I recently flew from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco on an American Airlines flight. I can only say that it was an OK (**) experience. Here are a few
comments of the experience.

Is it really necessary to sensor the word “SEX” on CBS entertainment in First and Coach on an AA flight? This occurred during an episode of “2 1/2 Men.” The first time I
thought it was a technical problem. When it happened a second and third time I realized
the situation. After flying BA and Qantas during Christmas I could only laugh at the
situation. Don’t expect any “GP” , “R” or topless women on AA entertainment.

Is it really necessary for AA to charge $2 for earphones on a Trans-Pacific flight? Don’t get me wrong, $2 is cheap, so why charge it for a 14-hour flight. It only creates a bad rap.

Is it really necessary to announce that this is a non-smoking flight. This has been the
policy for 25 years in the United States. Perhaps they should announce that it is illegal for Wally to dance naked in the isle of the plane.

Is it really necessary to announce 40 minutes before landing that it is time to prepare for landing; that it is necessary to bring the tray table to the upright position, fasten the seatbelt, and bring the chair upright? Does it take 40 minutes to get ready for a landing?

Is it really necessary to have the “fasten seat belt sign” (well you expected me to write this) on at 8:40 a.m. when the plane doesn’t have a departure time until 9:00 a.m. How long does it take to fasten a seatbelt? How can I be expected to take this sign seriously when I’m the first person to walk on the plane and it’s already on. Wouldn’t it make more sense to wait until everyone in my row has sat down before buckeling the belt?

Is it really necessary to keep the fasten seat belt sign on for the first 30 minutes of the flight. This seemed to be the situation on AA as it took 30 minutes to reach the crusing altitude of 30,000 feet--even during a smooth flight. If there is any “wiggle” in the sky, the fasten seat-belt sign came on and it stayed on for the duration of the flight.

Is it really necessary to announce every four minutes that “This is a security
announcement. Cars left unattendant could be fined $250. The loud announcement took
40 seconds--every 4 minutes at the Ft. Lauderdale airport.

Is it really necessary for Burger King to charge $11.00 for a BK combo at the LAX
airport? I guess the $4 snack pack on AA wasn’t such a bad deal. However, when AA
starts announcing that drinking beverages and eating food on the plane not served by a flight attendant and snack packs are $30, my feelings will change.

It seemed quite obvious to me that the flying public wants to talk on their cell phones and not listen to “common sense” on the intercom. I encourage airlines and airports to limit their annoucements to “information of value.”

I encourage you to write your opinion on “is it necessary” on this thread.

Several good points, Wally, but apparently you weren't paying attention: you have to bring the tray table to the upright <b>and locked</b> position.

I'll try to answer a few of the questions.

1. On all airlines I've flown on recently, the pilot usually announces that we're descending to our destination after it's started; often also about local weather, etc.

At 10,000 ft, the seat-belt sign will definitely come on, the FA will announce return tray/seat belt, shut off electronics, etc. [This will vary somewhat if you're approaching a high altitude airport like SLC or DEN.]

If there's no congestion at the airport, the whole process can take as little as 20 minutes. But at various busy airports including SFO, it's not unusual for a flight to be put on hold at a relatively low altitude. So, the time from return to seat-back to touchdown can vary quite a bit.

2. Also on almost all recent flights I've been on, regardless of airlines, the seat-belt signs are on when one first board an aircraft. It's not like a FA will come scold you, wally, for not fastening your seatbelt 20 minutes prior to the departure.

3. Not all airline passengers are American. Some come from foreign countries where smoking may still be allowed, or is just recently banned.

Since they do not feed you on flights, and, as they now like to announce, the main purpose of FA is for safety (translation - don't ask them for anything), the FA need something to do - so they make a lot of announcements.

A few years ago I started thinking of flying as equivalent to bus travel - now I think of it as SCHOOL bus travel. Sit down, shut up, and don't expect anything except that you will arrive.

Rkkwan--You didn't answer the SEX question.

Glad you brought this up, Wally. As I walk through Chicago O’Hare, there is an every-three-minute recording announcing, “For my HEALTH (emphasis mine) and safety, smoking is not allowed at O’Hare International Airport…”

Is there anyone who doesn’t know that you can smoke only in designated areas? Rkkwan, I know you’re pretty much on top of things with this forum, so accept my respectful disagreement. The announcements I’m referring to at O’Hare are in a domestic terminal, so I don’t think it’s for the unknowing foreigner, for they would have had to have already been exposed, at some point, to the non-smoking International terminal.

