How to get AA to establish a cell/speakerphone policy?
 

There are a small percentage of AA customers that that think it is ok to watch videos, play games, or make phone calls using their speakerphone instead of a headset. This occurs in gate areas, onboard and in Admirals Clubs. It seems there is always 'that person' wandering around the AC on a facetime call, oblivious to others. This trend seems to be on the rise and I find it rude and inconsiderate. I would like to encourage AA to institute a policy banning the use of speakerphones. Even listening to someone else's phone call is annoying but at least we wouldn't have to listen to the person on the other end, or their videos, music or games. Consider this c/p from an article on cell phone etiquette in Japan:

"The (vocal) use of mobile phones on public transport is frowned upon, and messages asking passengers not to make calls and to switch their phones to silent mode ("public mode" or "manner mode" in Japanese) are played frequently."

"It is considered a violation of good etiquette to answer a cell phone in certain public places. For example, on trains it is rude to answer or talk on cellphones. Many people keep their phone in 'manner mode' in order to not bother others and to avoid embarrassment on trains. On the other hand, writing emails or playing games with a cell phone while riding the train is completely acceptable."

I flew JAL several times recently and onboard announcements were made regarding not using cell phones until off the plane. Any suggestions on who I should write to at AA? Is it just me or do I need to move to Japan?

If the rather limited number of occasions that this occurs bothers you that much I'd suggest moving to Japan is probably your only answer.

In my experience at least, this is a non-problem. I'm on flights and in the lounges several times a month and I can't even recall the last time anything like this bothered me, so you are either a lot less lucky then I appear to have been, or a lot more sensitive to it...

There are so many bigger issues in life to worry about than the person Facetiming in the gate area. It's a public space and the speaker on an iPhone isn't really that loud... do we really need a policy on this? Maybe they're out of minutes or only have an iPod and forgot their headphones but need to talk to someone.

IMO this breach of etiquette is about as egregious are failing to say please when asking for something, and over 50% of the people on AA flights don't say "Diet Coke, please" when ordering their drink. Moving to Japan seems like a good option.

Joking aside, you may not be too far out… :) I do not think contacting AA about this will be any productive.

I think this is getting more common thing in the U.S. This is what general population think what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. AA will not able to control what passengers onboard do and think is acceptable. Can see how many passengers continue to text and do Facebook stuff after announced to switch cell phones to airplane mode.

I think this is not just airplane thing, see similar situations at work. There are certain people who love speaker phone. Even during a meeting at work there are certain people who just cannot stop using a cell phone. During a meeting when somebody is talking, some people have no problem doing texting, etc. on a cell phone. When a cell phone ring, some people will answer right there in the meeting rather than walking out of the room to answer the phone.

Used to be coworkers said we are at meeting, but today looks as we do not want to say anything to coworkers texting at a meeting in plain view of customers. Back I was little it was standard to tell people that we are having dinner, but today it is standard scene at a restaurant where people are texting and talking during a meal at a table ignoring other people at the table.

If people think texting or talking on a cell phone at a dinner table in front of other people is not rude, then people will not think anything wrong with using speaker phone in an airplane or a lounge.

I have long thought about taking a few pairs of the free/cheap headphones that AA Provides in domestic first class and leaving them in my backpack with the sole purpose of handing them out to the inconsiderate folks who do this (or allow their children to do this). It's somewhat passive aggressive, but hey, it's also a free pair of headphones.

I've been known to phone bomb others conversation. Just pick up my phone and pretend to be answering the other persons conversation with my own fake conversation.

Im thinking you need to move on and move to Japan. If it bothers you, grab some Bose QC25s and listen to music to drown them out.

+1

Grab some noise cancelling headphones if it bothers you that much. You're at an airport, not a library.

+1

Or just layer additional comments over theirs loudly enough that they can be heard by the folks on the other end "Actually, Jim, I think we need to pull back the revenue targets by 10% for Q4" etc...

+1 Agreed, and me thinks this belongs in Travel Buzz as it's related to general travel (gripes).

This has nothing to do with AA customers. There is just a percentage of people who are playing a game, having a phone call, watching a movie, or scoring the soundtrack of their life with some music the rest of us don't want to listen to.

They arne't oblivious, they just don't care :p

I could see reason for a policy onboard, but I doubt anything could be done about this in the terminal and in the main areas of the AC. There is noise everywhere in airports and in the AC, from announcements to obnoxious drunks at the bar.

+1 to both. I always thought this approach was horribly underrated. If someone is going to have a super loud conversation, why not jump in and offer your own opinions?

Last week some guy was shouting "HOW ARE YOU?" into his phone in the middle of a quiet area of the AC. Because I couldn't tell if he was speaking to the other person or to all of us (;)), I answered with a resounding "FINE! AND YOURSELF?" The call got much quieter after that. :cool:

Love it!

The Admirals Club and an aircraft cabin are not public areas. AA has rules and regs for both. Granted, the gate area and airport are public. Some of the ACs have quiet areas. LAX and ORD come to mind. IIRC ORD even has a glassed off room where cell phones are not allowed. So it is an issue for enough people to prompt AA to create cell free zones. I have noise cancelling headphones but don't typically wear them unless I plan on listening to something. I guess I will stick to the cell free areas until I find my apartment in Japan :)

I agree with OP.

While it's not necessarily the public phone conversations at the gate, or even the extremely loud talkers at the club, it's the two-sided speakerphone and FaceTime calls that bug me. I don't want to be immersed in someone else's life and activities, and having loud speakerphone conversations does this to everyone around you. To that point, I can't stand sitting in a restaurant, airport gate, hotel lobby, etc. and having to listen to someone watching a movie, YouTube video or some other media with the volume blasting. Just because they are amused and find it that enthralling, it does not mean that I also enjoy that same piece of media.

Lastly, I myself never accept, continue or initiate a phone call when on an elevator. I enjoy my own privacy, and I wish others around me would enjoy the same.

Oh wow... I'm sitting right now in the Miami Admiral's Club. I've got one guy to my left face timing his whole family and another guy to my right watching some rock opera on his phone. I thought it was overhead music at first, but he is playing it for all to hear!

This is too much.