Flight attendants on United Airlines will soon have more leeway and flexibility in making onboard safety and service announcements. In fact, United is even inviting FAs to show “personality”. Does that mean we are doomed to Southwest-style tomfoolery? Let’s hope not…
Brian Sumers got a hold of an internal United FA memo that shared the following:
On April 1, we’re updating our onboard announcements. The new announcements incorporate your feedback and input because we know you are the experts at how customers respond to onboard announcements. It was great to see so many of you engaged with us to bring to life our new, lighter, more conversational announcements without all the airline jargon.
Here are a few other improvements:
- Announcements are flexible, allowing you to make them your own by showing your personality.
- Announcements will be easier to read from the eFAAB. It’s all about the flow of the content and the scroll through the EFAAB. We made improvements to both to make it smoother for you and a better listening experience for our customers.
- Announcements are being translated to reflect the new, lighter tone, which several of your colleagues from around the globe are reviewing to ensure they are accurate from both a cultural and linguistic persepctive.
Thus, it appears we will have more “conversational” announcements without “airline jargon” (whatever that means). That doesn’t sound too bad, though. But United also outlines other “improvements” including letting flight attendants show personality.
My Earnest Plea
I don’t know about you, but I have a plea to the wonderful flight attendants at United: please don’t go Southwest on us! The whole rapping flight announcement game and nauseating humor is just incompatible with an airline that wishes to project a professional image. Make the announcements as short as possible and don’t drone on about superfluous things. We have streaming IFE and our own devices to entertain us.
CONCLUSION
Call me Scrooge, but surely I am not the only one who feels this way. And while some may pull it off well, I’m just not in the mood to be serenaded by singing FAs or hear the one about whether bees can fly in the rain (not without their little yellow jackets). So please United FAs, let’s keep the announcements brief, professional and devoid of humor. Then again, maybe some Airplane! jokes wouldn’t be too bad after all…
What do you think about “creative” flight announcements?
(H/T: View from the Wing // image: Airplane! [fair use exception])
Matthew – I notice that in your posts there are quite a few references to the 1980 comedy movie ‘Airplane’ – are you a fan of this movie, by any chance (don’t worry – It’s actually my favourite movie) ?
I love it. One of my favorites
Surely you can’t be serious…
He’s serious. And don’t call him Shirley.
Was hoping someone would reply like that…
Just wanted to tell you good luck. We’re all counting on you.
Lighten up, Francis 🙂
Do you make your employees work over Christmas too?
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, everything in marketing/advertising has been getting cornier and cornier. From commercials to in-flight safety videos. Are people really that incapable of paying attention for 5 minutes without needing unnecessary corny humor/entertainment?
I mean, I can understand encouraging the FAs to not sound like they are reading off of a script. But, the Southwest stuff
Matthew, I disagree with you idea and for once agree with United. I think it will do united some good to have human touch.
FLYI Did this before filing bankruptcy due to rising fuel costs and It was greatly received. They even did Videos filmed by celebreties making jokes in order to get people’s attention.
I agree. Keep it professional.
I agree with you 100% have compassion show humor and show professionalism
I am a flight attendant for a major carrier and I can tell you I cannot stand long winded flight attendants and pilots that drone on and on over the PA
Cruel April Fools Joke?
Thank you, Matthew. Seriously. I have the same rule for FAs as for taxi drivers: you can talk, you can get paid – but it can’t be both.
Aloha Matthew, “ever seen a grown Man naked”? I completely agree with you on the importance of maintaining the professional image along with getting the message of the “safety features” of the particular aircraft digested by the guest. I also find the silly behavior of some of the flight attendants along with a few pilots at SWA on the briefings unacceptable. It doesn’t happen very often in our profession, but when an emergency happens the better informed you are about how to survive the better the chance of survival.
I agree. It’s uncomfortable for everyone when someone who isn’t actually funny tries so very hard to be funny.
I can’t believe that everyone fell for this. Have you forgotten how to read? The first 3 words of the memo: “On April 1,” – hook, line, & sinker, folks!
APRIL FOOLS!
It’s not a joke.
I believe the goal should be to make announcements as short and succinct as possible. This is especially true on international flights which often have several minutes of announcements in various languages when a passenger is trying to sleep. This should be discouraged!
As a retired Flight Attendant of United Airlines,
And cognizant of the importance of
Passenger safety, the present day
Safety presentation is too noisy, and takes away from the point United should get across about Safety on an airplane. It’s more about all the countries United flys to and the countries traditions. Passengers take
The Safety announcement for granite as is, let alone look at the Safety card.
Since United Airlines, Cockpit Crew,and the Flight Attendants are responsible for the Safety and Welfare
Of our Passengers , the less self interpretation of Safety factors, the better.
Agree totally Matthew good call!
I am all for friendly service and don’t want to be a grouch but it would be nice for a US airline to focus on discreet, professional service as well – and take pride in that rather than trying to make jokes or trying to create a “fun” atmosphere on board.
For granite? That’s an extremely hard lesson.
Agreed. No dancing or singing FAs either.
I’m sick of being bombarded with an attempted “Disney” experience or repetitively over-apologizing on every transaction whether it be flying an airline, buying groceries, a cup of coffee, a can of paint. No one can think out of the box when real problems arise or exist so they feel that joking and entertaining is supposed to make people feel good ?
“Does that mean we are doomed to Southwest-style tomfoolery?”
Tomfoolery – love it.
I hope they take it as freedom to be just slightly less robotic with their annoucements, I appreciate some small amount of colloquialisms vs. word-for-word reading of the script. But yeah the Southwest stand-up comedy routines will get old.
Matthew: I typically agree with you, but not in this case. The air travel experience is already stressful and the opportunity to lighten the environment is refreshing. Enjoy the journey 🙂