February 10
If you fly as much as I do, you probably have all the flight attendant announcements heard during the flight memorized and could step in if needed. Lately, I’ve been noticing just how many FAs break away from the script and add a bit of personality or other uniqueness to them.
Southwest, of course, is famous for their free-spirited safety demonstrations and overall laid-back feeling, so non-rigid announcements filtering through the cabin aren’t uncommon and might even be encouraged. Attendants on legacy carriers, though, generally follow a mandated script and it can become so routine that uber frequent flyers like myself just drown them out.
This is definitely a simple and sort-of lighthearted post this Friday morning, but after listening to one gentleman’s announcements repeatedly on the same LAX-IAD flight the past four weeks, it got me to thinking about whether or not some take adding a bit of fun to their announcements too far and if it should be allowed. The particular FA I’m referring to consistently refers to his colleagues as “stewardesses” when making announcements and I wonder just how that makes some of the crew feel, not to mention if it puts in the minds of the average flyer that the term is still appropriate.
Flight attendants have to deal with such a wide range of personalities and their job can be incredibly stressful at times, so I think adding a bit of personality to their announcements – so long as it’s appropriate – is totally acceptable as it’s one very small way they can have a bit of fun on the job. It also makes me take notice of the announcements more than I would normally.
What do you think?
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I was on an RJ from IAD-LGA a few months back and the FA on that flight was great. Not much of a way to go above and beyond service wise as the sole FA on a 30-45 minute flight, but he had a great attitude. Suffice to say he got a compliment on the 1K voice, not sure how they benefit from that though.
@kziel: It’s always great to get a personable FA… glad you sent a 1K voice email.
QUOTE: Flight attendants have to deal with such a wide range of personalities and their job can be incredibly stressful at times, so I think adding a bit of personality to their announcements – so long as it’s appropriate – is totally acceptable as it’s one very small way they can have a bit of fun on the job. It also makes me take notice of the announcements more than I would normally.
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I like / enjoy Southwest announcements. I strongly believe that unless other airlines “train” their FA, it will flop because this is a culture issue, it seems that SW managers know how to hire “compatible” employees. Legacy lines are loaded with jaded, tires, “we gave back too much” type of employees who do a job as in punching a time card vs. making the most of it….
@Prat
Southwest’s “fun” flight attendants are less about what kind of person they hire and much, much more about how they treat said employees/flight attendants. SW flight attendants are the best paid in the industry. The reason you find “we gave back too much types” on other airlines is exactly because they gave back or more accurately “had taken from them” too, too much.
@Chris: Great perspective, thanks for chiming in!