people started clapping just after we landed
Always on a VIVA LAS VEGAS McCarran Intl. arrival
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Newcastle
The only time I've experienced the 'clapping' was Skyeurope from Manchester to Bratislava. The weather was clear with no wind. In other words, not a particularly bad landing.
What was also strange was the woman across the aisle from me. She was reading her book all through the approach and landing, and once we were down, and the clapping started, she started as well. It was as if it was a reflex action. She heard clapping, and then joined in. She soon stopped though when she realised I was looking.
What was also strange was the woman across the aisle from me. She was reading her book all through the approach and landing, and once we were down, and the clapping started, she started as well. It was as if it was a reflex action. She heard clapping, and then joined in. She soon stopped though when she realised I was looking.
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: here there and everywhere
I travel about 70,000 miles a year on scheduled but only recently on low cost and never on charter.
On a recent flight with a well known low cost airline I was quite amused when people started clapping just after we landed.
I couldn't decide whether it was an expression of appreciation or relief or simply well wishers accompanying one of the crew on their first flight. I had never come across it before.
On a recent flight with a well known low cost airline I was quite amused when people started clapping just after we landed.
I couldn't decide whether it was an expression of appreciation or relief or simply well wishers accompanying one of the crew on their first flight. I had never come across it before.
I just wanted to say that it is very much an Italian thing too. It happens regularly on BA scheduled flights - especially on our Italian flights, and I believe it's a mixture of feeling the relief of being still in one piece (Italians are very superstitious) and that they have finally reached their destination. Having said that, it usually happens when big parties of leisure passengers are involved (teenagers are the worst LOL) and usually with those who are non-frequent fliers.
I remember I did it myself with my friends once when I was much younger - it was great fun and the cabin crew couldn't stop laughing!!
So don't worry - it's a bit like being at a football match where everybody wins
FBW
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Sussex,UK
[quote
The clapping thing is a follow-on from the days when a cap would be passed around collecting tips for the driver!
quote]
Hey, maybe those of us without hats need to start voting them back into the uniform and passing them around at the end of a flight! Could be a way of upping the wages.
I can beat clapping on a flight though. I was unfortunate enough to be on the last BA flight back from MAN (not working thank God), the night England qualified for the World Cup. The poor little BA 737 was chocka full of "slightly" inebriated football supporters instead of it's normal mostly sensible pax and went barreling down the runway to a loud, rowdy chorus of Que sara sara both on take-off and landing. I am pleased to say that after a short spell of counselling the aircraft was able to fly again!
The clapping thing is a follow-on from the days when a cap would be passed around collecting tips for the driver!
quote]
Hey, maybe those of us without hats need to start voting them back into the uniform and passing them around at the end of a flight! Could be a way of upping the wages.
I can beat clapping on a flight though. I was unfortunate enough to be on the last BA flight back from MAN (not working thank God), the night England qualified for the World Cup. The poor little BA 737 was chocka full of "slightly" inebriated football supporters instead of it's normal mostly sensible pax and went barreling down the runway to a loud, rowdy chorus of Que sara sara both on take-off and landing. I am pleased to say that after a short spell of counselling the aircraft was able to fly again!
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
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From: Hertfordshire, UK.
When I was commuting between London and Munich on LH for 18 months, there was a particular statement that elicited applause.
Whilst taxing to the stand, some (not all) of the captains would say (but only in German) "Welkom by Freistaat Bayern." Welcome to the Free State of Bavaria. This alwaye drew applause from the cabin.
During my time in Bavaria, the locals would say, "You don't want to go to the North of the country [Hamburg/Berlin] because it's all full of Germans."
Whilst taxing to the stand, some (not all) of the captains would say (but only in German) "Welkom by Freistaat Bayern." Welcome to the Free State of Bavaria. This alwaye drew applause from the cabin.
During my time in Bavaria, the locals would say, "You don't want to go to the North of the country [Hamburg/Berlin] because it's all full of Germans."
Coppula eam se non posit acceptera jocularum
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Northumberland, UK
Can confirm the earlier comments about it being a very Russian thing to do. Happens on all the internal flights in Russia and marks out the Russians on international flights arriving in Russia. Not surprising coming from a nation noted for a fatalistic pessimism.
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: London
I travel about 70,000 miles a year on scheduled but only recently on low cost and never on charter.
On a recent flight with a well known low cost airline I was quite amused when people started clapping just after we landed.
I couldn't decide whether it was an expression of appreciation or relief or simply well wishers accompanying one of the crew on their first flight. I had never come across it before.
On a recent flight with a well known low cost airline I was quite amused when people started clapping just after we landed.
I couldn't decide whether it was an expression of appreciation or relief or simply well wishers accompanying one of the crew on their first flight. I had never come across it before.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 314
Likes: 6
From: Confusio Helvetica
I've gone many times in and out of Italy (used to live there) without applause. Sometimes, it does happen, but most of my recollections are of fairly quiet landings.
The last time I can remember applause in the cabin was riding a CY A320 LCA-FCO. A remember an uneventful final, passing through scattered thin low cloud cover. Then the pilot goes TOGA and pulls up hard and to the right. Then WHAM! #1 has a classic full-pyro compressor stall, flames shooting out the front and the back, and the airframe shuddering like someone had whacked it with a bat.
