culture

If you’ve recently flown on a certain Cebu Pacific service, you’ll remember the air safety demonstration.

And how many flights can you say that about?

What first struck me about this was how hot the stewardess nearest the camera is how much fun the cabin crew are obviously having. And you can’t see the passengers’ faces, but presumably they’re enjoying a mixture of admiration and mortified bemusement. (British passengers, mainly the latter- we’re like that).

There’s nobody there who is unaware that a safety demonstration is going on.

Clever, that.

Why should the routines of commercial travel be dull? Why should opportunities be missed for grabbing attention, for getting people interested?

Here’s a silly yet maybe-not-quite-so example I’ve come up with myself. You’re on the Eurostar, and you cross the French border: 30 seconds of accordion music later, everyone is being handed a croissant. Or let’s say you’re coming back, and it’s Land Of Hope And Glory and an Eccles cake.

Daft? Yes, of course. Pointless? You’re now The Eurostar Service With the Croissants / Eccles Cakes. You’ve got the attention of your passengers. You could do something with that. Couldn’t you?

There’s another opportunity here. As a commercial travel operator, you tailor your daftness to your own culture. Play up to your national stereotypes a bit, gently poke a little fun at your own country – and make people aware that yes, they are entering a different culture. Make them glad they’re here before they’ve even arrived. Tickle them, and in doing so, pique their interest. We’re talking about first impressions here, and they will have commercial repercussions – grumpy, travel-dulled passengers aren’t going to linger on their way to their hotel or their onward connection. Make them feel welcome, and they’ll pay more attention to what you have to offer. Surely?

When you’re travelling, have you ever felt won over by the littlest, daftest thing?

Image: Koluso