Cabin P/A''...Thank you cabin crew for all your hard work...''
 

hi boys and girls

airline chap since 1972 (not CC, except one lazy hot summer flying holidaymakers in the good old days as a temp posting on 707's, that was super fun)

please tell me why this newish announcement is often made now from the number one crew or sometimes the flight deck,
''thank you cabin crew for all your hard work etc etc etc''
heard it last week back from JFK,

whats your opinions of this...

personally i, as a pax wld like to thank you personally if you have looked after me which i always do (even if its been some frosty soul lol)
and then your nbr 1 should at his/her debrief praise or debacle as ness...

it makes me cringe when i hear it sorry but it does...its creepy,

what do you boys and girls think?

cheers

also btw a young male cc to JFK who was looking after me in p/econ came up me and to all his pax just before landing and said it was his pleasure to have looked after me today and wished me a super time in NYC, he was genuine in his manner, and i have not had this happen to me for as long as!
as he was not on the door for disembarking (his stn was door 3L) i thought this was great of him.
very impressive,

It seems to be a BA thing, and as such it may be a dictat from on high. I will ask ?

Nothing wrong with the Captain, F/O or CSD / Purser thanking anybody for their hard work in my opinion, but why do it over the public address system ? If somebody hadn't pulled their weight I doubt they would use the same method for communication.

It really does send the wrong message. When (as a crewmember myself) travelling as a passenger, I think, "what have I done to make this crews perfectly ordinary day such hard work ?" The reality of travelling these days, is that it is extremely "hard work" for the passenger. They are required to arrive hours before the flight despite having "checked in" online in most cases. They have to stand in a long queue called "fast bag drop". They have to stand in another, often very long queue, for security where they are again subject to the mild indignity of having to remove bits of their ordinary clothing. They are then often frisked before being unceremoniously deposited in a large overcrowded shopping mall where they will endure more queues if they wish to enjoy the privilige of buying an overpriced sandwich or cup of coffee. Eventually they will be summoned to the departure gate (often miles away) where again they will sit in a crowd to eventually join the scrum to either board the aircraft or be herded into a bus. Hours after the start of the ordeal, hopefully they will get to sit on the aircraft and start the journey that was all they either wanted or were forced to do. At the end of this journey are they thanked for enduring this ritualized torture ? No, the cabin crew ( who are paid to do the job) are thanked for all their hard work ! Is it any wonder people are exasperated and confused ?

No doubt someone in a particularly pink and fluffy CRM moment, thought this was a good idea, however it is extremely patronising to even the most undisgruntled passenger ( of which there are few these days !)


As a postscript, my wife is senior crew with said company and she has confirmed that it is indeed a requirement of the company. Apparantly this is based on customer feedback that it is seen as a "positive" comment and reflects the projection aspects of "teamwork" etc. etc. Presumably this is similiar to the customer feedback that is always trotted out in rebuttal whenever a complaint is made or criticism is levelled. Anyway the point is that it is not the fault of the crew, they are told to do it. :yuk:

Ignore it - I do. My employer has loads of sensationally stupid management ideas, dreamed up by people whose combined knowledge of how work in an aircraft cabin is actually done wouldn't fill a used sick bag.

The wonderful thing about flying is that once the doors are closed, they can't look over your shoulder any more - it's your cabin (well the Captains' actually, but you know what I mean) so you can get on with the important business of doing what people really want, not what some teenage blue-flame in marketing imagines that they want.


:E

thank you beazlebub and the moderator for superb replies...

btw i flew on the 'other' uk LH airline, they do it too!

i loved the way you also outlined what the pax have to endure just to sit on the plane , yes, its not fun is it...a very balanced view, i hope alot of crew read this.

likewise nowadays the crew are also subjected to humiliation at various checks and daft security staff and policies which all adds to the dump of stress on everyone.hateful.

i dont have at all any really 'bad' flights only usually ones where i get off and i genuinely wish to thank the boys or girls for myself and not, as you said by some pink and lefty fluffy bunny directive in h/o who thinks this is todays new soundbite yuk LOL

funnily enough the only 'bad' flights i ever have been on recent years is the holiday flights....
can someone please remind a few of the crew that the punters (some are nice remember) are going on holiday!
i know its 6am on a freezing morning at LGW and you have been put there against your will from a vile standby but please smile!:D

Well, like I said on another thread in SLF, it makes me feel like vomiting.

If I'd just finished a keynote talk or facilitating a workshop and my client said "thanks for all your hard work", I don't know if I would be more stunned or embarrassed :confused:

Nothing wrong with the Captain, F/O or CSD / Purser thanking anybody for their hard work in my opinion

Agreed Beazelbub and it's demonstrating good people management skills to do this; IMHO it would also be sincere, rather than 'behfel ist behfel.'

