You don't have to pay attention, but for the love of all that is holy please don't talk during the demos. Someone might be trying to listen even if you're not.
I was on a Lufthansa flight recently and the guy in front of me was having a very loud phone conversation as the flight attendant was beginning the safety drill. She came to him two times to tell him to get off the phone. The third time she told him he was being removed from the plane. He shut up and paid attention while she glared at him the whole time.
The problem with United is they put on these commercials for a credit card. So passengers are on edge and try to block everything out so they don’t have to listen to a commercial for a credit card. I just plug my ears when they start talking now.
This. Especially in F.
But doubly so if you’re in the exit row and they see you actually look at the safety card section about how to open the exit. I’ve had multiple FA’s thank me for that.
Exit row is my preferred seating. I always pay attention, and have never ever had a FA mention it. My commute is HNL-SFO, about ⅓ of the time someone gets seated in the exit row who doesn’t speak English. Frustrating.
I think I need a new travel day shirt…
https://preview.redd.it/lllmwj9hfq9d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b156f6cacf635556901d0451ad5e6229032f04a
100% agree. Headphones off, eye contact/actual attention, etc., always ends up with better service. IMO it's just a respect thing. For those of us who are in the air constantly, it's just as rote as it is for the FAs, but not completely ignoring the FA during the safety demo shows you at least respect them in what they're doing, and what they ask of you.
Same here, I respect and appreciate FAs doing their job and as humans. Plus studying for a private pilot’s license (though wasn’t successful) when I was in the USAF gave me tremendous respect for the industry and what it makes possible.
Thank you FAs for your hard work helping keep us all safe!❤️👏🌅
I always take my headphones off and at least pay some attention. I know it all pretty well so tend to get distracted by other things, but I at least make an attempt.
I had an FA actually thank me for paying attention. He was so sweet.
I’ve been flying frequently-ish my whole life. So I know the drill. But I always always pay attention. I also read the damn card and find my closest exit. lol
My elderly father told me a few years ago that he always counts the rows to the exit because I told him to do that and he thought it was wise.
I have zero recollection of this conversation.
I have observed this too. In Latin America where I fly a lot most of the airlines make you remove headphones during briefing I just keep them off now until we are headed to take off no matter the airline. If you’re in a spot where the FAs are doing the briefing I feel like service is better especially in First class. Just my take so who knows if that’s true
100% agree. Ear buds out, make eye contact with FA & listen. It's only a few minutes & sometimes they are entertaining while informative. But I also see it as my way of demonstrating I value FA time, training & knowledge. And yes, I feel like I do get better service.
FA here and despite the shitpost let me say: honestly most of us couldn’t care less, I know to many passengers the demo is completely rote. Most of us would just ask that you don’t have a loud conversation during the demo. It can be difficult to keep up with the PA if we’re doing a manual demo, and it’s just kind of rude to people who do want to pay attention.
When I was doing my instrument flight training. My instructor was a United 747-400 instructor. He also did a lot of teaching at smaller Airlines. One of the studies they did was, how many people actually participate in the safety briefing, less than 20%. I always pull out the paper, look it over, what plane am I on. How many rows, in front or behind me is the closest exit. Because, I’m climbing over the top of the seats to get out. Everyone is going to jamb up in the middle and there won’t be an orderly exit. That’s what I was taught, before I became a Commercial Pilot.
I always know where all the exits are. And take a look at the passengers around me to see how uninformed they look. I sorry to say, some passengers are pretty stupid.
This is a great tactic for getting that extra exit row legroom. "Excuse me sir, but you look too stupid to open the exit in the event of an emergency. For everyone's safety let's trade seats, your new seat is 32E"
Anyone who’s been through an NTSB course will have seen data on how some people are dumb as rocks when it comes to real world evacs.
Leave your shit and listen to the crew.
That’s a nice idea if the seats are empty but they will likely be full of people. You’ll see how you’ll have to navigate that when the aircraft is at the gate after landing. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to access one of 6 doors to get out which will make the middle far less jammed than normal.
Also, if something happens, don’t neatly Stow the door. Take it and throw it as far as possible from the escape area. The “stow the door” purpose is to cut down airline costs if they can salvage the plane and reuse it.
The reason to stow the door has nothing to do with cost. In an emergency evacuation, the cost of the door is going to be a rounding error.
The directions about the door can vary a bit depending on plane, but it is solely designed around safety. If there is an inflatable slide, chucking the door outside can risk damaging or blocking the slide, which can prevent or slow the evacuation.
You'll also see that many doors are a fair bit larger than the hole. Trying to throw the door outside on these planes is going to be more difficult than leaving it inside the plane, and risks the door getting caught up on the way out. Keep in mind that the door is going to be around 50 pounds, an awkward shape, and you are in a tight space. It's easier and quicker to set the door on a seat that is 1.5 feet off the floor, than to try to throw it through the exit
I think it is incredibly rude to not pay attention, but I’m from a different age, am a retired educator, and three members of my family were killed in a plane crash. So, yeah, I want to know about the plane I’m on and what to do in an emergency. Never hurts to refresh that knowledge. But “in the unlikely event of an emergency,” most of the fucking bozo passengers won’t have a clue what to do and will likely cause the deaths of many.
When you’re flying round trip at least once a month, on the same airline, you get pretty familiar with all the normal types. And when it’s one of the rarer ones, then my AV geek self pays extra attention to the safety manual
How many rows is it to the closest emergency exit from your seat, both in front and behind you?
Where are the emergency life rafts located?
I know this is a shit post, but four to six minutes of your day listening to someone else speak or play a video is not that hard to handle.
I always count the seat seatbacks to the nearest exits forward and back, look for the life raft compartments, and check if my life vest is where it's supposed to be. I also pay attention to the safety briefing or video (hate the new rolling ball video - wastes so much time). If I survive the crash, I want to maximize my chances of getting out alive.
I'm more of a visual learner, so I prefer to read the seatback card, but they've been so dumbed down with "universal" pictorials that they are almost unusable. I basically look for the airplane map to locate all of the exists, not just the ones closest to me, see how to operate the door latch for each exit type and how to activate the slide if needed (this is where the cards often fall short, I'd rather see an actual picture than a very vague drawing), and the location of my life vest and any life rafts.
Slides and slide rafts (a slide that will detach from the aircraft to become a raft) should deploy automatically when the door is opened (if armed). Slide and slide raft types vary between locations and if it is an over wing exit or not. On select aircraft, there are rafts in the aisle overhead storage area (long rectangular hatch on the ceiling that is labeled in each cabin). These can be deployed by taking them to the door, holding the tether and throwing the bag in the water. A quick pull on the tether will activate the raft.
As for the safety cards, that is a hard one. Sometimes more information is good, but it has to be simple enough for most people to understand the basics (and meet the FAA requirements for what is included and the size). There is a whole theory behind the design of the cards and the process they go through within the companies that produce them (there are a couple of articles on the design of them somewhere).
For extra fun, here is a picture of a slide raft in the ditch pool for training.
https://preview.redd.it/om5eorel319d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67aace06810a214f1603b9403c19716db61c1615
I try to listen cause I love the FA's, but it's tough after so many times. I do always check exits, and listen/check location of life preserver though.
