Cabin Announcements after take off

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 36 total)

  • Globalti
    Participant

    BA are one of the worst for excessive cabin announcements. They and some other British airlines, most notably Virgin, seem to encourage their staff to make announcements in a ridiculous sing-song voice and with unnecessary verbosity as in, for example: “The toilets are out of use at this time” or “We will be arriving into Manchester”. Male crew who speak in an effeminate manner don’t help.

    Refreshingly I flew Southampton to Manchester recently with Flybe and all the announcements were in straight voices with no silly intonation.


    DavidSmith2
    Participant

    The BA purser on my flight yesterday had to deal with a very high number of parents with young children (no English native speakers). She explained how important the safety briefing was, that everyone should listen, and that she would be coming round to ask test questions about it afterwards. It seemed to have the desired effect!


    NTarrant
    Participant

    Agree with most comments and also Globalti has a point about the way some messages are put across in a way to try and emphasis, like the toilets.

    I’ve been on a number of Qatar flights where it seemed like all the cabin crew were from different countries and spoke different languages. On my recent flight Doha to Manila towards the end Arabic was dumped in favour of Tagalog!

    For over egging on announcements try Northern Electrics trains.


    Cheeryguy
    Participant

    I must query wether or not the abuse report made about globalti’s post was taken seriously. “Straight voices”? If he’d said black, Jewish, Asian voices…….you get my drift?
    Yet the post is still there.
    Would the mods care to respond?


    NTarrant
    Participant

    Here is a thought, when BOB appears on BA next month will we be bombarded with the likes of “we have fresh M&S sandwiches at only £xxx teas, coffee” etc, etc as well as the usual announcements!


    Panda01
    Participant

    [quote quote=782072]Here is a thought, when BOB appears on BA next month will we be bombarded with the likes of “we have fresh M&S sandwiches at only £xxx teas, coffee” etc, etc as well as the usual announcements!

    [/quote]

    This will not be good for those who want to sleep, especially if the flight is short!


    SenatorGold
    Participant

    [quote quote=781620]I must query wether or not the abuse report made about globalti’s post was taken seriously. “Straight voices”? If he’d said black, Jewish, Asian voices…….you get my drift?
    Yet the post is still there.
    Would the mods care to respond?

    [/quote]

    I also raised my eyebrows about globalti’s remark about male crew speaking in an effeminate manner. It does seem a rather harsh line to adopt, but perhaps s/he is simply doesn’t appreciate high camp. Others might take a different view. Writing in his latest volume “Keep on keeping on” Alan Bennett remarks that in the absence of camp there isn’t much pleasure in flying BA.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    [quote quote=782108]

    I must query wether or not the abuse report made about globalti’s post was taken seriously. “Straight voices”? If he’d said black, Jewish, Asian voices…….you get my drift?
    Yet the post is still there.
    Would the mods care to respond?

    I also raised my eyebrows about globalti’s remark about male crew speaking in an effeminate manner. It does seem a rather harsh line to adopt, but perhaps s/he is simply doesn’t appreciate high camp. Others might take a different view. Writing in his latest volume “Keep on keeping on” Alan Bennett remarks that in the absence of camp there isn’t much pleasure in flying BA.

    [/quote]

    I can’t say I appreciate high camp, either.

    As a great believer in ‘live and let live’, I could not care less what people do in their private lives (so long as it does not harm others), but no more want high camp behaviour forced down my throat, when captive in an aircraft, than I’d like female crew shrieking and giggling or male crew being macho – it isn’t professional.

    I also note that Globati was very careful not to judge the crew he was talking about, he just commented on their behaviour – how anyone can relate this to racism is beyond me.

    Personally, when I get on an aircraft, I just want nice professional service – if I want to be entertained, I can go to the theatre – it’s called pantomime for a reason and I don’t want it on a flight..

    BTW, I took two long haul flights with BA this week, in the WT+ cabin of the 789 and the service was in line with the above, both ways. Nothing exceptional, just 100% professional, pleasant and efficient – 10/10.

    This WT+ product in the 787 is a winner.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    So as soon as we took off (BKK-HKG) the cabin announcements started in 3 languages (English, Chinese and Thai). There was nothing that was said that couldn’t have been said prior to take off.