Certainly not told to do it, in fact if memory serves we were told the opposite a number of years ago, the reason given at the time was that the crew didnt think it sounded very good.

I agree that the PA is not the place to be thanking your cabin crew, save it for the crew bus!

I know one airline the Flight Deck thank the whole crew for their hard work before saying doors for arrival.

I think it's a nice gesture to the crew.

I work for the red white and blue airline in question and we've been told numerous times NOT to say "thank you for your hard work" or similar over the pa system. The reasoning being that it's not professional. Simple.

When/if a pilot says it, I usually cringe, as it's embarrassing.

Gg

I think it sounds tacky, but am not bothered.

What really bothers me is a Captain or FSM/Purser/CSD/CSM refering to us as "My Crew". We are a team, and not owned by any single person.

quote from the above poster I JUST WANT TO FLY

''I think it sounds tacky, but am not bothered.
What really bothers me is a Captain or FSM/Purser/CSD/CSM refering to us as "My Crew". We are a team, and not owned by any single person.''

unquote

well i think i, and others here will beg to differ maybe?

you are part of the crew and its HIS aircraft...so therefore when he refers to 'my crew' then thats just what you are.
you should be proud to part of 'his' crew, yes the cabin crew are a team and you have a number one crew member but the 'boss' is the skipper, just like on the queen mary ocean liner...
you are HIS crew.same.

why does it bother you? i'm interested...:O

by saying you do not kinda recognise the 'boss' its almost like saying you approve of the same type of lefty management penpushers (sorry lol) in approving the horrid annoucement in the first place...
oh lets all group hug and be fluffy and we are ALL the team....;)

Ah the "my crew" argument...... I don't see the problem either. I'm sure Willie refers to us as "his" employees ( amongst other things :ok:). I too, wonder why it upsets some people.....(mind you I hate being called "Flight Deck")

As for the PA thanking the crew - I don't do it, don't like it, and yes it makes me cringe when I'm sat in the Cabin..but I always say thank you on the crew bus.

'Seats for landing' isn't the time for thanking the crew for all their hard work as it implies that the flight is now 'over'.

As recent experiences have shown, the flight isn't 'over' until you're on that crew bus!

its realy nice for the captain on no1 to thank the crew for their hard work, sometimes people like to have a winge about the most stupid of things

WiggyExactly! Totally unprofessional imho. Say it on the bus to the car park along with your farewells. Time and place for everything, and everything in its place.

NEVER happens on my flights (by me). The flights are about the passengers, not the crew.

hurrah

seems the consensus then from ALL sides is that its pretty naff to make this announcement...

i'll speak to willy and sir rich:O

What a super thread rog747!:D

Thank you for your hard work cabin P/A
 

As a no 1 on the last sector I always say "Cabin crew thank you and prepare your doors for arrival." Alot of crew have commented on how it makes them feel appreciated and alot of passengers have commented on how it looks good on an the airline to have the Senior thanking the crew for their work as it shows they are appreciated even when the flight has been especially difficult or hard. I and alot of crew don't think it's tacky but shows good team work and appreciated staff.

rog!

What a crock!! get over it and move on!!! If you fly as much as you say you do, then you are probably one of these people who have total disregard for the PA anyway!! Whats your damage man!!!!??? Thanking your crew in front of pax, to me, shows to them (punters) that people in a position of authourity care about their crew/collegues/friends after what could have been a long/tedious/ or even UNeventful day!!

NEXT!!!

I say...
 

Just after receiving the disarming confirmation on the last flight with a crew, I always say: "Cabin crew, thank you" over the p/a-system. It's much appreciated, and I'm the only purser that does that in my airline. The other ones couldn't care less - unfortunately. :ugh:

uuummmm
 

I have heard this on may be one or two of the flights I have been crew on. It came from the flight deck and on both occasions it was after a particularly difficult flight.

It was appreciated by me and most of the crew. I would personally say that if it is a run of the mill flight then it isn't really needed, but after a problem flight it can sometimes be nice to be thanked by the PIC. After all all we want to do when we get to the crew room is get the hell home usually.