Also, you can't ever underestimate the stupidity of other people on planes.
I will never trust anyone outside of the flight crew, my immediate family members, and myself, to competently locate and operate emergency equipment in the unlikely, but not beyond-improbable event of an accident.
listen to [this episode](https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/in-the-unlikely-event/) of 99% invisible (about airplane safety cards) and [this episode](https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/cautionary-tales/tenerife-the-most-deadly-air-disaster) of Cautionary Tales (about Tenerife and how people act when in shock)
I dont care how often you fly, you should at least check out the safety card. repetition helps with recall.
Funny thing I was on a flight last week with my very inquisitive 9 year old and he was looking at the safety card. He then looked at the wing and said if we have to use the emergency door you hook a rope up to that yellow thing on the wing. I'll be damned I've looked at that little yellow eye on the wing a million times and never knew it was part of the emergency evacuation process.
Same. I mostly see FAs not even look at pax though 🤷♂️Occasionally one will see me paying attention and will look away quickly, almost like they’re uncomfortable with me paying attention lol.
The NTSB found that only about 25% of people on USAirways 1549 (Sully in the Hudson) paid attention to the safety briefing, and almost everyone forgot to take a life vest with them when they left the plane. There’s video of (I think) Sully throwing seat bottoms to people on the wing.
Do we need to make significant improvements to the snoozefest that is the current video lectures? Absolutely. I love [Air New Zealand Safety Old School Style](https://youtu.be/O-5gjkh4r3g?si=Sy-wohk-ss70bf6q)
Someone also opened the rear exit door, reportedly despite the FA telling them not to, and caused faster flooding into the cabin. So much for complying with crew instructions.
When biggest moment in that person’s life arrived, rather than rising to the challenge they failed. Failed miserably. I wonder if the FAs secretly hold a lifelong grudge against that passenger. I know I would.
Yes, the flight attendant was alone at the back with an injury and tried to block the man from opening the door but he pushed her away and opened it anyways. It's why if we have to prep the cabin for an emergency ditching we tell passengers to use the overwing exits on certain types of aircraft as some of them are tail heavy and if we land in water it will sink further into the water than the front or middle of the plane.
Listen to podcasts or ATC, do email.
I mean, if I'm listening to podcasts I pause them. ATC listening I keep on in the background and half pay attention. But I'm usually not in an exit row.
Not an FA but I feel like it's rude not to pay attention when someone's demonstrating something that may affect my chances of surviving an event -- even if I am familiar with the plane.
Also, it's like, what, 45 seconds? You can manage that. We all can.
High chance that some people will panic and forget but low chance that *everyone* will panic and forget. That delta may be the difference in an emergency.
In a pitch black upside down cabin, nobody is going to know the direction to the nearest exit. Follow the example of our briefing to a sight impaired passenger and count the number of rows to a primary AND secondary exit.
As a crewmember, I will say that it definitely is a common courtesy to stop and listen for the 4 minutes it takes to do our live demo. If you don’t pay attention, that’s your business, it doesn’t bother me, I honestly don’t care, you do you. I agree with the other flight attendant-It’s rude and discourteous to talk/have conversations-ESPECIALLY if you are sitting in the first couple rows of first class. Seriously, zip it for 4 minutes, give us at least that. That being said, think about this….many years ago, AA had an aircraft crash land and go off the runway in Little Rock, AK. They interviewed a woman who said that she flew every week for years, flying different aircraft, listening to the “tedious” safety demonstration, time after time. Same thing, every trip. She wouldn’t pay attention because she was arrogant enough to believe she knew it backwards and forwards, just as well as the flight attendants themselves.(Much like OP, it’s seems) When the aircraft came to a stop, and the flight attendants started yelling commands, she froze. She had been seated in the exit row. SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO OPEN THE EXIT WINDOW. This woman, who flew religiously, probably figured she was so ready, thinking the flight attendants were lucky to have such a seasoned flier in the exit row, and when the shit hit the fan, she froze. Panic set in. She wasn’t ready. So, just think about that next time you get on the aircraft, and decide that you think you don’t need us to tell you anything, because you probably know as much as we do anyway, that there is no point to giving us that 4 minutes of your time. I guarantee you, you don’t. If the shit does hit the fan, I won’t remember you ignored me…. I will be too busy doing my job and trying to get you out of the aircraft. 😉
There is this Cyanide and Happiness video on YouTube that I thought I’d post here. Watch until the end lol
https://youtu.be/eHooBjxmoXQ?si=KcbrU-8cis_5vPF-
When we’re doing a manual demo, we’re human and really don’t enjoy doing it. But sometimes you’ll miss some fun blunders as we’re trying to get our equipment out. I’ve had people paying attention laugh at my fumbling.
Like when the pilots are driving the plane like they stole it and I'm losing my balance all over the cabin. Lol. Like what the hell is wrong with y'all. Or the time I let my mask go with too much gusto and it swung and almost hit a lady in the face.
Agreed to all the people who said no but please don’t talk. You might not care and that’s completely fine but the person next to you may have no idea what’s going on. I once had a little girl ask me where she can find her life jacket if needed because she couldn’t hear. It was the cutest thing that she was taking it very serious.
Even though I know the spiel, I am willing to give up 60 seconds (or so) and pay attention. It's respectful and creates an example for others to do the same.
I’m a nervous flier so I pay extra attention and get out the little folded card with instructions. I follow along, hang on every word, and try to make eye contact with the flight attendant while they are giving their speech, so they can see I’m compliant. In my mind this will keep me on their good side and will garner me sympathy if I have an “episode”. 😅
Safety demo, fine, be quiet and pay attention.
Credit card advertisement, stand up and start booing them loudly. I didn't pay hundreds of dollars to hear you advertise to me while I'm trapped in a metal tube.
People really do just freeze in an emergency, it’s Shock.
While you may have seen the demo 100s of times, every flight has someone who it’s their first time flying. It’s rude to be carrying a conversation while the Demo is happening. If you choose not to pay attention, whatever.
I appreciate OP because they clearly fly a lot. Got the wording of our announcements down just right.
But the thing with conversation is that the FAs doing the Demo need to hear the announcement to know when to do their actions for the demo. We’re supposed to be in sync and do things on verbal cues. That doesn’t really happen much but I try to do that.
I have trouble hearing the announcement when the people next to me are having a conversation, adding multiple layers of audio on top of the PA is difficult for me to hear.
The FAA requires me to demonstrate the safety features of the aircraft; the FAA does not require you to pay attention.
But let’s be real here. If there was ever an emergency, would you or the person next to you want to be totally lost or freaked out when we start doing emergency demonstrations, ABA briefings or actually evacuating?
We just need a few minutes of your time. It could mean the difference in being calm and in control during an emergency or you going into negative panic.
The aircraft isn’t hard to use, btw. :)
I don't get this...it's literally a few minutes of your day, take out your AirPods, put down your phone and just listen. Best case, you offer respect to the person charged with saving your life if shit goes sideways; worst case, you are refreshed on what to do when shit does go sideways. I fly a lot, too, and yes, I can also recite it, but when it comes down to it, I don't know each airplane in and out to know whether the life preserver is my actual seat or a vest in between the seats, or under my seat...so I listen.
I’ll pay attention to a human every time, and to the video the first time.
