I've traveled a fair amount over the past 10 years - including some more off-pitch places, especially in South America. For whatever reason, I've been keenly anticipating a flight where all announcements are made in the local language only (i.e. no English) - and I'm very glad to say that I've found one!
- AeroGal (Aerolineas Galapagos) from Quito to Guayaquil
I think that airlines have to make safety announcements in English on all interenational flights, but since this was domestic I assume that they just figured they'd do away with it.
Anyhow, perhaps a peculiar posting, but I thought I'd share. Any others with similar experiences?
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I flew from NRT To Beijing back in 1989 on Air China - there was no saftey announcements given in English. In fact, as soon as we took of, everyone (including the FAs) lit up cigs in the cabin.
I think since English is one of the most common languages, and that it is the standard req. language of aviation, this is perhaps why they do it.
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Thats actually pretty dangerous. English is THE international language and it is used onboard aircraft because it allows most everyone to understand the relevant information and have the entire cabin on the same page.
I have actually never been on a flight without at least the safety information being given in English.
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Thats actually pretty dangerous. English is THE international language and it is used onboard aircraft because it allows most everyone to understand the relevant information and have the entire cabin on the same page.
Isn't that a little bit arrogant?
There are whole countries where hardly anyone speaks any English at all, not even as a second/foreign language. Why should there be any requirement to use English when no one on board actually speaks or understands it and everybody speaks and understands the native language?
I have been on flights in and between non-English-speaking countries in Europe where announcements were in English only, and a lot of the passengers clearly didn't understand what was going on, and the cabin crew had no way of communicating with these passengers. That's what I would call dangerous!
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On a flight to the Galapagos, not conducting safety announcements in English in incredibly irresponsible IMHO.
It's not a question of arrogance at all. English has long been established as the primary language of international aviation. Although this is technically a domestic flight, it's quite likely to have a very international audience. This might not be true on other intra-Ecuador flights, but to/from the Galapagos the smart thing to do would be to share safety information in English as well.
On the European domestic flights I've been on, the announcements have always been at least bilingual if not trilingual. English has always been one of the languages.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aviatrix
Isn't that a little bit arrogant?
There are whole countries where hardly anyone speaks any English at all, not even as a second/foreign language. Why should there be any requirement to use English when no one on board actually speaks or understands it and everybody speaks and understands the native language?
I have been on flights in and between non-English-speaking countries in Europe where announcements were in English only, and a lot of the passengers clearly didn't understand what was going on, and the cabin crew had no way of communicating with these passengers. That's what I would call dangerous!
If not English what language would you suggest as a common language? It is not arrogance when English is the most common 2nd language in the world so using it is practical.
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On the European domestic flights I've been on, the announcements have always been at least bilingual if not trilingual. English has always been one of the languages.
Quite a few UK and Irish carriers use English only, even on international flights (including flights that neither start nor end in an English-speaking country)
If not English what language would you suggest as a common language? It is not arrogance when English is the most common 2nd language in the world so using it is practical.
If it's an internal flight (or a flight between two countries that share the same language), and the crew have satisfied themselves that everybody on board speaks the native language, then I see no reason whatsoever for using anything other than the native language.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aviatrix
If it's an internal flight (or a flight between two countries that share the same language), and the crew have satisfied themselves that everybody on board speaks the native language, then I see no reason whatsoever for using anything other than the native language.
How did the crew ensure that everyone spoke the same language on your Galapagos flight?
If I operated an airline to a very popular international tourism destination, I'd probably just train the FA's to do English-language announcements instead of going through an elaborate process to ensure that every passenger onboard speaks the native language.
Based on the way people tend to book tour packages to the Galapagos, it's actually quite possible that you'll have flights where few of the passengers speak Spanish.
I flew Avianca and a few smaller carriers in Colombia and Venezuela 10 years ago. No English safety talk. The captain did welcome us to Bogota and tell us the current time in English, though.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ready2Go
Who said anything about a flight to the Galapagos? The OP flew from Quito to Guayaquil.
Fair enough...I incorrectly made the assumption that the airline was flying from Quito to an airfield somewhere in the Galapagos.
Clearly, on a domestic flight, Ecuadorian aviation law prevails and they (apparently) do not need to read safety instructions in English. But still, if I were in charge of safety for that airline, I'd err on the side of delivering the instructions in both English and Spanish.
I'd definitely do it on the flights full of international tourists going to the Galapagos (assuming that is one of their primary routes - Quito to the Galapagos).
I have no problem with intra-national airlines making safety announcements in the local language .. but some here on Ftalk do have strange desires/hang-ups what eaxactly is the big deal with English announcements that has the OP is so obviously bent out of shape that he thought a thread here was necessary?
or is there some motive which I missed completely.
