FA's adding jokes during the safety briefing
 

It seems like it is scripted now instead of just an individual embellishment so I thought I'd throw it out to the FT community to see how common FAs add jokes during the safety briefing. I personally find it unnecessary and sometimes unprofessional.
Examples:

• Please at least pretend to follow along
• This is how you fasten a seatbelt as if you've never done this before in your life
• there are 50 ways to leave your lover but only xx ways to leave this plane
• Please secure your air mask first then assist any children or anyone acting like a child

I've heard them on United Express, Delta Connection, probably US Airways Express also. Mainly the express people, but I might have heard them on mainline too...like I said it is getting old and cliche.

How common is this routine and what are your opinions? What would the FAA think?

I would imagine they get just as tired having to go through this numerous times a day as those having to hear it numerous times a day. Maybe they think it will perk up your attention and get you to listen one more time. I don't think there's anything wrong with it and considering that travel is very stressful, I don't think a little levity is harmful.

i can understand it from the perspective that it may get passengers' attention. i don't find it "unprofessional", just a little lame. it's not a board meeting. i can only hear "crackberry" so many times without banging my head against the seat in front of me. i'm sure i have heard some particularly witty announcements before, but can't recall off the top of my head.

:D Even though I've heard 'em all before, I still get a little chuckle out of the whole thing. If nothing else, it means the crew is in a good...well, less bad mood, anyway.
WN is famous for doing this as well.
Don't forget: "Put your mask on first, then help your favorite child put their mask on, then go from there..."

Here in Canada, WestJet (AC's primary competitor in Canadian airspace) FAs are famous for cracking jokes during the pre-flight, as well as during the flight. Some of it is likely scripted, but a lot of it seems to be done on-the-fly, so to speak. ;-)

I kind of like it. It's a lot better than getting stony I-haven't-had-enough-coffee -yet glares from the cabin crew. Even though I'm a zombie on early morning flights the WestJetters always seem to somehow lift my spirits.

Don't know if you've seen the commercials, but WestJet employees do seem to be selected for the extroversion and geniality displayed in their ads. And a lot of the female FAs are really kinda hot. :-)

Never had such issues...This simply doesn't happen in Europe (at least with full-service carriers), not least because of the lack of shared cultures/languages between pax and even crewmembers.

...or BlackBerry, BlueBerry, or GooseBerry...

Recently though I've had some FA's who just can't deliver the jokes and it just comes off in bad taste...probably didn't help that the FA last night was also making remarks about how passengers shouldn't complain about a 1 hour delay since she had been working all day and didn't want to hear it.

If I wanted to fly WN I'd fly WN...

The best one I ever observed wasn't FA caused but passenger. Sitting in F on some long-forgotten UA flight, the FA got distracted by some signal (as happens at times) and interrupted her spiel right at the point where she reached "....in the unlikely event of a water landing....". After a few seconds had passed some wag in F loudly asked "What do we do?" which then caused the rest of F to burst into laughter, which in turn made the FA lose her composure and it sort of went downhill from there. She finally had to stop, catch her breath and start over.

On a recent United Express flight I got...

• In the event of an emergency, cabin disco lighting will light up
• The aircraft is non-smoking, however if you need to smoke please see me and I will seat you on the wing where smoking is allowed
• After takeoff we will dim the cabin lighting, this is helpful to make your seatmate more attractive
• Your seat cushion is designed to be a flotation device in the event of a water landing, that explains why they are so uncomfortable
• In the event of an emergency, stop screaming

There were more but I can't remember them.

While I enjoy humour as much as the next person, the FA did rapid fire jokes throughout the entire safety announcement. The sheer volume of them came across as unprofessional.

I don't mind them occasionally, but the trouble is, they are mostly recycled and that they become repetitive and boring.

I hear them from time to time on Germanwings (4U), a LH subsidiary. (LCC) Also, I even remember once having a LH purser on CGN-HAM making jokes as well during the safety briefing.

Some jokes from time to time are really fun but if they get repeated on each flight, they get lame. I liked most of what I have read hear so far.

The canned jokes get a little old, but I don’t mind hearing something funny being said on the fly (no pun intended). There are some pretty quick-witted pilots out there as well.

Yeah, this is pretty standard. Although, on a flight into DCA, I once heard the usualy turn off your blackberry, blueberry, raspberries, Marion Barry's.... eh, at least he tried to add local flavor to it.