PA Announcements
 

Would anyone be kind enough to post some templates for the various PA announcements we pilots make on a normal flight? New FO here and would like to see some different ideas of what to include during; initial welcome aboard, cruise/ seatbelts, and initial descent.

My Capts thank you...

Less is more.

Pax only care about one thing....on time or not.

No one cares about direction of the wind!!!!


I’ll mention gate for those that have connecting flights...subject to change

Probably the biggest thing is to let them know what’s going on. At LGA? Warn them to use the lav prior to push. It may be a 10 minute taxi, it may be a 2 hour taxi. Weather delay? Let them know. MX? Give them some information, but not too much.
Tell them where they are going. If you are going to a place like Portland, ME, emphasize that you are not going to Portland, OR. (Panama City, FL, versus Panama City, Panama; Albany, GA versus Albany, NY). Yeah, it happens.
Don’t lie.
Don’t throw the company or someone else under the bus, but again. Don’t lie.
Don’t be like the crew from my DH last month. We get pushed. Sit for 20 minutes. Then the airplane moves.... back to the gate. Jet bridge gets attached. Gate agent comes down and tells us there is a MX issue. We deplane and the entire time not a peep from the cockpit and the door stays closed forcing the FA and gate agent to deal with it.

Unless you are in cruise, keep it to bare minimum to avoid breaking sterile cockpit rules.

This.....although as a new FO you probably won’t be making the tough announcements.

I find it really annoying when we’re sitting there for 20+mins and the crew doesn’t mention anything that’s going on.

FOs don’t need to be making announcements besides prepare for takeoff, seatbelt sign and initial decent. Those should be brief in nature and to the point.

As a FO you shouldn't be making those announcements. But if you notice the captain isn't making them there is not a problem with asking "Do you want me to make an announcement that we are returning to the gate?" I did this a few times as a FO with socially awkward captains. I had one case with a loaded airplane at the gate when the captain disappeared. Push time came, no captain. I called ops to see where the captain was and they informed me the flight was canceled. The last turn of a 4 day, so he bolted. Didn't tell me or the FA's. So I was left to tell the pax and deal with the mess. He went on my "no-fly" list.
The captain is at DAL now.

Whatever you do, make sure you know what you're going to say before you key the mic. (also, people down care how high/low the clouds are or the exact direction the winds are coming from..ie light winds out of the west should suffice.)

At my shop the PM is supposed to make all announcements, IE, seat belt in cruise, top of descent goodbye, etc. If the CA is flying, that means the FO is up. I've flown with captains to don't trust anyone to do anything, so I don't bother, I also fly with senior guys who just don't care, so after a leg or two, I ask if they want me to do it...more often than not they see it as one less thing to do.

Don’t read the ATIS to your passengers like some of the mainline guys still do.

Unless your company has a specific script, refer to your FA’s as “Cabin crew” over the PA. It makes them feel better.