[jonathanmiller]

What a lot of wusses! Just get your heads down and do some power-kipping. Oh – and 62A or K are the ONLY seats worth bagging on 747 upstairs.

[VintageKrug]

My vote for row 63 remains.

[jonathanmiller]

If I have learned anything at all from my lurking and the odd contribution to this forum, it is that you always know best, VK! I defer, my dear chap. Indeed, I positively support and laud your choice. It leaves 62 for me!

[judynagy]

I should have been more clear … of course I have filed several written requests/complaints and know that complaining to the offendes is just dumb – far worse than ringing your call button in coach. I enjoy chatting with the crew, at least most of them. Always use my music when working, it’s the inability to have a little nap that bothers me I now realize. I like the idea of finding out who’s in charge and having a word … makes sense. Thanks.

[FlyingChinaman]

Judy,

If I were in that situation, I would simply go up to the galley and complimenting the FA on their great story-telling and their interesting personal life (be it their sex life or parenting) and I think that would quickly put a stop to their constant chit-chatting!

Participating is more effective than anticipating!

[Bunnahabhain]

Yeah it’s much the same principle as the loud mobile phone caller in lounges – q.v. – saunter past them in the galley on the way to / from the toilet and applaud their sexual prowess / retail therapy skills – in a nice way of course! You just need to pitch it such that you achieve the desired effect of them lowering their voices without alienating / humiliating them to your consequent detriment for the rest of the flight.

I have yet to succeed in this tactic on East Coast First Class when it comes to the equally painful and incessant string of lengthy and increasingly bureaucratic announcements by the crew. Surprised I haven’t been thrown off at Stevenage yet.

[VintageKrug]

It’s a very annoying issue, but as I said asking nicely usually has the right effect.

[Senator]

judynagy and all,

I have been in 1B on the CO 757-200s a few times on long-haul. I do agree that CO crew (and without offending all of my American friends – US crews in general) are “chatty” in the open areas including the Galley.

However, I do have a degree of sympathy for this lot as well. The sardine tin called B757-200s is not good for the crew for its use; long haul to Europe. There is essentially no space for them to sit and enjoy what most workers are entitled to: break time, and banter with co-workers.

I like VK’s approach; a nice, gentle question to keep the voices down. Second course of action would be to call the Cabin Manager, and thirdly the captain. In my experience, you will get understanding and sympathy if you approach staff with questions rather than accusations.

[bombayteddy]

“Sounds” sadly all-too-familiar….if I may use a pun!
I am referring in particular to the red-eye from Bombay to Dubai I took a few years ago, First Class, seat 1A, and it was yackety-yack from the crew in the galley right in front of me, for all 3 hours. It certainly defeated any attempts to sleep on Emirates very comfortable recliner; and eventually telling the crew (politely) to can it, was too-little-too-late.
Shouldnt crew understand that First Class DEMANDS a certain decorum?

[judynagy]

Shouldnt crew understand that First Class DEMANDS a certain decorum?

Thank you for finally articulating my feelings, teddy. I just never expressed myself correctly. All the bumbling around about crew need their social intercourse, working conditions are terrible … I’m not arguing this. It’s the decible level, not an occasional too-loud laugh, but continual clamor and complete disrespect for the fare-paying passenger. Now having finally sorted out my own thoughts thanks to all of you, I can put my plan into action on my next CO flight. I’ll just ask the flight supervisor for some quiet … when I board … NOT after they wake me up from my takeoff nap. I appreciate all the input.

My opinion is that

[CallMeIshmael]

Serious about laughter …. for a good cause ….

Would you like to be part of comedy history and laugh along at our record-breaking comedy gig in the sky?

To celebrate BA’s partnership with Comic Relief, we are attempting to set a new Guinness World Record title for the ‘Highest Stand-Up Comedy Gig in the World’ in support of this year’s Red Nose Day. That means on Saturday 12 March British Airways and your compere Jon Richardson, will bring you live comedy from Dara O Briain and Jack Whitehall, at 35,000 feet.

BA has just 75 pairs of tickets to this exclusive one-off event, and you have a chance to win a pair each time you donate £3 to Comic Relief before 06 March 2011*.

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So obviously, we’re hoping to help make this year’s Red Nose Day the best yet.

It certainly will be for 75 lucky couples.

Text “FLY 3” to 70300

[nevereconomy]

Of course the American lack of volume control is always a problem when flying, be it from the crew or fellow travellers. The traveller issue is difficult to deal with, but in the case of crew I have no problem telling them to keep it down. Of course carriers from other lands are not immune – I have complained many times when travelling BA First on a 777 and the Club galley band was yelling, crashing and banging.

[SimonRowberry]

“Of course the American lack of volume control is always a problem when flying”

I’m not sure it is so much the volume, per se. I once asked a speech therapist why it was that if one was in, say, a rail carriage, one could hear Americans far more clearly than, say, Brits or French travellers, even if they were standing or sitting much further away. It was explained to me that the intonation of the accent, especially the syllable, dipthong and vowel sounds, lead to it travelling greater distances and seeming to be louder, when actually it isn’t (in terms of decibels).

Apparently there are certain other accents (Finnish, Dutch and South African, if I remember correctly) which have a similar effect, and others (I think most Latin languages and “BBC” English) which have the opposite characteristics.

This is not, by the way, an anti-American posting in any way! I guess the answer might be to fly BA, Air France, Iberia or TAP……. 😉

Regards,

Simon

[FlyingChinaman]

Simon:

I found your comment very interesting as I am surounded by Americans at work but mostly Brits at home (BBC English).

I shall observe from now on whether to see if it really is what your speech therapist outlined that make the marked noise level differences.

The Dutch can talk loud but not sure if the South Africans (Afrikaners?)also do the same as I have lived in the RSA and don’t remember the loud noise..

[SimonRowberry]

Hi FC,

I’ll be interested to hear.

For the record, it wasn’t “my” speech therapist; it was a speech therapist I once met….!

Cheers,

Simon

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