[Anonymous]

[MartynSinclair]

With inaccurate safety briefing videos being shown on BA & with more and more airlines making the safety briefing voluntary, by allowing passengers to use personal headphones from boarding, is there really a need for cabin crew to stand like lemons with fewer and fewer people bothering (or even being required) to listen.

It appears airlines are now more interested in allowing passengers the freedom of doing what they want as soon as they board. If this is the way forward perhaps it is time an airline went the whole hog and stopped the safety briefing.

Even when the Captain announces, “please give the safety briefing your serious attention” – most of the passengers no longer hear…

So, in 2014, how should cabin safety be addressed pre flight, is there a need for crew announcements and how secure would we feel, if there was NO pre flight safety briefing?

………….until of course the next crash ………. then it will be all change (again)………..

[ArabTraveller]

Safety briefings are important – ironically they are more apparent on one of the safest modes of transport around!

I’d like to see them continue. A good, solid safety briefing – whether people pay attention or not – reassures me that an airline is at least taking the issue seriously. I am a bit annoyed by BA’s move because it undermines this and undermines the pilot’s request to pay attention.

We may be familiar with the basic procedures. Nevertheless, future generations need to be provided with the same familiarity, and I think airlines need to rethink their delivery somehow. Maybe a video isn’t quite as captivating as it once was.

Also…when cabin crew point to the ‘nearest exits’….let’s be honest…they’re pointing here and there. If you’re in the middle of a cabin, do you really know where your nearest exit is? The whole thing needs a rethink. BA’s move is a cop out!

[LuganoPirate]

If airlines made the demo more interesting, such as this one just released between Sports Illustrated and Air New Zealand, I’m sure it would grab our full attention.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/100232/video-anz-hires-supermodels-for-safety-video

PS. I just fell in love with Jessica Gomes. Sorry Mrs. LP 😉

[PaulRWoods]

An approach similar to the one by ANZ was a used by Cebu Airlines in the Philippines: the crew danced to the tunes of Lady Gaga. that also got everyone looking.

[SimonS1]

I can’t see the briefings being stopped as they are beneficial for those that choose to listen. However hasn’t it always been the case that there are passengers that don’t listen?

[DutchinSwitzerland]

Fully agree that we need to keep the security demo, we know it from the top of our mind just because we’re too often in a plane, the new generation and less frequent travellers need to be aware too.

The Air New Zealand videos are always great. The did a superb one with Bear Grylls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJheoLUtX_Q
and also a really funny one with the Lord of the Rings and more recently the Hobbit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCbPFHu3OOc

This certainly keeps me watching, although i must admit that i watch every safety briefing just out of courtesy to the staff doing their jobs

[TominScotland]

It is a CAA requirement that UK airlines give a safety briefing before take-off. Information is provided on what to do in an emergency and where the nearest exits are located. – see CAA website for details.

[MartynSinclair]

The CAA rules can be changed and yes passengers always have a choice. take something away and people usually want it back.

My point is, why bother with the safety briefing:

1. crew and captain authority are weak in this connection –

2. passengers are being told they can listen to music instead (which actually shows the importance the airline hold the safety briefing)

3. There is now an announcement on BA saying the video has not been updated… (that’s really very reassuring)

My view is the safety briefing pre take off, is surplus to requirements as it holds absolutely zero gravitas…

The airlines need to (or should) come up with a new method for the safety briefing to be heard…/…seen.

I have always been polite and listened attentively, but when seeing dead heading crew in uniform not bothering to listen (personal headphones being used), really tells me it is now outdated, needs to be replaced OR the airlines need a rethink.

[conshaldow]

I agree with all the points made above. It is important to keep the safety demo, regardless of whether passengers pay attention. I do find myself paying attention to it briefly as it is what I have always done, and i don’t think that will change.

However, it’s not very motivating seeing a door faced cabin crew half heartedly waving their hands in all directions.

I like the Air New Zealand way of making the demo more interesting and shall be keeping an eye out for more in the future.

[openfly]

On my BA flight to Malaga last week, the lady sitting next to me was reading her paper during the safety briefing. When it was finished I got talking to her. Then I “innocently” asked her if she had understood how to use the drop down oxygen as ” I couldn’t work it out”. She hadn’t got a clue. Game, set and match. Don’t expect me to help you dear, if you can’t be bothered to save your own life….

[Stowage222]

I guess that if you are (unfortunately) in a planned emergency situation all bets are off. You can be sure ALL newspapers/headphones/IFE will be dropped and everyone will be forced to pay attention to the crew and physically fasten/unfasten seat belts, point to nearest exits etc.

Part of the initial safety briefing is also to allow passengers the opportunity to see which crew member will be responsible for their safety briefing in an emergency.

However, if the crew don’t have time for an emergency brief then that’s when the problems start, especially for those who don’t pay attention to the pre-flight briefing and/or are not familiar with the aircraft they are flying in.

[BigDog.]

Stowage – although correct in principle the reality is people still ignore the message and “self interest” kicks in.

I understand the 2009 BA288 Phoenix evacuation is still used as a case study where laceration injuries were caused by broken glass at the bottom of the chute – broken duty free bottles!

Doesn’t matter what the cabin crew – whose primary role is safety – say, people still evac fully loaded. They are between a rock and a hard place – remonstrate with those ignoring instruction thus delaying the evac or let it go and risk problems at end of chute.

[BigDog.]

Well if it is done in conjunction with Sports Illustrated then probably yes 🙂

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2557774/Turbulence-Air-New-Zealand-highly-sexualised-flight-safety-video-featuring-Sports-Illustrated-swimsuit-models.html

[MartynSinclair]

With airlines very publicly announcing, personal headphones can be worn from boarding, tells me the airlines themselves, feel the safety briefing is past is sell by date and is no longer important.

What I am really hoping to understand is – is there an alternative to the safety video, demonstration (which fewer and fewer people are bothering with and the airlines are making voluntary)..

I can see a situation arising where a passenger will successfully sue an airline after a crash (on the basis the pax survives), for allowing personal headphones to be used thereby an ignorant passenger, not being informed of the safety procedure……

If the safety briefing is not 100% supported by the airline, there is no point in showing it… CAA rules or not!

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