Welcome speech - attendant discretion or driven by analytics?
#17
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,210
Last year, I was heading back to Florida on what was Spring Break getaway day for the GRR local K-12 school districts. I'm guessing 80%+ infrequent leisure travelers on the first leg because the FA on the GRR-ATL flight gave a 2-3 minute talk on the Skymiles program and why you should sign up, Delta miles never expire, etc. and there was surprisingly no mention of the co-branded AmEx credit card involved.
So there apparently are other targeted messages the FAs are encouraged to give.
So there apparently are other targeted messages the FAs are encouraged to give.
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,991
Last year, I was heading back to Florida on what was Spring Break getaway day for the GRR local K-12 school districts. I'm guessing 80%+ infrequent leisure travelers on the first leg because the FA on the GRR-ATL flight gave a 2-3 minute talk on the Skymiles program and why you should sign up, Delta miles never expire, etc. and there was surprisingly no mention of the co-branded AmEx credit card involved.
So there apparently are other targeted messages the FAs are encouraged to give.
So there apparently are other targeted messages the FAs are encouraged to give.
Probably too long ago to remember, but did the speech sound "canned" (i.e., read from the device) or was it more organic from memory?
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,271
I'm not sure how that's relevant to my question. Either it was Delta prompted or it was flight attendant discretion. Presumably if it was a group that she found out was for a memorial service then it would be FA discretion (I doubt Delta's system would have picked up on it whereas I could see it using demographic data).
To answer your question, though, I don't think this is the case. The nametags the folks are wearing are for a company that seems to specialize in leisure tours.
To answer your question, though, I don't think this is the case. The nametags the folks are wearing are for a company that seems to specialize in leisure tours.
#20
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,210
If this is true I think that answers my question. I doubt any FA would normally give that speech of that length and detail out of their own discretion. It seems like there is some sort of prompting that goes on with their devices to tell them what to say/focus on.
Probably too long ago to remember, but did the speech sound "canned" (i.e., read from the device) or was it more organic from memory?
Probably too long ago to remember, but did the speech sound "canned" (i.e., read from the device) or was it more organic from memory?
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,566
that said, i'm confident DL has the ability to push messages/manifestos/canned speeches/what have you to FAs and probably expects them to read it, perhaps even going so far as having "secret traveler auditors" to check if they actually do. whether or not they exercise this ability, i am not sure.
#22
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 4,777
As for the OP's observation. The more the FA talk the less people listen and will pay attention. People started paying attention to the safety briefing because Delta changed it up enough that it was entertaining to watch.
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Platinum, etc etc etc
Posts: 2,341
Also I find the new one about the uniforms to be HORRIBLY boring and makes me zone out.
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,991
Not as entertaining as Turkish Airlines though....
Also I find the new one about the uniforms to be HORRIBLY boring and makes me zone out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2hCN6cVuqM
Also I find the new one about the uniforms to be HORRIBLY boring and makes me zone out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2hCN6cVuqM
#25
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
Programs: DL Skymiles KE Skypass
Posts: 2,361
I guess you think 45 seconds is a lengthy speech? I hear messages for close to 3-4 minutes on DL all the time and it does sound like they are reading from a script. I don't sit in FC so I cannot see the person making the announcements, to see if (s)he is actually reading from a script, but it does always follow the same patterns.
#26
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,334
Hah - that's pretty funny. Completely off topic but I refuse to fly Turkish though. They're incredibly petty about IRROPS. Paid J ticket connecting to a *A partner in BKK - a maintenance delay in IST resulted in me missing the light. Next flight out to my destination was 16 hours later the next day. Neither TK or TG were willing to rebook me on any of the dozen or so non-S* flights (even in Economy) because their "systems wouldn't let them." I said fine, I'll book it myself and ask for reimbursement. Booked a $156 AirAsia flight (obviously in Economy versus the lie-flat J I had on TG) so I would turn a 16 hour delay into a 3 hour one. Filed for reimbursement and it got rejected (and no refund for the unused portion of the original ticket). What a joke!
IIRC Turkey follows the EC261 regulations, so you may have been able to get compensation for the delay. Alternatively did you ask them to refund the delayed asegment (check the T&C for this) rather than reimburse you for the new ticket you purchased. You might be able to get a partial refund from your credit card too.
#27
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: At the moment? ...
Programs: DL DM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 377
Not as entertaining as Turkish Airlines though....
Also I find the new one about the uniforms to be HORRIBLY boring and makes me zone out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2hCN6cVuqM
Also I find the new one about the uniforms to be HORRIBLY boring and makes me zone out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2hCN6cVuqM
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,991
IIRC Turkey follows the EC261 regulations, so you may have been able to get compensation for the delay. Alternatively did you ask them to refund the delayed asegment (check the T&C for this) rather than reimburse you for the new ticket you purchased. You might be able to get a partial refund from your credit card too.
To complicate things further, it was UA ticket stock. UA tells me that Turkey is responsible to dole out compensation (and as far as I know they are correct). UA offered me 25K miles or $250 voucher as goodwill but I declined them because they are not responsible. Similarly, a credit card chargeback just impacts UA, not TK - and I'm not about to risk my UA account over $150.
Thai told me that TK is liable but offered me the great circle value of the total price of the ticket I did not fly as a voucher, but my total flight was about 12K miles and the last leg was only 500 miles so it was both trivial and I do not expect to fly Thai again in the next year so I declined the comp.
TK says they got me to my connecting destination "with only a 1h55m delay" and that they took care of me by offering a hotel, food vouchers, and next available flight rebooking (which I declined).
It's partly my fault for a complex itin (UA ticket stock with TK and TG legs) but I was flabbergasted that TK would fight me over a $150 comp claim (which was less than the value of the hotel and food vouchers I was offered). I didn't even try to claim the comp for the taxi trom BKK to DMG.
Point is, cute video but don't fly TK unless it's a nonstop. Sorry to run offtopic!
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,991
I guess you think 45 seconds is a lengthy speech? I hear messages for close to 3-4 minutes on DL all the time and it does sound like they are reading from a script. I don't sit in FC so I cannot see the person making the announcements, to see if (s)he is actually reading from a script, but it does always follow the same patterns.
#30
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ATL
Posts: 637