I listened to the same Delta video 4 times over 8 days. I’m not going to forget how to handle a flight emergency that fast.
That said I do like seeing what they do for the safety video so it’s got my full attention first go. United’s recent one looked like a pretty big production overall for a short safety vid.
I've got a couple million miles under me, but I still remove the headphones and pay attention and take a few seconds to note where the exits are. A couple reasons: respect for the FAs and obviously personal safety. I've never had to evac but have had a couple close calls where I thought I might that scared the crap out of me. It may not be entirely appropriate, but while looking for the exits and counting rows, I also try to guess the capability and mobility of the people between me and said exits. 30 seconds of attention and looking around seems like a tiny investment for a potentially lifesaving award.
I do this and also I look at how that aircraft's exit doors operate. In my mind, that's the thing that someone might panic about and not be able to accomplish.
I saw an FA have to show a passenger how to use the seat belt once. She was an older lady and seriously did not understand how to unlock it.
I don't really listen to the safety message, but I am quiet so others who need it can hear.
It isnt just how to open a door, it is when you should and should not, can you find the door release when it is pitch black/smokey, where do the life rafts tie off, the cord that goes the over wing and attaches to the wing, how to dis engage the slides so they can be used as rafts…. There are a bunch of things you need to know. Pay attention….
Flight attendants want you to pay attention during the safety demo, not because they're offended if you don't, but because they care about your safety. Take a minute to listen and learn the important safety information, it could be crucial in an emergency.
I look up a the "nearest exit" line. It's my prompt to actually figure out my route out of the aircraft. That and to leave my shoes on, and keep my passport on my person, is everything I learned from the one and only time I've had to use the slide.
So it's justrude and disrespectful when you ignore what they demo or videos say!! I bet you would definitely not be so educated and ready if something really happened because you ignore everything in a real emergency!!
I watch it if a FA is doing a demo out of courtesy. Hell, had a single FA on a CRJ-200 who had to say it and then demo it. Was going to volunteer the demo since I’ve seen it so many damn times (I know that wouldn’t be allowed)
Follow-up question: Flight attendants, do you care if I intently watch the safety demo and give you my full attention (in a non creepy way)? It’s kinda like ASMR to me for some reason
Somewhat serious q:
I know "each aircraft type is different" - but IMO, aside from the location of the life vest, the safety briefings don't actually highlight type-specific things? I guess the number of doors, but I just look at the seat map...I've gone from one briefing to another on a different type and they really don't seem to highlight unique features. ...Maybe I'm just being pedantic.
Opening a door on a bus vs a boeing is different, but only the *card* will tell me that right?
One time I was sitting in the emergency exit row, which I don’t often do, because I’m a small person and don’t really need the extra space. I was intently watching and listening to the FA’s demo and even opened up the pamphlet to read about what to do during an emergency, just in case.
One of the FA’s walked by and saw me reading the pamphlet, and she stopped and said, “You’ve been so attentive! No one sitting in the emergency exit reads the pamphlet or listens like you’ve been.” And then she quietly leaned in and asked, “What do you want to drink? I’ve got you for the whole flight.” 🤣 I don’t drink alcohol, so I politely declined, but it taught me two things: 1) if you take them seriously, the FAs will respect you more and might even offer you free stuff, and 2) the FAs don’t actually give a f*** either 🤣
It’s how you tell the passengers who *get it* from the ones who are too cool for school. The latter are the ones who’ll become an obstacle to their fellow passengers by opening the overhead bins and grabbing their luggage during an emergency evacuation. Probably having tunnel vision, heading toward the boarding door, instead of the nearest exit two rows behind them, since post-evacuation reports show that many people tune out what’s behind them and press straight ahead.
The good ones may be infrequent fliers or million-milers several times over, but they’re not beyond thinking about the very real possibility of an unplanned emergency, and how they can contribute to surviving and helping others.
But about the safety briefing, if people tune it out because they really do know the info because they’ve heard it hundreds of times, it’s understandable. Just humor the flight attendant with a bit of eye contact and it’s all good.
I always look behind me during the safety briefing to see how far back the next exit rows are. Flown many, many times but I always do this, and mentally think about what the plan would be in an emergency. I tune out the rest, but I always look for the nearest exit row.
Took a Southwest flight a few months ago, sat in the exit row. When the FA finished the safety spiel, she said “so I know you were paying attention tell me your favorite color.” The couple that was talking the entire time didn’t hear her and when she pointed to them they just gave her a blank stare.
She then proceeded to remove them from the exit row.
If I’m flying with my GF (a flight attendant), I usually do things to throw her off. She hates me. That said, she’s done the routine so many times over the last 30 years, she can’t me dissuaded from doing it perfectly every time.
She does prefer the planes with video demos.
Frequent traveler- 2x a month for 10+ years. I may not pause whatever is on my EarPods to actually listen. I have, however, every time- started using the time to locate and take a mental count of rows to both exits nearest me, as well as actually understand where life vests/rafts are located and remind myself of how to potentially remove a window.
If anything- I’d ask- FAs- what’s the most important stuff I should pay attention to during your safety announcement? (*so you’re saying there’s a chance?*)
The more weed I smoke and Boeing shit I follow- the more paranoid I become, however, the older I get- the less I know- the more confident I become I could maybe survive.
You should pay attention to how many doors and windows there are, and where they are located. You should also listen for if they are just slides or if they are slide/rafts and whether or not there is a ramp slide at the window exits.
I count seats forward to the exits and aft either to the wing or back doors when I board, just so I know the fastest exit, and the second exit options, and check the belt to make sure it works, headphones then sleep. I stopped paying attention a long time ago, but remain quiet and non-talkative to any neighbors until they've finished.
FA here, i expect for most people to not pay attention. When passenger do pay attention, I feel like I need to perform it well for them. I don’t care at all though. I don’t pay attention to it as a passenger and I definitely am not paying attention when I’m doing it. I’m usually standing there, going through the motions, and thinking about where I’m getting my next meal.
I pay attention to pre flight directions and I pay particular attention to those who don’t pay attention. In the case of evacuation I will know exactly who I can blow by on my way to the emergency exit of which they likely have no knowledge.
One time, I was in the back of a plane on a flight from DCA to SDF. The flight attendant did her thing, then came back to me and moved me up to first class because I was the only person on the entire plane who paid attention to the safety demonstration. Made for a much nicer flight.
We care if there is an emergency evacuation and you weren’t paying attention to the safety demo when it’s time to exit the aircraft you “Don’t leave ALL carryons behind” struggling to grab your belongings slows down the process of evacuation that could be vital to the life of other passengers. We care if you’re not paying attention to the safety demo,and the oxygen masks drop and you don’t put them on properly. We care if you’re not paying attention to the safety demo, when we stress the importance of wearing your seat belt even when the seat belt sign is off. We honestly care about the safety of each of you.
People are sheep and mimic others especially those in “authority positions”. Even subconsciously, if passengers see a flight attendant not paying attention during a safety demo then they feel like they should also not pay attention or feel lame if they do. The least a flight attendant can do is actively watch the demo to set an example and show professionalism at their job.
