear cabin or the forward galley, reached by a small stair or ladder behind a locked door. Modern wide-bodies such as the 777, 787, A350 and A380 carry a compartment of cabin crew bunks separate from the flight-crew rest area near the flight deck. Each has a curtain, a reading light, a seatbelt and an oxygen mask.
What it means for you
The bunk is the only private space you will have on a 14-hour duty, so bunk etiquette is enforced: phone silent, no food, blanket folded, and you leave it exactly as you found it for the next shift. Bunks are cold, dry and noisy, which is why crew pack an eye mask, earplugs and a hoodie; the packing guide covers the kit.
In practice
On most 777-300ERs the bunks are in an overhead compartment above the rear cabin, so the crew member you see climbing a ladder by the aft galley is going on rest, not into the hold.
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Related terms
3 terms- Crew restAircraft & cabinScheduled sleep on board during an augmented long-haul flight, taken in a bunk or reserved seat so the duty can legally run longer.
- Long-haulFlight operationsFlights of roughly six hours or more on wide-body aircraft, normally one sector a day followed by a layover.
- Wide-bodyFlight operationsAn aircraft with a fuselage wide enough for two aisles — the 777, 787, A330, A350 and A380 — used for long-haul flying.