Slightly OT observation (bordering on a rant) about differences between One World partners relating to the safety briefing.

On BA, we sit there while the attendants watch the cabin during the safety briefing. I try really really hard to at least look like I'm listening and watching and yes there are some people who have one eye on their book and worse still, there are those who read their broadsheets in a manner that would make it very difficult to see the screen. I watch mainly out of courtesy to the attendants and I'm sure I could recite the entire briefing word for word (even the bits where they insert the stuff for rearward facing in club world). BA have recently introduced a modification that headphones should be removed making it less likely that people will be distracted during the briefing showing that BA take it pretty seriously.

I've flown quite a lot on AA recently and came back from St Lucia to Miami in AA international business today. We're getting settled in for the safety briefing (which at the beginning is a little brand advert for AA) and the guy behind my shoulder one row back is on his phone merrily talking away during the taxi and briefing. The guy across from me in my row by this point has his ear plugs firmly installed, his eye shades on as is away with the fairies. There's no cabin crew in sight. Well, actually there are, I could see them chatting away to each other in the front of the cabin. I have no idea what happens on board Iberia.

The guy with the ear plugs and face mask has to be the most blatant attempt not to watch or listen to a safety briefing but none of the cabin crew noticed (because they weren't looking) or seemed to care.

There's quite a difference between these two OneWorld partners. Does it matter? Are BA right to be a little stricter? Do electronic devices actually cause any harm? Should we - as passengers - tell other passengers to turn off devices if cabin crew don't see or don't appear to care? I told the guy on the phone to end his conversation with a glare and the 'hand gesture across the throat' and he duly complied. Come to think of it, he might have thought I meant something else?