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The cookies are free. We have sandwiches for sale.

English: The cookies are free. We have sandwiches for sale.

French: Les biscuits sont gratuits. Nous avons des sandwichs à vendre.


Of course, what you have to offer to passengers will depend on your airline and what kind of flight you're working. Longer, international flights might serve meals, and shorter continental flights might have food for purchase.


Free (no cost)=gratuit

Sandwich=sandwich (m)

For sale=à vendre


 

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Do you have some snacks?

English: Do you have some snacks?

French: Avez-vous des collations?


During service, you'll have passengers asking if you have snacks to offer or for purchase.


"Collation" (f) is the formal word for "snack".


You can use "collation". "Nous avons des collations" "we have (some) snacks." But in our experience, francophone passengers rarely use "collation." Don't be surprised to hear the anglicism "snack" (m). You may also hear “grignotine” (f) used by French Canadians to mean “snack”, a word that comes from the verb “grignoter” meaning “to snack/to nibble.”


Avez-vous des grignotines? Avez-vous quelque chose à grignoter?

Quelque chose=Something

À grignoter=To munch on


You may be asked for something specific like cookies or pretzels.


Cookie/biscuit=biscuit (m)

Pretzel=bretzel (m)


Instead of "biscuit", also don't be surprised to hear passengers use the anglicism "cookie" "avez-vous des cookies?"


 

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Pardon?

English: Pardon?

French: Pardon?


Here's a really simple, yet really useful word for flight attendants. Airplane engines are loud and it's sometimes hard to hear what passengers are saying. Neighbouring passengers may be sleeping and they may speak quieter so as to not wake their neighbours up. Often when you're asking what someone would like to drink, you're essentially lip-reading their response "coffee" or "water" etc.


Also, especially as a learner of French, it's expected that you won't understand everything a passenger says to you in French, and perhaps getting them to repeat a second time will help your comprehension.


As in English, there are a few ways in French to communicate that you didn't understand or hear, and prompt them to repeat what they just said.


One simple way is to say "Pardon?" (Though written the same in English and in French, note that the pronunciation differs.)


 

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