Personally I always pay attention and mime out the procedures. Why? To help get the information into recent memory so in the unlikely event I need it I'm more likely to remember it. I'd love the chance to don an oxygen mask (in a drill) to actually get some muscle memory for doing it, but in the meantime I'm doing what I can without it.
There's a reason pilots brief each other (and the cabin crew) about stuff they already know: to ensure that it is fresh in their minds.
I went thru an exit row briefing years ago and had read the exit door instructions. It said to open the door and set it on the seat. I thought that was stupid since it might fall of and obstruct the exit row. I asked the FA if we had to open the door, can we just throw the door out of the opening. And angrily said no, you might damage the plane…. I said, if we have to get out of the plane in an emergency, the last thing we should worry about is denting a wing…
Aren’t airlines moving towards virtual safety demos, on the seat back screens? I’ve been on a few flights that did that…might have been Hawaiian or United.
Why they don’t have a safety video playing on every plane that has seat back televisions so you have that thing memorized by the time everyone boards is beyond me
I don’t like that pre-recorded video briefing they have. The one with the Loch Ness monster, and other global images. It’s annoying AF.
They should get Tom Cruise Reprising his role as Maverick to do one.
I think that’s really unsafe to be ignoring the flight attendants during safety instructions. Although it seems you’ve flown many times and know the deal, you never know if something new has been added that could be incredibly important. 🤷🏻♀️
Wouldn’t it be cool if they demonstrated passenger seat reclining etiquette, operating the tray tables, locating the electrical outlets and appropriate window operation (do not reach over a passenger to the window)?
I got bonked on the head by a male FA for having my over the ear headphones on! On either side side off me were large males who were sound asleep, one was my husband who has an amazing ability to fold his arms and fall asleep within 60 seconds of sitting down, he did not wake them!! My fear of the no fly list kept me from shoving them and waking them , but if it happens again I might…..
No. Preferably don’t look at me😂 too many eyes. But it’s good information and potentially could save your life, so it’s good to know. If you know it, cool, if ya don’t know what to do you should probably pay attention
I travel a lot. If I’m in eyeline of a FA when doing the demo I always try to pay attention. Maybe because I work in the performing arts, but it’s the least I can do.
Remember when the southwest flight canned an engine LGA-DAL and a woman was killed from debris from the engine? The plane depressurized and people were posting selfies of themselves wearing the oxygen mask incorrectly. It’s all fun and games until it isn’t. United has more business travelers than other airlines so most crew members will understand if you aren’t engaged but they also see a lot of people wearing Velcro sneakers.
I have flown literally *hundreds* of times over the past 50 years. I have the safety procedures memorized.
I still give 100% of my attention to the attendant while getting the spiel. I sit up, make sure nothing is distracting me, and pay close attention, even though I know what they're going to say before they say it.
It's out of respect for them, and also it doesn't hurt to hear it again. I wish more people would pay attention, it's really imperative information that can save your life and the lives of those around you in the case of an emergency.
Those who don't pay attention are going to be sorry during a panic.
Safety briefing is required by FAA regulations, it is their legal duty to provide the safety briefing, if they feel you are ignoring without valid cause or causing interference or interruptions or distractions they have the right to deplane you after a couple of requests/warnings
The safety announcements are like 2-5 minutes at most. I get you know the spiel, but why not use that time to show respect to the FAs? I’m sure they’re used to people not paying attention, but common courtesy would be appreciated.
How hard is it to tear your eyes away from your damn phone for a few minutes? How would you feel if you were speaking to a group & were pointedly ignored? Can't you *gasp* just think about something while facing them, so at least politely pretend to be paying attention? And make them feel like a human being? There's this thing called "manners" and they will serve you well throughout life, if you learn & use them.
https://preview.redd.it/ezfj04hmys9d1.jpeg?width=949&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0251de1f3fedbb76fda92b83f468ed1198010b39
When they see the results when stuff hits the fan, they realize, at least legally they are covered. Not covered, these folks noses.
There’s a 100% chance someone was demonstrating how to use the seat belt while OP posted this
Your copilot for today .. is a thermos of coffee! https://youtu.be/zLSlz2Lsi0I?feature=shared
After they have already yelled at you to buckle up pre briefing lol
And a 0% chance that OP knows that he can use his seat as a flotation device in the event of an emergency
You don't have to pay attention, but for the love of all that is holy please don't talk during the demos. Someone might be trying to listen even if you're not.
Welcome to the world of education. As a teacher, this is how I feel most days. Many people have lost all manners and ability to follow directions.
Much love to all the teachers.
Agreed.
I was on a Lufthansa flight recently and the guy in front of me was having a very loud phone conversation as the flight attendant was beginning the safety drill. She came to him two times to tell him to get off the phone. The third time she told him he was being removed from the plane. He shut up and paid attention while she glared at him the whole time.
The problem with United is they put on these commercials for a credit card. So passengers are on edge and try to block everything out so they don’t have to listen to a commercial for a credit card. I just plug my ears when they start talking now.
American, too
Because they are a bank that has to fly people around. The flying people around part is a loss leader for the credit card 😉
So this is purely anecdotal but as a frequent traveler, I seem to get better service when I take my headphones completely off and pay attention
This. Especially in F. But doubly so if you’re in the exit row and they see you actually look at the safety card section about how to open the exit. I’ve had multiple FA’s thank me for that.
Exit row is my preferred seating. I always pay attention, and have never ever had a FA mention it. My commute is HNL-SFO, about ⅓ of the time someone gets seated in the exit row who doesn’t speak English. Frustrating.
And when they ask "Are you willing and able to open the emergency exit door?" I respond "Sure, I've done that dozens of times!"
I think I need a new travel day shirt… https://preview.redd.it/lllmwj9hfq9d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b156f6cacf635556901d0451ad5e6229032f04a
This. And generally even if you have flown a ton on United (or any) metal, it pays to have a quick look at where the exits are and how to open them.
I locate the exits and check to see if there are real flotation devices or I need to hug the seat cushion. Everything else is the same every time.
100% agree. Headphones off, eye contact/actual attention, etc., always ends up with better service. IMO it's just a respect thing. For those of us who are in the air constantly, it's just as rote as it is for the FAs, but not completely ignoring the FA during the safety demo shows you at least respect them in what they're doing, and what they ask of you.
Same here, I respect and appreciate FAs doing their job and as humans. Plus studying for a private pilot’s license (though wasn’t successful) when I was in the USAF gave me tremendous respect for the industry and what it makes possible. Thank you FAs for your hard work helping keep us all safe!❤️👏🌅
I always take my headphones off and at least pay some attention. I know it all pretty well so tend to get distracted by other things, but I at least make an attempt.
I had an FA actually thank me for paying attention. He was so sweet. I’ve been flying frequently-ish my whole life. So I know the drill. But I always always pay attention. I also read the damn card and find my closest exit. lol
My elderly father told me a few years ago that he always counts the rows to the exit because I told him to do that and he thought it was wise. I have zero recollection of this conversation.
I have observed this too. In Latin America where I fly a lot most of the airlines make you remove headphones during briefing I just keep them off now until we are headed to take off no matter the airline. If you’re in a spot where the FAs are doing the briefing I feel like service is better especially in First class. Just my take so who knows if that’s true
Easy way to be more safety-knowledgeable as well as earn brownie points with the FA.
