Is it time to revamp Onboard Announcements?

The glamorous debate about Onboard Announcements has been around for a little while. Personally, I don’t mind hearing various announcements during a flight; but only if they are carried with a dash of personality and not in a monotonous tone.

You’ve probably seen various videos on social media of flight attendants delivering fantastic announcements which have gone viral, and then those which perhaps make you want to press the “mute” button. That being said, announcements should only be made when it is essential. The majority of airlines have got this, but there are a few who unfortunately are still trailing behind.

Over the past year or so, I’ve discovered that certain airlines are actually utilising the Inflight Entertainment screens to relay passenger information. Such examples I’ve witnessed include the standard “Please Fasten Your Seatbelt”, to those who actually provide a full description of the in-flight meal. In terms of customer experience, I think this is a great idea. Let’s face it, the announcements on aircraft aren’t usually the easiest to hear owing to the noise of the engines, air conditioning etc.

Another reason why I am an advocate for displaying messages on the screen as it provides airlines with the option to provide these in different languages – which helps in situations where passengers may not have a good grasp of English or the language spoken on board.

Would you be a fan of more messages to be displayed on the IFE screen instead of numerous announcements over the public address system? If not, when and how often do you feel it is acceptable to make an announcement? Let me know in the comments below.