Occasionally, airline attendants make an effort to make the "in-flight safety lecture" and their other announcements a bit more entertaining.
Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:
- After landing:
"Thank you for flying Delta Business Express.
We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
- As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National,
alone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
- After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis,
a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced:
"Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because,
after a landing like that, sure as heck everything has shifted."
- After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the Flight Attendant came on with,
"Ladies and Gentlemen,
please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate.
And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced,
we'll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."
- Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today.
And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube,
we hope you'll think of us here at US Airways
- From a Southwest Airlines employee...
"Welcome aboard Southwest Flight XXX to YYY.
To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle,
and pull tight.
It works just like every other seatbelt, and if you don't know how to operate one,
you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised.
- In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure,
margarine cups will descend from the ceiling.
Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face.
If you have a small child traveling with you,
secure your mask before assisting with theirs.
If you are traveling with more than one small child...pick your favorite.
- Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds,
but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive.
Thank you, and remember,
nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines.
- Your seat cushions can be used for flotation, and in the event of an
emergency water landing,
please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments.
- Once on a Southwest flight, the pilot said,
"We've reached our cruising altitude now, and I'm turning off the seat belt sign.
I'm switching to autopilot, too,
so I can come back there and visit with all of you for the rest of the flight."
- Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead
area.
Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting
children or other adults acting like children.
- As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings.
Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants.
Please do not leave children or spouses.
- Last one off the plane must clean it.
- And from the pilot during his welcome message: "We are pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry... Unfortunately,
none of them are on this flight.
- Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas,
on a particularly windy and bumpy day.
During the final approach the Captain was really having to fight it.
After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant came on the PA and announced,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo.
Please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fastened while the
Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"
- Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing:
"We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the
terminal."
- An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard.
The airline had a policy which required
the first officer to stand at the door while the Passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying XYZ airline."
He said that in light of
his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye,
hinking that someone would have a smart comment.
Finally everyone had gotten off except for this little old lady walking with a cane.
She said,
"Sonny, mind if I ask you a question?"
"Why no Ma'am," said the pilot,"what is it?"
The little old lady said,
"Did we land or were we shot down?"