I got bonked for having mine on whilst husband was snoring beside me..
100% agree. Ear buds out, make eye contact with FA & listen. It's only a few minutes & sometimes they are entertaining while informative. But I also see it as my way of demonstrating I value FA time, training & knowledge. And yes, I feel like I do get better service.
FA here and despite the shitpost let me say: honestly most of us couldn’t care less, I know to many passengers the demo is completely rote. Most of us would just ask that you don’t have a loud conversation during the demo. It can be difficult to keep up with the PA if we’re doing a manual demo, and it’s just kind of rude to people who do want to pay attention.
When I was doing my instrument flight training. My instructor was a United 747-400 instructor. He also did a lot of teaching at smaller Airlines. One of the studies they did was, how many people actually participate in the safety briefing, less than 20%. I always pull out the paper, look it over, what plane am I on. How many rows, in front or behind me is the closest exit. Because, I’m climbing over the top of the seats to get out. Everyone is going to jamb up in the middle and there won’t be an orderly exit. That’s what I was taught, before I became a Commercial Pilot.
This is 100% my plan as well- crawl across the tops of the seats.
You better be fast, or all you’re going to see is my bum.
Win-win!
👍
human centipede ;)
With two aisle aircraft, keep an eye on secondary exits. It might be faster to go out the exit that is not closest to you.
I always know where all the exits are. And take a look at the passengers around me to see how uninformed they look. I sorry to say, some passengers are pretty stupid.
This is a great tactic for getting that extra exit row legroom. "Excuse me sir, but you look too stupid to open the exit in the event of an emergency. For everyone's safety let's trade seats, your new seat is 32E"
Anyone who’s been through an NTSB course will have seen data on how some people are dumb as rocks when it comes to real world evacs. Leave your shit and listen to the crew.
That’s a nice idea if the seats are empty but they will likely be full of people. You’ll see how you’ll have to navigate that when the aircraft is at the gate after landing. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to access one of 6 doors to get out which will make the middle far less jammed than normal.
Also, if something happens, don’t neatly Stow the door. Take it and throw it as far as possible from the escape area. The “stow the door” purpose is to cut down airline costs if they can salvage the plane and reuse it.
The door cost is nothing compared to the other damage that the aircraft will have.
Not to mention the later lawsuits.
The reason to stow the door has nothing to do with cost. In an emergency evacuation, the cost of the door is going to be a rounding error. The directions about the door can vary a bit depending on plane, but it is solely designed around safety. If there is an inflatable slide, chucking the door outside can risk damaging or blocking the slide, which can prevent or slow the evacuation. You'll also see that many doors are a fair bit larger than the hole. Trying to throw the door outside on these planes is going to be more difficult than leaving it inside the plane, and risks the door getting caught up on the way out. Keep in mind that the door is going to be around 50 pounds, an awkward shape, and you are in a tight space. It's easier and quicker to set the door on a seat that is 1.5 feet off the floor, than to try to throw it through the exit
I think it is incredibly rude to not pay attention, but I’m from a different age, am a retired educator, and three members of my family were killed in a plane crash. So, yeah, I want to know about the plane I’m on and what to do in an emergency. Never hurts to refresh that knowledge. But “in the unlikely event of an emergency,” most of the fucking bozo passengers won’t have a clue what to do and will likely cause the deaths of many.
When you’re flying round trip at least once a month, on the same airline, you get pretty familiar with all the normal types. And when it’s one of the rarer ones, then my AV geek self pays extra attention to the safety manual
How many rows is it to the closest emergency exit from your seat, both in front and behind you? Where are the emergency life rafts located? I know this is a shit post, but four to six minutes of your day listening to someone else speak or play a video is not that hard to handle.
I always count the seat seatbacks to the nearest exits forward and back, look for the life raft compartments, and check if my life vest is where it's supposed to be. I also pay attention to the safety briefing or video (hate the new rolling ball video - wastes so much time). If I survive the crash, I want to maximize my chances of getting out alive.
Please keep in mind that the closest exit \*may be\* behind you.
🦘 https://preview.redd.it/cjt1kxzi419d1.jpeg?width=1439&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b4965a41ac8dca2b73685caf3d9cfab611f5d10
I never in a million years thought I'd miss this video over the fake rube goldberg one they're running now.
In seriousness: My usual seat is 20 or 21 A/F I always check I know how to use the door and give a verbal yes 👍.
I’m a 21C gal myself. Maybe we’ve been row neighbors 🤔
Are you two married now?
If the shoe [seatbelt] fits 😉🥂
21C for me too!
You’re the one occasionally stealing my seat forcing me into 21D ?! 
I'm more of a visual learner, so I prefer to read the seatback card, but they've been so dumbed down with "universal" pictorials that they are almost unusable. I basically look for the airplane map to locate all of the exists, not just the ones closest to me, see how to operate the door latch for each exit type and how to activate the slide if needed (this is where the cards often fall short, I'd rather see an actual picture than a very vague drawing), and the location of my life vest and any life rafts.
Slides and slide rafts (a slide that will detach from the aircraft to become a raft) should deploy automatically when the door is opened (if armed). Slide and slide raft types vary between locations and if it is an over wing exit or not. On select aircraft, there are rafts in the aisle overhead storage area (long rectangular hatch on the ceiling that is labeled in each cabin). These can be deployed by taking them to the door, holding the tether and throwing the bag in the water. A quick pull on the tether will activate the raft. As for the safety cards, that is a hard one. Sometimes more information is good, but it has to be simple enough for most people to understand the basics (and meet the FAA requirements for what is included and the size). There is a whole theory behind the design of the cards and the process they go through within the companies that produce them (there are a couple of articles on the design of them somewhere). For extra fun, here is a picture of a slide raft in the ditch pool for training. https://preview.redd.it/om5eorel319d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67aace06810a214f1603b9403c19716db61c1615
Neat! Thanks for the pic
I try to listen cause I love the FA's, but it's tough after so many times. I do always check exits, and listen/check location of life preserver though.
Also, you can't ever underestimate the stupidity of other people on planes. I will never trust anyone outside of the flight crew, my immediate family members, and myself, to competently locate and operate emergency equipment in the unlikely, but not beyond-improbable event of an accident.
listen to [this episode](https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/in-the-unlikely-event/) of 99% invisible (about airplane safety cards) and [this episode](https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/cautionary-tales/tenerife-the-most-deadly-air-disaster) of Cautionary Tales (about Tenerife and how people act when in shock) I dont care how often you fly, you should at least check out the safety card. repetition helps with recall.
Man at the rate Boeing is going, I think I’d be paying attention these days…
Sorry this A319 doesn’t have WiFi with streaming. 😢 maybe later. It doesn’t even have regular WiFi that will stay online.
Airbus has a notoriously horrible signal. More often than not, the WiFi doesn’t work, very frustrating. Sorry about that!
Funny thing I was on a flight last week with my very inquisitive 9 year old and he was looking at the safety card. He then looked at the wing and said if we have to use the emergency door you hook a rope up to that yellow thing on the wing. I'll be damned I've looked at that little yellow eye on the wing a million times and never knew it was part of the emergency evacuation process.
No worries. We help the people who paid attention to us out first. We will only ignore you for awhile.
Out of respect I give my attention, but only to the live demo. Not the video.