Immediately - and I mean immediately - everyone in the cabin breaks into thunderous applause.
We hang there, flying straight but in a slight left bank 30 seconds. Then the captain comes on the PA and explains "there was another aircraft on the runway and we'd be on the ground in five minutes". More than one guy in the cabin snickered, and I heard loud remarks in Greek, Italian and English to the effect that the pilot had simply screwed up the approach.
The last time I can remember applause in the cabin was riding a CY A320 LCA-FCO. A remember an uneventful final, passing through scattered thin low cloud cover. Then the pilot goes TOGA and pulls up hard and to the right. Then WHAM! #1 has a classic full-pyro compressor stall, flames shooting out the front and the back, and the airframe shuddering like someone had whacked it with a bat.
Immediately - and I mean immediately - everyone in the cabin breaks into thunderous applause.
We hang there, flying straight but in a slight left bank 30 seconds. Then the captain comes on the PA and explains "there was another aircraft on the runway and we'd be on the ground in five minutes". More than one guy in the cabin snickered, and I heard loud remarks in Greek, Italian and English to the effect that the pilot had simply screwed up the approach.
Guest
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Now that we know when and how it happens, I'd like to ask a question: Does it bother you? If you are CC or on the FD are you embarassed, amused, don't care? As a pasanger I am always unconfortable and embarassed when people clap around me.
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Sussex,UK
I can't speak for others but as CC, I quite like it. Applause is considered a way of showing appreciation and I'd rather that than the opposite! Of course, there are the occasions following a particularly dodgy landing when it's down to just plain relief that we're on the ground, the right way up and facing the right way but hey, that's always good too!! 
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Location, Location
Happens on all the internal flights in Russia and marks out the Russians on international flights arriving in Russia.
Riding the Euro Gravy Plane
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Strasbourg
Pax Vobiscum
I can understand why the Russians applaud, some of the stuff I witnessed flying around there in the mid 1990's was, I kid you not, staggering. Non functioning seat belts was the most common, on the occasions when there were cabin crew (sometimes there were none) they just told you to tie the belt in a knot if the buckle wasn't there or didn't work. On occasion there were no belts at all and on one flight I remember the belt was substituted with a piece of rope.
Armenian and Azeri airlines often flew overloaded with people standing in the aisles, this still happens today as a colleague of mine flew from Yerevan to somewhere in Nagarno Karabakh last month and reported 'standers'
I can understand why the Russians applaud, some of the stuff I witnessed flying around there in the mid 1990's was, I kid you not, staggering. Non functioning seat belts was the most common, on the occasions when there were cabin crew (sometimes there were none) they just told you to tie the belt in a knot if the buckle wasn't there or didn't work. On occasion there were no belts at all and on one flight I remember the belt was substituted with a piece of rope.
Armenian and Azeri airlines often flew overloaded with people standing in the aisles, this still happens today as a colleague of mine flew from Yerevan to somewhere in Nagarno Karabakh last month and reported 'standers'
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 314
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From: Confusio Helvetica
http://. Non functioning seat belts ...dn't work.
Heck, I saw that happen in the min-nineties (97 to be exact), on a Tower Air flight (JFK-ORY) during their brief run at trying to be a regularly-scheduled airline.
Seatbelt of the guy next to me was installed backwards. On popping the cushion, we found that a pin was installed to prevent seatbelt from "deplaning" -- so we couldn't fix it. Called the FA over,
"It's your seat, sit in it"
Interestingly, the aircraft never got above FL220, and there was no applause on landing (but plenty of relief).
Heck, I saw that happen in the min-nineties (97 to be exact), on a Tower Air flight (JFK-ORY) during their brief run at trying to be a regularly-scheduled airline.
Seatbelt of the guy next to me was installed backwards. On popping the cushion, we found that a pin was installed to prevent seatbelt from "deplaning" -- so we couldn't fix it. Called the FA over,
"It's your seat, sit in it"
Interestingly, the aircraft never got above FL220, and there was no applause on landing (but plenty of relief).
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: East Midlands (not Nottingham!)
Going to Strasbourg on a charter with a large choir, hold ups and frustrations abounded. We were so happy to finally land (albeit with hot coffee still in some mitts) that we broke into the 'Hallelujah' chorus! One up from clapping!
FX Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 901
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From: Greenwich
I like the clapping as well. I used to fly to Frankfurt every other week (had a girlfriend there) and I would say clapping occurred on 20-25 percent of the flights outbound. But inbound never. No idea why.
Probably the most touching incident was where about the half the outbound flight consisted of some elderly Jews of German descent -- the bulk of whom were returning to their ex-homeland for the first time in years, or perhaps since the 30s.
When we touched out there were floods of tears and clapping. It was most poignant.
Probably the most touching incident was where about the half the outbound flight consisted of some elderly Jews of German descent -- the bulk of whom were returning to their ex-homeland for the first time in years, or perhaps since the 30s.
When we touched out there were floods of tears and clapping. It was most poignant.
Coppula eam se non posit acceptera jocularum
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Northumberland, UK
Non functioning seat belts was the most common, on the occasions when there were cabin crew (sometimes there were none) they just told you to tie the belt in a knot if the buckle wasn't there or didn't work