Sometimes I've even known the PIC not to come up to the crew room.

reply to aussieej and tightslot (moderator)
 

well mr or mrs aussieej, having read your other posts with similar language how is your career coming along?
fyi i have been flying since 1964 and working with a/c since 1972.
operations and air safety was my concern so for me the crew and their p/a's and briefs i always listen to,
unless they want to sell me scratch cards or twitter on about the latest charity, then i switch off ;)

i think 99% of posters here fully understand that the team leader of the crew or the captain prefer to show their thanks with their team later not in some faceless p/a during the landing checks (which is the more safety critical period, save the thanks for debrief)

it should be never be taken for granted that any day will be ''uneventful''
espesh after nonpremeditated events such as BRITISH AIRTOURS TRISTAR overrun at LBA 1985, AF A340-300 overun at YYZ, IB A340-600 overrun at quito, or BA038 B777 crashland at LHR when the crew have done a good job, know wot i mean?):O i can list more but it will bore the pants off you;)

so mr/s aussieej if you think its all a crock what i say (yuk isnt that american?) then fine, i hope when you get your job flying around that you do make yourself more aware of the unexpected on critical phases of the flight then hoping to hear 'your pat on the back' p/a...
iso of being half asleep hanging out of your jumpseat on finals after your long tedious and uneventful day...
ok?


agreed, rog747;)

What next?

Tescos manager saying "thank you" to the till operators/shelf fillers over the tannoy ten minutes from closing time?

It does sound tacky, and from SLF point of view it sounds like a desperate attempt for recognition by the Cabin Crew (I know thats not the case, but thats how it comes across).

If the Cabin Crew have been good, passengers will thank them as they pass by on disembarkation... if the passenger is the type of person who won't do that, then the PA announcement is going to wasted on them anyway.

Teamwork is good but you do not thank, applaud or berate staff in front of customers - it is not good practice!

Never posted on here before but there are interesting things on this thread that made me think why is it so annoying or upsetting the FD saying thanks to the cabin crew... and I think it is the fact that it stresses and reveals the power boundaries/hierarchies between FD and CC that are usually less visible... by thanking the crew the fact that the crew was at the service (or orders) of the captain becomes more visible... saying thanks becomes like a way of marking hierarchies that are otherwise disguised when that 'thanks' is not there... from the point of view of the captain it is just, I'd imagine, a gesture that reinforces solidarity and team work... like 'it's my duty to say thanks! How can I not?' but this is totally misinterpreted by the CC because, like it or not, there are power issues inside a plane and very well defined hierarchies... and CC are, like it or not, in a more fragile position for power negotiation!!

Can you tell that I'm a bloody sociologist :ugh:

2dmoon

You may be interested to know that I booked 6 long haul J class segments yesterday.

I had a straight choice between BA and EK.

I would be lying if I said that I chose EK solely because of my reaction to the BA announcement (but there was little in the price, the BA route was a little longer by duration, but their seats are better than EKs.)

This annoucement is just generally symptomatic of my perception of the decline of what was a very good (customer oriented) airline from the late 80s through to the early 2000s.

I can't get over the feeling when flying BA that a lot of CC may be polite to pax, but really cosider themselves the centre of attention. The recent industrial action and the cheering from CC on TV did not make me feel warm, esecially as it cost me a bit of money.

So by all means make your PA if you wish and I do applaud you for taking the time to consider your team, but I wonder how many people leave your aircraft not liking it and decide to take another carrier next time?

FYI, I take about 105-110 flights per year, the majority in C or J.

2dmoon,

You have either not read my post correctly, or you have interpreted it wrongly.

I have not said anywhere that the CC should not be thanked... it's the manner in which it is done I am questioning.

Washups, thanks, admonishments should be done away from the public.

Also, from a good man management perspective, your comment about the Tesco analogy not counting is wrong. It does not matter how often or regularly you work with someone, if they deserve a plaudit, then they should get one.

If it has been a trying day filling shelves or on a flight tending to difficult passengers, then a word or two showing appreciation of the fact should be given. Of course as you say, it is polite to say thank you to the CC, but why does it need to be done in front of passengers?
It can be done much more personally after the passengers have gone... face to face which is the proper and respectful way to do things and which carries much more sincerity.

I don't have a bee in my bonnet about this, but IMHO it's not about politeness, it's more about the way society is discarding perfectly acceptable (possibly more genuine) protocol which has been around for years in an effort to be seen to be fluffy in front of others!!

You've maybe guessed I don't like Marmite :yuk:!

:Omy goodness i really have rubbed the genies' lamp lol;)

to final3greens, i would not swayed by NOT booking an airline just because of this annoucement (also i do travel usually W or J/F on LH)
and i very much like flying on BA as we discussed before somewhere lol!

it was not on BA last week though where i heard this.
it was the 'other UK LH'

re the 'tescos' comment, i heartly agree with that poster that i would cringe if i heard that one announced before a shift change...
tescos make enough cringeworthy p/a's anyway yuk

oh and another thing, when in First recently back from CAI i was asked would i like another drink 'mate' mate? mate? in FIRST???
HOW VERY DARE YOU LOL!!!!;)

since when do pax in first get called mate? GRRRR
if i was 25 and looked like a scallylad then yes maybe;)
national service for you all !!!!

