The Airbus A350’s secret loft where pilots and cabin crew sleep

During a long flight on modern jets like the Airbus A350, passengers can settle down in their business class bed or make the best of their economy seat.

But what about the pilots and cabin crew – where do they head when it's time for some time out?

They're usually sleeping directly above you, in a hidden upstairs 'loft' space equipped with beds – not seats which convert into beds, but actual beds.

On the Airbus A350 there are two such areas, each concealed behind a solid security door fitted with a combination lock.

Pilots duck into a two-berth space handily located at the front of the jet, while crew make their way the very back of the plane.

The crew rest compartment contains six bunks, with one set aside for the most senior crew member – here labelled as the Chief Purser, although the title is equivalent to Cabin Service Manager (CSM) and similar.

Each bunk is separated from the others by curtains.

These cubicles are the crew's off-duty haven.

A set of pockets along the wall provides a place for their reading material, smartphone, amenity kit or such.

There's a surprisingly amount of space, unless you happen to be an exceptionally tall flight attendant.

But take our word: if you have even a hint of claustrophobia, this is not the place to be.

To get an idea of where the A350's upstairs crew rest is located: if you're sitting anywhere from row 40 back to the last row, the crew are sleeping right above you.

The give-away is that there are no overhead luggage bins at rows 40 through to 44 on the Qatar Airbus A350 – it's just a solid moulding.

Also read: The best seats on a Boeing 777 are the upstairs bunk beds and Inside the Boeing 787's funky crew rest 'loft'.