And if it’s for my HEALTH, then why not announce, “For your health, McDonald’s are not allowed in O’Hare International Airport.”

I was on a United flight recently where the attendant, during the safety instructions, said “And for those of you who have not been in a moving vehicle since 1964, here’s how you operate a seat beat…” The passengers roared, not so much because it was funny, although it was, but rather because someone finally said, “Hey, this is stupid!”

I guess it’s the constant &quot;dumbing down” of our society that I let get to me!

&quot;The red zone is for the immediate loading and unloading of passengers. No parking.&quot;

That does not need to be repeated over and over by the voice on the departure level. They could drop the first sentence.

Suppose you could get close enough to actually see what color the curb is. Nobody is going to say &quot;oh, this might take a minute, so I should find a zone where I can park&quot;. They know they can't find a curb that is a parking zone. Besides, if they got to the curb they are never going to be able to get out to move to the parking zone. And if the person actually thinks they will find a parking zone, then they will try but will end up getting lost and leaving the airport, which is good, since they shouldn't have been there in the first place if they didn't know any better.

Of course it's necessary to censor the word 'S*x'.

The Virgin Mary didn't have s*x, I don't have s*x and neither should you.

ewwww! sex!!!! ewwwwwww! i'm going to be damaged forever because i saw that word, and so will the kids i don't even have. because i don't have sex of course!

but the 30 minutes after take off and 40 minutes prior to landing thing, probly b/c the plane is actually being flown by the pilots (as opposed to cruising on autopilot) so it's probably the most &quot;risky&quot; period of the flight, and thus they want us buckled and able to duck without the tray tables getting in our way?

If they've stopped serving meals on most flights...what's the point of having those serving trays? Aren't they just taking up extra weight and space?

Couldn't they add some extra seating (or standing space, as the case may be) in the space taken up by the tray tables?

And why have that &quot;no smoking&quot; light on all the time? Doesn't that just burn precious energy? Energy that I'm paying for in every hiked ticket price? Can't they just announce that the flight is non-smoking and leave it at that?

The tray is useful for things other than eating, and some airlines still offer free meals, while others sell meals.

I read an article that the seat manufacturers are designing new seats that are less thick. However, I think we can trust that the airlines will not give those extra inches to tourist class, but instead will lessen the pitch and add new rows.

I can understand keeping the no smoking lights on. The lights are already installed, and if they were turned off perhaps smokers would think smoking was now permitted!

Well, they better not use a &quot;lighter&quot; to lite it.

they'd get tackled before they took their first puff!

What happens if passengers leave their electronic devices and cell phones ON during the flight?

Is it really necessary for this thread to exist?


To the OP above. - In most cases nothing will happen, but it is a fact that (especially cellphones) can mess with the airplanes GPS system. I left my cellphone on in my jacket, which was hung by the FA in the closet during a flight. As we were about 5K ft. coming in for landing at TPA, cellphone caught the signal and started the message notification beep. Nothing happened, the plane landed, but it was embarrasing to me..... and funny to everybody including the FA in the first class cabin...

You don't like my wine?

As for the &lt;gasp&gt; sex thing, I'm guessing the airlines can't win with this one. If they do allow something as harmless as the word &quot;sex,&quot; I'm betting they will get just as many complaints about that. I don't necessarily agree that anyone including children will be traumatized by that, but unfortuantely there are a fair amount of people out there who do believe this.

Why do airports change $11 for Burker King? Because they can.

Is it really necessary for a FA to show people how to buckle and unbuckle a seat belt? Is there anyone left in the world who doesn't know how to do that?

My favorite oxymoron: &quot;In the event of a water landing ...&quot; It seems to me that if you end up in the water, its not a landing, its a crash.

Maybe it's me but I'm glad for the constant reminders - not that they help. Ask a FA how many people have to be told after all those anncts to put their seats up or get them to sit down when there is turbulence.

Or those who still insist on bringing suitcases the size of Rhode Island on and get yanked because they don't fit so beat on the thing trying to cram it in and get indignant when the FA has to take it for check in. Or the savvy traveler who puts their coat, small valise and rollerboard in the overhead losing space for those who do pay attention.

And of course you know who the first person who would sue when they did say s*x, say 'crash' or hit turbulence and the lights weren't on...

Hmmmm - sorry for all the whining. Came home last night after a long flight and way too many Southwest (W9 not the direction) pax on my AA flight.

My favorite is having my nail clippers taken away at the security checkpoint, only to find them for sale on at the newsstand near my gate, AFTER security checkpoint.

Mark