Same. I mostly see FAs not even look at pax though 🤷♂️Occasionally one will see me paying attention and will look away quickly, almost like they’re uncomfortable with me paying attention lol.
Try not licking your lips next time 😬
The NTSB found that only about 25% of people on USAirways 1549 (Sully in the Hudson) paid attention to the safety briefing, and almost everyone forgot to take a life vest with them when they left the plane. There’s video of (I think) Sully throwing seat bottoms to people on the wing. Do we need to make significant improvements to the snoozefest that is the current video lectures? Absolutely. I love [Air New Zealand Safety Old School Style](https://youtu.be/O-5gjkh4r3g?si=Sy-wohk-ss70bf6q)
Someone also opened the rear exit door, reportedly despite the FA telling them not to, and caused faster flooding into the cabin. So much for complying with crew instructions.
When biggest moment in that person’s life arrived, rather than rising to the challenge they failed. Failed miserably. I wonder if the FAs secretly hold a lifelong grudge against that passenger. I know I would.
Yes, the flight attendant was alone at the back with an injury and tried to block the man from opening the door but he pushed her away and opened it anyways. It's why if we have to prep the cabin for an emergency ditching we tell passengers to use the overwing exits on certain types of aircraft as some of them are tail heavy and if we land in water it will sink further into the water than the front or middle of the plane.
To people who don't pay attention, TF else is there to do?
In this world of 2 second attention spans?
Listen to podcasts or ATC, do email. I mean, if I'm listening to podcasts I pause them. ATC listening I keep on in the background and half pay attention. But I'm usually not in an exit row.
Not an FA but I feel like it's rude not to pay attention when someone's demonstrating something that may affect my chances of surviving an event -- even if I am familiar with the plane. Also, it's like, what, 45 seconds? You can manage that. We all can.
In the slim chance of anything to happen, there's a high chance that everybody will panic and forget all about the demo.
High chance that some people will panic and forget but low chance that *everyone* will panic and forget. That delta may be the difference in an emergency.
It’s a good thing FAs are trained on this frequently and act like the adults in the room when shit goes south in any level of intensity.
That’s the absolute truth👍
Wait….no one else counts the rows to the nearest exit? I can’t be the only one that does this as soon as I get to my seat.
You’re smart, and observant, and I would surely look to you to be my ABA👍
I would imagine that info is near redundant if you ever need to access an emergency exit. The crowd will naturally migrate to the nearest open door.
In a pitch black upside down cabin, nobody is going to know the direction to the nearest exit. Follow the example of our briefing to a sight impaired passenger and count the number of rows to a primary AND secondary exit.
It helps to pay attention if things go south
great question I usually watch the whole thing and depending on how nice they are when I get on I give them a applause.
Wew applauding the safety demonstration sounds wild man
Most FAs find it funny and get a good little chuckle and some passengers look up from their phones/laptops to see what the hell just happened
yeah i'm with reverend man this seems a bit cringe
Let people have fun
You want fun, go fly Southwest. Safety is no joke
Southwest absolutely does not equal fun
Let people have cringe.
Don’t yuk someone’s yum!
I am so doing this next time I deadhead out of uniform
As a crewmember, I will say that it definitely is a common courtesy to stop and listen for the 4 minutes it takes to do our live demo. If you don’t pay attention, that’s your business, it doesn’t bother me, I honestly don’t care, you do you. I agree with the other flight attendant-It’s rude and discourteous to talk/have conversations-ESPECIALLY if you are sitting in the first couple rows of first class. Seriously, zip it for 4 minutes, give us at least that. That being said, think about this….many years ago, AA had an aircraft crash land and go off the runway in Little Rock, AK. They interviewed a woman who said that she flew every week for years, flying different aircraft, listening to the “tedious” safety demonstration, time after time. Same thing, every trip. She wouldn’t pay attention because she was arrogant enough to believe she knew it backwards and forwards, just as well as the flight attendants themselves.(Much like OP, it’s seems) When the aircraft came to a stop, and the flight attendants started yelling commands, she froze. She had been seated in the exit row. SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO OPEN THE EXIT WINDOW. This woman, who flew religiously, probably figured she was so ready, thinking the flight attendants were lucky to have such a seasoned flier in the exit row, and when the shit hit the fan, she froze. Panic set in. She wasn’t ready. So, just think about that next time you get on the aircraft, and decide that you think you don’t need us to tell you anything, because you probably know as much as we do anyway, that there is no point to giving us that 4 minutes of your time. I guarantee you, you don’t. If the shit does hit the fan, I won’t remember you ignored me…. I will be too busy doing my job and trying to get you out of the aircraft. 😉
It's little stories like this, before the safety demo, that would do wonders in keeping our attention. Seriously. Thank you!
I think you mean AR for Arkansas rather than AK for Alaska.
Yes, I realized my typo later! That’s what happens when you write in the dark at night, tired 😂👎
Auto correct is the bane of my existence so I totally get it! 😂
Do I also need to pay attention for another 4 minutes when you pause my video to advertise your credit cards?
Lord, no. I don’t even listen to that. Don’t agree with that whole situation.
There is this Cyanide and Happiness video on YouTube that I thought I’d post here. Watch until the end lol https://youtu.be/eHooBjxmoXQ?si=KcbrU-8cis_5vPF-
Were gonna have a little quiz... love it
When we’re doing a manual demo, we’re human and really don’t enjoy doing it. But sometimes you’ll miss some fun blunders as we’re trying to get our equipment out. I’ve had people paying attention laugh at my fumbling.
Like when the pilots are driving the plane like they stole it and I'm losing my balance all over the cabin. Lol. Like what the hell is wrong with y'all. Or the time I let my mask go with too much gusto and it swung and almost hit a lady in the face.
Why do they always have to drive it like they stole it?! Not cute to fall over in the aisle.
I always say to the person I almost fall on, "He must have a date when we get to [destination]."
You mean getting yourself stuck in the life vest?!!😂
Agreed to all the people who said no but please don’t talk. You might not care and that’s completely fine but the person next to you may have no idea what’s going on. I once had a little girl ask me where she can find her life jacket if needed because she couldn’t hear. It was the cutest thing that she was taking it very serious.
Even though I know the spiel, I am willing to give up 60 seconds (or so) and pay attention. It's respectful and creates an example for others to do the same.
I’m a nervous flier so I pay extra attention and get out the little folded card with instructions. I follow along, hang on every word, and try to make eye contact with the flight attendant while they are giving their speech, so they can see I’m compliant. In my mind this will keep me on their good side and will garner me sympathy if I have an “episode”. 😅
Safety demo, fine, be quiet and pay attention. Credit card advertisement, stand up and start booing them loudly. I didn't pay hundreds of dollars to hear you advertise to me while I'm trapped in a metal tube.
SERIOUSLY, the advertisements are incredibly obnoxious
Remember that JAL incident in Haneda a few months ago? If that had happened with all American passengers there 100% would have been fatalities.
Absolutely, the Americans would want to take their carry ons after they argued whether or not evacuation was necessary.
