Has anybody, anywhere ever cared whether they are going to fly at 32000 feet vs 34000 feet, or whatever?
Does anybody in 2019 not have the ability to look up the weather at their destination if they wish to do so?
I’d think most people flying nowadays would rather not be interrupted from what they’re doing to hear such trivia - thoughts?
I sort of like to hear the pilot’s voice. And what else do they have to talk about? I’m not so engaged in whatever I’m doing as the airplane is reaching its cruising altitude that I’m interrupted.
I find it interesting.
I like hearing from the man or woman in charge.
I may not care, per se. But I like knowing.
My employer requires that we make a welcome announcement or at the very least a progress report enroute. Plus it’s good customer service. I’ve always wondered if the layman knows or cares about how high we are. Most of us when travelling want to know that we will be on time and that it will be relatively smooth. I always smile when a crew announces what the weather at destination four hours away is right now. Don’t care. What will it be when we get there?
Side bar. I acknowledge that folks travel for less than happy occasions often. I try to avoid the chirpy or radio DJ voice. Just the facts and “thank you” for travelling on my employer’s airplane. No passengers = no pay cheque (check)
Mentour Pilot is a Swedish airline pilot with an app and a YouTube channel with dozens of videos about virtually every aspect of commercial aviation. He mentioned in one of them that he does a PA announcement at the start of every flight so that all the passengers have a chance to hear his voice. That way, if he has to make more important announcements, like in an emergency situation, the passengers will be more likely to realize it’s the captain speaking, not just one of the flight attendants, and pay more attention. I think he said that it’s his airline’s policy that the captain does this at the start of every flight, for that reason.
BTW, I highly recommend his videos. Very well done and informative.
Exactly. I want to hear the pilot’s voice. What small talk (s)he makes isn’t all that important.
And not just so I know it in case of emergency. I also like being welcomed into a new space by the person in charge of the space. It just feels nicer that way. I think it is good customer service.
I’d say quite a few people don’t have the ability to look up the destination weather while travelling. Not having a smartphone is still not all that unusual and in some countries opportunities to get online without having access to the local network aren’t so common even if you do have one. I still know several people (mostly older) with no internet access at all.
I don’t think my Uncle’s ever been online. He could phone someone and ask them to look the weather forecast up for him, but that’d be about it.
Do most flights now provide internet access? If not, how else would you know if the weather at your destination is the same as when you took off?
I think all flights I’ve been on for at least the last 18 months have had internet. Even the regional jets. And, thank god, it’s finally gotten faster and more reliable. I don’t think most passengers buy it though.
Only at a (rather high) cost. I’ve certainly never felt the need to pay for internet access in flight.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We’ll be cruising at an altitude of 38,000 feet today. And, for those of you interested in knowing the weather at our final destination, we would be happy to provide that information to you for only $29.95, all major credit cards are accepted. Thank you for choosing Acme Airlines!”
Well, my phone has no internet connectivity when I’m in the air, so I appreciate a heads up on the weather at my destination, especially if I have a connecting flight that might be delayed in either arriving or departing. Also, I find knowing my altitude a point of interest.
Pilots typically take about a minute to make that kind of announcement. It’s hardly a prolonged interruption. Besides, I’m not really doing anything momentous while I’m trapped in that seat. That’s my take on it, anyway.
Yes, I am an internet addict, but I’ve never bought internet on the plane.
That being said, I usually look up the weather forecast of wherever I’m going before I leave home to catch a flight. And weather forecasts are pretty good these days. So I don’t really need the weather info. It’s just small talk, from the person welcoming me aboard XYZ airlines.
Why do people keep asking me how I am? They can just check facebook.
When I was an airline pilot I kept all announcements as brief as possible because when I’m a passenger I find myself muttering, “Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!” when they go on and on.
Airlines make way too many announcements, and the ones that amount to marketing make my blood boil. Honestly, how dare they hawk their branded credit cards? Some of these companies view passengers mostly as a captive audience for advertising. If I’m a payimgbpassenger I shouldn’t have to listen to advertising blared over a PA.
Flying bizjets, I’ve found people mostly want to be left alone. They can see the flight conditions, time and weather on a screen in the plane usually (same on many airliners nowadays). So after greeting them and occasionally checking to see if they want something, we usually leave the passengers alone. If something unplanned happens, or the weather is an issue, then I’ll make an announcement. Don’t see why it can’t be that way on airliners too.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We will be encountering some minor turbulence…” = “One of our wings just fell off…”
"If you look out to your left, you will see… " = “It was the right wing…”
I’ve heard that you guys cannot drink alcohol right before flying, and I guess I’d assumed you were drug tested.
Except when you’re on a flight with seatback entertainment. They freeze the system with a “There’s an announment in progress” message which not only stops your movie but prevents you from searching for anything else (like what you might want to watch next on a long-haul flight)
“Ladies & gentlemen on the left side of the plane, if you look out the window you’ll see <famous site>. Ladies & gentlemen on the right side of the plane, if you look to your left you’ll see…the bald spots of your fellow passengers on the left side of the plane.” 