Saying thanks doesnt cost anything, and as SLF I have no objection to it being done in public, as long as it comes across as sincere. The airline where my daughter works fly some difficult routes and its not uncommon for the cabin senior or Cpt to use the tannoy to thank them, but equally they re inforce it at the debrief (or in the bar on a stop over!)

My wife manages a childcare nursery and makes a point of thanking her staff as they leave, normally in front of the parents, and it is appreciated by the staff.

Personally I dont think managers generally thank staff sufficiently, it costs nothing but means a lot. Whether it is done in private or publically is for me a non event as long as it is done!!!

2Dmoon

You make your points in a reasonable way and I can see where you are coming from.

Safe flying to you.

Rog747

Not just the announcement as a driver to select an airline, as I said its symptomatic of a change in perceived service delivery, as is your 'mate' anecdote.

As is the response of a ground agent in the domestic lounge at LHR, when asked if she knew where I could find a decent wifi signal. "No idea" was the reply. Didn't even offer to call someone to ask, just went back to a Soduko puzzle.

Time and place...

I've had it at a full service airline, on a large aircraft on an 9hour flight that had been very busy. I thought it was appropriate, the passengers could see we had been doing our best in trying circumstances.

I've also had it at a short haul lcc, on a smaller aircraft after a 4 day trip with the same crew. After 2 medical emergencies on the last flight (a red eye) and add to that a disruptive pax, it was appropriate.

Have had a few flights where the passengers themselves have initiated '3 cheers for the crew!'.

I dont see it appropriate on a normal day to day flight where you just do your job... Do it in the galley on descent, or on the crew bus.

Hi guys. My personal opinion is that saying 'thanks' to the cabin crew over the P.A. really is a bit cringeworthy & does sound a little bit unproffessional! It's almost as if you're trying to 'justify' something & I think it says more about the person saying the thankyou than the crew they're actually thanking..? Just a thought... :ok:

Do we really always have to thank everyone for doing his/ her job? Secondly surely the crews' job is n't finished till all the pax are disembarked?

So what....
 

I have done a flight once, when just at the end of the runway before take-off Pax were stood and a medicial emergency was taking place, we handled it, resolved it and eventually took off but the FS went on the PA and said thank you to us, I thought this was nice and made the pax realise that we are human too, it was our lives in danger when we get up from our seats, what harm does a little PA do...nothing, yeah it might be unprofessional but its charter not First Class BA...

If ever i make the PA "crew seats for landing" i would often say thank you to the crew, yeah they havent finished work yet but we are very often thanked, for example by Base managers etc. We often only get told if we are doing something wrong...not right.

so what if a PA is made to say thank you, i for one think we all work hard, regardless of rank, airline, pay or conditions. :ok:

Now that is just too much!
Why do PAX have the need to hear that!:ok:

A post early on in this thread asked what made an every day flight so hard? Well, if you work for a certain Charter outfit the answer near the top of the list would be "passengers"! Add to that all the hassle the passengers suffer that has been so eloquently described earlier and remember the fact that crew usually get it in spades too. Then add a management that is good at take but stops there then you get the picture

Personally, I usually thank the crew in my final PA before starting descent "for looking after all of us" ie crew and pax.

Whether the pax like it or not, whether they give a toss about the cabin crew or the type of day they've had is frankly irrelevant. I know that every day is a ball ache day for "my" crew and thank them because in my experience, no other sod in management ever does and I've ben their "manager" for the day.

I'll continue to do it. Oh, and thanks for the assessment on my professionalism.

At a certain big airline in question there is no de-brief after a flight, no going back to any crew rooms, and no seeing any managers. We just get off the aircraft and go straight home.

The PA is the final time of the entire trip where the in-charge has the whole crews attention. 95% of the in-charge crew members at said airline thank the crew via the PA. The 'thankyou' PA is more noteworthy by its absence in the rare event it is not heard!

As both an SCCM and a passenger I can't bear it - sounds so false & at times patronising.

When operating as an SCCM I prefer to thank my collegues individually at the end of the day - it far more appreciated than a cheesy PA.....it also lets me recognise each crew members respective efforts at an appropriate level.

Within BA it has never been official policy to do this (for the 16 years I have been there anyway), & when it happens it is entirely on the initiative of the Flight Crew or the SCCM concerned.

As a frequent passenger on BA I cringe every time I hear the senior CC member thank the cabin crew for their "hard work". I have even heard it said as we pushed back - thanking the CC for the work they were going to do - on a half empty flight NCE - LHR!