See The Secret, Tiny Bedrooms Flight Attendants Use On Long-Haul Aircraft

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They look like they're having a lot of fun — even though they can't stand up. Boeing

When you're on a long-haul flight to Asia, you know how important it is to get some sleep.

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You'll probably be all right if you're in first class. Flying economy? Good luck.

But what if you're a member of the flight crew? Turns out that on Boeing's 777 and 787 airliners there is a secret stairway that leads to a tiny set of windowless bedrooms for flight attendants and pilots. After all, they also need sleep on journeys than can take 18 hours or more.

Passengers aren't allowed up there, and few people know they even exist. Here is what those upstairs bedrooms look like, via YouTube videos from Chris McGinniss at Travelskills.com and Chris Jepson and the Flickr account of Martin Deutsch.

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This is Boeing's official representation of the crew rest area on a Boeing 777.

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Boeing

This diagram shows how the crew bedrooms are located in a tiny slot above the main cabin.

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It looks pretty nice in there, judging by Boeing's official imagery.

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Boeing

Passengers aren't allowed in there. This tiny door is in the main area of the plane.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com
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Behind the door is a secret stairway.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com

On the 787 that stairway leads to this trapdoor-like hatch ...

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com

screenshot via Chris Jepson/YouTube

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Once you're through the 787's hatch, there are a set of crew bedrooms.

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Martin Deutsch / Flickr, CC

Photo via Martin Deutsch/Flickr CC

 

 

Here are the aft bedrooms in the 787.

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Martin Deutsch / Flickr, CC

  Photo via Martin Deutsch/Flickr CC

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Boeing does not want its crew to join the mile-high club: "One per bunk."

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com

On the 777, there is a long corridor housing the crew bunks.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com
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You cannot stand up straight inside the corridor.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com

And there are no windows.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com
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You can see that makes it a little gloomy: There are three crew members back there chatting.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com
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Each bed unit is about 6 feet long and 2 feet wide and has a reading light.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com

Nice pillows, though. They even have to sleep with a seatbelt on in case of turbulence.

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Chris Jepson
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Here is the view going down the stairs again.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com

All of that is contained inside the top level of Boeing 777s and 787s.

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Chris McGinnis / TravelSkills.com
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