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The Queen of the Skies enabled flights so long that airlines and manufacturers had to seriously consider how to keep crew members rested and alert throughout the entire flight. Bleary-eyed cabin crew not only struggle to provide a high standard of service, but can also be a liability in an emergency. As a result, Boeing introduced a large cabin crew rest area and a smaller rest area for pilots.
This was upgraded aboard the modern Boeing 747-8, allowing crew members to take time off in the comfort needed to sleep. In this article, we will detail the rest areas available to 747-8 crew members, before comparing them with those found onboard the rival Airbus A380, which are usually more advanced. We will also examine why dedicated rest areas are needed aboard widebody aircraft, and spare a moment’s thought for the cabin crew members unlucky enough to work aboard widebody aircraft that don’t have rest areas.
Rest Areas On The 747-8
A 747-8 has a pilot rest area that is directly behind the flight deck and directly above the foremost seats available to passengers. The rest area usually has two levels of bunks, allowing two pilots to rest while their colleagues are at the controls. Exact specifications of the rest area will vary, but it may also include rest seats. The aircraft also has a larger rest area designed for cabin crew at the back of the aircraft. It is above the rearmost seats on the main deck and features several bunks.
Cabin crew members climb several steep steps to get up to it. The rest area lets the aircraft carry additional cabin crew members on longer flights. Some can catch some well-earned sleep, while others keep passengers safe and comfortable. Comparing the 
Lufthansa 747-400 with the 747-8, one cabin crew member said in a video by GreatFlyer that “the crew rest [area] is a little bit more comfortable.”
The layout of the cabin crew rest area also varies slightly by carrier. Lufthansa has a small front room section with lockers and other space. This area also has a telephone to keep in contact with the working crew. After the front room is the main rest area, featuring ten beds. The rest area is barely the height of a person, meaning that the bunks are extremely cramped. However, the beds do come with bedclothes and a curtain for privacy. The cabin crew member who spoke with GreatFlyer described it as “super comfortable.”
How Does The 747-8’s Rest Area Compare To The A380?
As with the 747-8, the pilots’ rest area aboard the A380 is directly behind the flight deck. Rather than being above the seats, it is above the main avionics bay and the nose landing gear. It offers a substantial upgrade compared with the 747-8. The bunks are properly separated, each with a door, although they are still stacked one on top of the other. Each of the two beds also has a comfortable chair, should the pilot not wish to sleep. This lets them sit and read or use the entertainment screen if the airline provides one.
Qantas’s rest area has twelve rest areas available for cabin crew. This is the most common rest area for an Airbus A380, located under the main deck. Cabin crew take steep steps down rather than up to get some shut-eye. Aboard Qantas’ A380s, the steps are located between rows 65 and 66. Seat 70D is also missing; it features an escape hatch the resting crew can use if there is an emergency and they cannot use the main entrance.
Crews aboard a long A380 flight may get up to a four-hour rest break. According to Executive Traveller, some airlines, including Emirates, provide an entertainment screen. Alongside the beds, the rest area also includes a toilet with a wash basin. An air conditioning unit is also common, allowing the crew to relax in the optimum environment.
What Makes A Crew Rest Area Essential?
Widebody aircraft like the 747 fly for far too long to expect cabin crew to work without respite, and flight times for 747-8s can far exceed ten hours. You also have to factor in the time spent boarding and deboarding the aircraft before and after the flight, and the time spent traveling to accommodation afterward. Widebody cabin crew expect 90 minutes to three hours of rest on average.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also acknowledges that a proper rest area is essential for cabin crew members’ well-being and to ensure they can do their jobs properly. It mandates certain requirements for the rest space, as detailed in the table below.
Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
Bunk dimensions | 78 inches (198 cm) by 30 inches (76 cm) |
Space around the bunks | 35 cubic feet (1 cubic meter) |
Communal area | Used for changing, entering, and exiting. It should be at least 65 cubic feet (1.8 cubic meters) |
Location | Noise, odors, and vibration won’t disrupt sleep. |
The FAA also defines three types of rest areas. Airlines need to ensure their cabin crew has access to the right type of rest area for what is demanded of them. A class one rest area is a dedicated sleeping area with bunks or flat sleeping surfaces accessed by a hidden door. This is the type used by quadjets like the 747 and A380.
A class two rest area is a lie-flat seat with a curtain separating the crew member from passengers. The most spartan rest area is class three, which is simply a curtained-off reclining seat with a foot support. Most airlines also have rest policies they expect cabin crew and supervisors to follow. For example, Cathay Pacific mandates that its crew members need at least three hours off duty if the flight duty period is longer than 14 hours.
Who Sleeps When?
Cabin crew aboard a 747-8 don’t simply head for the rest area when they are ready to sleep. Instead, most airlines have a clearly defined system that dictates who sleeps when. This ensures there are always enough crew members on duty in an emergency. Usually, the Senior Cabin Crew Member (or Purser) leads the cabin crew and divides them into two shifts. The first shift gets some rest after the meal service is completed. Once their mandated rest time has elapsed, the second shift rests.
Crew members tend to prefer the second shift, as it is much easier to sleep if you’ve been hard at work for a long time. Rest areas ultimately help crew stay refreshed for later portions of the journey, allowing them to stay alert and perform their duties well. There are also quirks about who gets which bunks.
The most senior cabin crew members will sleep closest to the door and intercom, with the Senior Cabin Crew Member taking the bunk closest to the door. They can quickly get to the intercom if an emergency occurs and the duty cabin crew needs to contact them.
Flight attendant and Simple Flying journalist Patricia Green shared the following about rest times on routes utilizing the 747.
“I worked on a Boeing 747-400 for British Airways. The crew rest area was in the tail area and was the classic one-up-one-down bunks with a curtain, not as luxurious as above but good enough for a nap. With regard to rest time, for an London-Dubai flight we would have around 45 minutes rest to an hour. Flying to Singapore, we would have 3 to 3.5 hours’ rest. Crew rest in split into two shifts, so half the crew are assigned the first shift and then everyone swaps over. The Senior Cabin Crew Member assigns the crew to a shift after the main service in the cabin.”
Not All Aircraft Have Dedicated Rest Areas
The 747-8 has a substantial rest area, but this isn’t always the norm. Unsurprisingly, most narrowbody aircraft don’t have dedicated rest areas. The routes they fly simply aren’t long enough to justify them. Furthermore, margins are tighter, so airlines don’t want to use up space that could be sold to paying customers. Instead, cabin crew can use jump seats, so they can remain safely seated during takeoff, landing, and turbulence.
Furthermore, some widebody aircraft also lack rest areas. For example, the 767 is not configured with a separate rest area. As such, its operators, such as 
United Airlines, have to get creative for long-haul flying. The carrier equips four seats in the rear of its Boeing 767 economy class cabin with extra legroom, leg rests, oversized tray tables, privacy curtains, and upgraded armrests. These seats can serve as improvised rest areas and are likely considered class three by the FAA.