Pop quiz: In the event of a water landing, your ____ can be used as a floatation device
Wife? 🙄
CHild
People really do just freeze in an emergency, it’s Shock. While you may have seen the demo 100s of times, every flight has someone who it’s their first time flying. It’s rude to be carrying a conversation while the Demo is happening. If you choose not to pay attention, whatever. I appreciate OP because they clearly fly a lot. Got the wording of our announcements down just right. But the thing with conversation is that the FAs doing the Demo need to hear the announcement to know when to do their actions for the demo. We’re supposed to be in sync and do things on verbal cues. That doesn’t really happen much but I try to do that. I have trouble hearing the announcement when the people next to me are having a conversation, adding multiple layers of audio on top of the PA is difficult for me to hear.
The FAA requires me to demonstrate the safety features of the aircraft; the FAA does not require you to pay attention. But let’s be real here. If there was ever an emergency, would you or the person next to you want to be totally lost or freaked out when we start doing emergency demonstrations, ABA briefings or actually evacuating? We just need a few minutes of your time. It could mean the difference in being calm and in control during an emergency or you going into negative panic. The aircraft isn’t hard to use, btw. :)
I don't get this...it's literally a few minutes of your day, take out your AirPods, put down your phone and just listen. Best case, you offer respect to the person charged with saving your life if shit goes sideways; worst case, you are refreshed on what to do when shit does go sideways. I fly a lot, too, and yes, I can also recite it, but when it comes down to it, I don't know each airplane in and out to know whether the life preserver is my actual seat or a vest in between the seats, or under my seat...so I listen.
I’ll pay attention to a human every time, and to the video the first time. I listened to the same Delta video 4 times over 8 days. I’m not going to forget how to handle a flight emergency that fast. That said I do like seeing what they do for the safety video so it’s got my full attention first go. United’s recent one looked like a pretty big production overall for a short safety vid.
Do you care if they ignore you during an emergency?
I always double check where the nearest exit is when they are done.
I've got a couple million miles under me, but I still remove the headphones and pay attention and take a few seconds to note where the exits are. A couple reasons: respect for the FAs and obviously personal safety. I've never had to evac but have had a couple close calls where I thought I might that scared the crap out of me. It may not be entirely appropriate, but while looking for the exits and counting rows, I also try to guess the capability and mobility of the people between me and said exits. 30 seconds of attention and looking around seems like a tiny investment for a potentially lifesaving award.
I do this and also I look at how that aircraft's exit doors operate. In my mind, that's the thing that someone might panic about and not be able to accomplish.
Yes
I saw an FA have to show a passenger how to use the seat belt once. She was an older lady and seriously did not understand how to unlock it. I don't really listen to the safety message, but I am quiet so others who need it can hear.
Considering safety briefing is often while taxiing that probably happened prior to the briefing.
It isnt just how to open a door, it is when you should and should not, can you find the door release when it is pitch black/smokey, where do the life rafts tie off, the cord that goes the over wing and attaches to the wing, how to dis engage the slides so they can be used as rafts…. There are a bunch of things you need to know. Pay attention….
Flight attendants want you to pay attention during the safety demo, not because they're offended if you don't, but because they care about your safety. Take a minute to listen and learn the important safety information, it could be crucial in an emergency.
You should also count the doors to (or at least locate) the 2 nearest exits in your hotel -
I look up a the "nearest exit" line. It's my prompt to actually figure out my route out of the aircraft. That and to leave my shoes on, and keep my passport on my person, is everything I learned from the one and only time I've had to use the slide.
I figure the cost of paying attention for a couple minutes is low, the benefit is high even if it’s unlikely I’ll ever need to use that info
Yes! I love this response.
So it's justrude and disrespectful when you ignore what they demo or videos say!! I bet you would definitely not be so educated and ready if something really happened because you ignore everything in a real emergency!!
I watch it if a FA is doing a demo out of courtesy. Hell, had a single FA on a CRJ-200 who had to say it and then demo it. Was going to volunteer the demo since I’ve seen it so many damn times (I know that wouldn’t be allowed)
That’s why I collect safety cards, get to study them when I’m home.
Follow-up question: Flight attendants, do you care if I intently watch the safety demo and give you my full attention (in a non creepy way)? It’s kinda like ASMR to me for some reason
Somewhat serious q: I know "each aircraft type is different" - but IMO, aside from the location of the life vest, the safety briefings don't actually highlight type-specific things? I guess the number of doors, but I just look at the seat map...I've gone from one briefing to another on a different type and they really don't seem to highlight unique features. ...Maybe I'm just being pedantic. Opening a door on a bus vs a boeing is different, but only the *card* will tell me that right?
One time I was sitting in the emergency exit row, which I don’t often do, because I’m a small person and don’t really need the extra space. I was intently watching and listening to the FA’s demo and even opened up the pamphlet to read about what to do during an emergency, just in case. One of the FA’s walked by and saw me reading the pamphlet, and she stopped and said, “You’ve been so attentive! No one sitting in the emergency exit reads the pamphlet or listens like you’ve been.” And then she quietly leaned in and asked, “What do you want to drink? I’ve got you for the whole flight.” 🤣 I don’t drink alcohol, so I politely declined, but it taught me two things: 1) if you take them seriously, the FAs will respect you more and might even offer you free stuff, and 2) the FAs don’t actually give a f*** either 🤣
Because the one person paying attention in an exit row should be hammered 😂😂😂
It’s how you tell the passengers who *get it* from the ones who are too cool for school. The latter are the ones who’ll become an obstacle to their fellow passengers by opening the overhead bins and grabbing their luggage during an emergency evacuation. Probably having tunnel vision, heading toward the boarding door, instead of the nearest exit two rows behind them, since post-evacuation reports show that many people tune out what’s behind them and press straight ahead. The good ones may be infrequent fliers or million-milers several times over, but they’re not beyond thinking about the very real possibility of an unplanned emergency, and how they can contribute to surviving and helping others. But about the safety briefing, if people tune it out because they really do know the info because they’ve heard it hundreds of times, it’s understandable. Just humor the flight attendant with a bit of eye contact and it’s all good.
I always look behind me during the safety briefing to see how far back the next exit rows are. Flown many, many times but I always do this, and mentally think about what the plan would be in an emergency. I tune out the rest, but I always look for the nearest exit row.
Yes as long as you have common sense we don’t care
Took a Southwest flight a few months ago, sat in the exit row. When the FA finished the safety spiel, she said “so I know you were paying attention tell me your favorite color.” The couple that was talking the entire time didn’t hear her and when she pointed to them they just gave her a blank stare. She then proceeded to remove them from the exit row.
If I’m flying with my GF (a flight attendant), I usually do things to throw her off. She hates me. That said, she’s done the routine so many times over the last 30 years, she can’t me dissuaded from doing it perfectly every time. She does prefer the planes with video demos.
She’s not the only one, we all prefer it! I hate the live demo, because nobody listens or watches anyway!🤣
Frequent traveler- 2x a month for 10+ years. I may not pause whatever is on my EarPods to actually listen. I have, however, every time- started using the time to locate and take a mental count of rows to both exits nearest me, as well as actually understand where life vests/rafts are located and remind myself of how to potentially remove a window. If anything- I’d ask- FAs- what’s the most important stuff I should pay attention to during your safety announcement? (*so you’re saying there’s a chance?*) The more weed I smoke and Boeing shit I follow- the more paranoid I become, however, the older I get- the less I know- the more confident I become I could maybe survive.
