I thought I would share a travel related experience from this week.
In addition to being late for a flight, hungry, and creating the first Airline Stew, I had opportunities to hear multiple airline announcement styles.
First I know you are just dying to hear what this “Airline Stew” was. Well being hungry I pondered what would be the most filling free beverage to mix with the complimentary peanuts and pretzels. I decided to use virgin bloody mary mix which is essentially tomato juice with hot spices and mix that with the peanuts and pretzels into a pseudo stew. It was surprisingly filling and tasty.
As a traveler you have to be resourceful and MacGyver-like.
If you have flown on an airline you have no doubt heard (or ignored) the pre-flight safety announcements and demonstrations from the crew. The language is extremely important but usually the same content over and over. This week I had flown on multiple airlines. One airline followed the standard text while the other was relaxed and almost goofy perhaps to use humor to get your attention, make you relax, or just ad some fun. Lets call them Airline A and Airline B.
Airline A takes the standard just the facts safety demonstration and announcements. Sometimes these announcements are played on video like on Delta. Delta's In-flight Safety Video
The FAA required language is listed on Wikipedia Pre-flight safety demonstration
Now here is Airline B and their live safety demonstration and announcements.
“If you have an iPhone, iPod, and iPad we are impressed, but you must still turn them off now. That is spelled O F F - look it up in the dictionary, but don't Google it now.
If you do not turn off you phone and continue to text and talk we may have to return to the gate where the FAA will personally fine you $25,000 dollars. If you have that kind if money to spend you would have flown Delta.
In the event this flight becomes a cruise, please grab the flotation vest located under your butts.
If the cabin were to un-expectantly depressurize oxygen masks would drop from above. I said unexpected otherwise we would have called in sick today.
If the cabin fills with smoke, make your way to the nearest designated exit following the lighting on the floor. If a crew member approaches you naked please just ignore them.
The cabin lights are being dimmed, should you require light simply press the button with the light to turn it on. Pressing the button next to it with the picture of a flight attendant will not turn the flight attendant on.
Welcome to Salt Lake for those that Salt Lake is your final destination we welcome you, for those transferring to another airline - we don't care.
The aircraft has come to a stop at the gate - Now get out of here.”
Myself and many of the passengers were laughing but it had me thinking, was that the right tone for something so serious as safety, was it professional, did I pay more attention to the safety information. Perhaps some not used to humor or those that English is not their first language might be alarmed, insulted, or confused.
The adding of humor to these pre-flight safety instructions is not limited to US carriers.
Cebu Pacific FAs dancing
WestJet Funny Attendant & this one from WestJet
What do you think, should the business of safety instructions be a serious just the facts presentation or can it be made more relaxed and funny?
-Shaan