Jokes about placing your oxygen mask on your child's face, seatbelts, FAA regs for landing, landing the aircraft, etc.? Are you kidding me? Are jokes appropriate on an airline flight? According to SA, you bet they are. They’re part of Southwest’s “casual” branding or image, along with singing, wearing shorts, the Southwest hokey pokey and the flight announcement rap on YouTube, funny hats on Halloween, “Adopt a Pilot” program, and other behaviors that have helped build an enormous client base.
No other airline regularly engages in these behaviors. Of course, occasionally, some comedian on US Airways, Delta, or Northwest might provide a winner, but it’s rather rare. Typically, it’s all business formal and serious. Sound familiar? Is business casual with humor unprofessional? That’s for you to decide. Which airline has been the most profitable? Take a wild guess. Granted, there are several factors that have contributed to that success, including a single aircraft and cost; however, the humor has made a significant customer-relations impact. Ask anyone who flies Southwest regularly.
I have written extensively on the topic of offensive humor in my books and articles. If you skim through the flight attendants’ jokes, I think you will notice that most are self-deprecating. They poke fun at their own practices and mistakes. None is a put-down of passengers or mean-spirited attack of their competitors. On every one of my flights, the joke or song has produced laughter and enthusiastic applause throughout the cabin. You be the judge. Below are a few of my FAVES. Google “Southwest Airlines flight attendant jokes” for loads of sites for other jokes. Enjoy.
During Preparation for Take-Off
“Welcome aboard Southwest Flight whatever. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. If you don’t know how to operate a seatbelt, you probably shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.”
“In the event of a sudden loss in cabin pressure, margarine cups will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the cup, and pull it over your face. If you are traveling with two small children, decide now which one you love more.”
After a Very Hard Landing
“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fastened as our captain taxis what’s left of our aircraft to the gate.”
“We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.”
Let me know your reaction to these jokes and Southwest’s behaviors. I fly them frequently and look forward to their shenanigans. Maybe you do too. What a breath of fresh air from the stuffiness of the other airlines, plus I get to use words like "shenanigans" in my blog.
COPYRIGHT © 2009 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
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