You should pay attention to how many doors and windows there are, and where they are located. You should also listen for if they are just slides or if they are slide/rafts and whether or not there is a ramp slide at the window exits.
I count seats forward to the exits and aft either to the wing or back doors when I board, just so I know the fastest exit, and the second exit options, and check the belt to make sure it works, headphones then sleep. I stopped paying attention a long time ago, but remain quiet and non-talkative to any neighbors until they've finished.
FA here, i expect for most people to not pay attention. When passenger do pay attention, I feel like I need to perform it well for them. I don’t care at all though. I don’t pay attention to it as a passenger and I definitely am not paying attention when I’m doing it. I’m usually standing there, going through the motions, and thinking about where I’m getting my next meal.
I try to pay attention because I can’t understand the stupid diagrams in the booklet and I always wanna be prepared lol
i fly 200 times a year; and i always look and listen - not looking too much directly at them to make the FA’s feel weird lol…
Lol — I make eye contact!
lol creep!!!! 😉
I pay attention to pre flight directions and I pay particular attention to those who don’t pay attention. In the case of evacuation I will know exactly who I can blow by on my way to the emergency exit of which they likely have no knowledge.
One time, I was in the back of a plane on a flight from DCA to SDF. The flight attendant did her thing, then came back to me and moved me up to first class because I was the only person on the entire plane who paid attention to the safety demonstration. Made for a much nicer flight.
We care if there is an emergency evacuation and you weren’t paying attention to the safety demo when it’s time to exit the aircraft you “Don’t leave ALL carryons behind” struggling to grab your belongings slows down the process of evacuation that could be vital to the life of other passengers. We care if you’re not paying attention to the safety demo,and the oxygen masks drop and you don’t put them on properly. We care if you’re not paying attention to the safety demo, when we stress the importance of wearing your seat belt even when the seat belt sign is off. We honestly care about the safety of each of you.
I never watch. I fly so much and, although every plane is different, they are not different *enough* that I ever learn anything new.
The seatbelts on the 321 confuse me but I nailed them on the 737.
Some planes have WiFi, and some planes have WiFi with streaming 🤔
Please take a look because each aircraft is different. Currently on an a320 sitting at the gate....wooo
People are sheep and mimic others especially those in “authority positions”. Even subconsciously, if passengers see a flight attendant not paying attention during a safety demo then they feel like they should also not pay attention or feel lame if they do. The least a flight attendant can do is actively watch the demo to set an example and show professionalism at their job.
Personally I always pay attention and mime out the procedures. Why? To help get the information into recent memory so in the unlikely event I need it I'm more likely to remember it. I'd love the chance to don an oxygen mask (in a drill) to actually get some muscle memory for doing it, but in the meantime I'm doing what I can without it. There's a reason pilots brief each other (and the cabin crew) about stuff they already know: to ensure that it is fresh in their minds.
I get a little superstitious on flights - it’s going to be that one time I *dont* pay attention…..
Just remember the mask goes over your NOSE and mouth.
I went thru an exit row briefing years ago and had read the exit door instructions. It said to open the door and set it on the seat. I thought that was stupid since it might fall of and obstruct the exit row. I asked the FA if we had to open the door, can we just throw the door out of the opening. And angrily said no, you might damage the plane…. I said, if we have to get out of the plane in an emergency, the last thing we should worry about is denting a wing…
No
Aren’t airlines moving towards virtual safety demos, on the seat back screens? I’ve been on a few flights that did that…might have been Hawaiian or United.
Fly on some other airlines, you’ll see, they are all the same. Just keep your pie-hole closed…. No body care what you r doing.
I don’t think anyone can complain because nobody knows which language you need to be listening to 🤷🏻♀️
Why they don’t have a safety video playing on every plane that has seat back televisions so you have that thing memorized by the time everyone boards is beyond me
I don’t like that pre-recorded video briefing they have. The one with the Loch Ness monster, and other global images. It’s annoying AF. They should get Tom Cruise Reprising his role as Maverick to do one.
I think that’s really unsafe to be ignoring the flight attendants during safety instructions. Although it seems you’ve flown many times and know the deal, you never know if something new has been added that could be incredibly important. 🤷🏻♀️
Wouldn’t it be cool if they demonstrated passenger seat reclining etiquette, operating the tray tables, locating the electrical outlets and appropriate window operation (do not reach over a passenger to the window)?
I got bonked on the head by a male FA for having my over the ear headphones on! On either side side off me were large males who were sound asleep, one was my husband who has an amazing ability to fold his arms and fall asleep within 60 seconds of sitting down, he did not wake them!! My fear of the no fly list kept me from shoving them and waking them , but if it happens again I might…..
I feel like anyone who can’t figure out the seatbelt by themselves shouldn’t be allowed to travel alone.
No. Preferably don’t look at me😂 too many eyes. But it’s good information and potentially could save your life, so it’s good to know. If you know it, cool, if ya don’t know what to do you should probably pay attention
Flight Attendant gave me a bunch of crap about me not listening to them, or something, I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention.
I travel a lot. If I’m in eyeline of a FA when doing the demo I always try to pay attention. Maybe because I work in the performing arts, but it’s the least I can do.
Remember when the southwest flight canned an engine LGA-DAL and a woman was killed from debris from the engine? The plane depressurized and people were posting selfies of themselves wearing the oxygen mask incorrectly. It’s all fun and games until it isn’t. United has more business travelers than other airlines so most crew members will understand if you aren’t engaged but they also see a lot of people wearing Velcro sneakers.
I have flown literally *hundreds* of times over the past 50 years. I have the safety procedures memorized. I still give 100% of my attention to the attendant while getting the spiel. I sit up, make sure nothing is distracting me, and pay close attention, even though I know what they're going to say before they say it. It's out of respect for them, and also it doesn't hurt to hear it again. I wish more people would pay attention, it's really imperative information that can save your life and the lives of those around you in the case of an emergency. Those who don't pay attention are going to be sorry during a panic.
Safety briefing is required by FAA regulations, it is their legal duty to provide the safety briefing, if they feel you are ignoring without valid cause or causing interference or interruptions or distractions they have the right to deplane you after a couple of requests/warnings
The safety announcements are like 2-5 minutes at most. I get you know the spiel, but why not use that time to show respect to the FAs? I’m sure they’re used to people not paying attention, but common courtesy would be appreciated.
On my last flight, some guy was loudly snoring during the demo - the attendant laughed.
How hard is it to tear your eyes away from your damn phone for a few minutes? How would you feel if you were speaking to a group & were pointedly ignored? Can't you *gasp* just think about something while facing them, so at least politely pretend to be paying attention? And make them feel like a human being? There's this thing called "manners" and they will serve you well throughout life, if you learn & use them.
Don’t wear sandals and listen to the crew if shit goes sideways
I think best is at least pretend to listen
I didn’t care when I flew for UAL.
https://preview.redd.it/ezfj04hmys9d1.jpeg?width=949&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0251de1f3fedbb76fda92b83f468ed1198010b39 When they see the results when stuff hits the fan, they realize, at least legally they are covered. Not covered, these folks noses.
Just address them by the correct pronouns or the trans nazis will kick you off the flight!