    Then the meal service…. I know the crew are being very attentive, but every few minutes…..
    It would be far easier on a 2 hour flight to have left the menu cards on the seat… asked before take off for drinks/food orders and that way I could have managed to watch the end of the film….

    Please don’t get me wrong, I am not being a “Victor Meldrew”….. I just sometimes want to relax, have a meal and some peace and quiet….

    Having a very delicious meal in the Wing… how a first class lounge should be…


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    I agree with those who say that most cabin announcements could, and should, be made before take-off. I would also like the safety announcement to be very mandatory indeed, and repeated until everyone has actually paid attention. I don’t want my life endangered by some self-important t**t who can’t be bothered to watch it and as a result blocks my exit from a flaming [sic] airframe. I don’t care how long it takes, or if the flight is delayed – perhaps if this became the norm everyone would actually pay attention. And despite being a frequent flyer I genuinely watch it not just because it is “the right thing to do” but because I fly so often that I DO get confused about the different rules on different airframes/airlines, and I can’t always remember whether Airline X on airframe type Y has life vests that you need to tie in a bow to your side, or clips at the front, or whatever, and when it comes to the crunch I don’t want to find out by fumbling about in the dark and hoping for the best.

    As many of my flights are longhaul, I must mention my particular hatred of turbulence announcements. Can we PLEASE have one announcement at the start saying that if the seatbelt sign is switched on, pax must return to their seats, refrain from using the toilets, buckle up and accept that they won’t get “hot beverages”. I do NOT need to hear this a dozen times on one flight while I am trying to sleep. I particularly don’t need to hear it in multiple languages, especially if they are separated so we get extra “bong”s and my IFE stops, starts, stops, starts, stops, starts….

    I also don’t give a toss about my “last opportunity to buy duty-free”. Crew always pass through the cabin waving a brochure anyway. Either I’m asleep and don’t appreciate the announcement, or I would see them walking past. In any case, I have always wondered – rather than carrying around a huge amount of what will inevitably be unsold inventory on every single flight, not to mention the huge glossy brochures, why not send every passenger (or give them at check-in if you don’t have email addresses) a message listing the prices and offering “buy now, collect on board/arrival” services? It would be so much more convenient than buying in the airport and lugging bags around.

    However, as always, I suffer from being a tiny bit intelligent and sensible, not qualities that feature highly on the priority list for those who make these decisions!


    Cloud-9
    Participant

    I still expect to hear ‘your nearest exit may be behind you’.

    I always look


    canucklad
    Participant

    I must be in the minority on this topic about the way announcements are made.
    I personally wish that I had less robotic and more engaging cabin communication , on the other hand if this (below links) became the norm, I’d start to rapidly tire of the would be comedians

    But every now and again is refreshing and welcome ………

    And it makes a flight memorable, I won’t forget the KLM captain, who came out the cockpit, stood at the front of the 737 and almost did the weather and flight report ala karaoke style.
    Brought a smile to everybody’s face


    CathayLoyalist2
    Participant

    I suspect ‘legal’ plays a large part in this. If there was only one announcement and an incident occurred where someone was injured you can hear the cries of foul play i.e. “I didn’t hear the one and only announcement”. Given I know my way around the aircraft I fly on I make a point of booking a seat within easy reach of a door. As annoying as they are repeated often the airlines are accommodating the lowest common denominator meaning with little or no common sense. As an example of that those who get up and walk around when the seat belt signs are on or the real idiots who are up out of their seats as soon as the plane has left the runway to taxi to the stand. That should attract a USD100 fine on the spot!!


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    CathayLoyalist that’s why I said “I would also like the safety announcement to be very mandatory indeed, and repeated until everyone has actually paid attention.” No excuses then!


    canucklad
    Participant

    Hi Ian & CathayLoyalist
    On the point of legalities, and I’m sure you’ll have both experienced this as you fly between HK and Europe…
    The Captain putting on the seat belt sign, the CC making all the relevant announcements and then hours of smooth flight ?

    According to my mate, CX has a standing instruction for this procedure
    This happens due to the very unpredictable flight conditions en-route, and apparently crossing the Himalayas is where the aircraft is most susceptible.
    If you get up and walk around, and the worst should happen, then you’ll have no recourse against CX or other airlines who follow the same procedure.
    I’ve experienced on CX, KL, AF, TK, EK and QR.
    Simply put, it’s the airlines covering their legal ass!!

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 36 total)
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