Rant: How many PAs can you take overnight?

[SMK77]

Flying overnight, most passengers in premium cabins look forward to stretch out and sleep overnight to arrive relaxed at their destination. Same is true for me - and I was very upset last Thursday on my flight in J to AMS:

Flight was announced to be bumpy and pax were asked to use their seat belts at any time. Unfortunately, the cabin crew had the need to go on PA and repeat their lengthy bla bla bla every five minutes. With 28 sleeping pax in J - all with their seat belt on - I went ballistic after they had the tenth (!!!)PA six hours into the flight.

Instead of walking around and approaching pax not using their seat belts to fasten them, they went full blown volume on PA - waking me up although I was wearing my ear plugs. Leading Stewardess gave me all the crap about the need for security when I called for her and she was not listening to what I was suggesting at all and after I really got angry with her there were no more PAs for the rest of the flight...

I haven't noticed that many and lenghty announcement for every little bump in the past - and friends of mine flying in from ZRH complaint about the same.

Anyone else with the same observation?

[fone]

Just flew in from HKG last night, about 3 to 4 PAs due to turbulence and each time, the entire script was read, both in English and Mandarin. This is on a 3 hr 10 min flight. Trying hard to finish up my movie before I need to stow my monitor. J was full and I only saw 1 person trying to sleep on that flight though.

[MAN Flyer]

I went ballistic after they had the tenth (!!!)PA six hours into the flight.......Leading Stewardess gave me all the crap about the need for security when I called for her and she was not listening to what I was suggesting at all and after I really got angry with her there were no more PAs for the rest of the flight...

I do understand the frustration if you're trying to sleep and you get woken up by a PA (and I say this as someone who has been woken up numerous times, been unable to go back to sleep and it's messed me up for what I was doing on arrival/later that day) but getting angry at the LSS (or any crew member) is out of order imho, as they are only going by the rules laid down by people higher up, and you know how much SQ are sticklers for rules. They'd be in trouble if they didn't do it.

You should write to SQ about it. I'd be interested to hear what they say, as it's a safety issue after all, and that is paramount.

[Gunnar Smithsen]

At first glance I thought this was regarding the other type of PA (Personal Assistant)

[bmchris]

Are PAs necessary? I don't think they are if:

1. They can predict in advance that the turbulence will not be strong or likely to cause injury;
2. They can check and ensure every passenger in every class is secure;
3. They can segment the PA announcements by class.

Perhaps a flash with a light ring off the seatbelts on sign followed by a quick walk through in the premium cabins with PAs just in Y is the answer?

[zxcvbn]

On my last (long haul/overnight) flight with SQ (in Y), I noticed that the PAs were announced very softly as to try not to awake sleeping passengers.

[MEL-World]

While I realise that SQ does seem to announce seat-belts at the first sign of any turbulance and, strangely sometimes in the middle of the Y meal service!?!, and the announcement is always long and the same, I wonder if the reaction would be the same in these circumstaces as quoted from the Melbourne AGE today:

Six passengers and one crew member were injured and were treated by paramedics once the plane arrived.

One man suffered a cut to his head during the incident, which is understood to have lasted between 10 to 20 seconds.

The crew member was said to have fallen on their shoulder.

"It was probably one of the worst turbulences I've ever (been in)," passenger Chris Rose, who was returning home with his wife Kerry, said.

"There were people flying around and bits of pieces flying around, and some people hit their heads.

"It was total free-fall. No question, it's the worst I've ever been in.

http://www.theage.com.au/world/qanta...0622-ct89.html

My solution to the overnight announcemnts is to play my I-Pod quietly all night through a lightweight noise cancelling headset.

[SMK77]

...but getting angry at the LSS (or any crew member) is out of order imho, as they are only going by the rules laid down by people higher up, and you know how much SQ are sticklers for rules. They'd be in trouble if they didn't do it.
...

The LSS is the most senior person of the cabin crew and should ensure that SQ's policies are adhered to in the best way possible:

- Asking cabin crew (who on my flight had nothing to do with all J pax asleep) to check on pax and ensure they are using their seatbelt or asking them to use it
- Doing the announcement softly and at half the volume
- Thinking about the frequency (10 PAs in 6 hours???)
- Thinking about the lenght of the message

I consider all of the above reasonable feedback from my side and the LSS was not open/emphatic at all. She completely freaked me out with her attitude - and IMHO she should not be in the positions she is if she is completely lacking any sense of how to get (new) orders implemented.

That is as pathetic as the cabin crew that once had the F cabin completely cleared one hour into arrival (including seats upright) when the pilot announced "please clear cabin" and refused any service thereafter with the LSS pointing out those are "safety requirements" and he couldn't do anything about it.

Not getting sleep overnight is the very first reason to fly another airline - I am not flying premium cabins to be "entertained" all night by countless PAs.

[Jamiegutz]

I thought the reason they make you wear the seatbelt over your blanket was so they didnt have to disturb you while sleeping.

Making continuous announcements seems a bit silly when they have this rule so as not to disturb your sleep.

[flymeroundthemoon]

While I realise that SQ does seem to announce seat-belts at the first sign of any turbulance and, strangely sometimes in the middle of the Y meal service!?!, and the announcement is always long and the same, I wonder if the reaction would be the same in these circumstaces as quoted from the Melbourne AGE today:

Six passengers and one crew member were injured and were treated by paramedics once the plane arrived.

One man suffered a cut to his head during the incident, which is understood to have lasted between 10 to 20 seconds.

The crew member was said to have fallen on their shoulder.

"It was probably one of the worst turbulences I've ever (been in)," passenger Chris Rose, who was returning home with his wife Kerry, said.

"There were people flying around and bits of pieces flying around, and some people hit their heads.

"It was total free-fall. No question, it's the worst I've ever been in.

http://www.theage.com.au/world/qanta...0622-ct89.html

My solution to the overnight announcemnts is to play my I-Pod quietly all night through a lightweight noise cancelling headset.

Agree with all including the iPod/Bose solution. Despite the PA's there are some folks who just don't get it. Although experienced frequent flyers understand the issue and always keep seat belts losely fastened when seated, there are many who don't. And one of those could land on you and cause injury to yourself after having hit the cabin roof. I have actually seen this with my own eyes on a CX SIN-HKG flight. So I would suggest the OP buys an iPod/Bose noise reduction phones and behaves with a little more circumspection.

[milehighj]

At first glance I thought this was regarding the other type of PA (Personal Assistant)

Yep. But I wouldn't rant about that.

[MAN Flyer]

If the LSS 'completely freaked you out', and I would have to take your word for that, then a little frustration is understandable. As it would also be for a pax who had been disturbed numerous times while trying to sleep being a little less patient than normal.

The LSS is the most senior person of the cabin crew

I wonder why there was no IFS or Chief Stewardess on your flight...

[jhm]

I don't mean to criticise (we are all different and it's easy for me to say this as an observer) but it seems that the OP was already "ballistic" when he called for the LSS and in those circumstances, I can understand why a cabin crew might become defensive (security, company policy etc) and not budge when faced with a pax who is "very upset" and "really angry with her". Perhaps a more constructive approach in future would be to go to the galley and make a friendly request and if that doesn't work, ask to have a word with the CSS/IFS.

[SQ_SIA]

dude they're just doing their job..................

[zvezda]

In my opinion, there should never be a PA announcement regarding seatbelts except when the crew are required to be seated. At all other times, the crew should walk the aisles and speak individually to anyone not buckled up.