[MartynSinclair]

Ian, nice to see parts of BA still taking safety serious.

I presume it is a similar situation when mobile phones could be switched on after landing.. The new rules hadn’t filtered down to that particular subsidiary/division/part of the fleet.

If you fly again with the same company, would be interested if you ask why BA “appear” to have differing safety standards..

[Chiantikid]

I must say as crew members some of these new rules seem to be a little hypocritical. The one bit that confuses the hell out of me is when we ask customers to remove their headphones so they can listen to the safety demo/video. Simple problem is that because they are watching/listening to something they never hear the announcement!! We finish up having to go up and down the cabin asking customers to comply with the announcement, not always an easy task when some are using very small earphones as opposed to the more obvious ‘Dr.Dre’s’!

My thoughts are my own and not necessarily of my employer.

[GrahamSmith]

Virgin Atlantic has unveiled its new pre-flight safety video:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/100271/virgin-premieres-movie-themed-safety-video

[conshaldow]

GrahamSmith beat me to the punch there.

I saw the Virgin pre-flight video earlier today and I have to say it’s another new twist. Innovative and interesting to say the least, more of the same from other airlines would make the pre-flight safety video less tedious and more interesting.

[IanFromHKG]

“”MartynSinclair – 24/02/2014 08:53 GMT : Ian, nice to see parts of BA still taking safety serious… If you fly again with the same company, would be interested if you ask why BA “appear” to have differing safety standards..”

Oh, no, Martyn, that’s not happening. I don’t bite the hand that feeds (or supplies free booze) 🙂

I also have no idea which company it was – everything was BA-branded, but I did note the different seating and the fact that the flight crew referred to it as a BA-operated (rather than just plain BA) flight. It was an A320 or A321 from Geneva to Heathrow.

And straying from the point slightly – we met some friends of friends while we were away and they recommended us to visit the Altitude bar/lounge/restaurant at GVA – so glad they did! What a little gem, excellent food with a panoramic view of the runway and apron. And something really struck me – based purely on observation (not on cold hard facts!) easyjet seemed to us to be the busiest operator there. At one point we could see seven easyjet planes (never saw more than two SWISS), covering destinations as diverse (IIRC) as Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Saaahfend (er, I mean Southend), London (Gatwick) and a couple of others (I don’t remember them all) Quite impressive….

[BigDog.]

A very innovative approach by Icelandair

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2649748/First-look-innovative-Icelandair-flight-safety-video-Icelandic-landscapes-passengers-wont-actually-mind-watching.html

[SimonS1]

Looks like the ANZ video has hit the buffers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/28224422

[Charles-P]

Flew into Brussels this morning – Brussels Airlines crew had to explain to an elderly Indian man how a seat belt worked. I would assume this was either his first ever flight or perhaps his first in a long while. Don’t assume that everyone already knows what they are told in the briefing.

Flew Quatas a few years ago and when some fool stood up before the aircraft had even cleared the runway (the wheels had barely touched down) one of the crew shouted,
“Hey you nugget are you stupid or what ? ” Got a round of applause !

[LuganoPirate]

Only the Aussies Charles. Big 😉

[Charles-P]

LuganoPirate – they do bring a certain Colonial flair 🙂

On of my staff loves to tell the story about arriving on a Pakistan Airlines flight into Islamabad and how around ten people got up and started to get their bags from the overhead lockers while the aircraft was still on ‘finals’.

My experience of Turkish Airlines (never again) is that the squeal of Goodyear of tarmac is the unofficial signal for the seat belt to be unclipped and for every Turkish man to stand up and shout at a nearby other Turkish man.

[AnthonyDunn]

Charles, Mongolians are far too mannered to yell at each other (if anything, they tend to whisper) but I was struck by the fact of no safety briefing whatsoever on our MIAT Mongoliann HKG-ULN departure last weekend. Or maybe it was that it was so damn hot and sticky that no-one would have paid a blind bit of notice anyway.

[Charles-P]

Some airlines do get it right, even an understanding cultural differences – see here for example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VLYpKGVBU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCz8he36hsk

[MartynSinclair]

Rather than hijack the 777 Las Vegas fire thread about the safety briefing, perhaps this thread should be resurrected to continue this part of the discussion of the value of the safety briefing.

Unless the airlines themselves recognise the value of the briefing and make it compulsory, then passengers will continue to ignore the “leave your hand baggage behind in the event of an evacuation”.

The pre flight briefing must be made COMPULSORY and Cabin Crew have to be given the authority to tell passengers to remove headphones, put reading material down and watch the briefing.

In return, the airlines need to make the briefing shorter, snappier and far more authoritative and warn passengers it is not only an offence to smoke in the toilets, but also to remove cabin baggage in the event of an evacuation.

[Gin&Tonic]

Martyn, I agree with you and other posts, after all these years I still watch and pay attention. Like you it’s the others I worry about in a genuine emergency, I would like to think I knew what to do, but what about those ahead of you. I have over the years seen on rare occasions a cabin crew member tell someone to stop talking, listening with earphones etc. Honestly though it is now mostly as you highlight a routine process with little or no emphasis.
I was on AF last week with the new safety video, I have to say even I struggled to keep my attention on it and it wasn’t because of the ladies in it. It’s boring and has no punch.

[SimonS1]

I don’t think there is a perfect solution to this.

Firstly on a typical flight there will be people from many cultures and backgrounds, English not the first language and therefore comprehension an issue.

Secondly in an emergency situation peoples’ brains get scrambled and recollection of what was said in a relaxed environment may fade.

Thirdly if large wheeled bags are an issue why do airlines allow so much clobber on board to start with?

Fourthly it is no doubt the same people who lobbied for gate to gate use of tablets etc that now complain that others are not paying attention. The seed has been sown so cabin crew have no chance.

Finally to be honest having heard the same SAA safety briefing video 6 times in a week what would you suggest is to be gained from a compulsory 7th hearing?

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