[MartynSinclair]

LP & Nigel – I held the same view until recently, it WAS rude to ignore the safety briefing and not only would I listen attentively but also check to see if the life vest was indeed under the seat (this I still do).

However, if the airlines themselves show little interest in the seriousness of the safety briefing, the crew quite clearly are as frustrated as some of more sensible passengers (you can also HEAR the sheer frustration in the pilots voices, when they more or less beg pax to listen – QUITE RIGHTLY) and the very passengers the briefing should be seen by, don’t realise they should be seeing it because they have earphones playing music stuck in their ears as they walk onto the aircraft, so cant hear any of the cabin announcements (including safety announcements) anyway.

Sadly, this is only likely to change AFTER the next inquiry, following a fatal accident when the inquiry recommend more attention to the safety briefing is needed.

[rferguson]

For an absolute hoot of a safety demo (in true Southwest airlines style) check this out:

http://www.reshareworthy.com/flight-attendants-hilarious-speech-martha-cobb/#3WGwSGkxshqJQE5C.01

The joint EU safety regulations require that a safety video or demonstration be given before the commencement of each sector where any new passenger(s) join. This has to show the brace position, use of lifejacket (if flying over water), use of oxygen, seatbelt and location of exits. There is no mandatory requirement for the crew to point out the exits.

In terms of crew presence in the cabin this varies widely from airline to airline. For example Qantas cabin crew are required to perform a manual safety demonstration on EVERY flight as well as play the safety video. At BA we stand in the cabin for the duration of the video and point out the exits. Some other airlines you see the crew will rush out at the point where the video mentions the exit locations and point them out then they disappear again into the galleys. Others do not appear in the cabin at all.

What those that do not appear in the cabin during the demonstration do in the galley I guess depends. Yes, some arlines they are probably having a cuppa and a gossip. Others that have more pre-departure service on the ground are probably putting away glasses, newspapers, magazines, left over washbags, placing meal orders on the chart etc.

Passengers opinions of safety demo’s vary widely. I would guestimate that 5-10% of passengers actually watch the safety video start to end on the flights I work on. Others take it very seriously. One passenger made a point of complaining to me that he found the BA safety video ‘very disappointing’ recently. His main beef was that due to the cartoon nature of it ‘his son could not take it’s message seriously’. Well I guess if it was some woman in a suit stood there in a regular video his son wouldn’t have paid attention to it at all. I could only imagine what he would have thought if he was flying Air NZ or indeed Southwest!

[MartynSinclair]

RF – between 5% and 10% of pax watch the safety briefing. I will no longer feel it is rude to ignore the briefing.

The airlines should really review how they put the “safety message” across, because clearly, it aint working!

[rferguson]

But you have to ask MartynSinclair – do the airlines REALLY care? They are more interested in what makes the passengers happy. The safety briefing is mandatory from a regulatory level. On the other hand you have airlines pushing the likes of the CAA to give passengers MORE freedom to distract themselves from the briefing. The recent change in regulations allowing passengers to continue watching their movies or playing candy crush on their iPads during taxi, take off and landing are examples. This is leading to even less passengers bothering to watch the brief. Not a good move imho.

[MartynSinclair]

That’s EXACTLY my point RF, I know the airlines don’t care, hence why I will no longer feel passengers are being rude ignoring the briefing.

But please, ask the flight deck, to stop begging pax to watch the safety briefing…

I understand the regulatory position, perhaps airlines should ask for a change in the regulation.

What gets me though, is that cabin crew are power less to check people’s fones are in flight mode, cabin crew KNOW passengers are still texting during the safety briefing and when there is an evacuation, cabin crew are power less to enforce the leave all your bags behind….

On board safety needs to be taken far more seriously than it currently is.

I really liked what FDoS stated – “the inside of an aircraft is not someone’s living room!”

[mkcol74]

Fresh from a run in London’s glittering West End….

http://youtu.be/Sq_JrXQ6Hx4

[LuganoPirate]

It would be interesting to find 200 people, men, women and children, who have not flown before and put then in a test aircraft used for evacuation training. Brief them but give them no safety demo and then see how quickly they evacuate the aircraft.

Old hands like us Martyn, Nigel et al likely need no briefing (though I do check where the exits are on a new plane type I’ve not flown before) and assuming we survive the emergency will most likely get out without problem, but would a first time flyer do as well? A test like that would go some way to showing what would likely happen!

[openfly]

On a very recent BA A319 flight I paid attention as usual. When they mentioned “emergency lighting at floor level”, I couldn’t see it. So after the briefing I asked the crew member where this lighting was. He looked around and said “I’ll go and find out”! He came back and said that it is not at floor level, it is on the underside of the armrest area. Worrying!?

[IanFromHKG]

Perhaps it is incumbent upon us to set a better example.

On our flight back from Phuket at the weekend I nudged the Offspring (who were deeply engrossed in iDevices) as the video came on and pointed at the screen. To their credit, they both sat and watched the whole thing without a murmur of protest.

[MartynSinclair]

Ian, I cant see the need for any passenger to set a better example by forcing ourselves to view the safety briefing when the airline “appears” to support passenger comfort / convenience over safety.

On a recent flight back from FRA with 5 or 6 uniformed staff, at least 2 kept personal headphones in during safety briefing.

Personally, I think airlines should approach the CAA to amend/change the regulation – this whole issue about the safety briefing is quite frankly ridiculous and outdated, when its made voluntary.

Now let look at what happens on ships with no or little safety briefings… (sorry if that comment is insensitive, but there is a similar comparison)……

[NTarrant]

Martyn, ferry passengers get a recorded message as I mentioned before, however on cruise ships one has to go to their muster stations with their life jacket and that has to be donned as part of the demonstration. It is mandatory to attend.

[MartynSinclair]

“It is mandatory to attend” – presumably without headphones and listening to music…

[NTarrant]

Indeed Martyn!

[travelworld2]

From the sound of it- and time will tell- the problems in South Korea were caused more by the crew giving the wrong instructions (i.e. stay on the ship and do not evacuate) as opposed to anything else. But Martyn’s point is well made.

My experience of cruise ship safety drills is that they are clear, thorough and absolutely compulsory. When I joined a ship a couple of days late as a result of the ash cloud I had to have my own safety briefing from the ship’s safety officer pretty much as soon as I got on the ship.

[BigDog.]

LuganoPirate – 20/04/2014 07:30 GMT

Although agreeing in principle LP, reality and research shows a “herd mentality” kicks in which results in most people trying to exit via a door in front off them, even if a rear door is closer.

The best countering of the “Herd/swarm” is Cabin Crew taking on a far stronger assertive approach, taking command and (barking) instructions – it is situations like these I would much prefer a seasoned cabin crew as opposed to young newbies.

As an aside MS noted earlier that he checked the life jacket, it is something I never did as always assumed they would be there. A year of so I was enlightened by CC who stated these were not infrequently nicked, so always check, especially on a return leg.

[Author]

Posts